Isaac ran a hand through his hair looking agitated. “I get that, Cade, but—” Cut off once more, Isaac exhaled. “Believe me,” he barked, “I know how important this sale is to Soren Security.”
While Cade was strung a little tight, his personality was usually reasonable. Apparently not today. Oh, this is so not good. And it’s my fault —I should’ve met Marcus.
The realization shot chills down her arms. She should’ve been on the receiving end of Cade’s anger, not Isaac.
Driven by concern, she shot out of bed and found her phone in her purse. Dead. The charger was in her lost luggage.
Approaching Isaac, she reached for his phone. He held out his hand to keep her at arm’s length. “No. No, it’s totally my fault,” Isaac said.
Her blood ran cold. Why was Isaac taking the blame for her failure to meet the client’s expectations? She couldn’t let Isaac put his career that he so loved on the line for her mistake. She tried to take the phone from him again.
Isaac held it away, grabbed her chin, kissed her fiercely, and then locked himself in the bathroom. Stunned, she listened through the door.
The gist of Cade’s reaming centered on Marcus’s call to headquarters when Mindy didn’t show up to meet him. Her shoulders sank.
That’s all she seemed to do was disappoint people. Helen came roaring back into her mind, after a whole day’s reprieve. If you want to make it in the corporate world, Mindy, you require a better strategy. In fact, save your little sensitive self, don’t go into Corporate America. Go into non-profit—no, still too much accountability. Go into teaching, like your father. Sit in the ivory tower of academia where your ideals don’t have to mesh with reality. You’ll fail miserably anywhere else.
Mindy had no one to blame but herself. She’d put herself in this position, choosing her heart and Isaac over what her company expected of her.
Twisting her hands, she recognized Isaac’s uncomfortable but accurate suggestion from last night. No matter how she felt about him, she should’ve put her job first. She should’ve met Marcus and let him boast about himself, put his grimy hands on her, and let him think she might one day sleep with him if he signed on to their company as their first international client. Paving the way for Soren Security to spread east and make their mark.
Oh, God, she’d ruined everything. Isaac might even lose his job. How could she fail so miserably? Good grief, her mother had spent years warning her how her selfishness would eventually be her downfall.
Even if she’d bothered to try, she couldn’t stop the tears from streaking down her cheeks. Isaac had taken the fall for her. She shrank into herself, a familiar place of retreat each time one of Helen’s prophesies about her came true.
Wiping her useless tears, she sat on the bed, unable to meet Isaac’s eyes when he finally came out of the bathroom. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Isaac shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Cade’s frustration should’ve been directed at me. Not you.”
“Hey…hey, it’s nothing to be upset about.” When he knelt in front of her and took her hands in his, she pulled away and crossed her arms over her stomach. “I should’ve listened to you last night. I was stupid, and short-sighted, and selfish—”
“Mindy.” He cupped her chin. “You are one of the smartest, most passionate people I know.”
Turning her head to the side, she forced him to drop his hand. “None of that matters. I should’ve done better. I should’ve faced Marcus, no matter how much I didn’t want to, no matter how he treated me.”
“Stop. Right there.” Isaac’s fierce tone pulled her gaze to his. “I gave you the alternative. You were practically out the door when I asked you to stay.”
The tears burned again, but she refused to let them fall. “You wouldn’t have asked if I’d been stronger, more focused on my job priorities. You gave me great advice last night, and when I didn’t listen, it fell back on you.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t want you to listen to me. I wanted you to forget Marcus, so I could keep you here and make love to you. We’re both to blame. I’m okay with shouldering that.”
She shook her head. “I was stubborn. In a way, I forced you to choose between me and your job. That’s not fair. It’ll never be fair, but that’s how I am. I can’t help it. I’m a failure.”
“Baby.” He pulled her into his arms and tucked her head against his shoulder. “Baby, you’re too hard on yourself. Stop that. And you’re anything but a failure.” He drew back and held her face. “Look how you charmed the Markovs. Even drunk you won them over. What you consider your ‘problem’ is what endeared them to you. You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. In fact, because of you, they decided to come to the U.S. to visit our company in person.”