His hand dropped to his side. “Anyway, that’s not important. The important thing is—”
“That we absolutely don’t work together. I know.” As I said it, my heart sank, the ideas I’d had for teaming up with Julia rupturing like a popped balloon. “The restraining order was for five years, and I think there’s two years or so left.”
“A little less than two years,” he corrected. “But that doesn’t matter. We have to work together anyway.”
“What?” I think I actually jerked in surprise.
His hand went back to his dark blond hair, brushing through it like he always did when he’d been stressed or exasperated. “I can’t ruin this deal for Julia. She’s hired new people recently and she’s trying to expand the business. It’s a good time for her, but she needs connections like this club. Connections with people like Hudson Pierce.”
“But I can’t be anywhere near you, let alone working with you.” Hudson’s name in the air made me even more uncomfortable with being alone with Paul Kresh. I didn’t like Hudson being connected to my past mistakes. I was in serious violation of a restraining order that I’d already violated once. My hands balled at my sides, my fingernails digging into my skin at the thought of what would happen if the cops found out.
As if reading my mind, Paul said, “I’m not going to report you. You didn’t know. And going forward I’m not going to say a damn word.” His eyes narrowed. “Unless you fucking show up on my doorstep, or in my office—”
“I’m not!” I clasped my hands together and put them to my lips, calming myself before speaking again. I counted to ten in wicked speed. “I’m not like that anymore. I’m better. I got counseling. I haven’t even thought about you since…” Since the night before when I’d told Hudson about him. “Well, I’m better. And I’m with someone.”
I was so much better. There was a time where I would have been dizzy and heartsick over even the slightest thought of Paul Kresh. Now he was nothing but a mistake. A problem I couldn’t wait to go away.
“Good. That’s good to hear. I’m glad you’re better.” Paul looked me over. “And I believe you. You look better. I don’t know…healthy or something.”
“Thank you.” Getting emotionally and physically better had improved my physical being. I’d gained weight—mostly muscle—and my skin tone had improved.
Paul seemed to be taking those changes in and my stomach clenched with the urge to throw up.
He must have caught himself, because he suddenly turned away, gazing up the ramp where Julia had gone. “Look, Julia knows nothing about you or Melissa or that I was engaged before.”
“Nice. Secretive relationships for the win,” I said sarcastically.
He ignored my remark. “We’ll simply have to agree to keep all the past under wraps. Not a word that we’ve ever met before today. We can do that. I know you can.” His tone was caustic, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. “You were always good at acting like things were just fine.”
I fought the urge to kick him in the shins. “Paul, this is a bad idea. A really bad idea for me.”
He stepped toward me, a finger pointed in my direction. “You owe me. You owe me this at least. Don’t you think?”
Fuck. He had me there. Didn’t I owe him a whole shit load? Sure he’d been a dick at every opportunity, but that didn’t excuse the way I’d invaded his life. And paying him back, cleaning the slate—it sounded awfully appealing.
Against every warning siren blaring in my head, I said the words I hoped I didn’t live to regret. “All right.” I swallowed and said it again. “All right. I’ll pretend we just met.”
“Fine. You’ll be working mostly with Julia anyway. We won’t see each other. It shouldn’t be an issue.”
I put my hand over my churning stomach and nodded weakly.
“Alayna, hey!” The female voice came from the opposite direction of where Julia had gone.
I squinted toward the sound and found Celia making her way toward us. Really? Could this day get any more complicated? Or filled with people I wasn’t supposed to be with?
“What—what are you doing here?” My voice was dazed.
“You never called me for coffee and I didn’t have your number so I stopped by.”
I hadn’t called her because Hudson and I had agreed not to see her without each other. I certainly hadn’t expected her to show up out of the blue. And, how had she gotten in anyway? I frowned. The door had been locked and should have stayed locked after Julia let Paul in. Maybe they hadn’t shut the door hard enough.