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  “What?” Alison and I exclaimed in unison, both turning pale.

  Alison jumped up to her feet, staring at Marissa in disbelief. “You gotta be kidding us. There is no way they can do that.”

  Marissa shrugged her shoulders. Her grim expression felt like a punch in the gut. “Actually, they can. Bobby had already put it on sale, and you know how that goes. Whoever offers the most... Bobby doesn’t care if they’re going to demolish it or not.”

  “But we’re talking about a heritage building. They can’t demolish a heritage building. It’s supposed to be protected.”

  Once more, Marissa shrugged her shoulders. “If Bobby is okay with it, there is nothing we can do. He needs money urgently, so he’ll accept anyone’s offer—even from those greedy bastards without scruples.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Alison muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

  I agreed with her one hundred percent. If that developer really tore our building down to make stupid condos, then we would have to move, and that was impossible at the moment. We were still fairly young in the business, so we were far from being able to pay double for rent.

  Our rent costs were low in our current building and there was nothing else nearby that was as central, with enough space and rent we could afford. Once we were out, we would be faced with a real dilemma.

  “Why they have to make condos? Why do they have to ruin everything?” Alison hissed, fuming.

  “Capitalism, honey,” Marissa replied. “I tried convincing Bobby to find someone who wouldn’t buy this building only to reduce it to ruins, but he didn’t even want to hear me out.”

  “Did you at least tell him that we wouldn’t have anywhere to go?” Alison asked, her voice filled with worry.

  “Yes. And he said, and I quote, ‘You know I like you, girls, but business is business’. So we can’t rely on him to help us with this.”

  “So what can we do?”

  I glanced at the girls, trying to slow down my heart rate. This was an unfortunate situation, but we had to keep our heads cool and think about the solution.

  “I don’t know,” Marissa replied to her.

  “First of all, we have to calm down,” I said. “We won’t achieve anything if we stress about this. We have to stay positive and believe that everything will work itself out in the end.”

  I came from behind Alison and began massaging her tense shoulders. “I’m sure we can find some silver lining in this.”

  “How?”

  “Maybe we can try talking with someone from that company first and see if we can convince them to change their plans. Maybe they’re reasonable and would give up on their initial plan after they see how much damage they would cause.”

  Marissa’s eyes lit. “Now, that’s a good idea. We can emphasize the fact that this building is really important for the neighborhood.”

  “Exactly,” I said. “I’m positive that they would at least consider it.”

  “I can talk with the CEO of that company. I’ll call Bobby again and ask him for the name. Then I can search for their address and schedule a meeting with the CEO.”

  “You think he’ll agree to see you?” Alison asked with skepticism, tensing her shoulders.

  I applied more pressure on her shoulders, sliding my hands over them in circles. “If not the CEO, then there has to be someone else she can talk to.”

  Marissa nodded. “That’s right. So I’ll go call Bobby now and ask for their name.” She was about to leave my room once again, but then she stopped and whistled at me, lowering her gaze down my body. “By the way, you look amazing, Claire. It’s like that dress is made for you.”

  I flashed her a smile, telling myself to push all the negative thoughts aside and focus on this evening. After all, there was nothing we could do at the moment, so I should relax and enjoy the next few hours. Who knew? Maybe I’d hit it off with my date right away and then he could take me to his place and...

  Yeah. Just a thought.

  “I’m sure the guy will go crazy for her,” Alison added. “Did I already tell you how hot your date is?”

  I pinched her cheek and ambled over my closet to take a jacket. “A dozen times.”

  “You have more luck than I’d had back then,” Marissa remarked. “All my Tinder dates were average.”

  “Even less than average,” Alison muttered under her breath. “They were downright ugly.”

  “Hey!” Marissa smacked her upper arm. “We all have different tastes, okay?”

  “Different tastes, my ass. Only a mother could like guys like—”

  “Okay, okay!” I raised my hands in the air. “Stop putting them down. Besides, Marissa managed to snatch a real catch in the end.” I winked at Marissa. “Daniel is plain gorgeous.”

  Marissa’s face softened—just like always when we talked about her lovely husband. She and Daniel were perfect for each other. After a bumpy start, they managed to overcome the issues between them, and now they were going stronger than ever.

  I wished I could find a guy like that. I wished I could find someone as supportive and caring as him. Tonight could be my chance to get just that. The guy I was meeting was a doctor and had the same interests as me, so anything could happen.

  “Good luck tonight.” Marissa raised her thumb at me.

  “Yeah. Make us proud,” Alison said. “And don’t forget to give us all the details later!”

  Grinning at them, I picked up my purse and looked at myself in the mirror one last time. My makeup was on point, and the curve-hugging dress made me look pretty amazing, I had to admit.

  “Absolutely.”

  Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the restaurant, experiencing a horde of butterflies in my belly. I was never particularly nervous about dates, embracing the thrill that came with them, but for some reason, I felt a bit different about this night. I had a feeling in my gut that something big would happen, and here I was—flustered and a bit fidgety.

