Page 8 of If I See You Again
It didn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I shoved my phone back into my pocket. Was it lousy not to respond? Possibly. Maybe even unprofessional. But a standard ‘Hi’wasn’t an emergency and could wait until I was back at my desk.
The entryway to the building swarmed with people rushing to get back to work, and I smiled at the chaos. Considering how closed off I’d been as a kid and how secluded I’d had to be after the kidney transplant, it was so strange to love being surrounded by so many people. Maybe that was why I liked it so much. Marcus would have loved it as well, and a flash of sadness hit me as I boarded the shiny elevator to my office.
Would Marcus think I was being dumb for not pursuing things with David?
Thoughts continued to swirl in my head as I disembarked the elevator on my floor and walked down the narrow hallway lined with wooden doors and metal plaques displaying the names of their occupants.
When my feet froze in front of the door with the gold plate, the letters mocked me as I stared at them.Malcolm Fisher: Product Marketing Manager. I’d worked hard to be in my position, butafter landing this big account because of winding up in bed with the client? Something soured in my gut. Mr. Thomas didn’t know there was history there. If you could even call it that.
Stop it, Malcolm. Nothing says he wouldn’t have given it to you anyway, even if you hadn’t blown your load all over his chest.
I entered my office and plopped into my chair. It rolled back a little further than intended, and I cursed, realizing how much of a wreck I must have looked. When I returned my seat to its upright position at the wide wooden monstrosity that was my desk, I finally pulled my phone from my pocket again. Those flutters returned to my stomach, seeing another message from David.
David: We’re not starting off great if you’re ignoring me.
Chapter 6
David
“What’s that look for?”
I jumped as I swung my feet off my desk and stared at the woman leaning against the door frame. Today, she pulled her long, blonde hair back into a sleek ponytail, her red sheath dress hugging her curves.
“Audrey, how often do I need to tell you not to sneak into my office?”
She chuckled as she sauntered over to the empty chair across from me before landing on it. “Probably about as many times as you told me to stay out of your room growing up.”
I scowled at her, but it was impossible to hold on to my anger toward my little sister. She was cute as a button, but fiery and a boss bitch when she needed to be.
“Look, just because I’m getting ready to turn things over to you…”
She held up her hand to stop me from talking. “Don’t worry, David. You know I won’t run things into the ground here, right?” She fidgeted slightly, looking around the room and tugging the bottom hem of her dress.
The truth was, Audrey had been surprised when I came back from Chicago only to announce that I’d be moving and that I needed her to manage the North Carolina office. She was smart, capable, and more than ready. She just didn’t always see it. Part of that was thanks to a jackass ex-boyfriend she’d had. If anyone tried to make my sister feel small like that ever again, they’d pay for it in blood.
“I wouldn’t have asked you to take over if I thought you would. Now, what can I do for you?”
She grinned. “Can’t a sister ever just check in on her favorite brother?”
Oh, she definitely wanted something. “I’m your only brother,” I reminded her.
She lifted a dainty shoulder in a shrug. “Semantics.”
“Audrey—”
“Okay, so you’ve been different since your trip. What happened? I thought you were only going to scope things out, and now you’re preparing to pack up and move.”
My phone pinged with an incoming message. It was stupid, but I lifted it to see a response from Malcolm. Warmth spread through my chest as my heart pounded just a little harder. I didn’t hesitate to open it, but had to hold back from laughing at his words.
Malcolm: Is there an emergency? Are you canceling the project?
“There’s that smile again.”
I threw my cell face down on my desk as I rolled my eyes at Audrey. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So if I pick up your phone, there won’t be a message from some mysterious stranger you met in Chicago, and that’s the real reason you want to leave?”
Damn, the girl was fucking perceptive. Instead of giving her the satisfaction of being right, I sat back in my chair because there was nothing incriminating in those messages.
