Page 5 of Good Intentions, Vol. 3

Chapter Three

Heather

After tossing and turning all night, I stumble into my office. I’m late because I overslept.But still, I’m counting that as a win since I forbid myself to think about Nick while I rolled in my bed as if my life depended on it. The fact that I kept thinking of him as I was actively trying to stop myself.After a while, no longer able to lie even to myself, I got out of bed and pulled a photo I keep on my phone.It’s the one with his son, from the day they went to the ZOO.

It was the picture that finally drove home the fact that Nick wasn’t mine and I knew I had to end it with him.I drop my purse and jacket on my desk, grab the folders that my assistant put together for me this morning, then turn around and almost run out of the office.

Passing her desk, I wiggle the folders and say “Thank you, Sue,” not slowing down on my way to the conference room.

I have no idea what this new opportunity is, who our new client is and what needs to be done on my part. But since this is the first meeting and Mr. Mathews didn’t inform me of this beforehand, in fact, he said everything will be fine, I’m not stressed about it.The thing that has me stressed is the fact that Nick is still at the forefront of my mind even after I looked at that picture of him and his son, reminding myself why we can’t ever be together and the fact that he lied when he said he loved me. I replayed those words he said to me the last time we were in the same room, over and over in my mind.

Still, nothing works.

All I can think about is him.

I push the door to the conference room open, look at Mr. Matthews standing in front of the large oval-shaped table and mumble "I'm sorry I'm late."

Mr. Matthews looks briefly at the far end of the table and with a soft smile gestures for me to take a seat to his right. I can feel all eyes on me as I take a seat and arrange the folders in front of me, but don’t have time to look up and greet everyone.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here today,” Mr. Matthews starts talking as the lights in the room dim and a large display behind him comes to life. “We’re excited to see what you have prepared for us today and hopefully we’ll be able to work together.”

For some reason, a few chuckles can be heard throughout the room. It’s an odd reaction to the words being spoken, but I don’t look back to try and figure out why that is.

“Now,” as he steps aside, Mr. Matthews claps once and then extends his arm to the far end of the table. “Please, begin.”

“If you would, please, open up the material that was delivered to you,” the soft murmur spreads across the room and all the hairs on my body stand on end.

I know that voice.

I know that murmur.

I remember how it felt when that murmur whispered across my body and the soft breath tickled my skin.My breath is coming faster, my heart beating harder. Everything in me wants to turn my head and confirm what I already know.But I don’t dare to look.

It can’t be.

It can’t be him.

I left everything behind just so I could get away from him.From temptation.From heartbreak.From lies.

“Hello everybody,” the murmur has now become his full-on voice.

The one that said so many beautiful things to me. The one that I admired when I worked for him, with him. The one that said those awful words to me and in the end, broke me.

“I want to thank you for this opportunity today,” I open the first folder slowly, carefully. The words on top blur in my eyes.

“My name is Nick Thompson and I am the owner and executive of Thompsons Inc.”

At those words, I turn my head left, and there he is standing as the powerful businessman that he is.The man of my dreams.The man that I love.The one I ran away from.The one who sent me to hell.Nick fucking Thompson.