“What?” Cameron says at the same time as I do.
Anthony shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “Being truthful, I don’t like the vibe Mr Garrett gives off, and I figure that if we recruit new personnel, then we wouldn’t have to outsource, and we can do all of the work in house.”
“Are you serious?” Cameron asks.
“Deadly.” Anthony nods at the same time he answers. “One thing I do not joke about is business, Miss Curtis.”
“But… what about… um…”
“That wouldn’t be an issue because you’re both professional and I have every faith you’ll work out whatever this is going on between you both,” Anthony says, blasé. “Oh, and we don’t have a working and dating policy thing either, because life happens and even though I’m forty-three and getting on, I’m not stupid and I realise that probably half the people working for me are having an affair with each other.”
“Again, what universe have I woken up in?” Cameron says out loud, and I smile. A universe where no matter what, maybe we’ll be together at the end of it.
* * *
“You didn’t have to drive me, I could have just followed you in my car,” Cameron says, but then I wouldn’t have had as much time with her before I have to go and deal with Danny and try to reason with him—and she’s my person, even if she hasn’t fully realised it yet.
“Just relax and enjoy not having to navigate traffic.”
“Relax… after the day I’ve had?”
“Even more so after the day you’ve had,” I tell her, pinning her with my eyes when the traffic lights turn red.
“But this is crazy, Caleb. We can’t work together.”
“We were going to for the ad project anyway, so what’s the issue?”
“Because that was when you had your workplace and I had mine, but being in the same building, working in the same department, will just be so much more complicated,” she answers, and the traffic lights change to green—fuckers have the worst timing. I concentrate on the road again, moving us through the lunchtime commuters taking a break from their shoebox of an office.
I’m kind of thankful that Anthony took his own car service this morning and didn’t come with me, because otherwise I wouldn’t be on my own with her—something I’ve been craving ever since the moment I saw her again. And even if it’s only for a short car ride, it’s enough, for now.
“I don’t know,” she says with a sigh as I turn onto the road that will lead to the Elite offices.
“Maybe you’re not supposed to know,” I say, and I feel her turn to look at me.
“How do you mean?”
“We can’t always plan for everything, and I think the last couple of days have shown that to be truer than at any other point in our lives.” I mean, I would never have planned my reaction to walking into Danny’s apartment and seeing her. I would never have planned the outcome of them breaking up. And I would never have planned how to try and win her heart from my son, because who the fuck would ever plan for something like that? But it turns out, I didn’t have to plan anything, because life just happens and so does all of the shit that comes along with it. That is, until you get where you’re supposed to be.
“I guess,” she says as she looks back out of the window when I turn into the car park that houses the sleek building that is my work. “Wow,” she says on a breath.
It is pretty spectacular when you see it for the first time. There isn’t a brick in sight with the whole building covered in a black granite that seems to shine no matter what. Floor-to-ceiling windows are on every floor, except for the ground floor, which just has a revolving door and a few smaller windows placed along the front.
I turn the engine off and get out, going around to open the passenger door for her. I give her my hand to help her out, and she takes it, making my skin tingle from her touch. Fucking forty-two and my skin is tingling, and that’s without anything sexual. I dread to think how my skin would feel like it was on fire from her naked body on top of mine, but I’m also not averse to seeing if that would be the case either.
“Caleb?” She says my name and pulls me out of my thoughts of her naked and on top of me, or beneath me, or any fucking way she would have me. “You okay?”
I clear my throat and let go of her hand. “Yeah, let’s go.” I shut the car door and make my way to the front, her heels clicking just behind me.
We enter the revolving doors and make our way inside the foyer. The whole place has a monochrome, granite and cream interior, which makes the inside even sleeker than the outside.
“Jesus, it’s like every interior designer’s wet dream in here,” Cameron comments, making me laugh deep in my stomach.
“Wait until you see my office,” I say.
“Why? You got a stripper pole and stage up there?” she teases, and I have to admit, it’s good to see her a little carefree right now.
“Not yet,” I respond, and she feigns looking shocked before I gesture for her follow me. I walk her through the reception area and to the lifts, intending on showing her the marketing department first.