Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Ooh, Hawaii! I love Hawaii,” Richard said, suddenly paying attention. “Which island is it on?”
I still didn’t understand what was happening. At what point had Richard become involved in anything having to do with Dick Sr.’s company? “Wait,” I said, interrupting them. “I’m not really clear what’s going on. You want Richard and me working together on this?”
Dick Sr. seemed surprised by the question. “Of course. I’ve made Richard the new VP of acquisitions.”
That meant Richard would be my new point of contact at the company. I’d be working with him instead of Dick Sr. directly.
Blood roared in my ears. I’d been working my ass off for this company for years trying to impress Dick Sr. every chance I got. And now he was passing me off to work with Richard? Richard, who’d barely held a job for longer than a month in his entire life? Richard, who found any discussion of paperwork and legal details boring beyond measure? Richard, who’d never showed on iota of interest in the work I’d done for his father the entire time we’d been dating?
“Why?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Dick Sr. frowned, clearly displeased by the question. “It’s time Richard took his place in the company.” His eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem with that?”
I opened my mouth to say more but felt Richard’s hand land on my shoulder, squeezing tight in a warning. “You already know we make a great team, Dad. We won’t disappoint.”
“Make sure that you don’t,” Dick Sr. said sternly. But his eyes were on me, as if I was the one he expected to fail. I realized in that moment exactly what challenge Dick Sr. had laid down—this wasn’t just about the Cape deal, or even about the job. This was about Richard. He was tired of Richard squandering his future, spending his time partying and flitting from job to job.
He wanted Richard to settle down and follow in his father’s footsteps, eventually running the family empire. And he expected me to make that happen.
I felt like there was something more I should say, but before I could Richard grabbed my arm, practically dragging me to the door. “We’ll see you at the gala tomorrow night,” he told his dad as we left. “Won’t we, James?” he added, digging an elbow into my ribs until I absently nodded.
I let Richard pull me from the office, feeling disoriented. I’d gone into that meeting expecting praise and congratulations, but instead it had seemed like the Cape project had become just another afterthought. When he’d given me the assignment, Dick Sr. had claimed the resort would become a crown jewel for Dunning Capital, but now it looked like he’d just turned it into a training exercise for his son.
We’d barely reached the elevator when I turned to Richard. “What the fuck was that all about?”
He blew out a long breath. For the first time I noticed a weariness around his eyes. “I’m sorry, I should have told you. Dad started giving me a hard time about you and I breaking up and how he’d seen you as my future and what kind of life did that leave me with and he started to threaten to cut me off—”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s always threatening to cut you off.”
He turned to me, and his expression made it clear that he was genuinely worried. “This time he sounded serious. I’ve got to stop fucking up. I can’t disappoint him again.”
I blew out a breath. This was the Richard that few people ever saw—one who could be vulnerable and lost. I may not have loved him anymore, but I still cared about him and wanted the best for him.
“Have you ever thought that maybe getting cut off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world?” I asked him.
He barked out a laugh. “I would make a terrible poor person.”
“But you could do it,” I told him.
We’d reached the lobby, and he turned to face me. “I’m not you, James. I wasn’t raised with nothing. I’ve never had to work for what I have. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
I thought about what Sawyer had asked me, about what I would do if I was forced out of my comfort zone. I realized that in all my years dating Richard, I’d never really asked him what he wanted in life—truly. “If you could live any life, what would it look like?”
“A white-sand beach, a harem of hot men, and a bottomless liquor cabinet,” he immediately said. But it was a flip answer, an easy one.
“I’m serious,” I pressed.
He grinned. “So am I.”
I just looked at him, waiting. His grin slowly dissolved. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should figure that out,” I said gently.
He frowned, weary creases appearing at the corners of his eyes. For a moment he seemed to seriously think about the question. Then he shrugged. “What does it even matter? My father’s made it clear what kind of life he expects me to lead, and if I want to stay in his good graces, that’s what I’ll do.”