Nothing Ventured Page 15

  "Thank you, Judge Stevens. I appreciate you taking the time to see me." Her chin trembled. She was completely on her own. Nobody was waiting in the wings to rescue her.

  "Take care of yourself. If anything else happens, please let the police know as soon as possible. I wish I could have been of more assistance."

  Tears stung her eyes. Deep down, she knew it had been a long shot. Alex was too smart to incriminate himself. He'd just continue to terrorize her in a controlled manner. Fantastic.

  She got into the car and slumped back against the seat. Her phone pinged, and a fleeting glance at the screen made her gasp. With a trembling hand, she picked up the phone.

  Did you really think that was necessary? You've got no reason to fear me, Mia. I love you. I'll always love you.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "I'VE WORKED MY ASS OFF FOR Emerson for years, and he hires Bradshaw to take the role that was supposed to be mine? What the hell is that about? Doesn't he give a shit about the future of his company? I was fully dedicated to him, 24/7. She can't give her job the same focus."

  Mia stopped dead in her tracks just outside the conference room, her feet frozen to their spot on the plush carpet. Alex's text still had her reeling, and now she had to deal with this?

  "Keep your voice down. Do you really want Paul to overhear your bitching?"

  Mia recognized the voice of one of the other senior associates, Andy something or other.

  "He's not here anyway. You think I'm an idiot?"

  "Come on, man. You have to admit she's phenomenal at her job. It's not like she was pumping gas before coming here. She's got great creds, and you know it."

  "She's also got a kid, and that means she's not a hundred percent dedicated. So what's going to suffer? The job. But I guess that didn't matter to Emerson when he hired her."

  "Get over yourself. Maybe Paul realized he needed to expand his reach to attract new talent."

  Alison? Who else was in there listening to that crap?

  "Great, let's open a daycare next so we can bring in more mommies with Ivy League MBAs." The harsh words dripped with disdain.

  Was this what everyone thought of her? So many sacrifices made, so much lost time, and for what? To be ridiculed behind her back by jealous colleagues who knew nothing about her life.

  "She's smart, and her work is fantastic. That's why Paul hired her."

  Mia backed away squeezing her fists so tight they nearly drew blood. He wasn't getting away with that bullshit. No fucking way.

  She threw open the door, relishing the look of shock on their faces. "I certainly hope I'm not interrupting your little chat, but I thought there might be some flaws in your argument that should be pointed out." Mia glared at Dan. "First, let's get something straight. My personal life is none of your business. It doesn't impact you or my work ethic. At all. I don't answer to you. I work for Paul."

  Her lips curled into a triumphant smirk. "And second, if you were so great at your job, maybe he wouldn't have come looking for me. There was obviously a gap in his talent pool if he couldn't promote from the inside. Next time you're looking to participate in some interoffice banter, I'd suggest you close the conference room door before opening your big mouth."

  With that, she stalked out of the room, slamming the door. Could this day get any worse?

  Ah, that would be a big fat yes.

  Chris was stopping by at five o'clock to prep for the pitch meeting. It was an attempt at damage control, since she'd heard about the whole Dan debacle. His assistant, Maddie, set the schedule, but she couldn't put off the inevitable for much longer.

  How could she sit across from him and discuss the future of his company when all she could think about was how incredible he made her feel? Who knew how he would even react to seeing her? It was wrong of her to leave without notice. Would he be angry? Or were her worst suspicions about to be confirmed… that she was nothing more than last weekend's entertainment?

  JAMES WALKED INTO CHRIS'S office munching on an apple. "What's the story for next week? Are you all set for the meeting?"

  "Yeah, yeah, we're good. I'm heading over to Blue Coat in a few minutes to finalize everything with Mia. She's back in town and wants to go through the latest version of the pitch deck, not that she called me to set the meeting. I've also got some more documentation to drop off." Scheduling through Maddie was such bullshit. She hadn't even had the decency to send an email.

  "Cool. Are you sure you want to go alone?"

