Billionaire Blaze, page 34
“I don’t want her to think I’m angry at her,” I said eventually. “Or that I don’t want to work with her, if she’s happy to keep working on the project.”
“I’d hope you both are still happy to do the rest of the work.” Richard let out a small chuckle. “From a personal perspective, of course. You’re both damn good at your jobs.”
“Thank you. I can remain professional for you.”
“Then, as far as I’m concerned, we’re still friends. I don’t know what’s happened, but I know you’re a guy with your heart in the right place and Sarai thinks the same of Kit. Sometimes, as much as we want something to work out, it just isn’t right.”
I nodded, preferring he think that than anything else. Kit hadn’t taken advantage of Sarai and Richard in any way as far as I knew. Which meant I could keep the rest to myself and just let them assume it hadn’t worked. If she told them anything else, it would be up to her, but it sounded like she wanted to keep it to herself as much as I did.
“I really mean it. Thank you. I’ve had breakups in the past where people haven’t been so…understanding.” The words came out before I could do anything to hold them inside.
It was the truth and Richard reached out to squeeze my shoulder, reassuring me I’d done the right thing in voicing the fear. “Sarai and I aren’t the sort to take sides unless something is really clearly a problem. As I said, both of you appear to have good hearts, even if you’re not right for each other. We want what we’ve always wanted, to enjoy working together and see everyone happy.”
As soon as he finished speaking, it was like all the tension was gone. I didn’t feel as if I was carrying some burden anymore and I knew he and Sarai weren’t going to kick me from a project I had been enjoying. No doubt there would be some awkward moments before the end, but I had their support.
The showcase at the end, when we opened the site to the public, was going to be difficult if Kit attended, but I was hopeful I’d get through it. Even if it felt like my heart was torn open.
With the air clear, Richard did his best to help make conversation, asking me more personal questions about my past, upbringing, and anything else I cared to answer. I returned the interest, grateful that in the pain, I’d made sure I still had a friend. Richard had been through more than I could have imagined prior to being in his relationship with Sarai, and it made me respect him all the more.
“Finding love can be a rocky path sometimes. But when you find the one who steals your heart and does what they can to take care of it, suddenly the rest doesn’t matter so much. The hurt becomes a distant memory and you just want to keep the good you do have.” Richard smiled and looked off into the distance. I knew he was talking about Sarai.
I cleared my throat, feeling choked up a little. “I’ll confess, since I met you two I was impressed with how well you both support each other. I envy what you two have.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Richard swiftly replied, “it takes hard work at times too. But she’s worth loving and supporting. We’ve come a long way. I’m very happy with what we’ve built together. I don’t want to endanger any of it.”
As he talked, he got onto the subject of how they met, and I listened, letting his words soothe some of the pain I felt at not being with Kit, though in other ways it made it worse. I had begun to hope Kit had been my Sarai.
Somehow, I was going to have to keep going and hope the woman who loved me entirely, the way we cared about each other, was still out there.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
Kit
There were only a few days until the showcase and I had barely stopped or slept in what felt like a week. Although I had put as much work as I could into getting everything I needed for the final huts ahead of time, there were always a few items that didn’t look right and changes of plans.
Some of the snagging had gotten in the way of me getting into the huts and finishing them off as well. And others already had guests who were staying ahead of launch. Sarai had handled all that, allowing me to focus on getting everything ready for the showcase while also letting me keep away from Lukas, but I still had to have everything ready.
Since I’d gotten back to Chicago and the project, Sarai had been my guardian angel. And she’d been more than excited to let some of my friends stay in one of the huts. I was in theirs now, knowing they would arrive later in the day and so it needed to be ready. The beds were made, the dust swept and I was trying to decide if I liked one lamp on the center of the dining table or another.
“Oh my,” Sarai said from behind me, making me jump. “You really have done wonders. I don’t know how you do it. I recognize the few bits of furniture that overlap or are finishing touches in each of them, yet every hut is unique and beautiful all on its own. I can’t wait to show it off to all our special guests.”
Behind Sarai came Richard, Henry, and a few of the site workmen. Henry had some kind of paper list in front of him and would barely meet my gaze. I frowned and felt my stomach tighten painfully. So far, I hadn’t seen Henry either, the man usually here with Lukas.
Although I tried to step back and look around for Lukas, I couldn’t see him. If he was here, he wasn’t coming into the building. I tried not to think about it too much, and just focus on the hut and interior. This was my job and I couldn’t fail to do it simply because Lukas might come in.
Not only that, but I knew my friends would be here soon and I wanted to make sure the hut was as ready for them as possible. They’d paid for their flights, and I had figured out the accommodation with Sarai as I’d told them I would. Although she wasn’t charging me the full amount, I’d promised to at least cover their costs of being there—a smaller amount for the cleaning, freebies that came with staying there, and all the little touches.
