The man raised a brow. “How old are you, son? 30?”
I shrugged. “Thereabouts.”
He shook his head. “You sure? There are a series of tests you’ll have to undertake. Your knowledge of the state, federal, and local law needs to be near perfect.”
My face blanched, but he went on. “Then there are the physiological tests, as well as the grueling physical tests you’ll be put through.” He grinned. “They’re designed to push the limits, you hear?”
I nodded slowly. “I hear.” I straightened myself and stood taller. “What do I need to do?”
The man smiled, nodding. “That’s the spirit.” He took out a folder full of papers. “You can start by filling these out. Recruitment is every six weeks. We’re just about due. If I’m not mistaken, the next lot will be in ten days. If you get us what we need in time, you could start training in three weeks’ time.” I went to reach for the folder, but he held it away from me, his face stern. “You’re gonna have your ass handed to you. You know that, right?”
I had no preconceived notions that my time in training was going to be easy. “I know.”
He handed me the folder, and with a jerk of my chin, I was out of there and ready to sign my life away for some semblance of normal.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Mia
Home was becoming overly silent and somewhat overbearing. I needed to get out of the house, and there were only so many evenings I could arrive on Bill and Terry’s doorstep like a little lost puppy.
They needed time alone too. I felt myself overstepping boundaries. They assured me I was welcome anytime, and I know Terry wouldn’t say that if he didn’t mean it, but I felt awful, a little like a third wheel, as if they were babysitting me.
It had been close to two weeks after Quinn had said those gut-wrenching things, and although it still hurt, that hurt had been downgraded from stabbing pain to dull ache.
The morning he had the cake delivered to my door, I was surprised. Imagine my further surprise when I came home later that afternoon to find a huge bunch of flowers at my door. I had no idea what they were, but luckily, the small card attached explained they were purple hyacinth, and the particular color of the flower meant ‘sorry.’ The card also read: I’m an asshole. Please let me be your asshole.
I smiled to myself, brought the flowers inside, and pulled out my cell.
Me: The flowers are gorgeous.
Not a minute passed before I received a response.
Quinn: Not as gorgeous as you.
And every day after that, I received something at my door.
First came the bag of turkey jerky with a note that read, I’ve been a jerk, with jerk underlined three times over. Then came the card with a lollipop on the front that simply read, I suck. After that was an unexpected delivery of bratwurst from a local butcher, and spelled out in sausage was, Sorry, I was a brat. Then arrived the plush doggie with a card that read, I’m sorry. Can I come out of the doghouse now?
The very last gift was a box of Air Heads. The card attached had scribbled inside, Sometimes I can be a real airhead. Sorry!
With every gift, my smile returned. Not because he was spending money on me, but because of the thought being put into them. How could I not see how sorry Quinn was? The effort inside every delivery was enough to see he cared.
And so I went to work with a smile on my face. Of course, Ella could smell something fishy and waltzed over to my desk. I was glad that the bounce in her step had partially returned. What Rick did to her was not something she would get over easily, but she was trying.
She sat on my desk and whispered, “What’d he get you today?”
I handed her the box of Air Heads and, looking confused, she opened the card and read in silence. Her face turned to goo and she frowned over at me. Taking the box of candy, she hit me with it.
I flinched, stunned. “Ow! What the heck was that for?”
She glared at me, leaned forward, and hissed, “Would you just forgive him already? Jeez. You know how many women would kill to be in your position?” She sighed. “I know he fucked up, Mia, but he’s sorry. He admitted he was jealous. That in itself is a huge deal. Hell, after what I’ve been through, I’m the biggest skeptic out there, and I believe him when he says he’s sorry.” She eyed me curiously. “Don’t you?”
I nodded gently. “I do.”
The box of candy shook loudly as she brought it down over my shoulder again. “Then what are you waiting for? Call him!”
I blocked the next hit and warned her, “Ella, if you do not stop hitting me, I will pull that weave from your head and wave it around like a trophy.”
Ella pouted and I smiled. “I’m planning on calling him after the week is out. The day after the ball. Once I don’t have the stress of an event on me, I think I’ll be calmer. That’s a good time to do it.”
A slow smile spread across her red lips. “You know he loves you, right?”
My insides flipped about. “I don’t know about that. I know he likes me, but love? No, I don’t think so.”
She rolled her eyes and stood. “I’m not even going to bother arguing with you.” She asked, “You want a ride to the bar tonight?”
Friday night drinks had become a new thing for me, but I was liking it so far. I’d met a whole new department of Addison Limited, and they were pretty cool people. Not to mention the fact Nicholas had been in attendance.
I grinned. “Sure. You going to be my date tonight?”
She snorted and chuckled. “Oh, baby. You couldn’t afford me.”
My face twisted in mock-pain and I clutched at my chest. “Whoa, ouch. I’m gonna need some aloe for that burn.”
I turned to my computer when a wild idea took hold of me. I stood suddenly, needing a word with my boss.
The bar was full with people to the point of not being able to take a step without turning and apologizing to the person whose foot you’d just stepped on.
