✿ Reid's POV

That turns out to be a lie.

Because even till Monday afternoon at work, I'm still thinking about Aileen. Her soft and long curly hair. The curves beneath her clothes.

Other things beneath her clothes.

And it was annoying.

I shift in my chair, trying to make room in my pants. She couldn’t keep distracting me. I huff and turn my attention back to my computer screen. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have more than enough to keep me occupied.

My assistant raps on the door and poked her head inside.

“Excuse me, Mr. Dalton. It’s two,” she says.

“Sure. Come on in.”

She steps inside, Hernan waltzing behind her, looking impeccable as usual. Tweed vest over a button-down shirt. Fitted slacks. Not a single auburn hair was out of place nor was the tiniest scuff on his expensive shoes.

Sloane sets down a silver tray with a teapot, two teacups, and a plate of finger sandwiches. Somehow she’d built afternoon tea into my daily routine. I’d stopped arguing with her about it. She pours, as Hernan speaks.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

I lean back into my seat.

“Bad.”

“Good, because I only have bad news. Robin Dunne is out.”

I scoff nastily.

Dunne was the third investor to drop out of an old yet ongoing project since a former business partner fucked me over with a public sex scandal. He’d resigned, saving me the trouble of getting rid of him, but now I had to clean up the mess—and still keep this project afloat.

Hernan adjusts his glasses.

“We knew it was coming.”

“I know. But this project is on the verge of collapse. I'm getting tired, man. And you know I can just fund this entire project but that wouldn't be very fair.”

“Well, who do we know might be interested?”

I’ve been thinking about that for a while.

“Aiden Corleone might be, but he’s hard to pin down these days” I mutter.

“Family man, now. What about Mitchell Bourke?”

“I’d work with Mitch in a heartbeat, but he’s become a lot more conservative with his investments” I press the tips of my fingers together.

“Maybe Keith Mardell will be interested” Sloane clears her throat and speaks.

Hernan raises his eyebrows at her.

“Are you already making the phone calls, because getting a meeting with Keith Mardell isn’t easy.”

I roll my eyes at him.

“He’ll see me.”

He makes a non-committal sound in his throat just as the door flies open. Kym marches into my office and puts her hands on her hips, Anika strutting in after her.

What's she doing here?

I catch Hernan's frown.

“Robin Dunne?” Kym asks.

“He’s out,” I reply.

She pinches her lips together. My lawyer, Kym McLellan, could pass for a woman in her thirties, rather than fifty, although Botox probably has a lot to do with that. A blouse and slacks dressed her tall, slender frame and her blond hair was pulled back in a low bun, matching Anika's.

“This is a problem,” she says.

“I realize that, Kym. But—”

“Do you, Reid? Do you really realize anything these past few days since your engagement got called off?”

I level her with a hard stare.

“I’m working on it.”

Anika gently puts a hand on her shoulder and her expression softens.

“I know you are. I’m just panicking because we’re in danger of losing this entire deal.”

“We won’t lose the deal. I’m thinking of bringing in Keith Mardell.”

Kym lifts her eyebrows.

“Good choice. We know he has the capital.”

I nod.

“Do you need me to make some calls?” Anika speaks up.

We all turn our attention to her.

“I've heard getting a meeting with him is almost impossible. And I know one of his sisters. We're friends. I could just—”

Hernan sets his teacup down with a clink.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Sloane here and I’ll set up a meeting.”

“Didn’t you just say getting a meeting with him isn’t easy?” I ask him, a bit amused.

He scowls at me.

“We’ll get you the meeting.”

Kym looks skeptical but doesn’t argue with him... which is something of a miracle. The two only tolerate each other because they have to.

“Well keep me posted” She casts a quick glare at Hernan, whispers something to Anika that makes her laugh, and then leaves.

“That’s it, Maleficent,” Hernan mutters, “Back to your black castle of darkness.”

I chuckle, then take a sip of my tea.

“Obviously I need a backup plan if Mardell says no, but for now, we’ll take this one step at a time.”

He nods.

“Speaking of meetings with investors, you have one with Irene Paige at her office in less than two hours, Mr. Dalton” Sloane informs me.

Nodding, I take a finger sandwich and pop it in my mouth.

“Do you need me to join you?” Hernan asks.

“Yeah, you should come. Irene loves you.”

He grins.

“It’s the accent.”

“Drives the ladies wild,” I smile. “And if it puts Irene in a stick-with-this-project mood, even better.”

“I’ll do my best to be suitably charming” he laughs and stands up. “See you later then. Sloane?”

“Excuse me, Mr. Dalton” she nods at me, “Miss Woods.”

Anika smiles at her and watches them leave. When the door closes behind them, she turns to me.

“Sorry, I didn't call before coming here, Reid.”

I grunt.

“What brings you here in the first place?”

“Well erm... I was on my way to see your mother and my car broke down.”

“Do you need me to call a toll truck?”

“Already did.”

“Okay. Why are you here then?”

“Well I figured you'd be heading home after here so I'd join you for a ride.”

I arch a brow.

“You're joining me for a ride?”

“To your house yes.”

