“What are you going to say to him?” Breaker asks while pacing the length of my office.
“I’m just going to come out with it. Ask him point-blank if he knew. What’s the use of beating around the bush?”
JP bounces his legs up and down as he perches in one of the chairs in the sitting area of my office. “I think being direct is key. I believe he’d appreciate that more.”
“I think so too,” Breaker adds. “Are you going to pass it off as a funny thing you did? Or take it seriously?”
“Seriously,” I answer as my mind switches over to Lottie.
Seeing her lying on the goddamn floor, tears streaming from her eyes, is fucking gnawing at my stomach. Eating away at me with every breath I take. Instead of staying with me, she thought it would be better if she stayed at her sister’s, where she had to sleep on the floor. That’s how much she didn’t want to be around me. That’s how much I should be ashamed. My girl would rather sleep on the floor than share a bed with me. Or even in a bed across the hall from me.
“I think if I go in with a serious tone, explain everything rather than joke around about it, then I’m going to save my ass.”
“Smart approach,” Breaker says and then lets out a deep breath. “Fuck, I hope he hasn’t said much to anyone.”
“I still don’t get how he knows,” JP says. “How did they find out? We haven’t said a goddamn word to anyone, and everyone else has an NDA.” JP scratches his head. “Do you think it was Kelsey?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Did Lottie seem happy to see you this morning?” JP winces.
After Lottie took off yesterday, I sent a text to my brothers, telling them it wasn’t Lottie, and then went into detail about how I fucked up everything with her. I blamed them, they blamed me. I took responsibility because, let’s be honest, this entire mess is my fault. Because I have some sick drive to prove—to prove what? That I can secure a deal? What’s the point of securing a deal if, in the end, I hurt the people who matter the most to me?
I hurt my brothers.
And I hurt Lottie.
No deal is bigger than that.
“No,” I say, remembering the grief-stricken look on her face. “She didn’t even say much.”
“Did you apologize?” JP asks.
“Of course I fucking apologized. Do you think I just went over there for the hell of it?”
“I’m just checking,” JP says in a defensive tone. “You’ve screwed up a lot lately. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t screw that up too.”
“Oh no, I did. I fucked that up big time. The only thing I have going for me is that she said she’d have dinner with me tonight.”
“Oh shit, really?” Breaker asks. “What are you going to do?”
“Beg for her forgiveness. What else is there to do?”
“Prove to her how sorry you are.”
“And how would I do that?” I ask.
Breaker shrugs. “Hell if I know. It’s why I’m not in a relationship. I don’t know how to handle women.”
“I don’t think that’s the reason,” JP says. “You’re just an idiot.”
“Says the guy who’s not in a relationship either,” Breaker says.
“By choice,” JP shoots back. “If I wanted to be in a relationship, then I would be.”
“Uh-huh.” Breaker eyes him up and down. “And how’s that flirting going with Kelsey, by the way?”
“Fine. If I turned it up a notch, she’d be all over me.”
Breaker scoffs. “Yeah . . . all over you.” He rolls his eyes, and I’m about to snap at my brothers when Karla comes into my office.
She raps her knuckles on the doorframe and says, “The front just informed me Mr. Toney is on his way up.”
“Thank you, Karla.” She gives me a curt nod and then disappears. “You two need to get the hell out of here.” I need to deal with this on my own.
They gather their things and head toward the door. “Good luck, man,” Breaker says with a nod. JP gives me a quick nod too, and then I’m left alone in my office.
Idly, I sit in my chair, staring at my computer screen. I’m a lucky son of a bitch that my brothers are supportive rather than wanting to murder me for possibly fucking up our reputation. Our livelihood, as well as the company’s employees. They could be dicks, but they’re choosing not to be, and I’m really appreciative of it. It’s tough enough knowing I damaged my relationship with Lottie, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without my brothers. And, yes, I said damaged. It’s not over. I’m going to get Lottie back. She’s mine. Forever.
Karla knows to send Dave back to my office when he arrives, so when there’s a knock at my door, I’m not surprised to see him.
“Dave.” I stand and walk over to him, offering him a firm handshake. “Thanks for making it over here.”
“I thought I was going to be late.” He chuckles, completely unaware of how my stomach is turning in on itself. “There was a huge accident on the 405. I was able to get off at an exit before I hit parking-lot type traffic.”
“When is there not an accident on the 405?” I ask.
“Very true.”
I gesture toward the sitting area in my office while I shut my door behind him. “Take a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“I’m good. I downed a coffee on the way here. Don’t worry, I went to the bathroom before I came in, so I won’t be requiring the use of your personal toilet.”
I chuckle and take a seat across from him. “My personal toilet is always available to you.”
He presses his hand to his chest. “The sentiment hits me hard.”
My smile fades as I clear my throat. I figure I might as well just jump right to it. “I, uh, I was hoping to have an honest conversation with you today.”
The smallest of smirks appear on Dave’s face. “I think I know what this is about.”
