Page 123 of Sunkissed Colorado
But I should’ve told her earlier. So she wouldn’t be stressing about logistics all day.
“I think we should lead with the great news about us,” I said.
“Before he tells us his decision? But that’s asking permission instead of forgiveness. I don’t think that’s the best strategy.”
I got up to hold her hands in mine, stopping her from pacing. “Baby, he won’t need to make a decision. Because I emailed Manny this afternoon withdrawing myself. He doesn’t need to pick the general manager because it’s already you.”
“You didwhat?”
I massaged her knuckles with my thumbs. “I took myself out of the running.”
“But…why?” she asked incredulously. “You wanted this job. You can’t just give it up.”
“I already did. For you. I wasn’t going to let this come between us. Not after how far we’ve come.”
Should I have told her earlier? Maybe. But this was my choice. I’d done this so we wouldn’t argue.
But this was Zandra Alvarez, soof courseshe was arguing.
Her hands slid out of my grip. “So I get the job by default? I wanted to earn this. Not have it handed to me.”
“You’ve already proven yourself. He was probably going to give it to you anyway because you’ll be great. But if there was even a slight chance Manny would pick me instead of you, why would I take that? I’m not risking us.”
“Why would you think it would come between us? I was going to be fine either way.”
“Would you really, Z?” I’d said that lightly. Not as an accusation.
But suddenly it was like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room with a massive whoosh.
“You think I’d be angry at you if you got the job? That’s really what you think of me?” She’d been waving her arms before, but she’d almost whispered those last two sentences.
Like she wasn’t mad. She was hurt.
Shit.
I’d expected a few different reactions to my big gesture, but not this one.
“Callum, did you seriously think I would break up with you if you got the job instead of me?”
“I…”
“You did.”
“Sunflower.” I walked over to her, holding out my hands, but she edged away. “I wasn’t trying to?—”
“Don’tSunflowerme. I can’t have this conversation with you at work.”
“You’re the one who started this conversation at work,” I said evenly.
“And when would you have bothered to tell me any of this? Two minutes before we walked into the meeting tomorrow morning with my grandfather?By the way, Z, I’m letting you have the job because I can’t trust you to be reasonable if you lose.”
“That’s not what I was thinking.”
She headed toward the door. I rushed to follow her, but as I stepped out of the office, she was already halfway to the kitchen.
“Zandra,” I called out, far louder than I’d intended.
Heads turned toward me, half a dozen staff members stopping in their tracks to look.
