Tempted

I cut him off, shaking my head. “No need.” I can’t take his apology right now. It’s not him. I’m the one continuing to allow the past to rule my present.

“It’s not you—”

“Please, don’t.”

Tears of shame threaten to expel. I need to get out of here before he sees me fall apart.

29

Drew

It’s been three days since Bailey was last here. She ran out of my office like she was on fire. I know I screwed up by being rough, but I thought she wanted it. She was practically begging me to fuck her. Carter told me that she called in the past three days because she’s sick, but I’m not buying it.

As I look through tonight’s list of VIPs, my head starts to pound. I’ve never cared about how things were left with any girl, but something about my last time with Bailey doesn’t sit right with me. I’m sitting here contemplating sending her flowers when my phone rings.

“Drew Lawson.”

“Hi, Mr. Lawson. My name is Amanda Canelli, and I’m calling from Andrew Kors’s office. He asked me to reach out to you because we have been interviewing a potential candidate currently employed by you. Mr. Kors is ready to extend an offer of employment, but he wanted to give you a courtesy call before he does.”

Andrew Kors and my father have been business associates for a long time. I appreciate his reaching out, but there isn’t an employee in this club I would be sad to lose to him. This is a steppingstone. It shouldn’t be a lifetime career.

“Hi, Amanda. Thanks for the heads-up. Please tell Andrew I appreciate the call, but he’s free to hire anyone he pleases.” I’m bored with the conversation and I need to get shit done.

“Thank you, Mr. Lawson. We believe Miss Jameson will be a great fit for us here.”

That name is a punch to the gut. Immediately, I’m pissed. It might have just been sex, but her attitude is bullshit.

“You know, on second thought, Amanda, I don’t know if Bailey would be a good fit after all. She is notoriously late to work, and her performance has been subpar to say the least.” I’m going too far, but I can’t help it. I’ve never played fair.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. She seemed like such a great candidate. I will relay this information to Mr. Kors. Thank you for the heads-up. Have a nice day, Mr. Lawson.”

“You too, Amanda. Good luck in your search.” At that, I push end, and the line goes silent.

I’m not letting her off this easy.

When I pull up to Bailey’s apartment, I’m angrier than I was before. I can’t fathom why she’d want to trade the promotion I’ve offered her for some low-paying runner job. Does she really want to be a coffee girl for some overpaid middle-aged executive? I know what they’re hiring for. It wasn’t hard to find the job listing. I’m not going at her half-cocked. Fuck that.

I stalk up to her door, banging without consideration to whom I may be disturbing. I hear shuffling on the other side of this paper-thin door before it opens. Bailey stands there with a look of shock on her face.

“Drew. What are you doing here?”

I push past her and walk right into her apartment. Going straight to her couch, I make myself at home and sit.

“Have a seat,” she groans in irritation.

“Well, since you decided to call out ‘sick,’” I say with air quotes, “I decided to come call you on your bullshit. You’ll never guess, Bailey. I got a call today about a reference for you. The funny thing is, I don’t remember receiving a two-week notice.” I’m trying really hard not to lose my cool, but I’m failing miserably. With each word I speak, my voice gets louder and more furious.

“Drew, please. Just calm down. I don’t need you making a scene.”

“Fuck, Bailey. You said you wouldn’t run. Then the next thing I know, you’re doing just that. Running out of my office and calling out sick. Then I find out you’re leaving through someone else.”

“Drew, I have to.” Her voice is low.

“The fuck you do. What you need is to grow up, Bailey. You need to be mature and talk to people about what’s going on. I told you no more running, and here we are again.”

“I can’t,” she snaps, raising her voice. “I can’t, Drew. There are some things I just can’t talk about.”

“Like what? Did I hurt you? Did I make you feel bad? Because I have to tell you, Bailey, it sure the fuck looked like you were enjoying everything I was giving.”

“You didn’t hurt me, and I did enjoy it. Then when it was over, it felt too much like my past.”

I feel sick at her words.

At the missing pieces of the puzzle of what she went through.