Tempted (A Player Brother Romance Book) (A Standalone Novel) (Player Brothers Book 1) (28 page)

Mr. Mahoney continued, "First we would like to
tell you how difficult the decision has been. Both you and Mr. Player have done
an exceptional job."

"There was some discussion," Ms. Klein
interjected. “Of finding a way to retain both of you since you both worked so
well together. Up until the final decision we remained torn. Truly."

"In the end we decided that the original
agreement would work best after all,” Mr. Mahoney continued. “It is
unfortunate, but we only have so many resources. Please believe that we
deliberated long and hard over the decision, but we wanted to let you know that
we have decided to ask Aiden Player to assume the full time position."

I felt certain that I was going to be sick.

And I didn’t give a fuck if they had to see it.

"We also want to tell you that you will receive
the highest of reference from each of us upon your next job application, and if
there is anything that any of us can do to assist you, please do not hesitate
to ask. We all have confidence that you won’t have difficulty finding
work."

I took a moment before speaking. I could hear
Mahoney's speaking, but the words had begun to swirl together.

Finally I found my voice. "I understand," I
said speaking in a calm and confident tone, unlike my inner emotions.
"Thank you for everything. This has been an amazing experience, and I have
learned more than I could have imagined. Thank you all for the opportunity, and
it was more than an honor to meet you all. I can assure you that Aiden will
make a wonderful lawyer. I think you have made the right choice.”

I managed to get through it sounding sincere, though I
wasn’t certain that I meant the statement about Aiden in the same way in which
they heard it.

"Thank you, as well,” Ms. Klein said in response.
"Please stop and see Willa on your way out to pick up a company card for
references."

"Of course," I said.

They all stood which I took as an indication that our
part of the conversation to be over. I shook each of their hands, trying not to
rush. All I wanted to do at that point is to get out of the room before I
embarrassed myself entirely.

I made it out of the office and into the hallway,
pulling the door closed behind me. As soon as I was out of sight from the
partners I let the smile slip from my face. I felt the anger and shame rush the
blood into my cheeks. My hands shook as I reached for my car keys.

I needed to get out of there as soon as possible, and
it occurred to me that I would have to walk past Aiden to do so.

I steeled myself, firming my jaw and steadying my gaze
as I headed down the hallway.

He had remained seated in the waiting room, and sat
with his ankle crossed over his knee. He glanced up as I waltzed into the room
without pause. Before I slipped my sunglasses I glared at him with all the fury
that I could find letting it spill out of my eyes without restraint.

"Congratulations," I said, spitting the word
like a curse, heading straight for the staircase so as to avoid having to wait
for the elevator.

I didn’t see his face as I left, nor did I want to.

He had been a dick to me.

Now he’s getting the job.

Fuck me.

I made it to my car, but I had to wait about fifteen
minutes before I had pulled myself together enough to drive safely.

I got home and instantly threw off my clothes, letting
them land in the corner of my room. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go ahead
and put on my pajamas and crawl into bed, even though it was only six in the
afternoon, or close to it, or if I wanted to eat the entire contents of the
refrigerator.

I thought about calling my mother, but I wanted to
revile in my misery for a little while longer. I did find myself relieved when
I arrived and Kelsey wasn’t home.

One thing was certain.

I didn’t want company.

Not yet.

What I settled on was to change into a tee shirt and
jeans, pour myself a drink, and curl up on the couch. I turned on the
television and binged watched some cooking show in which contestants had to win
against each other. The judges could randomly change any ingredient during the
process of the preparation. Sounds fair, I thought as one chef's chicken
Marsala had to incorporate canned peas.

I found it quite cathartic when any of the contestants
were kicked off for various reasons. I simply imagined Aiden's face in place of
the chef who had lost.

By the time Kelsey arrived home, I had had about three
drinks. I must have had tear marks down my face as well as I slouched upon the
couch turning my eyes towards her as she entered.

"How did it go?" she asked as she set down
her bags.

"How do you think?" I said, raising a glass.

"Hm..." she speculated for a moment, tapping
her fingers against her chin. "Well normally the early imbibing of
beverages indicates a celebration."

I rolled my eyes and glared vicariously at her.

"On the other hand," she continued. "It
could also mean that you’re drowning your sorrows."

"Bingo," I murmured.

She paused and looked me over perusing the situation.

"Okay," she said cheerily. "Here's what
we are going to do. First, let's get some food into your body, and then some
coffee, and then I want you to tell me all about it. Sound like a plan?"
This last bit wasn’t a question.

I followed her with my eyes as she called the delivery
place for a couple of large meatball subs and a bag of bread sticks. It sounded
good despite myself. While she did that I tucked my feet underneath my legs and
pulled the throw blanket over my shoulders.

Absently I picked up my phone, just to glance through
it as she disappeared into the kitchen. It was then that I noticed I had three
missed calls, all starting about half an hour after I had left the firm, and
all from Aiden.

He hadn’t left any message.

If he wanted to talk to me he would have to try harder
than that.

I had nothing to say to him, and I didn’t want to hear
anything that he had to say. I punched my phone closed and curled back up on
the couch to wait for the food.