  "Mmm-hmm. It'll be fine. I've gotta get past it. May as well start now, right?"

  "Look, if you want to talk—"

  "Enough. I'm dealing with it. We've got a ton of work to do over the next few days, and that's my focus." He managed a small smile. "Don't worry."

  "Okay, I trust you. Hey, why don't we go out tomorrow night? Just you and me? We'll grab dinner somewhere, shoot some pool, whatever you want."

  "Thanks, but Lizzie has a championship game tomorrow night. I promised I'd go see her play. Raincheck?"

  "You've got it. Let me know how everything goes."

  He rubbed his hands over the stubble on his chin. Sometime over the past week, his priorities had shifted, with Mia claiming the top spot. If only he could figure out how to preserve his partnership with Blue Coat while simultaneously laying his heart in the line…

  "CAN I TALK TO you for a minute?" Alison appeared in the doorway holding a stack of papers.

  God, she needed Advil. That or some vodka.

  "I just wanted to let you know I don't agree with anything Dan said before. For what it's worth, I think you've got everything together. I don't know how you manage it all, but it's impressive."

  "Thanks, I appreciate that."

  "Dan's always been a bit of a prick. Don't let it bother you. Here are the documents for your meeting." Alison put the pile on the desk. "Chris Camden is here."

  It was time to see just how much worse this day could get. "I'll be right there."

  "Do you need anything else? I'm ready to take off but can hang around if you need me to. I think everyone else has already left."

  "No, we're good. Shouldn't be a long meeting. We just need to do a final review."

  "Okay, have a great weekend."

  When would her heart finally get on the same page with her head and forget the one who made her feel more alive than she'd ever thought possible?

  Mia picked up the packet and took a deep breath. Her legs trembled as she approached the conference room. Time to get it together. She smoothed her hair and rubbed her lips together before opening the door.

  Chris stood against the window, his eyes hollow and emotionless. "Hey."

  Swallowing hard, she took a few tentative steps toward him. "Hi. How are you?"

  "Not bad. Busy week. You?"

  "Same, I guess." With an unconscious tug of her earring, she turned away. "Do you… um, want to take a look at the new presentation?"

  "Sure. I brought some data for you. I would have given it to Dan, but the last shreds of faith I had in his abilities pretty much disintegrated the other day."

  "I — I'm sorry about that. The trip to LA was so unexpected, and I…"

  "Can I ask you something?"

  "What?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

  "Why are you avoiding me?"

  In an instant, it felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. "I, um, don't know what you mean," she rasped. What did he expect her to say? That she was in love with him but painfully aware their time had come and gone?

  "Why did things get so weird? Do you regret what happened?"

  "No, I don't." She ran a hand through her hair, trying in vain to ignore the fluttering sensation in her chest. Regret? God, no. It'd been the most amazing night of her life.

  Chris stepped closer. "Then why did you pull away? Why won't you talk to me?"

  Her mouth fell open. "What are you—"

  "Mia…"

  Less than an inch separated them. His alluring
scent enveloped her senses, making her dizzy with need. "Yes?"

  "Mia, I—" He sighed and pushed his hair back. "—I can't stop thinking about you. The other night was incredible, and being with you… it's like nothing I've ever experienced. I know it's not the perfect situation, and I tried to ignore it all but—"

  Mia shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Please don't…"

  "Don't what? I'm telling you how I feel. I'm being honest."

  "Stop. It can't go anywhere. We both know that. Don't make this harder than it is."

  "Why? Is it because we work together?" Chris pulled away with a stricken look.

  "It's more complicated than that. I need to be with someone who isn't a flight risk. You're with a different girl every weekend."

  "You think I'm a flight risk?" Chris stared at her, his face draining of color. "Do you realize how hard it was for me to tell you all this? I've never felt this way before in my life. I thought there might be a chance you felt the same way."

  "It doesn't matter how I feel. It's not about me. It's always about everyone else."