I returned from ordering drinks, careful to give myself enough room between people so as not to spill. It felt like a feat when I arrived at the booth without spilling a single drop. Ella looked down at her drink in awe. “Were you a barmaid in a past life?”
I took my straw into my mouth, nodding. “Yep. One of those busty Bavarian wenches who can hold eight steins at once. Although, my boobs probably drank more than the patrons did.” I shrugged. “Guess that’s why they kept me on as long as they did.”
Nicholas snickered along with Pip. Dave from marketing tipped his head back and roared with laughter, while Francine from accounting snorted. Ella smacked my arm, astounded at my dirty, dry wit. “Ha!”
The conversation came easily, and although Dave liked to flirt with me, I’d made it clear it wasn’t going to happen. He was harmless, in my opinion.
His brown eyes crinkled in the corners as he ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. “Mia, when are we getting married?”
I feigned thought. “I don’t know. I think I’m free in October, three years from now.”
He winked, his smile spreading. “For you, I’ll wait.”
I rolled my eyes and sipped at my drink, smiling all the while. I turned to Nicholas and asked him how he was doing. He sipped his beer and leaned forward, closer, so he wouldn’t have to yell his response. As soon as he opened his mouth to answer, he caught sight of something over my shoulder and pulled back, disbelief written all over his face.
Peeking over my shoulder, I caught sight of her. I slid out of the booth and made my way through the crowd to meet her. She looked around anxiously until she caught sight of me. She sighed. “I thought I was too late.”
I smiled at Addison, who looked completely different than I’d ever seen her. She wore light blue jeans, ripped at the knee, a cream-colored tank, with white chic slip-ons. She wore no make-up, and her blonde hair was down, looking soft and freshly washed. A contrast to how she wore herself for work. “No, we’re just over here. C’mon down. What are you drinking?”
She ran a hand through her hair. “Something fruity, I think. How about a fluffy duck?”
We went to the bar and I put Addison’s drink on my tab. Once she had the frou-frou cocktail in her dainty hands, we made our way over to the booth. That was when she spotted Nicholas. She paused mid-step. “Oh. I didn’t know Nicholas would be here.” She swallowed hard. “Crap. This is awkward. I think I should leave.”
But Nicholas had yet to take his eyes off Addison, and he was looking at her differently, inquisitively. I watched him watching her, and decided for her. “No, he’s fine. Sit down. Take a load off.”
Ella, Pip, Dave, and Francine watched me bring over Addison in plain confusion. Nicholas continued to search her face, as if he was seeing her for the first time. I explained myself. “Hey, I invited Addison. I hope you don’t mind.” I said this pointedly, in a way that said, ‘If you have an issue with this, shove it wear the sun don’t shine, because she is staying’.
Nick was the first to speak. “Addison.”
Her smile faltered. Her voice trembled. “Nicholas, hi.” She looked around the booth and I knew she felt out of place. “Hello.”
He watched her so closely that I felt her squirm beside me. I was extremely grateful when he jerked his chin to the booth seat. “Sit. We’re just talking about the Maginty deal and what we can do to improve their outdated Christmas dinners.”
We all watched in complete silence, holding our breaths as to how she would react. Addison stood there a moment before breathing deeply then exhaling slowly. I took a seat in the booth and she sat beside me. Then she started, “Well, the first thing we can do is try to persuade them to update their logo. I think they’ve had the very same one for about fifty years.”
Nick’s eyes smiled. “I was just saying that.”
Addison blinked down at her hands. “Oh, sorry.”
Nick shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. What else?”
She sipped her fluffy duck. “I thought maybe Ella and Mia could find a new and exciting venue. They’ve always had it at the same venue. The problem is that the venue is about as dated as the company is. Ella and Mia work well together.” She smiled at me then at Ella. “It’s remarkable.” She grinned at him and said without thinking, “Sort of like how we work together.”
Nicholas immediately stiffened. The booth went silent and he downed his beer in one long gulp. “Goodnight all. Thanks for the nightcap.”
He stood and walked toward the exit. Addison lowered her head and hissed quietly, “Shit.” Then she stood and followed him out, leaving her drink at the table and the rest of us watching her back as she walked away, completely perplexed.
I took in the expressions of the rest of the guys. “Well,” I started. “That was fun.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Addison
“Nick,” I called as I followed him. “Nick, wait.”
He turned to me, avoiding my eyes, scratching at the sexy scruff at his neck. “Yes, Addison? Something you need?” His cold eyes met mine. “Maybe my family home? More alimony? Perhaps the car I just bought to replace the ones you claimed you needed?”
Yikes. I probably deserved that.
When Nicholas had told me he’d cheated on me, I was more than hurt. I was completely heartbroken. The only thing I wanted for a long while was for him to feel how I had felt when he told me about it. I wanted to watch him suffer, because I was suffering.
I still was.
My throat thickened. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He eyed me hard and smirked. Lifting a hand, he uttered a bored, “Goodnight Addison,” then started to walk away. Again.
I needed to talk to him. There was no time like the present. Taking a deep breath, I rushed out, “I want to sell my half of the company.”