An hour and a half later I felt considerably better,
having eaten. I still felt hollow and defeated, but at least my head had
cleared somewhat. I cupped my hands around the warm late day coffee cup that
Kelsey had pressed onto me, letting the contents further calm my nerves.

"You’re going to be fine!" Kelsey insisted.
"What you should do, is go into Entertainment Law. There's a huge market
for it. You already live in the right area."

"Maybe," I said as I dipped a bread stick
into the small cup of marinara. "But my expertise is in criminal
law."

"Tell you what," she said. "Don't even
worry about it tonight. I think we should do something that neither of us have
done in a long time."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Let's get our cutest outfits on and let's go
clubbing!"

"Are you even serious right now?" I said
rolling my eyes. "Besides, you went clubbing just last week."

"When was the last time you've been?" she
asked raising an eyebrow.

"That is entirely beside the point,” I declared.
"It does not sound fun at all. Getting groped by a hundred drunken people
while overly loud bass lines bring our hearing ability down a few notches? No
thanks."

"Geez, Grandma,” she said rolling her eyes.

"Besides," I insisted. "I think it's
supposed to rain tonight. I picked up my phone to glance at the weather app,
only to find another missed call from Aiden from about ten minutes ago.
"Wow, someone can't take a hint,” I mumbled.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I've had, like, five missed calls since I got
home,” I said.

"Really?" she drew out the word and grinned,
leaning forward as if to hear the rest of the details. "From whom might
these calls be from?"

"Who," I said.

"What?"

"It should be, 'who might the calls be
from'." I looked at her evenly as she rolled her eyes.

"Quit changing the subject," she said.

"Lawyer, remember?" I said. "At least
that was the plan."

"Oh, come on!" she said in a tone that
indicated she had finally had enough. "Get over yourself already!"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you think you’re the first person to get
passed over for a job?" she said. "Wallow in it. Feel sad for a
little while. Then get over it! Get out there and find another job. I'll bet
the offers were lined up when you graduated law school, weren't they."

"Um... I guess so,” I said.

She was right.

They had been.

"And you got how many missed calls from
Aiden?"

"Five," I said. "But how did you know
they were from Aiden?"

"You just told me,” she said with a grin as she
ducked the throw pillow I launched in her direction.

Out the window to the balcony I saw the clouds had
piled up gray upon gray and small droplets of water began to pelt against the
patio door.

"See?" I said, gesturing towards the window.

"They do have indoor clubs, you know,” she
insisted.

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the
door. Kelsey gave me another raised eyebrow. I tilted my head to indicate that
she answer it. She stood and walked over. When she opened the door I couldn’t
see who it was, but I could guess based on the look on her face. She leaned her
head back towards me.

"It's for you," she said in a sing song
voice. I threw the blanket off and walked over to the door. She stepped aside
and grabbed her car keys. "I'm heading out,” she chirped.

"Are you?" I said with a glare.

"Yep." She grinned at me as she sailed out
the door. "Talk to you later!"

I would have to kill her when she got back.

Aiden stood in the thresh hold drenched from the down
pour. His hair plastered against his forehead and the black tee shirt he had
changed into clung to his body in a way most distracting, despite how angry at
him I remained.

God, he looked amazing.

"Don't you have a job to tend to?" I said in
my most condescending tone.

"Oh for god's sake, Blair,” he blurted. "I
turned it down!"

I hadn’t expected this response.

"You what?" I asked.

"I turned down the job,” he repeated. "I
didn't take it."

"What? Why?" I asked, confusion muddling my
anger.

"Oh for... Can I come in?" he asked.

He had gotten my attention.

I stood aside and gestured for him to come inside.
Without a word I slowly walked to the linen closet and got him a towel. He
silently waited, his hair dripping in the entry way, until I handed him the
towel.

I stood with my arms crossed as he toweled his hair.

Finally he stopped.

He kept his eyes down to the floor and didn’t speak
for a few minutes. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, waiting to
hear what he had to say, and still not sure if I cared.

"Look," he began. "I never meant for
any of this to happen. I... The other night, Blair. I don't expect you to
forgive me.
I
wouldn't forgive me for the things that I said."

"Then why did you say them?" I said, still
glaring at him.

 
"I don't
know how to tell you this, but... I wasn't entirely myself that night."

It took me a moment to understand his meaning.

"Were you... high?" I asked.

"You could say that,” he answered.

"Aiden," I said, gesturing wearily towards
the couch. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" I asked though I kept my
tone distant.

I didn’t want him to think this was friendly coffee.

"That would be nice,” he said. "I may have
caught a chill out there in the damn rain."

"That would be a shame, now wouldn't it,” I said
dripping with sarcasm.

"I deserved that," he called after me as I
stepped into the kitchen.

I returned with a cup of coffee for him.

"Let's start from the beginning,” I said.

"Okay."

He sat down on the couch and I sat across from him in
the chair.

"What happened the other night?" I asked.
"What was the meeting about? Before you came over."

"Let’s just say the meeting contained a
misunderstanding. It triggered an episode and I just went on an old fashioned
bender. Made me paranoid. Of course I lashed out at you, because you’re the
person I care about the most."

"Is that so…"

I wasn’t convinced and I wasn’t sure what he wanted
from me by coming over.