Once Upon a Dare (Risky Business)(50)
Cole wanted to go to her, to comfort her, to take her in his arms and make her forget about all of this, but he didn’t know what to say. What could he possibly say to make her understand?
“Forget it. Your silence says it all,” she said, sinking into the couch cushions again and covering her face with her hands.
“I felt bad,” Cole said quietly, desperate to ease her pain and fix what he’d broken. Again. “I had no idea when I came to PBA that Pritchard was giving me your partnership. You earned it. I just wanted to make it up to you. Just calm down and listen to me for a second.”
Shit. That was the wrong thing to say. Olivia jerked her gaze to his, her blue eyes hotter than a gas flame, her cheeks blazing red again. “Calm down? Are you f*cking kidding me? How many times have I told you that people already think I’m some sort of corporate-ladder-climbing office bimbo who sleeps her way into promotions?” she yelled, each of her words like an angry blow to his chest. “And now you go and confirm that, again, by talking Jonathan into this hare-brained bullshit? How could you possibly think I could take it? That I would want it?”
“I just wanted to he—”
Olivia cut him off. “I never asked for your help. In fact, I thought I made it pretty damn clear that I didn’t want it. Again, and again, and again! Just stop already! You don’t get to decide for me. You don’t get to decide where I work or who I sleep with or who I take on dates to stupid f*cking fundraisers. I’m not some pawn in your little game, that you can shuffle around at will. I can’t believe I trusted you. I thought you really cared about me, but you clearly don’t know me at all.”
Panic began to set in. What was he supposed to say? That he liked her? That he wanted to keep her around? It didn’t seem like anything he said would matter at this point. “Just listen,” he began, but Olivia held up her hand to stop him.
“I’m done listening,” Olivia said, her voice soft. “I’m the only one who’s been listening this whole time. It’s clear you’ve never listened to me or what I want. I thought maybe we had something, that maybe if I would just open up a little we could even have more, but this is over. We’re done.”
She rose from the couch and smoothed her skirt, suddenly cool and dangerously collected, the Ice Queen again. The little gesture that he’d seen dozens of times broke his heart. Over? Done? The idea of that hurt more than he’d thought possible.
Cole watched silently as the only woman he’d ever loved walked out of his life and out of his apartment, into the night.
Chapter Twenty
Olivia fidgeted on the soft, buttery leather of the chair in Vixen’s waiting area. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Ms. Rodriguez,” she muttered under her breath. “The reason I’m here today is—”
What exactly was she supposed to say? I have to leave my job at PBA because I slept with my boss and then he pulled some strings to do me a favor that I didn’t ask him for and now the entire freaking agency is convinced I’m the office slut they always thought I was?
Probably not the most auspicious way to start a job interview.
Natalia’s door swung open and Olivia rose to her feet, sucking in a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“Ms. Masterson.” Natalia smiled, stepping through the doorway looking every bit the powerful executive. “It’s so nice to see you again! I apologize for running late. Things have been rather busy with the spring fashion show just around the corner.”
Olivia smiled and extended her hand. “No apology needed. I’m pleased to be here.”
“Let’s get down to business then, shall we?” Natalia gestured for Olivia to follow her into the office, which turned out to be nothing like Jonathan’s. Sure, Natalia had a bank of windows with a killer view of the city, but her walls were plastered with prints of Vixen campaigns and catalogue covers stemming back to the company’s inception in the seventies. Olivia admired the artwork, wondering what it must have been like to build such an iconic brand, blazing trails no other retailer dared. The women of Vixen were cutting edge and the new campaign would catapult the brand back to its rightful place at the forefront of the lingerie industry.
Natalia motioned to a sleek leather chair in front of her steel and glass desk and then sat down in a single, fluid movement. “So, Ms. Masterson, tell me why you’re here.”
Olivia swallowed hard. She’d made an impression on Natalia and Vixen once before, right? She could handle this. “First, please call me Olivia. I want to thank you for your kinds words about our ‘Be a Vixen’ campaign. Jonathan told me you were impressed by our team.”
“He should have told you that I was impressed by you, since that’s what I actually said,” Natalia said with a smile. “But why don’t you cut to the chase, Olivia?”
Olivia’s heart thudded in her chest. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. All those hours of practicing and her carefully prepared speech had flown out the window. “I’m here because I want a job at Vixen Enterprises,” she said at last.
Natalia nodded but said nothing, just folded her hands together and placed them on the desk. Her gaze was almost as intense as Cole’s, even if it didn’t affect Olivia in quite the same ways.
“I realize your threat to steal me away from PBA during the pitch was a joke, but PBA is…” She paused for a moment. How exactly had she planned on saying it? “PBA and I have mutually decided that our futures lie in different directions.”