  My heels clicked on the sidewalk as I approached the entrance to International, a place that known to be one of the trendiest spots featuring the hottest chefs. Jay, my Tinder date, had picked it because he loved International’s food and service. I’d never been here before, so I had to trust his judgment.

  Not that food mattered. No. I cared only about the guy I was going to spend the next few hours with, hoping the conversation would get going from the start. I hated those uncomfortable silences when I had no idea how to fill them. I was pretty good at small-talk, and usually managed to find something to say, but I couldn’t say the same for the other parties. Some people were just too reserved.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the glass door and entered. The place looked like it came straight out of those food and travel magazines. It was fancy and too shiny.

  I glanced around the place, searching for Jay before I approached the host and introduced myself to him.

  “Mr. Holmes is already waiting for you at your table.”

  I frowned. I couldn’t quite remember Jay’s surname, but I could bet it wasn’t Holmes.

  Before I could voice my confusion, he told me to follow him and headed to the corner of the room.

  What waited for me in that corner was something I definitely hadn’t anticipated at all. How could I?

  Because who waited for me at that table wasn’t Jay. No.

  It was Jared Holmes.

  3

  Even after a month, I remembered Jared Holmes pretty well.

  I remembered how rude he’d been. I remembered how furious he’d made me feel, making me lose control and act completely unprofessionally. I remembered vividly the derisive scorn on his gorgeous face before he stormed out of my clinic.

  And I remembered how my blood hummed next to him, my whole body hyperaware of his nearness as I drowned in his fiery green eyes.

  That bothered me more than anything.

  I’d dreamed about him more times than I’d want to admit—each time losing myself under his ardent touch and fervid eye
s that made my pulse race. It was like my mind had completely erased the “arrogant jerk” side of him, refusing to dwell on how badly he had behaved that day. No. My mind wanted to play with me in my dreams, showing me a version of Jared that brought me pure pleasure as he played with my body.

  But even though I couldn’t deny the effect he had on me, this didn’t mean I wanted to see him. God forbid.

  So what the hell was he doing here? Where was Jay?

  I stopped frozen right next to the table Jared was sitting at, glaring at him. He wasn’t fazed by my hostile expression in the least, casting me a half-smile with no trace of surprise or anger on his face.

  I hated to admit, but he looked delectable dressed in a black evening suit, sporting a five o'clock shadow and hair that was slightly shorter than one month ago. I’d almost forgotten how sharp his jaw was, which complemented his high cheeks and straight nose. Strangely enough, these were the features I just loved in men. Not good. The one thing that was worse than being an asshole was being a sexy asshole. Ugh.

  I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop ogling. He was checking me out too, drawing his gaze slowly over my body, and I could barely breathe. Completely disregarding my reason, my insides stirred, and it was irking.

  I couldn’t forget that he was horrible. It didn’t matter that my body couldn’t help but bask in his attention because I wouldn’t let that cloud my better judgment.

  “This is your table, miss.” The host motioned with a flick of his wrist to the table, oblivious of the tension between Jared and me.

  The moment the host left us, I barked at Jared, “What are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you,” he replied coolly, and a shiver ran down my spine. His voice... That sensual, silky voice...

  No. Stop this, Claire. Snap out of it.

  “Really?” I shifted on my feet, growing more anxious. He exuded confidence and dominance, while I was here losing my footing. Not good. “Where is Jay?”

  “He couldn’t make it so I filled in as a favor.”

  I gaped at him. The universe must be laughing at me. “You did what? Why would you do that?”

  He didn’t seem perturbed by my confrontational attitude at all, keeping his composure, which irked me even more. “Jay showed me your photo, so when he asked me to do him a favor, I figured why not?”

  My hand tightened up, clutching at the strap of my purse. I noticed several curious glances of the guests nearby, who were probably wondering why I was still standing. Why did Jay have to show him my picture in the first place? Unbelievable.

  “This must be a joke. You think I’d sit here with you and chat just like that? Like you weren’t an asshole then?”

  He tightened his jaw, his eyes hooding as he leaned toward me. “Yes,” he said in a tone that demanded obedience. “We didn’t click the first time, but now we can—”

  “Yeah? I don’t think so.” I didn’t let him finish his sentence. “I don’t plan to waste another second on you.”

  I turned on my heel and made a beeline for the exit, not stopping even after he called after me.

  I couldn’t believe what this evening had turned into. First the news about that developer, now this? Things were going downhill fast.

  “Ok, Claire. Relax,” I muttered to myself as I scurried away from the restaurant, inhaling the fresh evening air to calm down. “It was unfortunate that you had to see him, but it’s over now. You won’t have to see him again, so relax and think happy thoughts—”

  “Claire!” A hand grabbed my upper arm and spun me around. I was faced with burning eyes that made me forget about everything for a moment... “Look, I was an asshole, alright. I was too tense and I didn’t want to be there, which is not an excuse at all, but I actually want to apologize for that day. That’s one of the reasons why I came here instead of Jay.”

  My skin was tingling at the spot he was holding. Both of us glanced at his hand on me, and the air between us grew thicker. When I brought my gaze back to him, a dull ache spread through my chest at the expression on his face. I could smell his fragrance—some fresh, citrus scent that caressed my nostrils—and it had a potent effect on me.

