“AND HERE IS A CHECK for vacation time you never took,” Beatrice says as she gleefully slides an envelope across the table to me.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling like an utter fool.
If you think that Reginald went through with firing me, you would be correct.
I showed up at eight this morning, was greeted by security, and escorted to a conference room where Beatrice gave me the ins and outs of my termination: what to expect, what not to expect, and now that we’re wrapping things up, my final pay.
Feels fucking great.
Not to mention, when I walked into the conference room, I got a sniff of Deanna’s stank perfume, which means she’s lurking around these halls, ready to point her finger and laugh.
Well, laugh all you want, you fucking turkey leg, because I don’t want to work for Reginald Hopper, anyway—and I’m not saying that petulantly.
I mean it.
I had a long-ass flight home and despite trying to drug myself to sleep, my brain wouldn’t stop working and thinking, and questioning every little fucking thing I did during the entire week I spent in Bora-Bora. And do you know what I came up with?
I’m an idiot.
I’m terrible at climbing the corporate ladder.
I might never be able to have children after the brutal beating my nuts took.
Making a trip to Bora-Bora to get the leg up on the competition was a massive mistake, because I’m not a cutthroat asshole who can make business deals behind closed doors. I no longer see my dad’s words as criticism. He brought me up to be a good man. A humble man who won’t stab another in the back.
“People will always appreciate you because you’re humble but get the job done.”
Bora-Bora was…well, it was fucked. But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, because despite the tragedy of suffering a huge blow to my ego, day after day, I gained the courage I needed to finally make the move I’ve wanted to make for years now. I finally gave in to the pressure I’ve been carrying on my chest to let Maggie Mitchell know just how much I like her.
Yup. I went on a business trip looking to advance my career, but, in reality, I advanced nothing of the sort. Instead, I fell for the girl I’ve been crushing on, and that was so much more important than any proposal.
She’s the reason I’m still holding my head high in this office.
She’s the reason I know what I’m about to do is insane.
But she’s also the reason I don’t give a shit.
Because she deserves the goddamn world.
And yeah, I might have been the one that fucked this all up, and I might never get to hold her in my arms again, but I’ll make damn sure the wrong I made is righted.
“Thank you, Beatrice,” I say as I pocket the envelope. “You have been nothing but a rotten wench since I started here, and you haven’t changed a bit. Keep true to you.”
I wink, loving her offended expression—truly not here to win any fans—and I move past her and stride out the door.
Nope, I’m here to do the right thing.
If I happen to insult a few people on the way out, then at least I know I left with my honesty intact.
“Mr. McFadden, the exit is to the left,” Beatrice calls after me.
“Well aware. I just need to make one quick stop.”
Knowing I’m on borrowed time—like, security is going to start trailing me in seconds—I power walk through the halls of the office.
“Oh, there he is, dead man walking,” Deanna says as I hurry past her. In the distance I can hear Beatrice calling security.
Crap.
“What are you running from? Yourself? I would too,” Deanna calls out, causing me to stop.
This fucking woman.
I turn toward her and catch the sight of security looking around. Fuck, I have seconds.
“Deanna, I truly believe that a human like you deserves all the worst. So may your days be met with the painful absence of friendship while your nights are filled with long, uncomfortable bouts of hemorrhoids.”
With that, I take off down the hall, make a left at the kitchen, and sprint straight to the corner office.
“There he is,” security shouts, making my ass clench in fear.
The office looms in front of me, no assistant in sight, and I just hope and pray that he’s in there. You have one shot, take it.
Powering through, out of breath, and frankly exhilarated over the hemorrhoid comment, I burst open the door to Hudson’s office—a sleekly decorated space I’ve never been since I’ve never directly worked with him. “They’re after me,” I proclaim, “but I just need one second of your time…”
But my words fall flat as my eyes land on the empty office chair.
Fuck…
My arms are grabbed, one security guard on either side of me as they pull me out of Hudson’s office. How is he not here this morning? He’s always here. First one in. First one to walk around the office. First one to greet people, and he’s not fucking here.
This was it—my chance to right things for Maggie. How the hell am I supposed to do that if he’s not here?
And he’s probably not here for a reason.
Hudson and Hardy likely knew I was getting fired today, and after how everything went down, they probably wanted to avoid being involved with any of the drama. I don’t blame them.
Because as the security guards haul me off, my heels dragging across the floor, all I can think about is how I don’t want to be here either.
I sigh as I clutch a can of pineapple juice to my chest and stare out at the busy road in front of me. Currently, I’m sitting on a planter outside of Hopper Industries, my things stacked not so neatly into a box next to me, and I’m contemplating how the hell I got here.
A series of unfortunate mistakes.
Many…many mistakes.
“Brody?” Jaleesa says as she comes up to me.
My feet dangle beneath me as I lift my can of pineapple juice up to my lips. It was in my desk, and I thought, what would be more fitting than drinking something that would bring me back to Bora-Bora where everything was right for at least a moment?