“Do you?” I ask, wanting to see where he’s at.
He nods. “You know, when Ellie first told me, I didn’t believe her at first, but after the baby class, I knew right away that Ellie was right.”
I clear my throat again, tempted to pull on my tie, to loosen it, but I hold strong. “And what was she right about?”
“Excuse me for being forward, but that your relationship with Lottie wasn’t real.”
Yup, there it is.
Shame and embarrassment flow through my veins, heating up my body. Damn it, I wish I’d thought to take off my suit jacket for this conversation. It’s too late now.
I go to say something, but Dave continues, “She told me after the dinner at our house. She suspected you two were faking it. I thought maybe it was some crazy pregnancy hormone at first, because I couldn’t fathom why you’d lie. Especially about a relationship. Ellie pointed out the stiffness in your shoulders when Lottie touched you, the robotic way you talked to each other. There was something missing, and even though you were quite convincing, there were things here and there that gave you away.”
I drag my hand over my face. “Listen, Dave. I can explain.”
“I found the whole thing quite comical, to be honest. How far would Huxley Cane go? Just how unethical was the man who wanted my business?” He pauses, and I think I’m going to be sick.
Unethical.
He’s not wrong. God, I feel ashamed. Especially that he’d known.
“Ellie kept finding these crazy things to do and thought it would be fun to drag you two along.”
I sit a little taller. “You mean, you invited us on purpose?”
Dave laughs. “Oh yeah. You’re probably the most uptight man I know and, granted, it’s gotten you very far in business, but there’s more than making a deal, Huxley, and I wanted you to see that. I thought that maybe if we carried on with the charade, that maybe something would come of it. There was a connection between you and Lottie, and Ellie and I were hoping to see it grow stronger.” He smiles. “And it has.” He laughs. “I can assure you, had I not met Ellie, I may have never known what true love was either.”
“Wh-what?” I ask, trying to comprehend and process everything he’s saying.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you love her, don’t you?”
My teeth roll over my bottom lip, and I stare down at my connected hands. I nod. “Yeah, I do.”
“I knew it.” Dave slaps his leg. “Ellie thinks Lottie was the one to crack first, she seemed to be more into you, but I told Ellie you’re a professional at masking your emotions, and if I had to bet on it, I’d say you developed feelings sooner than she developed feelings for you.”
Since this is the conversation we’re apparently having, I say, “I think it started the minute I ran into her.”
“Which wasn’t in Georgia . . .”
I shake my head.
“Ellie was also struck by that. Lottie wasn’t very convincing about knowing much about Georgia.”
I wince. “She’s never been.”
“Then how exactly did you meet?”
“On the sidewalk in my neighborhood. She was lost; I was blowing off steam. Just so happened we both needed each other.” I grip the back of my head. “A not-so meet-cute.”
“You know, I beg to differ. Meeting on the sidewalk has its charm.”
“Not if you add in what we were both after. I needed a fake fiancée, and she needed a rich husband to impress someone. That doesn’t really scream romance.”
“Sometimes it’s not the beginning that screams romance, but rather the journey. And I have to say, your journey has been quite interesting to watch unfold.” Dave scratches the side of his face. “I do wonder, though . . . why did you do it?”
Sighing heavily, I lean back in my chair and say, “Because I’m a dumbass.”
“Well, this much is true, but give me the real reason.”
The real reason. Wasn’t that enough? That I was a dumbass? But Dave had taken every answer in stride so far, so even though this showed how manipulative I could actually be, how much of a liar, I was now all-in here.
“Breaker and JP said I’d never succeed in making a deal with you because you were a relatable guy. You honored the connection in a business deal, not just the money. They said I wasn’t relatable to you. I wanted to prove them wrong. When I saw you outside the deli and you introduced me to Ellie, the lies just poured out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I thought that maybe if we could connect on another level, you’d consider a deal with me.”
“And what happened if we did make the deal . . . what would’ve happened to Lottie?”
“We would’ve gone our separate ways. I probably wouldn’t have mentioned anything to you.”
“I see.” His smile fades. “Seems very untrustworthy.”
“I know.” I drag my hand over my forehead. “Trust me, I fucking know. My brothers, from the very beginning, told me it was a bad idea, and when I was able to look past my determination, I knew what we were doing was wrong, but I was so inflexible that I couldn’t look past the deal. I ended up hurting my brothers, and even worse . . . I ended up losing Lottie.”
“What?” Dave asks, looking concerned. “She left you?”
I nod. “Last night. I, uh, I spoke with someone who off-handedly told me you knew we had a fake engagement. I couldn’t possibly understand how you’d know, so I blamed Lottie, thinking she was the one who let it slip to Ellie. I said some shitty things, and she left.” I shake my head, completely disgusted with myself. “I fucking blew it because I was so caught up in my image, my reputation, that I forgot one thing—none of that matters if I don’t have someone to share my life with. She took off for her sister’s.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “She chose sleeping on the floor over sleeping with me. If that doesn’t tell you how fucked I am, I don’t know what does.”