  “You’re beautiful,” he muttered, staring at my lips.

  My pulse didn’t want to listen to my brain at that moment. No, it had decided to go full speed on me, reacting to his compliment like it was something special.

  Breathe. Just breathe.

  “Let go of me.” I didn’t recognize my voice, which was barely audible. I was perfectly capable of freeing myself from his grip, but I couldn’t move. I wanted him to let go of me, but then I also didn’t want that.

  “I’m sorry, okay.”

  “You think that one ‘sorry’ and a compliment can change the way I feel about you? I don’t think I like you, Jared. You aren’t even capable of admitting your own mistake, so no amount of apologies or compliments can compensate for that.”

  He released my hand, and a feeling of wistfulness coursed through me. Hating my reaction, I took a step away from him.

  “I’ve thought about that a lot. Once I calmed down, I was able to think more rationally about everything, and it helped me gain some perspective.” He looked around us, letting a shaky sigh out. “I just want to talk a bit more with you and apologize. Is that too much to ask? We can go for a drink at least. I promise I won’t bother you after that.”

  He shifted closer to me. As he held my gaze without blinking, I felt my defenses crumbling little by little. There was no harm in hearing him out, right? I could leave any moment I wanted.

  With a sigh, I nodded. “Okay. But only one drink.”

  The smile he made was dazzling. “Only one.”

  He took me to a nearby bar, which wasn’t crowded or filled with loud music, so we wouldn’t have a hard time talking with each other. We chose the table by the window, which gave us a view onto the fairly busy street. The waiter brought our orders, after which we lapsed into silence. Despite trying to suppress them, the knots in my stomach intensified. If I didn’t know better, this could easily be classified as a date.

  It was ironic. Here I was—dressed to impress and sitting across from a guy who could easily pass as a model. It wasn’t that hard to remember all those wet dreams in which he was the main star, and it was next to impossible to ignore the pull he had on me.

  I focused on the people passing by the bar, pretending not to notice Jared staring at me incessantly. Why did my body have to betray me like this?

  “I’m sorry,” he said, breaking the silence.

  I turned my head to look at him and took a sip of my wine. The taste was rich and warm as it swirled around my palate. “Sorry for what?”

  “I’m sorry for being a jerk the last time I saw you and for leaving like that. I was pissed off because I was literally forced to be there, but you didn’t deserve my wrath.” He smirked. “That’s obviously my weak spot—not being able to deal with anger in the right way.”

  I ran my finger across the edge of my glass, thinking whether I should ask the next question or not... “So you admit now that you have a problem?”

  He looked away and sipped his whiskey, buying some time apparently. He didn’t say anything as he watched the people on the street, tapping his fingers on the side of his glass. “As much as I hate to admit it, yes. I do have a problem.” He brought his gaze back to me.

  “It’s gotten worse. After that day, I became more irritated and almost everything bothered me. The problem was that I could barely control my reactions, but sometimes I couldn’t control them at all, which resulted in a lot of arguments with my colleagues. The board said they would replace me if I didn’t pull myself together, which was a big blow, you know?”

  He smiled, but it was bitter. “I’m used to giving orders and being in charge. I can’t have it any other way. So that was a real wake up call for me. If they would be willing to demote me after everything I’ve done for the company, then I had to change ASAP.”

  I took
another sip of my wine, reflecting on his words. I threw on my professional smile, returning to my therapist mode in a snap. “That’s a big step, Jared. Acceptance will enable you to go through your recovery a lot easier. And I understand your need for control and overseeing everyone, but it can lead to a lot of tension, especially at times of prolonged exposure to pressure. Your surroundings aren’t quite helping you if you know what I mean.”

  “I know, but as I said, I can’t have it any other way. That’s who I am.”

  “You don’t have to change your role. Just try to adjust yourself. Since you have to be in charge of the whole company, it’s a given that you have to deal with a lot of issues. You have a great responsibility. But the problem is that you’re expecting things to function one hundred percent every time, which is not possible. We’re human, and we make mistakes, so failures are bound to happen sooner or later.”

  He leaned against the table, coming closer to me. “So what do you suggest that I do?”

  “Embrace the possibility of a failure and learn to cope with it. Of course, this isn’t easy and it takes time, but it’ll become easier. Whenever you feel triggered, slow down and try calming yourself first. Then, after you’re calmer, you can try solving the matter at hand.”

  For a couple of seconds, he didn’t say anything, and I grew a bit uncomfortable under his intense stare. “What?” I asked.

  His smirk was drool-worthy. “You’re pretty good at these things. Your job really suits you.”

  My lips turned up, forming a beaming smile. “Of course, it does. I love my job. It was all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

  He leaned away, glancing through the window before he took another swallow of his whiskey. “You’re lucky. I hate my job.”

  “Why? What is your job?

  “I’m in real estate. My company is a real-estate development corporation.” I winced, recollecting the news Marissa had told us just earlier. “I hate it because I struggle with the ethical nature of my job.” I cocked my head to the side, but before I could ask him to elaborate this, he continued.