He stopped walking and his back went rigid. It took a few minutes for what I’d said to sink in, and then he turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t know what you’re playing at…”
I shook my head slowly. “No games. I want out. I want to sell it to you. Cheap.”
He took a single step closer. “Why?”
I looked to the ground. “We had a great idea when we started this business, Nick. I loved this company. It was my baby.” I paused a moment before I admitted my weakness. My voice faltered. “But it changed me, and I don’t like the person I’ve become.”
The harsh angles of his face softened. “Addison…”
My eyes closed tightly and I begged, “No, don’t say anything. Please. Let me finish.” I held my eyes shut as I confessed my truth. My heart raced. “I love this business, and it’ll be hard to let go.” Here goes nothing. “But it couldn’t be harder than losing the person I love the most.”
I opened my eyes in time to take in the stunned disbelief on his face. He moved to step closer. I raised my hand. “Just let me talk. Let me get this out. It’s been a long time coming.” I puffed out a breath, not really knowing where to start. “I sabotaged our marriage.”
Confusion marred his face. “What?”
I shook my head. “Not intentionally, but I did sabotage it.” I wrung my hands together nervously. “I’ll regret that most of all, and I’m sorry.”
He blinked. Then he looked at me in a way I’d always loved. In a way that made my insides flutter, still, to this day. “Addie…”
I laughed humorlessly, pushing my hair behind my ear. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”
Nick stepped forward, inching closer. His eyes never leaving mine, he uttered softly, “You haven’t been Addie in a long time.”
My smile was sad. I was suddenly tired. “No, I suppose not.”
Finally, he stood right in front of me. He hesitated a moment before he asked, “Why did you keep my name?”
The emotions hit me so hard that I felt my knees almost give way. My eyes stung from unshed tears. I blinked them away and swallowed past the thickness in my throat. My lip trembled and I uttered my quiet but hoarse response. “It was all I had left of you.”
His eyes flashed then burned. He reached for me, the tips of his fingers brushing mine. “Do you still love me?”
Tears fell from my eyes. I tried my hardest to not break down. “Always.”
He stared at me, blinking in shock. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Then he asked, “Do you know why I kissed Amber?”
My nose bunched. “Kissed? I think you mean—”
But I was cut off. He shook his head. “I never slept with her, Addie.”
My heart raced. I felt the blood rush up my neck in a hot flush. I whispered, “What? You said you cheated on me.”
His face became shadowed. “I did. I kissed her, and she wasn’t you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. “I don’t—”
Nick smiled sadly. “I did it to see if you even gave a shit. And rather than being upset, you lifted your nose and told me I’d hear from your lawyer. Not once did you ask why or even shed a tear.” He leveled me with a sad look. “You didn’t care.”
I scoffed hard. “I didn’t care?” I rolled my eyes. “I cried for weeks. I still do on occasion. You know why I acted that way? Because you were done with me. I didn’t want you to have the satisfaction of seeing how hurt I was.” I looked down at my shoes. “You made me feel disposable. How was a meant to react?”
His large hands gripped my shoulders and he got in my face. “Like a normal person. Cry. Get angry. Throw a vase. Shit. Hit me! Show some goddamn emotion, Addie.”
My body tingled at the feeling of his hands on my naked skin. “What you did hurt, Nick. I went into the mode that felt the most comfortable. Self-preservation.”
His hands came off my shoulders. He lifted them and gently cupped my cheeks. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
I smiled tiredly. “And I’m sorry I turned into a raging bitch.” He held me still and I paused momentarily. “Now what?”
He smiled then, one of the smiles I used to see on a daily basis, when we would cuddle on the sofa
and watch TV while eating pizza. It was a comforting smile, and something told me things could only get better from here.
Nick held my cheeks and looked at me a moment. Really looked at me. Searching for the old Addison he knew. The person I was going to be from this day on. His smile faltered. He leaned down and brought his lips to mine, kissing me hard and deep.
He tasted like mint and beer. He tasted like home.
Reaching up, I gripped his forearms and kissed him back with everything I had. If this was to be our last kiss, I wanted it to be so good that it hurt. After a minute, we both pulled back, eyes wide, panting.
“Oh,” I whispered.
Nick lowered his forehead to mine and chuckled. “‘Oh’ indeed.”
It took a moment, but I smiled. My smile turned into a chuckle. And then we were both laughing.
And it was better than good.
It was amazing.
Chapter Forty
Mia
The Desperate and Dateless Ball was in full swing. The deejay played music from the eighties and early nighties, one hit wonders and power ballads—all the hits I would love to have danced to myself.
I managed to talk Ella into attending as my guest. I had my reasons for doing this, but she was yet to find out why. I was completely surprised when she agreed. Honestly, I thought she’d about given up on men all together after what that asshole Rick had done to her.
I watched from the sidelines as men and women, dressed to the nines, eyed each other nervously from across the room. Most of the women came with friends, but the majority of the men came alone. Perhaps it was a pride thing.
The doors opened at eight p.m., and close to nine, the dance floor was packed. Mostly with women. The odd brave man would come along and speak to a woman he liked the look of. It made me smile seeing the very first newly acquainted couple share their first dance.
“Go dance,” I called over the music to a pouting Ella.