Out of Love(77)

“Go on in. Good luck.”

I smiled at Rosalie. “Thank you.”

“Livy, come in. Sorry to throw you in the deep end before you get to see your new office, but Mr. Wright will be here soon.”

“Have a seat.” Trisha gestured to the chair next to her. “Nice to see you in person.”

“You too.” I tried to control my nerves while taking a seat, thankful they didn’t offer to shake my embarrassingly sweaty hand. “Who’s Mr. Wright?”

“Floyd Wright.” Trisha curled her wispy auburn hair behind one ear and gave me a conspiratorial look.

“Floyd Wright as in Off Grid Transportation?”

Timothy chuckled at my shock, and I cringed as my immaturity stood on full display. Of course, environmentalist, activist, billionaire Floyd Wright would have used Timothy and Tricia for his legal needs. They were the best.

“Yes. That Floyd Wright. We were supposed to meet tomorrow, but he had a change in his schedule for security reasons. Sadly, his activism has put him in danger.” Timothy nodded behind me. “There’s his team now. He’s on his way up.”

I glanced behind me. Two men and a woman, all in black suits, inspected the area, including all of the offices.

“Team?” I again showed my shock or ignorance.

“Security,” Tricia added.

I nodded slowly.

“I wanted you to sit in on this with us just to observe and to meet Floyd. You could be working with him in the future.”

My bladder screamed. I needed to pee. The rush of nerves quadrupled with the news of sitting in on a meeting with the Floyd Wright on my very first day. I reached into my purse to fish out a breath mint. My mouth suddenly felt like the desert.

“Floyd, good to see you again,” Tim said before I could get the mint popped into my mouth. I dropped it back in my purse and lifted my head, plastering on a smile like I wasn’t shaking to my bones.

I thought it couldn’t be more intense and surreal—me in the same room as Timothy, Tricia, and Floyd.

I was wrong.

The man standing at the door, guarding it in a suit with a crisp white shirt, perfectly knotted tie, and neatly trimmed beard was … him.

A ghost.

An illusion.

A lie.

He was dead. He died. I watched him close his eyes, taking his final breath.

I mourned him.

I spent years in therapy.

I slept next to his dog every night.

Things were said. Introductions were made. Yet, I heard nothing more than echoes of sound until Tricia touched my shoulder. “Livy, are you okay?”

It was then that I realized everyone was standing and shaking hands except me. Tearing my gaze from the ghost that gave me an emotionless expression, at his post like a wooden soldier, I pressed my hands to the table and tried to stand. “F-fine.”

“Whoa … are you sure?” Tricia grabbed my arm as my knees started to buckle the second I attempted to stand.

I told myself it wasn’t real.

“Do you know Alex?”

My gaze ripped away from him and landed on Floyd. He appeared smaller than the man I’d seen in pictures. Still, a handsome man in his forties with thick salt and pepper hair and irresistible dimples accentuating his warm smile.

“Alex?” I muttered, feeling on the verge of passing out.

Floyd glanced back at him. “Alex. My head of security. Or maybe you’re just like all the other women who find him rather pretty to look at.” He chuckled. “I used to be young and handsome like him.”

Tim laughed. “Didn’t we all.”

“No.” I shook my head slowly, forcing my gaze to stay on Floyd. “I don’t know Alex. I’m … uh …” I shook my head quickly to regain some sense of composure as I held out my hand. “I’m sorry. I’m Livy Knight. It’s a true honor to meet you.”

“Livy is our newest associate. Top of her class. Did some work in San Francisco with Tim’s old partner, and Tim personally drove to San Francisco to steal her. We didn’t give her a heads-up that she’d be thrown into the deep end on her first day by meeting you.” Tricia covered for me, and I was so grateful.

I was also grateful when she poured me a glass of water and shoved it into my hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Floyd shook my sweaty hand.

“Well, time is money.” Tim winked at Floyd. “Shall we?” He nodded to the seat opposite him.

I eased into my chair and risked another glance at Alex.

After a few seconds, he blinked. The man I remembered could go forever without blinking.

The meeting lasted just over an hour. I heard nothing except my heart pounding against my aching chest. I felt nothing but pain swelling in my stomach and throbbing in my head as I tried to make sense of him.

Living.

Breathing.

Haunting me in every way possible.

And just when I didn’t think the punch to my gut could hurt anymore, the meeting ended and everyone stood. The ghost at the door gave a hand gesture to one of his team members in the hallway, and my gaze locked onto his hand. His left hand. And the silver band on his ring finger.

He was married.

The man who loved me back … the man who protected me.

He died.

He came back to life.