Chapter Twelve

Hailey sat at her kitchen table, sipping tea while she looked out at her garden. Buds had started rising on dead limbs. Soon the earth would be alive once more. Ivy would grow along the back fence. Crocuses would bloom in the barren soil. Life would return to the best part of her home.

But though she wanted to think about simpler things, there were more pressing matters on her mind.

It’d been days since her coffee break with Caleb. Sure, work was still crazy. Hell, she’d spent the whole weekend poring over an endless stream of pages but even so, she found she missed him.

She’d received the odd text here and there in the past few days, but the only calls had been from her brothers. There’d been no word from Caleb. No invitations to go out again.

It shouldn’t bother her. Even if he wasn’t busy, what he did with his personal life wasn’t her business. After all, the last thing she wanted was to care for him by the time the bet ended.

In place of her absent fake boyfriend, Alec had stepped up to the plate. They’d had dinner twice this week, and it was getting harder to think this was just about work.

He’s been as wonderful as ever. Always a gentleman.

Too bad she was beginning to realize she rather preferred a bit of chaos in her man.

She closed her eyes. Her month was running out. Not that she needed to make any big decisions. She was still firm in her resolve.

Wasn’t she?

Would it be the worst thing in the world? part of her wondered. Maybe against the odds, Caleb could be what she needed.

She shook her head. The stray thought was as unwelcome as it was confusing.

Hailey ran a finger over her lips. Of course, it wasn’t Alec she dreamed of kissing every night.

That’s just because it’s never happened, she reasoned. Hard to dream of something she hadn’t experienced. So what if she’d done some naughty things with Caleb. She just needed to repeat them with Alec. That would solve her problem. Then he’d supplant Caleb in her fantasies.

A shrill cell phone ring shattered the silence around her. She grabbed her cell, accepting the call before she’d actually looked at the caller ID.

“Alec,” she greeted.

There was a beat of silence before Caleb answered, “Not quite.”

Her eyes closed in a wince.

“Hi,” she tried.

“Hot date?”

“Not at all.” She raised her tea to her lips. “I haven’t heard from you lately.” There. That didn’t sound accusatory. She was simply stating fact.

“I ran into a roadblock at work. Sorry I didn’t text.”

Did she believe him? Her company had been through the wringer lately, and she’d still had the time to answer personal phone calls.

But then again, she wasn’t the CEO. Who knew what Caleb’s life had been like?

“Now who’s working too hard?”

He sighed into the phone. “I wish I could tell you about it,” he said. “I wish I could pick your wonderful brain and find a solution to some of the problems I’ve been facing. Hell, I slept in my office last night, and let me tell you, I need a new couch in here pronto.”

She laughed at the mental image. “Sorry I can’t help.”

“It’s the rules, right? No shop talk. We’re on opposite sides.”

“Still,” she said. “That’s what good girlfriends do. Listen and make supportive noncommittal sounds to indicate your problem is important and we’re not secretly planning what to Netflix next.”

There was a long pause. “Girlfriend?”

She blinked. Had she said that? “Slip of the tongue.”

“Progress,” he purred.

She rolled her eyes. “Moving on. I wish I could help take some of the weight off your shoulders.”

“I know seeing you would cheer me up.”

She exhaled slowly. “When?”

“Sounds like I should be asking you about your schedule. Since you’re a busy woman and all.”

“Saturday,” she said. “I’ll be free.”

“And if Alec swoops in with an invitation you can’t refuse?”

“I’ll be free,” she repeated. “I don’t make appointments I can’t keep.”

“Fair enough.” There was a beat of silence before he said, “I’m looking forward to seeing you.”

“Me, too,” she replied, and found the words were true. What was happening to her?

“I’ll see you then,” she said. “You’re sure everything is all right?”

His soft chuckle filtered through the phone. “I survived several decades before you entered my life, Hailey Mitchel. I’ll make do until we can meet again.”

Her cheeks heated in a blush. “Of course you will. I’ll see you soon.”

“Sweet dreams.”

The phone disconnected, leaving her alone.

Hailey looked out at her garden that had seemed so comforting mere moments ago. Now it seemed dark. Sad.

Lonely.

I’m not missing him. That would be crazy.

She lifted her tea to her lips, wishing with all her being that she believed those words.

…

“Hailey, can you come in here for a minute?”

“Be right there,” she said into the phone, glancing at her watch. She’d wanted to run out to grab a quick lunch, but when Alec called, his needs trumped any other plans.

Hanging up the phone, she rose to her feet and headed for the door. When she reached his office she strode in with only a cursory knock.

Alec wasn’t at his desk. Instead he bent over the coffee table situated between two comfy armchairs.

“There you are,” he said with a smile, straightening to his full height.

“What’s this?” she asked, walking over to his side.

His hand touched her lower back, guiding her forward. She allowed it, looking up at him in question. That didn’t feel like an appropriate gesture between coworkers.

“What do you have here?” she asked, stepping away from his hand.

“We’ve been so busy lately I wanted to find a way to spend some time together even if we can’t leave the office.”

She looked down at the takeout boxes on the coffee table. He’d ordered in from her favorite sandwich shop.

“This is so thoughtful.”

“Do you have time for a break?” he asked. “I don’t want to pull you away from anything important.”

“I was just about to run out and grab something,” she replied. “Your timing couldn’t have been better.” She smoothed down her skirt and took a seat in one of the chairs, Alec taking the other. He handed her a wrapped-up sandwich, which she hungrily accepted.

“I wanted to say thank you for your work on the Rex account,” he said as he unwrapped his own lunch. “I know this week has been a busy one.”

“I like the pace,” she said with a shrug.