“What's stopping you from calling an Uber?”

“Your mother says it's fine if I come with you.”

I chuckle nastily.

“Of course she did.”

She lets out a sigh.

“Reid look—”

“Does your fiancé know you're here?”

“He's out of town, Reid. And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't mind. I'm just asking you for a ride since we're going in the same direction, not attempting to seduce you.”

I laugh.

“Of course, of course.”

She folds her arms, unamused.

“Well I'm sorry but I won't be of any service to you. I have an investor's meeting like you heard and I still have a lot of work to do before going home. So do order that Uber hm?”

“I don't mind,” she says, lowering herself into a chair “I'll wait.”

I scoff.

But true to her word, Anika sits and waits. And even after my successful meeting with Irene, she's still waiting in my office, a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in another. When the door closes, she looks up.

“Oh you're back” she smiles. “Kym told me it went great. Congratulations.”

I simply nod.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, yeah” She jumps to her feet and picks up her things. “Shall we?”

The ride back home is smooth and very quiet. Yellow, red, and orange lines if colors decorate the sunsetting sky. And almost immediately, I begin to imagine a grin on Aileen's face as if she's looking at the sky right this moment. How simple things make her beam with joy still amazes me.

A song Aileen likes comes on on the radio and I can't help but smile. I turn it up a little more, turn off the air conditioning, and push the button for the sunroof. The windows go down as the roof of the car folds back.

Open sky.

But the feeling doesn't last because Anika speaks up.

“What kind of music is this?”

“Why?”

“It's awful. Who even listens to this level of crap? Gross.”

I immediately stop mentally humming to the tune being played.

“I'm sorry, Reid, can this go back up?”

I turn to look at her and she has her hands on her hair, a big frown on her face.

“The wind's messing up my hair.”

I stare at her.

“I just got back from the salon. Unless the air conditioning suddenly doesn't work anymore” she looks at me, reaching out to completely turn off the radio. “I really can't afford to have the wind mess up my hair. No matter how lovely the day is. Rainbow or not.”

Something sinks inside me and I push the button for the sunroof to come back up, turning the air conditioning back.

Anika smiles.

“Much, much better. Don't you think?”

I turn away from her and focus on the road.

“Wait, are you upset with me? Did I say something wrong?” she immediately asks.

I shake my head.

“Not at all. I'm responsive for two lives in this vehicle, so I gotta keep my eyes on the road” I reply curtly.

She chuckles.

“If you want to stare at me, you could always pull over and do it. No harm done.”

I chuckle, the wheels in my head turning to make an instant decision.

“I'm going to pass Nikki” I reply, “Besides we're already here” I drive through the gate and up the steep driveway.

I stop the car and Anika unbuckles her seatbelt, opening the door to slowly step out.

Good. Because I'm not getting any doors for her.

When she shuts the door, I turn the engine back on, causing her to whirl around in confusion.

“Where are you going?”

“To do something very important.”

Something long overdue.

“Tell my mother not to wait up for me.”

“You're going to be long?”

I smile, shaking my head in amusement.

“Probably. Might take the whole evening but I'm seeing it through to the end.”

“Wait but—”

I roll up the glass and turn on the radio, drowning her out. Circling one of the fountains to drive back down the driveway. I was going to do it. And it took one car ride to realize I wanted this.

I smile to myself.

I'm going to get my Lee back.

✯✯✯✯✯✯

✿ Aileen's POV

“Are you sure?”

I chuckle.

“Yes, Bon. I'm sure” I reply, helping her sling her handbag across her shoulder as she holds a sleeping Camari in her arms. “Go put her to bed. I won't be long.”

“You'd better not. You know how your uncle feels about you working late.”

“Tell Papi not to wait up for me. I won't be long.”

“He won't listen. But I'll tell him anyway.”

I smile.

“Hurry home.”

“Yes, Mom” I tease, making her laugh as she walks out of the eatery.

I flip the 'Opened' sign to 'Closed' and step away from the door, checking if everything is in order. I spot Camari's pencil case and Bonita's keys lying around on a counter and pick them up just in time to hear the bell above the shop door trill cheerfully.

“I found it, Bon. No need to panic—”

I pause.

Not Bonita.

But the man of my nightmares striding in.

“You” all the shock, hurt, fear, and devastation of the past week saturates that single word. “Get out.”

“Hello, Aileen” His unflinching gaze cuts into me like chips of onyx, but I will myself not to glance away.

“Get. Out,” I snarl through gritted teeth.

How dare he come here?!

After everything. After not reaching out since that night. And now, there he stood, looking irresistibly sexy in my closed eatery.

After everything he’d let his family do to mine, did he want to make me a murderer as well? I mean the place was empty, so there would be no witnesses. And it was tempting. Much too tempting.

My outrage multiplies when his eyes sweep across my neck, chest, and the length of my legs, reminding me of our kiss and how if we were alone that night, I’d have let him touch every inch of me.

Heat spreads through my treacherous body, and humiliation follows in its wake. Standing on the brink of throwing something at him, I still find myself wanting to be close to this man.

“I’m not here to drag this if that’s what you’re worried about. I just want us back together, that’s all.”

