The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(130)

“Oh, I spoke to Elliot.” I smile, waving him off. “He knows I know and said that you absolutely may not sleep inside the house, as I suggested.” I sigh heavily for effect. “Men…. Are you warm enough out here?”

“Wait, what? Elliot told you I work for him?”

My mouth pops open, a shocked chuckle working its way out. “Oh my god, you’re terrible!” I step forward. “How much do they pay you?”

Scott’s face pales, and a teeny tiny fraction of guilt seeps in. “Lucy—”

“Hey, it’s okay. We won’t mention this to anyone.”

I’m definitely telling the girls.

It feels good to mess around with someone. This is probably the most confident I’ve felt in weeks, and it’s solely down to the girls hyping me up over the phone this morning.

“Will you be following me into work today?”

He tightens his gaze on me before giving in and nodding. “Yes.”

I can tell he’s annoyed with himself, and it makes me feel even worse.

“Can I get a lift with you? I normally walk, but I picked out these heels, and they’re stupidly—”

The sound of a phone dialling echoes throughout the inside of the car, and then, before I can speak, Elliot answers.

I look at Scott’s stoic face through the open window, then shake my head no.

“Montgomery, I have Lucy with me. She’d like a lift to work this morning.”

There’s a pause, and then, “You spoke to her?”

“Something like that.” Scott leans back in the leather seat then glances at me standing like a lemon on the pavement. “She’s entirely too smart for you, my friend.”

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I can hear the smile as it takes over his voice, and it makes me miss him even more than I already do. “Is she there now? Fuck, I’m jealous you’re looking at her.”

“I’m here,” I call out.

“Good morning, princess.”

My cheeks burn, and I momentarily wish I never came over here. “Good morning.”

“You don’t feel like walking in today?” Elliot asks me.

I eye Scott, and he looks away as if it gives us some kind of privacy. “I had this plan with the girls, and it unfolded quicker than I anticipated.”

God, I feel like a child.

“A plan?”

“To make Scott crack.” I shrug to no one. “We knew he worked for you.”

Scott shakes his head as he turns to look at me again. He’s secretly loving this.

“I’m sorry,” Elliot says in earnest. “I should’ve told you.”

“I’m not mad. I actually think it’s why I slept so well last night.”

Elliot makes this noise in his throat, and it instantly makes me hot. I want to reach into the car and smash the speakers before it translates, but— “Nah, baby, I think that had more to do with—”

“Elliot,” I warn, cutting him off.

“Scotty?” he calls, and I can sense his smirk through the phone.

I turn and compose myself.

“Yep?” Scott calls back with a chuckle.

“You’re travelling with precious cargo now. You’ll drive her as if there’s a bomb on her lap, got it?”

Scott cocks his head to tell me to get in, clearly not feeling a need to respond.

I quickly jump into the car and strap myself in.

“Luce,” Elliot addresses me.

I close my eyes, dreading not knowing what will come out of his mouth next. “Yes?”

“I’m proud of you today. Have a good day at work, yeah?”

My confidence goes out the window, and I shamelessly ignore the world as I reach into my bag and pull out my phone.

Luce: 227 days feels like too many sometimes Elliot: You’d rather it was easy, sweet girl?

Elliot: Epic isn’t easy

I think about that and what he means. This isn’t easy, but for superficial reasons, and that makes me lucky. People have far worse things happen to them. Horrific things that they live through and carry with them for years.

I’m just in love.

Elliot: Outta your head. You’re sexy when you think and I can’t see you. What’s going on in that mind?

I smile as I type the words.

Luce: Not a thing x





Three Weeks Later


The buzz around the office is exciting.

Or at least it should be.

We landed a huge campaign last week, and today Monica came in to tell us who will be moving upstairs with her and the top floor designers to work on it.

She looked at me with pity in her eyes when I didn’t get a spot, but everyone, even me, knew I was never going to get it after being away for weeks.

Still, I should be excited. This is huge for Almendo and sets me up to work in roles that are now available in other parts of the company.

It’s going to create a shuffle, and that might mean no more bullshit from the bitch squad.

I’ve been doing my best to ignore them, and my mind has been occupied by Christmas, which is only weeks away. And then Ralph. I’ve not been able to stop thinking about him either. It’s been nearly a month since I spoke to him last. He was never good at calling, but he normally got back to me by the end of the week.