“I don’t know.” I shake my head hard. “I think I might be done with dating.”
“No, you can’t be!” Abbi insists. “We need to go through all of this together.”
“I feel like you are more successful with the online dates than me.”
I have more of a sweet look. Short red hair, petite, sweet face. Abbi is sultry and sexy. Her raven long hair and pouty lips just scream out for guys to hit on her profile. Maybe not the right guys so far, but seemingly not as bad as me. I don’t know what it is, but I attract the weirdos.
“I’m still single too, babe. Still the same as you. You might think that I’m having more luck, but really, none of my dates have panned out either. So, I don’t know what you’re worried about.”
“I know, but I just don’t think it’s for me anymore. I’m too busy with work.” She glares at me again. “I know, I know, you don’t want to hear it, but I am. I don’t have time for these weirdos.”
“No, that isn’t the truth at all. What you want is the rom-com fantasy. You want the dream, the fantasy, to be swept off your feet and to have a guy give you flowers every day. That doesn’t exist in real life.” Abbi rolls her eyes. “Real life is nothing like that. Online dating is where it’s at. That’s it. Get used to it, babe.”
“That isn’t it at all.” It is, but only a little bit. “I just don’t think the Internet is for me.”
Abbi rolls her eyes and pulls out her cell phone. She immediately logs on to her dating app and tries to lure me back into it with all the hot guys. I appreciate what she’s doing but I really don’t think I want it anymore.
“I don’t know, Abbi. I think I’m just going to take a break from dating.”
“Uh oh.” Her eyes widen in surprise. “If this was a romantic movie, it would be the moment just before you meet the love of your life. The girl always meets the guy right after she says that she doesn’t want to.”
I roll my eyes and snort with laughter. “You are absolutely crazy, Abbi. Honestly.”
“It’s true! You just wait and see. You’ll be wifed up in a year.”
I would like to be. There is a romantic side to me, but I don’t feel the same competitiveness that I do with everything else. It’s an area in which I’m willing to take a back seat to just let things happen. What will be, will be. I’m only twenty-six years old right now. Maybe once I hit thirty, I will change, if my biological clock starts going haywire, but for now I’m all good. I’m happy to just let it go.
Although now that she’s said it, I’m thinking of the big white wedding and me walking down the aisle towards the love of my life. A man who is sweet and will treat me right. Nothing like the guys I have been on dates with.
“In that case, I need to stop online dating. I will never meet a husband that way.”
Abbi laughs and nods. “I know what you mean, but some people do.”
I raise my glass to cheers, mainly to put an end to this conversation. I don’t think this is something that we will ever agree on and Abbi has somewhat of a forceful nature. She might well lead me along to where she wants me to go, and I really don’t want to.
“Anyway, tell me more about you,” I say as we have a drink. “How are things going?”
As she fills me in on her life, I let the weight fly off my shoulders. I didn’t plan to be done with online dating, but I’m glad that I am. It feels much better to know that now my time is my own. I can concentrate on work which is where I’m happiest anyway.
3
Carter
I stare around everyone sitting at the conference table, noting the confused look on each of their faces. This is a tough one, I know that, but I want a little more from them. I want the innovation and intuition that has got us this far. We need it now more than ever. I don’t think we can’t survive if this issue gets any better, but I still don’t like it. I’m a lion, I need to be in control at all times. I don’t like giving any of that up.
“Come on guys, someone needs to work out what to do about R. Owens Parts. We can’t continue to let them undercut us like this. At first, I ignored it because I thought that they were just a nothing company, completely worthless to us. I assumed that they would come and go, just like all the other competition has before it. But it’s still here, and it’s still making waves. I need it gone, we need to crush that business.”
“The owner is smart though, isn’t he? He’s producing good quality stuff at a cheaper price. Plus, the marketing they do is amazing, they must have a really good creative team working for them…”
I bang my fist down on the table and stare at Gary. He’s the production manager, so I should listen to him, but right now he’s annoying me. He is just giving me reasons for why they are doing so well, reasons that I can work out for myself thank you very much, and not answers. I need answers. And not a criticism that
the marketing team that I have isn’t up to scratch because it couldn’t be further from the truth. They are amazing. I don’t give a fuck about what R. Owens has. They might be good, but I won’t be taken down.
“Yes, so how are we going to get rid of them?” I demand. “I know the market share that they have at the moment isn’t massive, but they are steadily growing and it’s becoming an issue. I don’t like it. If we don’t take action soon, then there’s no telling how big they will become. We could really suffer at their hands.”
I dominate, that’s what I do. I have fallen apart at the seams when it comes to my love life, I’ve failed there, but I’m still all powerful in business and I won’t let that go. I refuse. I squeeze my fists together in temper, anger coursing hotly through my veins. If I’m not careful, I’m going to lose my shit, as it’s been a real good day for it.
“I need you all to go away,” I bite out. “And think about it. Come back to me with some answers.”