  "Except me." His hazel eyes blazed. "Just be honest, do you feel the same way? Is there something between us? Or have I imagined all of it? Tell me you don't feel this too." Before she could respond, his warm lips captured hers.

  A rush of emotion charged through her as his tongue hungrily parted her mouth. No, no, no! He had to stop!

  But Chris had other ideas. He wrapped his arms around her, his hand caressing the back of her neck. She melted against him, her mouth eagerly drinking him in. Her skin tingled under his fingertips, everything around them fading to white noise.

  A loud bang registered in the depths of her mind. Startled, she jumped and spun around to see Paul standing in the doorway with his arms folded.

  "What the hell is going on here?"

  Mia gasped, stumbling backward into the wall. "Paul, we, um… we were just…"

  "I don't have time for any bullshit excuses. I'm late for a flight." He turned around. "Harris!"

  Dan appeared with a smug look on his face. "Yes, Paul."

  "I want you and Bradshaw in my office first thing Monday morning. Understood?" He shook his head and stalked back to reception.

  Mia felt Chris's hand on her arm. She shrugged it off. "Are you happy now? He's probably going to fire me!"

  "I think you're overreacting. I can't see how he'd fire you over this."

  "How do you know? And why do you even care? I told you this can never happen, but you had to push. I'm totally screwed now!"

  "You didn't hear anything I said. Maybe you should take a few steps back and see the situation for what it really is instead of lashing out at me. Do you really think I wanted to put you in this position? I'll talk to Paul and tell him it was my fault."

  Anger bubbled over the surface. Her chest shook, fists clenched to her sides. "You've done enough. Just leave it alone!" She stormed out of the conference room and slammed the door to her office.

  Paul's caustic tone made her cringe. He'd feed her to the wolves the first chance he got. Forget finding another finance job in Palo Alto… or anywhere else in the state for that matter. Her career was finished. Fraternizing with a business partner? She'd be lucky to get a job working the counter at McDonald's when word got out.

  Quiet sobs shook her body. All those things he'd said… Had he really meant them? He'd said he had feelings for her and that he'd never felt this way about anyone before. More lines? Or could she actually trust him? And more importantly, did it even matter now that she'd managed to ruin her entire life within a ten-minute span?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  SCREAMS AND CHEERS EXPLODED INTO THE dank air in the gymnasium when Chloe jumped for a three-pointer.

  Mia's voice was hoarse from yelling. Tonight was all about Chloe. Everything else could wait until tomorrow, including her job search. She looked at Rachel and giggled. "Oh my God, are we looking at future WNBA stars or what?"

  Rachel laughed and handed Emma a juice box. "I can't believe how crazy people get."

  "Yeah, everyone gets so focused on the games and the team's record that they forget the kids need to have fun. It's so ridiculous."

  "I'd love to be able to make just one basket. My brother always hated playing with me because I suck so badly. Speaking of my brother, where the heck is he?" She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Hey! What happened to you? The game's almost over. Oh, by the court? Okay, we'll catch up afterward." Rachel craned her neck to get a look at the sidelines. "He's somewhere down there. I guess he didn't want to bother navigating through the hoards of people."

  "Mmm-hmm. I can't believe how well they're playing. I was only half-serious before about the WNBA, but you never know."

  The crowd erupted again as the referee called a foul against the opposing team, giving Lizzie two free throws.

  Swish!

  The first landed cleanly, and Mia anxiously watched the shot clock. Only two minutes left.

  Swish! Again!

  Chloe ran down the court with Lizzie in tow. With thirty seconds to go, one of their teammates passed the ball to Lizzie. She dribbled it around the opposing team forward and passed it over her shoulder to Chloe. Ten, nine, eight… The ball made a satisfying swish into the net, and the horn sounded, announcing the end of the game.

  Mia and Rachel leapt out of the seats shrieking and jumping up and down as Emma looked on, nibbling on a pretzel rod.

  "Mommy, can we eat now?"

  Rachel's cheeks were pink with excitement. "Absolutely, we're going to celebrate. Whatever you guys want. Let's go to the locker room. I'll send my brother a text, and he can meet us there."

