go to sleep because there’s too much on my mind. So I leave the music playing through the speakers and do a deep-clean of the apartment. I have been careful tonight and made sure the music isn’t too loud. The last thing I need to end this day is to have Trevor knocking on my door and complaining about me to management again.
But I’m surprised when there is a knock on my door, nonetheless.
I go sheepishly up to the peephole and see him on the other side. He has changed out of his suit, and now he’s wearing chinos and a shirt. I’m not sure if I’m appropriately attired for an encounter with him, but he raps on my door again, and I open it.
I don’t know why. Maybe there’s a part of me that’s afraid he will walk away and I’ll lose this opportunity to talk to him.
Why? Why do I care if he stays or goes?
I open the door partially and he is quick to attack.
“What the hell kind of scheme were you pulling today?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What you did with Anya.”
“Invited her to dinner?”
“And baked cookies and made hot chocolate and that whole shebang.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Trevor has pushed his way into my apartment. He plonks a monitor down on the table underneath my hallway mirror. I assume it’s a baby monitor to keep an ear out for Anya while she sleeps.
“I was just trying to do something nice for Anya. I didn’t realize you don’t like seeing your daughter happy.”
Trevor steps towards me, hulking over me. I stand my ground. I’m not going to back away from this man. In my own apartment!
“Come on, Blaire, admit it. You only did what you did this evening to get to me.” He has his eyes narrowed at me. His voice is dripping with anger. Maybe I should be afraid of him, but I’m not. His show of muscle, strength, and power isn’t going to intimidate me.
“And why do you think I did it?”
“Because you were annoyed with what happened at the meeting today. You think I tricked you somehow. You think you’ve been taken for a ride…”
“And didn’t you?” I snap, interrupting him.
Trevor steps even closer to me now. So dangerously close…
“Yes. I did trick you. I knew you were coming to see me at the meeting today and I didn’t disclose it when we met in the morning. I knew who Calvin was contacting when he met you the first time and I didn’t tell you even then. I did it to see the look of shock on your face.”
Finally, he admits the truth! I should feel happy and relieved, but I don’t. I have no idea what I want him to say, but all of a sudden, I wish we weren’t so mad at each other all the time.
I let out a deep, resigned sigh.
“Yeah, I do feel like I’ve been taken for a ride,” I admit. “You’re playing some kind of revenge-game with me, and I don’t appreciate it. You’ve taken it too far now. You’re interfering with my professional life. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this.”
Trevor’s eyes are all over me. I feel both love and hate when he looks at me like this. I can’t tell if he’s judging me or undressing me with his eyes. His gaze rests on my exposed left shoulder where my t-shirt has fallen off.
“That’s just it, Blaire, I’m not playing any games. The contract on offer is a real one. I’ll admit I thought it was funny when Calvin brought me the research on your company. I wanted him to speak to you first because I knew you’d refuse to see me if you knew who owns Habitat.”
We are still standing ridiculously close to each other. Close enough that if I move an inch forward, I’d be able to rest my face on his chest. I want to know what that would feel like. To lean on him. To have his strong arms around me.
“And after that? After you found it funny initially?” I urge him on.
He is speaking very slowly. Taking time with his words.
“I looked through the research and the information, and I knew I had to take it seriously. You’ve had three very profitable years. You’re a new company but don’t run the show like one. You know what you’re doing and we are always on the look-out for companies like that. Do you seriously think