Sarai had sounded like she wouldn’t even accept that, but I’d insisted I shouldn’t take her generosity too far. She could have sold time in the hut for a lot more. While I was grateful she didn’t want to charge me the full price others were paying, I could have afforded it.
Having my friends here was worth far more than paying the full price. Sometimes money was no object to be with people who cared. And this was one of those moments.
I backed off a little more, despite feeling the benefit of knowing my friends were already on the flights here. Henry was going around and checking the snagging had actually been dealt with. Of course, I’d done the same, not wanting to get the furniture in until I knew it would be able to stay in, but Lukas and Henry hadn’t failed to check any of the huts themselves.
Until now, Sarai had managed to keep me away from everyone else who might upset me, and I was surprised she hadn’t at least warned me. While Henry continued deeper into the building with the two supervisors in tow, she stayed behind with me, however.
She reached out and took my arm again. “I really mean it when I say you’ve done a wonderful job. You should be so proud of yourself. Is this the last one you need to finish?”
I nodded. “I’m happy with the rest if you are.”
“Very much so. And I trust you. If you say they’re done, I’m not going to interfere.”
“I’ve made an inventory for each hut too. And where I got each item, including a list of spares. Some of it will be hard to replace if it breaks, but I did my best to make sure everything could be repaired or replaced with something alike.” I kept talking, trying to make sure I’d told her everything important, even though I was certain I’d already told her everything she needed to know.
She squeezed my arm gently. “Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be able to keep it looking wonderful. And if not, we’ll just hire you in a few years to overhaul it all again.”
My eyebrows rose of their own volition. Given how much she had paid me, I doubted she would want to spend that kind of money again to have me redo them, but she appeared to be completely serious.
“Anyway.” Sarai pulled away slightly and studied me rather than the room. “I understand your friends will land at the airport in about an hour.”
“Yes, something like that.”
“If you’re done, why don’t you go meet them? I was going to send your usual driver thinking you would be stuck here and still working, but I can spare you if you are happy and ready for the showcase.”
“I’ll come back with them anyway,” I replied. “I’d like to be here when they see it.”
“Oh, of course. Can we show them around together?” Sarai’s eyes sparkled as she opened the back door for us to slip out.
I gave her a nod, hopeful we would both get a kick out of that.
She walked back to the parking lot with me, the site office now almost entirely defunct. A restaurant was in front of it, hiding it from view, and most of the meetings now happened there in several out-of-the-way alcoves. It was already just about up and running, and supplying food to the guests here already.
Beside it was a general store, one that sold basic supplies and souvenirs, and then a reception and help desk area. It was very well organized and I had taken a quick tour in preparation for my friends getting here.
As we made it to the parking lot, I sucked in my breath. There was only one of Lukas’ cars there, but I didn’t know if Henry had arrived alone or if that meant Lukas was here as well.
“I’m surprised Lukas lets Henry drive such expensive cars all the time. But he seems to think it’s a way to give his PAs a perk.” Sarai shrugged like it was a random piece of trivia and held little interest for me, but I appreciated what she had done. It put my mind at ease. Lukas wasn’t here right now.
I gave her a hug, not sure I could put my gratitude into words, and hurried toward my chauffeur and the car that had been assigned to me for the last few weeks. Since we had gotten back from Chicago this man had graced my every working day and made sure I got from the small apartment to the site whenever I wanted, no matter how early or late in the day.
“Heading to the airport to meet the new party?” he asked, already holding the back door open for me.
“Sarai said I probably should, and I’m done here. I’ll only fret over tiny details if I don’t go.”
He let out a chuckle and waited for me to get inside and comfy before shutting me in and taking his seat.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on their flight. Looks like they’ll land a little early, but we should still be there in time to meet them.”
“Perfect,” I replied, feeling my whole body relax. Inside this car, I was safe. I couldn’t be seen, and I was finally going to see my friends after several months of not getting to be with them at all.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
As I saw my friends’ faces I knew I had done a good job. They’d been happy with their hut and the rooms they’d been given when they’d arrived three days earlier, but now they were in the first group tour to go around the rest as part of the showcase.
Not all of the huts were on display, some of them having guests inside still. But many of the guests would be checking out today and had already cleared their belongings. By the time we got to their huts they would be clean, tidy and ready to show off to the showcase guests.
Although I knew a lot of very rich and important people were here to check out the place and get ideas for their own projects, as well as the press and possible future customers, I hadn’t looked at the guest list. I didn’t want to know who they all were and how much money they had or if they were important.
All I wanted to do was enjoy the reaction of my friends, party with them when I was done with answering questions, and then avoid Lukas as much as possible.
So far, I hadn’t seen him. He hadn’t arrived before all the guests like I had, and thankfully he wasn’t on this first tour, but I knew I would be forced to see him at some point. I just didn’t know when that would be.