  Mia's heart pounded. The rush of winning the big game, all the glory and fanfare that followed — it felt so good, even if she was living vicariously through Chloe. "Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. They were fantastic!"

  "I know! It's so exciting. They must be going out of their minds." Rachel bent to pick up Emma, but she wriggled out of her mother's grasp.

  "I see Uncle Chris!"

  "Hey, Emmie! How about a basket toss? Think they'll let us onto the court?"

  The hearty laugh that followed sent goosebumps down her arms. What the—

  "Chris?" No, it wasn't an illusion — he was standing right in front of her, a heart-wrenching look of dejection shadowing his face. The day-old stubble around his chin and USC baseball cap made him look even more irresistible than normal. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

  "I'm here to see Lizzie. She's my niece." He turned to Rachel. "Mia and I work together."

  Rachel's mouth dropped open. "You work with…?" Her eyes darted to Mia. "And you and my brother? Oh, Jesus."

  Chris shot Mia a puzzled look. "Why are you here?"

  Chloe and Lizzie tore out of the locker room at that moment, screaming and hugging each other. "We won! We won!"

  Chloe ran to Mia and threw her arms around her. "Mommy, did you see what a great game we played? Wasn't it awesome?"

  "You were fantastic, sweetie. I'm so proud of you."

  "Chloe, come here." Lizzie yanked her by the arm. "This is my Uncle Chris."

  Chloe looked up at him, a big smile on her flushed face. "Hey, Chris. You're Lizzie's uncle? That's so cool!" She turned to Emma and Lizzie. "We met him at Jamba Juice one day, and my mom asked him out on a date. I can't believe he's your uncle."

  "I can't believe it either," Mia muttered.

  "Holy shit," Rachel whispered.

  They stood in uncomfortable silence until Rachel found her voice and pulled the girls away. "Let's wait outside."

  Lizzie and Chloe ran ahead of Rachel, with Emma in tow. With one final incredulous look, Rachel shook her head and left Mia and Chris staring at one another.

  "Chris, I—"

  "No. Let me start. I'm sorry about what happened last night, all of it. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, and if I read too much into anything, I apologize." He stepped closer, a pained expression on his face
. "You said some really hurtful things. I don't know if you believe them or not, but that's not the person I am anymore. If that's what's keeping you away—"

  "Do you understand I'm about to be fired? Once Monday morning comes, I'll be out on the street!" Mia's voice rose, and passersby stopped to take in the scene. "Do you know why? Because I lost focus on what's important, yet again. Every time that happens, Chloe is the one who gets impacted the most, and she's the one I need to protect."

  "You know what I think? I think you need to live your life so you can be happy and pass that example on to Chloe. You can't shield her from the realities of life, Mia."

  "You're not a parent. You don't understand."

  "I may not be a parent, but I know sacrificing the chance to be happy because of unfounded fears isn't sending the right message to your kid."

  "I live my life to protect Chloe and provide for her. She's my priority. It isn't about me! Why is that so hard for you to understand? Is it because you don't have any responsibilities? You get to live your life exactly the way you want — no strings, no mess. I don't have that luxury."

  "When do you get a chance to live? When Chloe wants her own life, what will you do then? Will you even know how to find your own happiness? Or are you still going to look for it through her?"

  His hands grasped her shoulders, drawing her in until she could breathe in the sweet smell of spearmint mixed with his musky cologne. Her knees wobbled under his heated stare.

  "I thought my life was perfect until I met you. Then everything kind of turned upside down, and I realized the life I had wasn't what I wanted after all. It was missing something."

  Mia's eyes filled with tears. "What?"

  "It was missing you. I'm in love with you, Mia. I wanted to tell you the night we were together, and I missed another chance to tell you yesterday. But it's true. I've never felt this way before about anyone. Being with you was unbelievable. And I'm taking a big leap by telling you this because I don't know what's going on in your head, or if you have any of the same feelings for me. But either way, I want you to know."