“Doesn’t leave much time for a life outside these doors, though,” he replied. “Good thing we work in the same building.”

She smiled, taking a bite of her sandwich. Yes, Alec was easy enough to see. It was Caleb she hadn’t been able to squeeze in.

What if you worked for his company? a wicked inner voice whispered. Then you’d be having sandwiches with him.

Mentally, she shook her head. She liked her job. There was no reason to leave.

Except money, advancement, and position.

And Caleb.

Biting into her sandwich, she pushed the thoughts from her mind.

“Did you get a chance to read Edward’s proposal?” Alec asked as he ate.

She leaned forward to offer her opinion, telling herself she didn’t mind that so much of their conversations focused on work. They could share their thoughts. It wasn’t breaking any confidentiality clauses. Things were different with Caleb. They had to find other topics to talk about out of necessity.

She’d finished her sandwich before Alec finished dissecting the problems they’d be facing when they went back to their offices.

“All right, sounds like we have a game plan,” he said.

She smiled, wiping her fingers. “I’ll get right on it.”

He looked down at his empty wrapper, and a rueful smile came to his face. “I just wasted our time having a meeting, didn’t I?”

“It was an important problem to solve,” she denied.

He sighed. “My parents warned me I was too focused on my career to enjoy people’s company like a normal person.”

“I don’t think you can ever classify yourself as normal, Mr. Big Shot,” she teased.

“I swear I was determined to try harder.”

She smiled. “This company is the first thing in your life. Work is important to me as well.”

He reached out; his fingers curled around hers. “I value you, too.”

“I know,” she agreed, looking down at their linked hands. Why wasn’t her heart racing?

Family is important. Caleb’s words floated through her mind. She never felt like an afterthought with him. He didn’t put the company before those he cared about.

Different styles for different people, she defended. Alec was a more hands-on CEO, and she admired his work ethic.

“Do your parents live in the city?” she said, trying to steer the conversation away from work.

“They’ve got some property here, but since my father retired they’ve preferred to live a quieter life outside the city limits.”

“Is your dad enjoying retirement?”

He smiled, relaxing into his chair. “I think it was hard on my father to give up the rat race, but my mother was thrilled to get him back. They’ve been traveling to all the places he promised to take her for forty years.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“They’re a happy couple,” he agreed. “Watching them laid out the blueprint for what I want in my own life.”

“And what’s that?”

“I want to find a partner to go through life with. My father married his best friend. Seems like the way to go.”

“How lucky,” she replied. “From what I’ve heard of them, they sound like a very generous pair of people.”

“Did Caleb speak of them?”

“A little.”

A long sigh escaped Alec as he ran a hand down his face. “They loved him like a son.”

“What happened?” she couldn’t help asking.

Blue eyes met hers. “Did you ask him that question?”

“He won’t talk about what broke the two of you apart.”

“In that, at least, we share the same opinion. Let sleeping dogs lie, Hailey.”

She knew a warning when she heard it, but it only increased her curiosity. Alec painted Caleb with a cruel brush, but the man she spent time with was a far cry from the immoral monster Alec claimed.

Maybe he’d changed. Whatever had come between them, it sounded like it had happened a long time ago. Maybe Caleb had become a different person.

“Are you still seeing him?”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t be? Despite the fact that you don’t like him for some unknown reason you won’t share?”

His gaze turned to her, watching her with an unreadable look she couldn’t quite decipher before he shook his head.

She nodded, dusting off her hands. What had she expected? That he’d finally come out and say he wanted to see her beyond their professional relationship?

Even with Caleb in the picture, that didn’t seem like it was going to happen.

Pushing to her feet, she forced a smile. “Thank you for lunch. It was very sweet of you to think of it.”

“My pleasure,” he said, rising to his feet.

He took a step toward her before he seemed to catch himself. “I’ll look forward to getting that report.”

“I’ll get right on it,” she said, heading for the door.

“Wait.”

She paused, glancing back.

Alec ran a hand over his jaw. “This isn’t how this lunch was supposed to go.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, walking back over to him.

“We’ve been spending more time together outside the office.”

“Yes.”

“And I was thinking about how well we work together.”

The breath froze in her lungs. Was he about to say what she thought he was?

“We’re so compatible, Hailey. Maybe we could be more.”

The breath rushed from her. “Are you asking me out?”

“Would you be open to the chance?”

She blinked. “If this is just because Caleb has been hanging around, then I—”

“No.” He reached out to catch her hand. “It might drive me mad thinking of you with him, but that’s not why I’m asking. I’ve never worked with anyone the way I can with you. Don’t we owe it to ourselves to see if we could be anything more?”

She looked up at him, unable to believe he was saying the words she’d longed to hear. But now that they were out, her stomach twisted in knots.

“One date,” he said. “What could it hurt?”

This was always the plan. This was what I wanted.

All she had to do was take it.

But the words hesitated on her tongue.

Step up, Mitchel. Don’t screw up your plan. Here’s your chance.

Rolling back her shoulders, she lifted her chin. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “You won’t regret this. You’ll see.”

Hailey stepped back, wishing the conflicting emotions inside her would settle down. “Let’s pick a day next week when things are calmer.”

“Perfect,” he replied. “It’ll give us a chance to get work under control.”

How romantic.

“Exactly,” she said. “I should get to that report.”

“Of course.” But his smile was genuine. “I’ll look forward to next week.”

“Me, too.”

She headed for the door, knowing she should be ecstatic. From the beginning, this had been the aim. Get him to see her as something other than a sexless assistant. And now it looked like he had.

Which didn’t explain why instead of feeling triumphant, all she felt was remorse.