Good Girl : An Enemies-to-Lovers, Roommate Romance (Alphahole Roommates Book 2), page 29
“Thank you,” she replies softly.
“How are you?” I ask.
“I’m… it’s been hard, but I’m okay,” she says, and there’s strength in her voice.
“And you’re happy? With him?”
“Strangely, yes. It was unexpected,” she says. “It really was. It’s not at all why I ran out. When I left, Nathaniel wasn’t even on my mind, I just… I saw things going in a direction that would make it difficult for me and I bailed. I was a coward, and I’m sorry about that, but you don’t understand the expectations on me with my family and I was in real danger of … I…”
“I get it. You didn’t want to get in too deep with me.”
“Right,” she says softly.
One night with her and I was in deep.
I wonder if I’m about to do the same thing with Jada… get too deep too soon. Hurt her. Get hurt. Something. I can’t imagine Jada hurting me, but I didn’t think Meryl would either. I also don’t want to hurt Jada and the position I’m in right now, that could happen whether I want it to or not. But you don’t know what you’re going to feel until you feel it. You don’t always know what you’ll do and then you just do it, and people get hurt - shit happens.
Meryl keeps talking. “But then things went crazy when I got home and so much happened so fast, so it turned out I was where I was supposed to be. Things happen for a reason, Austin, I really believe that.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. Despite everything.”
“I hope you find happiness, too, Austin,” she says.
I hold the phone a second but then launch into the reason for contacting her. “Anyway, I know you quit because of extenuating circumstances. Have you found a new job yet?”
“I… I have a job but it’s only a contract position and it ends in three weeks. I haven’t yet lined something up for after that. Can I ask why?”
“I’m in our New York office and we’re doing a re-org. We’d like to outsource more of our back-office procedures and it makes sense to expand the team we already built there in Manila. I’d like you to run that team. What do you think? You’re already trained on our systems, you know how we work, and the call center team there in Manila knows you.”
“From here? I could do it from here? All of it?”
“The building you worked in for us, there’s a suite next to that one that’s empty and available for lease. We’re talking to the property manager about knocking down a wall so we can expand into that suite. I’d like to have HR send you an offer letter on Monday. You’ll make one and a half times what you made working for us last time but there will be extra responsibility. I’ve got a rough outline of the job description for you. Can you handle it? Do you want it? You might need to travel once or twice a year but maybe not even every year.”
“I think I can,” she says. “I just want to talk it over with some people. Um -”
“With your fiancé,” I finish for her.
“Yes,” she says softly.
She’s a nice girl, trying to not rub it in with me.
“Do that. I’ll have HR send you the offer Monday morning our time by email and we can discuss after you’ve had a chance to review it.”
“That sounds great.” She sounds relieved. “Thank you for this opportunity, Austin.”
“You were an asset to our team before. You’re the right person to offer this job to. I’ll have the offer and a job description sent. We might have to fine tune the description, but your timing of three weeks works so that’ll be good. You won’t report directly to me, but you’ll report to someone in accounting who does.”
“That might make it an easier sell,” she says softly.
I chuckle. Her guy is possessive.
“I get it,” I say.
“Okay, sounds great so far. I’ll watch for it Monday and get you an answer as soon as I can. It might take me a little time to-”
“It’s fine. Think on it. Take care, Mer.”
“Thanks, Austin. You, too. Thanks again for this opportunity. If it all works out, I won’t randomly quit again.” There’s humor in her voice.
“Glad to hear that. Bye.”
I end the call and stare out the window for a bit.
And I feel pretty good about that. About gaining some closure with her.
41
Jada
Austin and I are being seated in a booth in a restaurant a few blocks from the building. And I feel like I’m floating, because he held my hand all the way here.
It happened as soon as we got to the elevator and I greeted Andrew.
“Hey,” Andrew smiled brightly at me as I got out of the elevator first.
Austin then came out and said, “Hey” and grabbed my hand and steered me toward the door.
It felt… proprietary. And I kinda wanted to laugh about it because I don’t think Andrew is into me or anything, but I also thought it was sexy the way Austin did it.
It turns out Austin and I are compatible with our pizza taste, which is probably a good thing in a relationship – if this is going to be a relationship. And I don’t know if it is. I don’t want to push for any sort of clarification yet, either, because what if it scares him off?
We’ve ordered a pizza with the works on it and are halfway through our second slices when his expression changes.
“Tell me about yourself,” he invites. “What don’t I know yet about you?”
I dab my mouth with my napkin. “Not sure what there is to tell. I’m a typical 20-something living in a city I can’t afford to live in with a dream job that probably won’t pay the bills because it’s so competitive and hard to break into. So, I’m doing what I need to do right now to survive and hoping I don’t have to settle too much in the career department. You like your career?”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m a numbers guy so VP of finance suits me well. The stuff I’m here doin’ isn’t my usual thing as such, but I just had to do a big audit and fire some people because of scandal, thievery, and fraud.”
“Oh wow.”