The few weeks that had passed had barely dulled the pain of having him ditch me. I didn’t want him to assume the worst of me and think I had treated him like a stepping stone, but I also knew there was no way I could defend against an accusation like that. I also still hadn’t told my friends exactly what had caused the breakup and how it had all gone down.
Stacy knew more than anyone, but even she didn’t know everything. I didn’t dare breathe a word about learning to be his submissive. I missed it. Being encouraged and cared for, but also the pleasure and passion had been intense. When I had been nervous, Lukas, apart from the eventful game day, had taken care of me.
And now that I had taken time out to think about it, if he had seen the interchange with Peter and assumed I’d wanted the attention, it explained his mood change. It all made sense if I thought about it from the point of view he’d expressed. That made me hurt even more.
I had no idea how to get him to see I was trustworthy, and I was still hurt that he had assumed I wasn’t rather than giving me the benefit of the doubt. No matter how much time passed and how much I had tried to focus on work and then taking my friends sightseeing, I couldn’t help thinking about him.
Nothing would help my heartache but heading back to England and forgetting all of this. I was going back with a lot more money than I’d arrived with and experience that would hopefully help me get more jobs where I already lived. If nothing else, I wouldn’t have to worry about paying bills for a very long time. Possibly ever.
I was going to be able to mostly pay off my apartment, or buy a little secondary place and rent it out. All sorts of possibilities. It wasn’t much of a consolation prize to getting my heart broken, but it was why I had said I would come out here and work. I had never intended to fall in love. In that way, I was no worse off than when I got on the plane.
No matter how much I tried to tell myself this, I knew it wasn’t helping. I’d have given all the money back to have my heart mended. But nothing would do that now.
By the time the tour was done, my face was beginning to ache from all the smiling and yet I was still expected to greet people.
“Kit, isn’t it?” A young man came up to me, another with him who was carrying a camera. Both of them were wearing press badges and I wasn’t sure what they really wanted with me, but I confirmed.
“Can we interview you for the article?”
“Sure,” I replied, grateful that Sarai had coached me a little on how to handle this.
The guy who had called out to me asked me a few questions while jotting down my answers with the old-fashioned paper-and-pencil method. At the same time, the cameraman with him stole convenient moments to get me to pose in front of one of the huts for him.
I tried not to feel too self-conscious, but thankfully he told me exactly where and how to stand and made it much easier than it could have been.
“What are you planning on doing next?” the journalist asked as another came up and also started making notes.
“Going home,” I replied without hesitation. All of them chuckled.
“You don’t plan to work on any more projects here? Everyone seems very happy with your work, and from what we’ve seen so far, we understand why.”
“For me, it’s more important to work with the right people, and I want to go back to my friends and the city I’m used to for a while. I can’t promise to stay there or anywhere else for a long time, but as much as I’ve loved working with Sarai and Richard on this, Chicago isn’t my home.”
There were sad noises, but someone interjected that they understood why. Once more I was posed for photographs, all the press beginning to take the opportunity to talk to me. I answered some questions again as they began to take turns and ask what they needed, and then Sarai was at my shoulder.
“Can I borrow this lovely lady for a moment?” she said, smiling at all the people around me.
They backed off and I turned to my friend, wondering where everyone else had gone.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her as she linked her arm with mine again.
“Yes. I just thought you might want pulling away after a while and I wanted the chance to change your answer to one of those questions. There are several people here who want to hire you.”
I exhaled, unable to hide my frustration.
“I know you said you wanted to go back to England. Is there really nothing that can entice you to stay here? These are wonderful people.” Sarai stopped again, knowing not to push me to talk to anyone else if I didn’t want to.
For a few seconds I wanted to cry. If it hadn’t been for Lukas, I might have wanted to stay. If he hadn’t broken my heart, and it meant I would still be near Sarai, I might feel like taking the risk. But I shook my head. “No. I need to go home. At least for a while.”
“Some of these people won’t offer again. They won’t like you snubbing them. Seeing you poached by a friend or someone with bigger pockets they can understand. But just flat-out refusing…”
The answer was still no, and Sarai knew it from one look at my face. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t apologize. We both know who is to blame. At least let me tell them you have a project somewhere else?” Sarai winked, but I shook my head at that, too.
“It’s a lie, and they would find out soon enough. I can’t do that either.”
Sarai took both my hands. “You’re too good for your own good… Well, you know what I mean.”
I smiled as she let me go and hurried away. Although I hadn’t minded the press attention as much as I’d thought I would, I was grateful she’d got me away from it. Now, I could go find my friends and slip into the background. I was about as ready to leave as I could get.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
Lukas
I surveyed the site full of people as Henry drove us up into the parking lot. There was no one large group and we weren’t the only ones arriving, but it was still early in the plan for the showcase. Although I hadn’t wanted to be here at the beginning when Kit would begin showing the first group around, I was happy to be here a short while later.
