Page 133 of Wildflower
She’s having fun. Laughing. Being free.
I fucked up.
“What would you do differently if you could sit through that conversation again?” Aiden had asked, and that kicked off my new project. The main reason I’ve been in the office twenty hours a day the last week.
And when I’m not in the office, my brain is constantly on, churning on a possible solution, but I haven’t nailed it yet. There must be a way I can get her back, show her that I know I was wrong. And keep my business. Somehow, I need to get on top of the board again.
After Aiden asked me that, I’ve run through the meeting. Reliving the painful discussion, and there’s one comment that sticks out above the rest.
‘The Mark who founded this company would never degrade himself like this. What has happened to you?’
I’m not the same man.
Rey changed me.
What I should have said to Graham was: what has happened to me islife. Rey showed me how much I’ve been missing. How I can live if I don’t give myself entirely to this company. The board doesn’t care about anything but the bottom line, and even Graham can’t see past it in the end.
But this isn’t everything the world has to offer, or that I can offer the world. With Rey, life can be so much more. I can be so much more.
Horace hovers by the chair. I can sense he’s uncomfortable, but he’s here.
He’s a good guy.
I down the rest of my whiskey, refill my glass, and take another sip. Horace sits down and puts his mug on the desk. I pour until he lifts his hand to stop me. A polite amount. He’s not sticking around.
“I’m glad you’re staying with Infinio, Horace, and that you’ve taken on the creative director role. I need you.”
He nods, and I notice his jaw working. Something on his mind he doesn’t want to say. Do I tell him the truth?
“I didn’t mean for it to pan out this way,” I say, talking to my glass. “I fell in love with her, but I had to choose.”
“Oh,” is all he says. He shifts in his seat and takes a tentative sip. “Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you have to choose? If you fell for her, couldn’t you just make it work?”
Heat boils up in me, and I tighten the grip on my glass. He makes it sound as if I simply gave up. I fought for her. For us. I couldn’t give up my company. I realised that I was wrong after, but he makes it sound so easy.
When I don’t answer, Horace continues. “You know, the teams are still going on about it—it’s been nonstop. Practically everyone’s voted Team Rey.” He huffs.
“Voted?”
“Yeah, someone set up a poll between the two of you, and it’s 98% Team Rey.”
“Huh.” I run through the ideas that have been simmering, and something clicks into place. I slam my glass down on the desk, making Horace jump. “Sorry. Hey, how long would it take you to solidify the concept you pitched me a few weeks ago?”
“It’s got legs to stand on. Tolu already used it for the prototype competition, remember? Why are you asking this?”
“I’m going to need to get the team together.”
Horace cocks his head at me. “Now?”
“No, I’m not entirely bonkers. But are you okay with dialling in from home tomorrow? I won’t make you work when your son is sick, but just for an hour to kick it off?”
“To kick what off?”
I grin. “I think you’re going to love this.”