“Let me ask you this, and look me in the eyes when you answer. If you could choose one, Lottie, or the acquisition with me, what would it be?”
“Lottie.” I look him straight in the eye. “Lottie. She is everything. I don’t know how it came to this, how I fell for a girl so fast, so hard, that I actually feel physical pain from losing her, but here I am, a desperate asshole willing to do anything to get her back.”
That brings a smile to his face. Dave leans forward and holds his hand out to me while he says, “This might surprise you, Huxley, and in some ways, it surprises me too, but you have a deal.”
“What?” I ask, awkwardly taking his hand, unsure what we’re shaking on. Dwayne said he was developing the land with him. How is this happening?
Dave stands from his chair and buttons his suit jacket. “Your brothers were right. I wasn’t sure I wanted to make a deal with someone I didn’t quite know. I wasn’t sure you were going to develop the lots into something I could consciously be okay with. I’ve been incredibly disappointed in deals I’ve made in the past, promises that weren’t kept. It’s why I spoke with Dwayne. I knew you’d be working with him. I wanted to see if your plans were feasible. I wanted to see if he knew about you and Lottie. I wanted to see what kind of deal I might be getting myself into. But when Dwayne genuinely looked surprised to hear about you and Lottie, I knew, even though you were lying, you weren’t making me into a laughingstock.”
“Fuck, I would never. If anyone is going to be laughed at, it’s me. I had all my employees sign an NDA—even Lottie was under an NDA. And those who didn’t have an NDA believed we were actually engaged. She moved into my home and everything. Trust me, I didn’t want this getting out.”
“I believe you,” Dave says confidently. “It’s why the lots are yours. I’ll have my lawyers work with your lawyers on the details. I’m trusting that you’re not lying to me now, and that you’ll follow through on the terms of our agreement.”
“I will. It’s not in my nature to lie, Dave. I honestly felt wretched every time we pretended around you. Lottie and I both did. So, I won’t let you down in your trust in me.”
“I feel confident in you. Now. And maybe another man would’ve told you to fuck off, but I find the whole scenario quite fascinating, and I’ve enjoyed seeing you change. You were a hard man to understand before, but Lottie has smoothed out your rough edges. You understand your priorities now. And frankly, you’re more relatable. I’ve had some fun times, not only watching you struggle, but also having some honest conversations with you. You’ve grown, Huxley, and I do consider you a friend, even if under some false pretenses. I only hope you can fix things with Lottie, because we truly did enjoy your company.”
“Wow,” I say. “I honestly wasn’t expecting you to say that. I thought this conversation would go a completely different direction, and I was ready to beg and plead with you.”
Dave glances at his watch. “I have about five minutes if you want to get down on your knees and do a little begging.” He chuckles and I nervously laugh, because, hell, I would’ve done it. “But in all seriousness, I can’t stop thinking about seeing you two interact after the baby class. I knew you’d changed. I knew you’d gentled. Your severity had disappeared, and I appreciated that. I enjoyed the transformation, and I hope it continues. You’re a good man, Huxley. Now, figure out a way to fix this with Lottie, because I know Ellie is going to want you two over for a celebratory dinner.”
“That would be great, Dave. Thank you. Truly, thank you for everything.”
He heads toward my office door. “I’m a pretty understanding guy who can find joy in almost every situation. But know, you probably won’t see the same respect from other business associates, so I’d keep the fake fiancée and fake pregnancy thing out of business deals from here on out.”
“Trust me, never again.”
“Good to hear. We’ll be in touch.” He offers me a wave and then takes off. When I know he’s farther down the hall, I slump in my chair and let out a pent-up breath.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
After a few minutes, Breaker and JP come barreling into my office.
“Oh fuck, he doesn’t look good,” Breaker says. “Is that sweat on his brow?”
JP takes a step closer. “Fuck, it is sweat. He doesn’t ever sweat.”
“What happened? Are we ruined?” Breaker asks.
I clasp my hands together and chuckle.
“He’s laughing. Is that a good laugh or a he’s lost his mind laugh?” Breaker asks.
“Sounds slightly maniacal. I think he’s lost it,” JP answers.
“He’s signing the deal.”
“What?” Breaker and JP say at the same time.
“I don’t have time to talk about it. I have to figure out how to fix things with Lottie. That’s what I care about.” I stand and push my hand through my hair. “Fuck, I don’t even know where to start.”
“You can’t half-ass it,” Breaker says.
“You went all in on this contract with her, might as well go all in on a relationship,” JP says, laughing.
But a light bulb goes off in my head.
“I have an idea,” I say as I go to my desk to pocket my phone and keys. “Have the lawyers connect with Dave’s lawyers. I’ll give you a call while I’m in my car to explain everything.”
And without a goodbye, I head out of my office and past Karla.
I have some shit to do before tonight.