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Didn’t they tell you?” I ask. “I’ve been fired.”
“What?” Jaleesa rages, closing the space between us. “What do you mean you’ve been fired? I didn’t hear anything about this.”
I look down at her. She’s holding a cup of coffee and a bagel that the pigeon next to me seems very interested in. I wouldn’t even try, man, she doesn’t share.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be informed when you go up there. Made quite the scene. I think I called Beatrice a wench. Can’t be too sure. I know I wished uncomfortable hemorrhoids on Deanna.” I look up toward the sky and add, “And in all honestly, I think the universe will grant that wish.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Nope,” I say, popping the P. “But have I been pushed to the brink of sanity? I would say yes.” I lean back on one hand and hold my can of pineapple juice close to my heart. “You see, Jaleesa, I’ve lost everything. The proposal, my job, and the girl. It’s almost comical if you think about it, how someone could possibly lose so much in such a short amount of time. But you know what, if anyone could accomplish such a feat, it would be me.” I tap my chest with one finger. “This guy. My father always said I was an overachiever, but I’m not sure he knew the kind of potential I actually have. I proved it today.”
“Brody, what the hell happened?” Jaleesa asks.
“Oh, you know, Daddy Reggie saw right through me and then showed me the door. Told me my proposal never stood a chance. And then oh boy, oh boy, did I mess up with Maggie. Like…did the worst thing that I could have ever done. She said see ya later, bucko, and told me not to contact her. So, I haven’t.” I shake my head as I feel my emotions get the best of me. “I have not spoken to her.”
Jaleesa pinches the bridge of her nose. “But how did we get here, to this moment?”
“Alcohol.”
“Brody,” she groans. “I told you not to get drunk.”
“I know.” I tip back my pineapple juice, letting the sweet, tangy taste melt on my tongue. “And I went into the bachelor party with every intention of not drinking, but Reginald was not having it. He told me to drink…and drink…and drink. So, I listened to Daddy.”
“Can you not call him that?”
“When he decided that I was good and liquored up, he bent me over and smacked me on the bum.”
“What?” she asks, outraged.
I shake my head. “Metaphorically.”
“Jesus, Brody.” She leans one shoulder against the front wall of our building, still keeping her eyes on mine.
“He made me do my proposal right then and there. I can tell you that it went horribly. Not the idea he was looking for and in my drunken state, I gave him an idea that was really Maggie’s, and Daddy Reggie’s giving it to the fucking turkey leg up there. Oh, and they’re going to put Maggie out of business, so…yeah. She broke up with me and now all I have is this can of pineapple juice and this pigeon friend right here.” I gesture toward the pigeon, but startle the damn thing and it flies away.
Yup, that tracks.
Jaleesa rubs her hand over her face and quietly says, “Okay, Brody, let me find out what’s happening. Go home.”
“But that’s the thing,” I say as I hop off the planter. “I don’t want you to figure out what’s going on. I don’t want this job. I don’t want anything to do with them, with Hopper Industries. I’d rather bring my idea to the Cane brothers, let them know that they can take it, do what they want with it—aka, bury Daddy Reggie—and then I don’t know, do something with my life that doesn’t require participation in business networking and corporate ladders. Like…maybe I can be a dog walker or something.”
“You don’t have a dog,” she says, confused.
“Which makes me a great candidate for walking dogs, because I won’t scare the canines away with my territorial scent. It’s genius.”
“Brody, you’re not a dog walker.”
“You don’t know that.” I tuck my box under my arm and straighten up. “This could be the start of a new adventure for me. Brody’s Bow Wow Services.”
“Jesus Christ,” she whispers. “Can you just go home?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t want to be alone…I need Gary.”
“Then go see Gary.”
I wince. “But he’s going to be mad at me for hurting his sister. What if I lose Gary?”
“You’re going to lose something soon if you don’t get moving.” She nods behind me. “Security is approaching.”
I look over my shoulder and see the two beastly men that dragged me out here in the first place.
“One of them needs to cut their fingernails—I suffered some good scratches while they were dragging me out of the building.” I pat Jaleesa on the shoulder. “Let them know that as you walk by.”
And then I take off, knowing that my next stop is going to suck, but it has to be made.
Gary needs to know.
MAGGIE
“Wait…he did what?” Hattie says as she sits on my couch and curls her feet under her.
When I was at the airport, ready to board my flight, I texted Hattie and told her I needed her to meet me at my apartment when I got back. She didn’t ask questions. She just told me she’d be there with my favorite cookies—cherry almond from her store in Almond Bay.
And she delivered.
There’s a plate of two dozen cookies between us, and we both hold glasses filled with white wine.
“Brody told Reginald about my pocket wedding idea, and now they’re moving forward with it.”