“Not fun to deal with that shit.”
“That explains some of the moods,” I throw in.
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah. But I’m the only one able to do it with Dad’s health and Aiden just getting married, so yeah… don’t have many mood swings about work back home because I’m doing stuff in my wheelhouse.”
“You like being immersed in spreadsheets?” I ask.
“Something like that.” He smirks. “Does that make me boring?”
“You are definitely not boring,” I say.
His smirk widens to a smile. “It’s not just about number crunching, it’s about finding ways to save money, make more money, figure out where the growth is happening and work on ways to maximize it. I like what I do.” He shrugs. “And I have a great team. And doing what I do I rarely have to bring it home. Job stress – where there is any - it stays at work most of the time.”
“So you’d have gone into finance even if you weren’t born into your family?”
“Maybe. That or I’d have been a math teacher, maybe. I get numbers, they make sense to me, and I can see myself helping kids make sense of them.”
I smile. “A teacher is an honorable profession.”
“Definitely,” he replies with a bright smile. “But I do my best to keep corporate finance above-board, too.”
“What do you like to do for fun?” I ask.
“Video games. I have a boat. Like to sail. Go hiking. Camp. Fish.”
“A boat? That’s great.”
“Yeah. It is. I’m out on it every chance I get.”
“Surfing, Mr. California?”
“A little bit. Not that much of a wave chaser. Love the beach, the water, though. How about you? Tell me about your hobbies, your family,” he invites.
“I haven’t had a whole lot of time to explore my hobbies,” I say. “But I love antiques and going treasure hunting in thrift shops, used bookstores… I love books and writing, love museums, old movies. Cooking. Gardening.”
“And your family?” he asks, lifting a third piece of pizza onto his plate.
“It’s me and Shane. He’s four years older. Our mom walked out when I was a kid and Shane’s got mental health issues that have spiraled into addiction.” I shrug. “Deep down, he’s a good guy, but he’s in a lot of pain.”
“What about your father?”
“Dad thinks kids should be seen and not heard and never really had much time for us. Figured his life consisted of his job, the bar for drinks after work, dinner on the table when he got home, and sitting in front of the TV until bedtime. I grew up too fast trying to replace my mom by taking care of everyone. Cooking, cleaning. Dad lost patience with Shane’s issues but gave him a shot to get his life together a couple years ago, so Shane moved home to try to go back to school, but he screwed up and Dad kicked him out. I’d already moved out, so I took Shane in while I was still working for Aiden but then the job ended and I had trouble making ends meet. Shane wasn’t helping matters, not in a place to do much to help himself never mind help me. My coffee cart job ended abruptly with two weeks’ pay owing to me that I didn’t get, and you know how there’s that saying about most average people being two pays away from bankruptcy? Well, I was below average and just one pay away from it and losing that job and not getting my final paycheck was enough to mean eviction.”
“Shit,” he says, eyes looking remorseful.
I wave my hand. “You didn’t know me, not a thing about me then so I understand your reaction the night we met. But nobody I knew would take me in unless I abandoned Shane because of his history of extreme mood swings, his destructive behavior, and I couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. That’s how I ended up in your brother’s apartment. Desperation. My father said, ‘I told you so’ and my cousin said I could only come if Shane didn’t because she has a kid and Shane can get dark sometimes and she didn’t want her child around that, which I respect, but our only offer was a dirty warehouse where I suspect Gramma the spider lives because I already know a giant snake lives there and I’m terrified of snakes, too. So, that’s where the rest of my stuff is stored, and you met me at my breaking point.”
Austin winces.
“I’d never just take from someone, do something to make somebody think I was a thief or anything, but I was desperate and from what I knew of Carly, I figured it’d be okay, that she’d tell me it was fine. I probably wouldn’t have even gone there if it was just Aiden. He wasn’t exactly the warmest boss I’ve ever had.”
Austin laughs.
“Though, he’s not exactly the coldest, either,” I say under my breath and only half hold back a smirk as I fiddle with my napkin.
Austin’s laugh goes even louder.
A pretty young blonde woman approaches the table. “I thought it was you,” she says. “But hearing that laugh, I knew it was.”
Her eyes are on Austin and his smile vanishes.
He looks like he’s seen a ghost.
“Hey Auz,” she says, and something about the way she says that has me sitting up straighter.
“Taylor,” he returns, looking like it physically pains him to say her name.
“What are you doing in New York?” she asks.
“I’m here for work,” he responds and sips his drink.
“You don’t live here again, do you?”
“No,” he says and sips his drink again. He offers nothing further and he’s being very cold with her. He obviously wants no part of this conversation.
“I heard a rumor about you, actually,” she says, after an awkward silence.
His eyes meet hers and his are now blazing with anger. “Of course you did.”
“So odd,” she continues, “You haven’t even crossed my mind in… well… years, and then I heard a rumor just the other day and now today – here you are. I heard you’re having a baby with your brother’s ex. Tell me that’s not true. You and Sienna?”
