Double Dare(88)

And I sat on my stool, pondering as my brain dashed in all sorts of directions. Was it true? Had I been so furious that I’d jumped the gun and fled, without giving him a chance to explain, to put something, anything out there? And sensing my doubt, Marie confirmed it.

“You didn’t give him any time, did you?” she said kindly. “You just hurled the accusations at him and took off, right?”

And slowly, I nodded.

“I guess … I guess I was just so angry, you know? There were two pieces of really strong evidence, seeing Jeanette come out of his apartment and the used panties.” I took a deep breath. “Besides, what could Nick possibly say to justify it? Seriously, you have to admit this shit is pretty damning.”

But Marie just shrugged.

“Honey, I honestly don’t know. But I’m in law school now, remember? And one thing I’ve learned is to listen to the whole story, try and see both sides of the picture before rendering judgment. Tammy,” she said gently. “I know you don’t want to hear this but you may have jumped to conclusions. For someone who was as invested as he was, the behavior just sounds odd. Give Nick a chance to explain, hear him out.”

And with a big sigh, I nodded, exhaling slowly. I felt a little calmer now, like my chakra was aligning once more, the Earth rotating in a way I recognized. Maybe Marie had a point. I couldn’t imagine any possible explanations for what had happened, but it was true that I hadn’t given Nick a chance to explain before I’d jumped the gun and come to my own conclusions.

So I took another deep breath and another bracing sip of tea, the hot liquid scalding my tongue. Tomorrow would be another day and I’d confront the billionaire then … whatever the consequences.





CHAPTER TWENTY


Tammy




The elevator pinged and I stepped into the reception on the thirtieth floor. Nothing was different at Luxor, the space decorated in luxurious shades of beige and white, the walls gleaming. But what did I expect? Even if my world had been torn apart, it didn’t mean that the company was crashing, that bricks were falling from the sky.

So I took a deep breath and approached the reception desk. Norma, bless her heart, smiled at me, her eyes twinkling.

“Hi Tammy,” the elderly lady said, her voice kind. “Good to see you.”

“Hey Norma,” I said, trying to look calm despite my racing heart. “Is there any way to see Mr. Martin today? Is he in his office?”

And I dreaded the reply, half expecting the grey-haired woman to say something along the lines of “Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Martin has flown to Europe and won’t be back for two months.” If I got that answer, I wasn’t sure what I’d do because it meant that Nick didn’t want to see me ever again and was giving me the soft send-off.

But Norma’s hands flew on the computer and she pursed her lips.

“Wait right here,” she said. “Take a seat and let me check.”

I wandered on wobbling legs over to a plush leather couch. Oh god, what if she came back with an answer/nonanswer, the kind that was a polite no?

But within minutes, Norma was back with a kind smile.

“Mr. Martin says to go right in,” she said with a wink. “I trust you know where he sits?”

And I flushed. Was she alluding to something that I didn’t know? But I brushed it out of my mind, shooting the old lady a grateful smile before getting up and bracing my shoulders. I still had to face the She-Dragon, that bitch Jeanette, who was likely waiting for me with her claws out even now, ready to draw blood. Taking a deep breath, I propelled myself forward, willing myself to breathe, donning a suit of invisible armor. I pasted an empty smile on my face in anticipation of war.

But to my surprise, her station was empty. And I mean, empty, empty, not like ‘gone to the bathroom’ or ‘back in five’ empty. There was no computer anymore, no printer, no binders, just a couple post-its and a stapler, like her workstation had been deserted.

My eyebrows knitted as I stared for a moment. Had Jeanette been transferred somewhere? Was she demoted to the building basement, where I used to sit? Or maybe, just maybe, a small voice in my mind whispered, the blonde had been fired and I’d seen the last of the viper. My heart started fluttering again for reasons I couldn’t understand, but I squared my shoulders resolutely and knocked on Nick’s door, the oak loud and resonant.

The billionaire’s deep growl rang out immediately.

“Come,” came the curt command. Oh shit, that was fast.

Tentatively, I pushed open the heavy door, letting myself into the spacious office. Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself a quick glance around. Again, everything was as I remembered, not an item out of place, everything immaculate, polished, gleaming from head to toe. The floor to ceiling view was still gorgeous, Central Park in the midst of the changing of the colors, leaves vibrantly yellow, red and orange through the glass panes.