“Why the hell would he do that?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I keep asking myself the same question. I don’t know how the night really went down. I wasn’t told too much and, of course, I didn’t talk to Brody because he was passed out by the time he got back to the bungalow. I know prior to that, he was feeling like he wasn’t doing enough to win his proposal and get on Hopper’s good side, so maybe he thought he’d take my concept and throw it in as a suggestion.” I shrug. “Either way, I found out from Hardy, and then I just…I lost it. I packed up my things and left him a note saying I don’t want to speak to him ever again.”
“Has he tried to reach out to you?”
I shake my head. “Not once.”
“Wow.” Hattie takes a sip of her wine. “You’d think if he wasn’t guilty, he would have contacted you. But the guilt…that’s prevented him from trying to get you back.”
I twist my lips to the side as I pick up a cookie. “That’s what I thought too, but do you think that theory could be true?”
“What do you mean?” Hattie asks. “Of course it’s true. Why do you ask? Do you want him to contact you?”
“I don’t know,” I say, feeling defeated. “And I know how that sounds—because I told him not to contact me, but then, in the back of my head, I kind of wish he did, because then he wouldn’t be guilty. Ugh, I don’t know if that’s making sense. All I know is I really like him, Hattie. And even though he hurt me, it’s hard to set aside those feelings.”
“Trust me, I know. I went through the same thing with Hayes. Once you feel something for someone, it doesn’t just go away. But my question to you is—do you want him to reach out?”
I shrug. “Probably not. I think seeing him would only bring me pain, but I think there was a part of me that thought…that hoped that Hudson got it wrong, you know? That like…if he tried to contact me, maybe that you mean all of this was a big mistake—I feel like if it was a mistake, he’d at least try to tell me that. Clear his name. But he hasn’t. He’s been silent, which just makes me believe he either did sell out my idea, or maybe he never truly liked me in the first place and was just using me this whole time.”
“No way.” Hattie shakes her head. “I saw the pictures you sent me of you two, and there is no way that man was faking his feelings for you.”
“So then he’s just a dick and chose his job over us.” I slowly nod. “Well, from what I gathered, he lost his job.”
“Ooof, really? That’s a bad weekend. Lose the girl and the job. Is it weird that I feel a little bad for him?”
“Yes!” I nearly shout. “Hattie, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side,” she says quickly. “But I don’t know, just sucks for him is all.”
“Yeah, it does, because I’m a catch. He was lucky I even looked in his direction.”
“You’re right, he was lucky.”
“And he should have been happy with the fact that I never judged him, not one bit. After everything we went through, everything that happened to him on that island, I stuck by his side. Sure, I might have chuckled with the imaginary snake bite thing, but that was only once. Every other time, I was by his side, making sure he had someone to talk to, someone on his team. And this is how he treats me.” I toss my hand up. “Fine, good riddance. I don’t need him anyway.”
I feel my lip tremble as my voice shakes on that last word.
Hattie catches it and places her hand on top of mine. “It’s okay to be sad, Maggie. You don’t have to be strong in front of me.”
And that’s all it takes for the waterworks to start.
I set my wine glass down, pull my legs into my chest, and allow the tears to stream down my face. “I’m just…I’m mad at him. He promised he wouldn’t hurt me, and I believed him.”
“I know.” Hattie moves the cookies and pulls me in close, wrapping her arm around me. “I’m sorry, Maggie.”
“I really like him,” I say softly. “I think…I think I might actually…”
I don’t say the word because it’s too heavy, one that I can’t bring myself to say.
Luckily for me, my best friend gets me. “I know, Maggie.”
My lip quivers. “This isn’t fair, you know. I should be able to find someone to spend my life with. I should have romance. I should have that one special person. How come it doesn’t happen for me?”
“It will, you will find love, Maggie. I know you will.”
I wipe at my eye. “I thought I did.” I let out a long sigh. “And to top it all off, I have to figure out what to do with Haisley.”
“What are you talking about?” Hattie asks.
“Reginald is blackmailing me.”
“Excuse me?” she asks, pulling away to look me in the eye. “Okay, hold on. I know we’re sad that Brody is an idiot, but why didn’t we start with the blackmailing?”
“Because I can’t seem to wrap my head around it, and the Brody thing, well…”
“It’s consuming you, I get it. We will get back to that, but what’s going on with Reginald?”
“He wants Haisley working under the family name again. She told him that I had some ideas for partnering up and expanding her rental business. He said I either convince her to do it under Hopper Industries, or I could kiss my business goodbye because he has no problem steamrolling it.”
“He said that to you?”
I nod. “Yup. He was very serious too.” I hug my legs closer. “I have no idea what to do. It feels like everything is falling apart. And I know if Brody and I were talking, he’d help me figure this out, but, well, you know what happened there.”
“Well, talk it out with me. I might not know the Hoppers, but I understand business.”
“There’s not much to talk out,” I say. “I’m not going to force Haisley to work under her father, simple as that.”
“So, you’re just going to give up your business?”
I chew on the corner of my mouth. “I really don’t know.”