“What?” I whisper in disbelief, my mortification mounting. “What?”

I clap my mouth shut and stand shaking with helpless rage. Silence, this time, is infinitesimally more dignified than screeching like a banshee.

Want us back together?

Even if he drapes himself across my bed in all his nude glory, I won’t so much as nudge him with my toes.

Gah.

I'm determined to hate him, but the thought of him naked on my bed stalls my brain. My chance for a clever retort lost, I watch Reid through narrowed eyes as he peruses my eatery. He absently runs his hand over a leather chair and then pauses in front of a photo on the wall.

One of my favorites. A handful of my regulars were piled onto a single loveseat, laughing themselves to tears. I fight the impulse to throw myself in front of it. Reid Dalton didn’t deserve their smiles.

He strolls to another set of pictures, his hands loosely clasped behind his back. Despite his relaxed posture, he permeates the shop with nervous energy, and his silence fills me with unease. Whatever he was here to do, he needed to do it and leave. His presence confused and hurt me.

“Do you often revisit the workplace of the people you toy with?”

“I fucked up.”

I'm startled when he speaks from the other end of the shop.

“That evening was supposed to go great, but it didn’t and that’s not... it wasn't my intention. None of what happened was.”

“Do you want me to absolve you of your sins?”

Hot tears burn behind my lids, and I bite my lip till I taste blood. If I cry in front of him, the last scrap of my pride will burn to cinders. “Come see me when you and I are the only survivors in a postapocalyptic, zombie-infested world. Maybe then... may-be. Who am I kidding? You can go straight to hell, Armani.”

“I’m sorry, Lee” He drags a hand through his hair, showing signs of frayed nerves. “And I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Your promise means nothing to me, Armani” I slump into a chair, suddenly too tired to give a fuck. “Just leave.”

“I won’t” A hint of remorse flickers in his eyes. “And we have a deal.”

“Had. It's over now.”

“No, it's not,” he says, staying quiet for a long time before speaking again. “Do you have feelings for me?”

I listen to my breath whooshing in and out, dumbstruck once more. Too bewildered to filter my thoughts, I let out, “No, I do not have feelings for you. What the fuck are you implying?”

“I had to ask” His long, thick lashes flutter like the wings of a moth who’d strayed too close to the fire. “I had to be sure you didn’t have feelings for me before we get back on track.”

“Get back on track? Are you out of your mind?” I shoot out of my seat and reach him in a single, rage-fueled bound... close enough to spit on his handsome, arrogant face. “News flash, asshole. There is no track. This... is over.”

“Will you listen?” He leans in so close that I have to tilt my head back to continue glaring at him. “I had to ask. I need to be certain because I need you to help me get Anika away from that man.”

“My help? I. Am. Not. Helping. You. Anymore” grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, I jerk him in time with each word.

But I'm the only one who rocks back and forth, while he stands like a stone wall. I roar with frustration.

“You and your family disrespected me and my family. Just how do think I'll still want to help you?”

“You don’t” He rakes his fingers through his hair, looking pained. “But I know you're a good person with a good heart and I know you'll forgive me and agree to come back with me.”

I laugh humorlessly.

“How very kind of you to acknowledge that. Now, turn around. Walk through that door. Disappear” I release his shirt and shove him toward the entrance, putting my weight into it.

He stumbles back a step.

“You and your family are done insulting me.”

“And as much as I wish that didn't happen, it did” he continues, as though I hadn't just spoken. “Lee, I'm sorry. Please just... come back with me.”

“Why? You're back to being one of the most eligible bachelors of the year.”

“And I don’t want that, Lee” he throws his hands up in frustration.

Exhausted, I sit down once again.

“Just tell me why you’re here, then leave.”

“I’m here to make things right” Any sign of regret, doubt, or vulnerability had disappeared, and his voice rang with steely determination. “I want you. I want you with me in this. And I know all this isn't real but you’re who I choose to do this with. And I'm not going to lose this, or you. Not without a fight.”

I blink.

“You’re not?” I couldn’t feel my lips move.

I reverse my posture and straddle the high-backed chair before I slide to the floor.

“I'm not in love with Anika. And thank God because now I know she's not the right person for me... neither have all the girls I've been with. And I could hire someone else to play the part as my fiancée but trust me when I say no one makes me smile like you do. And for goodness sake, nobody looks that good in pink or makes the color yellow work on them like you do.”

I hide my threatening smile behind a small frown.

“You say yellow like it's a bad thing.”

He sighs.

“It's not. Lee, you can never make anything look bad... much less make it feel bad.”

Now he's just overdoing it.

“Armani...”

“Lee, please. Say you forgive me and are willing to make this work because I promise, I'm not going to upset you ever again.”

I chuckle and nod my head.

“I forgive you.”

His eyes light up.

“Really? You do?”

“Yeah. It's not your fault your family's that way. And it's normal to take their side always. But I don't want any of this anymore” I finish off quietly, hating myself when the excitement drains from his eyes.

“Lee...”

“Go home, Armani. It's really over.”

Thank you for reading!
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Ciao
~the_atticwriter