Page 74 of Falling for the Bad Boy
I couldn’t wait to get back to Oliver.
CHAPTER 32
Oliver
I’d been working on the business plan for Tapped for four days. Four solid days of running numbers, making calls, getting estimates, and doing research. Four days of avoiding Trinity. I was ready to throw in the towel. No matter how I manipulated the numbers, Wyatt was right. It was going to cost us a hell of a lot more to move the bar into another building and try to start from scratch.
Unless… I pulled up the commercial auction site I’d come across the day before. A craft brewery in Michigan had gone under and all of the equipment was up for auction. I was waiting to hear back to find out how much it might cost to move it all. If we could get a deal on the brewery equipment and it didn’t cost a fortune to move it, I might be able to come up with a solution to make things work.
If not, I’d be out of luck and out of time. With Trinity’s grand opening drawing closer and closer, along with the expiration date of my student visa, my back was against the wall.
As I ran through another scenario on my spreadsheet, my phone pinged.
Trinity: Free for dinner tonight?
I leaned back from where I’d been hunched over the computer screen. We hadn’t seen each other in days. Not since I told her I was working on a special project for Wyatt that might turn into a full-time job. I may as well take a break for dinner. A guy had to eat.
Plus, my body seemed to be going through withdrawal from not enough contact with Trinity Ryan.
Me: I can probably break for a quick bite.
Trinity: Great. Pick me up at Macy’s at seven?
Me: You got it.
Trinity: And wear something nice. Dad wants to take us out for dinner. We’re celebrating.
Me: Celebrating what?
Trinity: You’ll see.
I smiled. It felt good to not be working against her anymore. If the plan I’d been putting together for Wyatt didn’t pan out, then I was going to tell him I was out. Being without her for the past few days made me realize how it might feel to lose her forever. That wasn’t a risk I was willing to take. I’d rather be half a world away and know her business was thriving than be working for Wyatt and live with the knowledge that I’d caused her to fail.
My phone pinged again. This time it was an incoming email from the transportation company. I scanned the numbers and plugged the estimate into my latest spreadsheet. I waited for the formulas to update. Wyatt had led me to believe that all that mattered was the bottom line. As I stared at the number at the bottom of the sheet, I let out a long breath.
If all went well—and that meant all of my assumptions would have to come true—Wyatt might actually come out ahead. I’d have to convince him to take a chance on snagging the used equipment and moving to a warehouse on the other side of downtown. But it was possible. I grabbed my phone and fired off a text to Wyatt. Looked like there was a good chance I’d be heading to Napa soon to make the pitch to the potential investors.
For the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel like a fist was tightening around my heart. I wasn’t so naive to think that it would be easy, but if Wyatt agreed and we got the investors on board, I might actually be able to salvage my own future while Trinity secured hers.
I saved my work, backed it up on a flash drive just in case, and slid my chair back from the table. I’d been sitting in front of the screen for four straight days. My back popped as I twisted my torso from right to left. What I needed was a quick run. That would get me out in the sun for a bit, fill my lungs with some fresh air. If I followed that up with a quick nap, I’d be ready for an evening with Trinity.
A few hours later, I killed the engine of my bike at the curb of Macy’s condo. Trinity must have been watching for me. She sauntered down the sidewalk toward me, an extra bounce in her step. Damn, she was a sight for sore eyes. Not to mention, a sight that sent a sliver of warmth through me, igniting all of those body parts I’d neglected since I’d been spending so much time on Wyatt’s shit.
I let the bike rest on the kickstand and swung my leg over so I could give her a proper greeting.
“Hey, stranger.” She flung her arms around my shoulders as I swept her into a hug.
I didn’t want to waste time with words and immediately caught her mouth with mine, dipping her back and sliding my tongue against hers. Kissing her was like shooting down a six-pack of energy drinks. It sent a buzz of adrenaline right through me.
“Miss me?” she asked, pulling away just far enough to meet my gaze.
“Hell yes. Do I have time to show you how much?” I pressed my hips against hers. She didn’t need help figuring out exactly how much I’d missed her.
“I think I can already tell.” She slid a hand along my crotch, and I hissed in a breath.
“Are we on a time crunch? Want to head back to my place first?”
Please say yes. Every atom inside me clamored, trying to get her to agree.
