inside. That was a disaster. I walk back into the meeting room, just behind Carter.
“I’m so sorry, Lily. Victoria and I should have talked before we took action, and—”
“Shut your mouth,” Lily says firmly.
I freeze, and so does Carter, who is sitting at the table in front of me.
“You two fucked up! Now, there is no way Phillip will take me back, and Jacob is too worked up to do anything you ask. I’m going to go get a massage and have lunch with a friend to try to get over my heartbreak at what just happened. You two have until I get back to come up with a plan together to fix this, or you’re both fired.” Lily walks calmly out of the room, leaving Carter and me alone.
I take a deep breath. This is not my fault, I repeat to myself over and over again. This is Carter’s fault.
My eyes dart to him sitting calmly at the table. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. I’m going to be out of a job if I don’t fix this.
I walk over and sit down on the opposite side of the table. I need to keep Carter at a distance if I’m going to have any control over the situation.
“You’re mad,” Carter says.
“Yeah, I’m mad. What were you thinking?”
He smirks. “I was thinking that I had years of experience in fixing people’s problems, and I made a good living from doing it, so I should be the one who made the decisions.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And you think that I don’t have experience?”
“I know you don’t have experience.”
“I’ve been working in this industry, same as you.”
“And what do you have to show for it? You lost your job; you didn’t get promoted.”
I frown. I hate him. I should just quit. But I won’t give him the satisfaction of winning.
“Let’s just figure out a solution to the mess you created.”
He holds up a finger and then walks out without saying anything to me. It’s annoying that he doesn’t tell me what he is doing. But it gives me a chance to compose myself and calm down. We won’t be any good to Lily if we spend the whole time arguing. I have to find a way to push through my feelings and be civil with him. No more fighting.
Carter walks back in a few minutes later, carrying a large coffee cup in his hand. I glare at him for getting himself a coffee after he spilled mine all over me.
I realize what I’m doing and close my eyes. He’s just goading you. Don’t let him do it.
I open my eyes, and he isn’t standing across the table from me. He’s leaning over me as he places the coffee cup in front of me.
“A peace offering,” he says before sitting in the seat next to me.
I smile. “Let’s get to work.”
He holds my gaze for far too long before he says, “Where do you want to start?”
I don’t know why he’s being so nice to me. It’s either from guilt from spilling coffee on me or ruining my plans for Lily, but whatever the reason, I’m not going to waste the moment.
6
Carter
I fucked up.
Not by convincing Jacob to come here today. I know that my instincts were correct. That Jacob would have been the best way to get the public back on Lily’s side.
I fucked up by letting myself feel anything toward Victoria. I don’t have feelings. Ever. I’m ruthless and uncaring. It’s why I’m so good at my job. I never care about my clients. I just do what’s best for them even if they hate me at the time. They always thank me afterward.
And, now that I’ve let myself care about Victoria, I don’t know how to shut it off. I don’t even feel anything that loving. I just feel guilt and concern. I’ve hurt Victoria countless times. But today was the first time that I didn’t like it. I didn’t like seeing her in physical pain. I didn’t like the emotions it evoked in either of us.
“Carter, are you listening to me?”
I blink, trying to come back to the real world instead of the world of torture I have created for myself in my head. A world where I want Victoria, but I can’t have her.
“To every word.”
She frowns. “Then, what was I saying?”
“You said, ‘Carter, are you listening to me?’”
She can’t stifle the tiniest of grins from her lips. It makes me happy to see her smile.
“Before that.”
“That