“As it turns out, I need a space to work that is not at my house,” Eli said. He hadn’t heard from Isa since she’d walked out. When he texted her on Monday to see if she was okay, she’d replied Tuesday with one word: Fine.
Sounded like a bad omen to him.
“Too quiet there.” If Eli’s options were to overexamine his relationship with Isa or blame the quiet, he’d go with blaming the quiet.
“I thought you liked quiet. You’ve spent the year trying to get Tag and me to leave you alone.”
“I know. I don’t understand it either.” Eli had changed. And most of the reason for that change had long, dark hair, legs that wouldn’t quit, and sincere whiskey-brown eyes that he could fall into and not care if he ever returned…if he could find a way to give her what she wanted without losing his mind in the process.
“Women are complicated,” Eli grumbled.
“No kidding.” Reese leaned on the corner of his desk and folded his arms. “What happened?”
“Isa and I had a fight.” Apparently, they were talking about this. Eli plunked his bag on the guest chair.
Reese shrugged. “Couples fight. What was it about?”
Eli swallowed past his very dry throat, debating on how to collapse what had happened and fit it into a manageable nutshell. “She…expects more from me.”
“Hmm.”
Eli lifted his chin. His brother wore a smirk of amusement mixed with a dose of Been there, done that.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say Isabella Sawyer is under your skin.”
All the way under. But admitting it involved him talking about a plethora of other feelings and emotions—none of which he was willing to go into.
“I came in to use an office.” Eli jerked his head toward the doors behind him, itching to escape. “Do I have one? If not, I can take the conference room.”
“Dad’s office is empty. Desk, a stapler, and a wastebasket, but otherwise empty. We saved it for you.” Reese smiled. “Just in case.”
“I’ll take it,” Eli said with a nod. Anywhere was better than his warehouse, with his own voice bouncing off the walls.
***
At nine o’clock Friday night, Isa was at her desk in her darkened office. She’d given herself time over the week to process. Or, well, she’d given herself the week to get over Eli, but that wasn’t happening. She had successfully shelved her tumultuous emotions and arrived at a pragmatic, practical conclusion.
She didn’t like the conclusion at which she had arrived.
If Eli wasn’t willing to go down Lover’s Lane with her, then she’d have to put her heart into reverse and find another highway to travel.
She’d been so busy, her pile of mail had sat in her inbox unopened for the entire week. When she’d finally sorted through it a few minutes ago, she’d come across a crisp, heavy-stock envelope. In it, the invitation to the Royale London event hosted by the Cranes. The event where Eli would be announced as Crane Hotels’s COO. As Reese had promised, the function would also serve as a fund-raiser for Refurbs for Vets.
All the top brass from the biggest companies would likely attend the event to make their presence and support known. Sable Concierge, having provided assistants for several of those businesses, would be expected to show as well. She couldn’t avoid it for personal reasons.
Plus, being there to hobnob was just plain smart. Isa was a smart businesswoman, and the future of her company depended on her being smart enough to do what was needed rather than what she wanted. Which meant showing up at the event and schmoozing with a chunk of upper-class Chicago.
There was only one problem.
She couldn’t do it.
She stroked the vellum over the fancy invitation with one finger, chin resting on her hand, elbow leaning on her desk. As much as she tried to convince herself she didn’t need Eli in her future to have a future, she wasn’t ready to face him again.
Elijah Crane had altered everything in her life. As much as she wanted them to be, a thriving business and shining success were no longer enough for her. She wanted Sable Concierge to bloom, and she wanted to be in a loving, growing relationship. And not in a generic sense. She wanted a relationship with Eli.
How inconvenient.