Page 46 of The Biker and the Gamer
"So why didn't you just break up with me?"
"Because I didn't want tonothave you in my life. I love you. My family loves you. My friends love you. You're my guy. There’s not another man out there who’s better than you, Alec. You’re the most spectacular person I know. But there just wasn't any…" She gestures with her hands as if trying to find the right word.
"Magic?" I fill in for her at the same time she says, "Fireworks."
Her smile is wan. "Magic. That's exactly the word."
A few months ago, I probably would have called bullshit on "magic" and "fireworks." But one will never truly understand until they experience that magic, those fireworks. So I'm glad I waited to ask. Because I understand now. Man, oh man, do I understand.
~
"We need to talk," Cedric barks as he barges into my office.
I quickly hit pause on my iPad and flip it face-down on my desk, then train my gaze on my computer screen. "About?"
"You. Your absence."
This gets me to look up and meet his dark glare. "Excuse me?"
He pops the button of his dapper suit jacket before sitting down in one of the armchairs in front of my desk. "You haven’t been yourself since we got back, man. You're here, but you're nothere. And people are starting to talk."
With a shrug, I lean back in my seat. "Let them talk. It's my company."
"Ourcompany," he corrects. "And this company isnothingwithout your genius. But the way you are right now, you’re completely useless to us." In a lower voice, almost to himself, he mumbles, "This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Saw it coming a mile away."
"I'm sorry, what was this impromptu meeting supposed to be about again?" I’m not in the mood for his crap.
"I had a staff meeting,” he states, then promptly holds up his hands when I raise a brow at him. “Yes, yes behind your back.”
“What was it about?”
“To see who would be interested in relocating to the new Denver branch of Vaughn and Drake Entertainment. Turns out that the majority of the team members who were there with us loved it there and would like to go back."
I’m lost. Nonplussed. "What are you talking about? What Denver branch?"
"The one you’re going to set up," he says simply. "I've already put in an offer for the building we were renting. But for this to work, we need to spring some dough to outfit the Denver office with duplicates of all the tools and shit here so that both teams can be equally efficient and collaborate properly."
I blink at him. Stunned. "I thought you hated her."
He sighs and shakes his head. "I don't hate her. I was being a dick on purpose to preventthis exact shitfrom happening. But, hell, it still happened. So I'm just rolling with it, because you’re obviously in love with her and being here, away from her, has rendered you utterly and completely useless. We need you back. And if I have to send you away in order for you to come back to us, then that's what I'll do."
This son-of-a-bitch. He always does this. He always pushes me and pushes me, and right when I’m at the point of hating him, he does something like this to remind me why we're best friends in the first place.
I'd thought about the possibility in Denver, but almost immediately dismissed the idea because I figured he'd fight me tooth and nail on it. And after our fallout over the Kendra payment, I just didn't want to drive a deeper wedge between us.
"The cost," I point out. "You're the one who’s always reminding me of that. We're in the middle of production. It might not be the right time to set up an entirely new branch right now. Not to mention we’ll need new hires to supplement each team."
His lips thin. "It'll put a dent in our statements, sure. But if you think she'sworth it…?" He lifts an askance brow at me.
"She is," I say without hesitation.
"Then I'm in," he replies with an easy shrug. "Besides, having multiple branches will be good for the company’s reputation. It makes us look bigger than we really are." He stands and rebuttons his jacket. "I'll stay here and oversee things. But we'll need to promote Tom to Creative Director for this branch. Remember, I’m only an expert in finance, not all that other mumbo jumbo you guys do."
"You mean the same mumbo jumbo that's turned you into a billionaire?"
"Hey, don't get it twisted. Without me, you'd still be coding games in your parent’s basement. Games that onlyyouplay."
"Whatever," I mumble, though I can't help smiling. Neither of us would be anything without the other. We are who we are because of our loyalty to each other, our drive, and our determination to succeed.