“Fuck off, Taylor.”
She rears back. “Whoa. Venomous.”
“You’re the one that’s poison, bitch. Back off.”
“Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your date?” she asks and laughs. She laughs in a way that has my face going red, because why is this so funny that I’m his date?
“You’re not worth her time,” is Austin’s reply.
“See you’ve got a type, huh?” she laughs and bends toward me. “Good luck measuring up.”
I’ve watched this exchange like a spectator and now I’ve just gone numb.
She looks like me. Or I look like her, I guess. If I were more polished and wore designer clothes. She looks a couple years older than me.
“Have a good night,” she says with a snicker and then she eyes me again, her eyes are dancing with laughter as she flips her hair and struts back to her table.
I stare at Austin who has wiped his mouth and thrown his napkin on his third slice of pizza that only has one bite out of it. She’s ruined his appetite.
“Do you wanna go?” I ask.
His eyes travel my face and they look just as irritated as they did a minute ago.
“Yeah,” he says and shoots a look over his shoulder where his eyes find Taylor’s table. She’s sitting there whispering with two other women who are looking at us.
I signal to our server for the check.
When she comes over with a box and the bill and helps me wrap up the rest of our extra-large pizza, Austin drops money on the table, gets up and takes the pizza box from her and heads out the door. He’s outside before I’ve got my purse over my shoulder.
I look back before leaving and see those three girls watching me, laughing.
Austin is standing outside with the pizza box when I get out and I’m almost surprised he didn’t just leave – he looked that angry.
His eyes hit mine and my heart skips a beat.
“Ex. College girlfriend. She’s one of the many reasons I fuckin’ hate New York.”
“You went to school here?” I ask as we head down the street.
He doesn’t take my hand this time.
“Yeah. For a semester. For her.”
“Oh.”
He shakes his head. “I graduated high school a year early and had my pick of colleges. Came here to follow her, she’s two years older than me. Friends with my brother’s crowd and I had a crush. Had me wrapped around her finger. Caught her with another guy while I was doin’ her homework.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t wanna talk about it. She has no place in my headspace. Said more than I wanted to say. Sorry she was a bitch to you.”
“Okay,” I say and do my best to keep up with him. He’s walking really fast.
“You didn’t ask me about what she said,” he says just before we get to the building.
“Yeah, well, I mean… um…”
“My life is really fucking complicated right now, like I told you.”
“Oh,” I whisper and my brain feels like I’d imagine it’d feel if I’d been hit in the face with a brick. Austin holds the door for me and I go inside.
“Hey guys,” Andrew greets and then his smile falls and he’s looking at me with concern. Austin’s face is still in melt-paint mode.
“Hey again,” I greet.
Austin pushes the button for the elevator. He doesn’t greet Andrew, just gives him a chin lift.
“How was the pizza?” Andrew calls out.
“It was great. Definitely New York style,” I add, but my voice sounds shaky.
“Sad,” Andrew says, shaking his head, totally ignoring Austin’s mood.
I force a smile. “Have a good night,” I say as the ding signals the elevator’s arrival.
***
“Thanks for dinner,” I say when we get to the apartment.
“Sorry it got fucked up,” he says as he shuts the door and locks it behind me.
I take my jacket off and put it on the coat rack. He sets the pizza on the kitchen island and then takes his coat off.
I’m feeling a little lost here, not knowing if our evening is over, if he wants to talk about it – if I should even ask questions.
I hover by the island while he hangs his coat up. I watch him flop onto the couch, running his fingers through his hair with frustration.
“Um, Austin?” I say finally.
He looks at me, but his nostrils are flaring.
“Do you want um… anything to drink?”
“No.”
“Oh. Okay, I’ll just…” I signal toward my room.
“Told you my life is really complicated right now,” he says. “The last thing I should be doing is fooling around with you. But it’s the only thing right now in my life that doesn’t suck.”
I take that in and try to process it.
He’s still looking at me, so I’ve got to say something.
“I don’t know if you want to talk about it or not so I’m not sure if I should ask questions or leave you alone, or… if she hadn’t come over if you’d have talked about the thing she mentioned, or…” I let that hang.
He stares at me for a long minute. A very long one.
“You wanna watch TV with me?” he finally asks.
That’s a surprise.
“All right.”
He looks relieved.
“Just gonna change,” he says and heads down the hall.
I don’t know if I should do this or not, but the fact that he looks so relieved hits me square in the feels.
He comes back in Adidas sweatpants and a black muscle shirt. Bare feet.
I sit beside him and he puts his arm around me, kissing my temple and then he squeezes me tighter.
I sit there stiffly for a second, until he tips my chin to get me to look at him. The intensity in his gaze is so disarming. His head tilts and his lips come to mine. Softly.
“Are you in a relationship with Aiden’s ex?” I ask, the second his lips move away.
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Is she pregnant with your child?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” he answers, and his eyes are so filled with pain that it startles me.
I put my hand to his jaw. “Do you want to talk about it?”
