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"I don't think so."
His eyes hardened. "Why not, Vee?"
She felt her resolve crumble as he used her nickname. Taking in a breath, she said, "I said I'd give you an hour. You had it and now it's time to go our separate ways."
Even though her heart was breaking inside, she walked away from Beau before he could walk away from her, again. She dropped a fifty on the table, covering both of their meals before leaving the café. Her long stride ate up the distance back to the club, her desire to get away from Beau and all that he represented pressing on her lungs until she felt breathless. Shoving her way through the large front security door, she made a beeline for the office, slamming the door shut behind her.
There was a knock, and for a heart-pounding second, she thought it was Beau. "Yeah?" she called out, working hard to keep the panic from her voice.
The knob turned and a man Evangeline had only met once before stuck his head into the room. "Evangeline, is now a good time?"
"Sure, Mike. Why wouldn't it be?" she replied.
He flushed. "Ah, I saw you rush in here. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Are things... okay?"
"They're fine." Her words were clipped, and she knew why everyone automatically assumed she was a bitch when they first met her. "Have a seat. We need to discuss the agreement, Mike."
When he was seated opposite her, she wiggled the mouse on her desk to wake up her computer. "We were discussing vodka, right?"
He nodded, pulling a tablet from his bag and placing it on the desk. "Yeah, plus the Bollinger orders."
"Right," she replied, clicking open the folder on her desktop.
An hour later,they had straightened out the supplier for her endless champagne demands at the club, plus a new celebrity-endorsed vodka that her customers were clambering over. Evangeline held out her hand and shook Mike's.
"Thank you for coming in, Mike. I appreciate your time."
He nodded, tucking the tablet more firmly under his arm as he swung his bag over his head to settle across his body. "I only wish all my owners and managers were as decisive as you."
Not the first time she'd been told that. She was very much alet's make a decision nowkind of woman.
She nodded. "Thank you again. I'll walk you out."
Returning to her office, she was left alone with her thoughts, trying to sort through them all. Knowing that Beau hadn’t meant the things he’d said did help to ease the sting of rejection, but she was disappointed that he didn’t think he could share his fears with her. Did their relationship mean so little to him, or was he notall-infrom the beginning? She knew she was. Beau had been her world, and in hindsight, maybe she shouldn’t have clung to him so tightly. That was the thing with being a kid in the foster system; affection didn’t come from a lot of places, so when it did come into her life, she’d taken hold of it hard and fast.
Putting her leg up on the desk, she pulled up the leg of her jeans and stared at the phoenix tattoo inked there. It had hurt like a bitch when she’d gotten it done, but wasn’t that the point? The phoenix represented Vee's life. From the ashes of a shitty childhood she had risen. At one time, she and Beau had talked about getting it done together—like a pact between them.
A pact…
That’s what she and Beau had promised.
Together forever.
Always.
It’s too bad words don’t last the test of time.
11
Beau watchedVee walk away from him, his eyes tracking her movements even as she disappeared out of sight. Well, he guessed it could’ve gone better. He had to take what Vee was willing to give right now. Draining the last of his coffee, he took the money she’d left on the table to the front counter.
“How was everything?” the young girl asked.
“Fine,” he told her tersely, earning himself a frown. “Thank you,” he tacked on.
She bobbed her head in understanding, pulling out the change. He stuffed it into the tip jar and left, fighting the urge to return to the club and demand Evangeline reconsider her decision. He resisted it though; she needed her space, and he understood that. Retracing his steps back to his car, he got in and started the long drive back home. The whole way back, he played and replayed their conversation, looking for a silver lining.
She knew the truth now—that had been the thing weighing on his mind the most. She also knew his mother had passed away, which had been just as important as knowing that he still wanted her. Yet... even knowing that, she rejected his idea of a friendship.
