Page 68 of A Win-Win Situation
TWENTY-FOUR
LUCAS
Ileave Leora to get accustomed to her new office, and I can't help but think that I'll never tire of her smile. Her smile could light up the darkest of nights, and warm up the coldest of rooms. She probably doesn't even know the effectshehas on people. Her ex must have screwed her up royally if she thought she neededmeto feel better.
So, I decided to set a personal mission for myself: by the time our agreement ends, she will have learned to love herself as she truly deserves.
As for yesterday, once I left her at the apartment, my plan was to head to the office, get some work done, and indulge in a glass or two of my twenty-five-year-old whiskey. I needed to think and I needed to plan, but the only thing that ran through my mind while I was driving was how Leora had chosen to take the stairs. I started thinking about why.Every time we had been in an elevator together, she seemed out of it, never making eye contact with me and always fidgeting until we reached our floor. That's when it dawned on me that she must hate elevators and therefore, that’s why I decided to move our offices. Our old one needed a renovation, so I used it as an excuse to call up an old colleague of mine who is now the owner of this building, andhe made everything happen. The new office space is perfect. It doesn't have the same view as the one at the hotel, but it will help Leora feel more at ease for now.
Today is slightly better than yesterday, but it’s still clear that she’s afraid, even if she’s too stubborn to admit it. While on the elevator, I tried to keep her occupied by asking her a bunch of questions about books. Her eyes lit up and she started babbling about something called tropes—apparently her favorite is something called, enemies to lovers. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to keep her from being scared. Even though she was talking, she was still shaky, fidgety, and frantically looking around. We’ll work on her fear and when she feels better, I’ll take her back to the old office to help her work through it.
That is, if it happens within a year because after that, she'll go back home. For now, the more at ease she feels, the more she’ll deliver on her work.
As I'm working, I hear a distinct knock at the door. It's not just any knock; it's a rhythmic melody of "Shave and a Haircut"with a deliberate pause at the end that waits for me to finish it. Ignoring the pause, I call out, "Come in, Liam."
He enters my office, with a laid back demeanor and a hint of exasperation in his voice, "You left me hanging."
Not in the mood for small talk, I ask, "What do you need, Liam?"
"Ammowanted me to drop these papers off for you," he says, handing me a stack of papers concerning the office renovation.
"Great, thanks." I say dismissively, but then I remember that I need his updates. "While you’re here, you can update me on the hotels. How’s the one in Barcelona doing?"
He plops down in the chair in front of me. "It’s going well. We had a huge bachelorette a few weeks ago while I was visiting and let me tell you, those girls were wild." A chuckle accompanieshis comment, and irritation wells up within me at his foolish mindset.
"The one in Porto?"
"It’s good. There was an incident but I had it under control."
I know exactly what incident he’s talking about. "You mean the incident where you lost us the largest sum of revenue we could’ve made in years because you ruined a wedding?"
"I didn't ruin the wedding."
"You fucked the bride, Liam."
"Well, she obviously didn’t want to marry the old man—I practically saved her." The nonchalance in his voice is infuriating and I try my best to not get angry.
"What a hero," I mumble before returning my focus, hoping this gets him to leave my office, but he isn’t done.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married, or that you even met someone?" Liam asks, genuine hurt tinting his voice
"Why would I have done that?"
"Because I’m your brother."
"What a brother you've been," I mutter sarcastically, feeling a twinge of guilt for saying it out loud. Liam looks down at his hands for a moment before meeting my gaze. "Look, I know I haven't been the best brother, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I just wish you would've told me about this important thing happening in your life."
"I don't owe you anything," I retort, feeling defensive.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you need anything else, Liam? I have a lot of work to do."
"I’m not leaving before you tell me why the hell you’re so pissed," he almost growls.
Our eyes meet, and I can feel the fire behind mine.
I’m angry.
