Diesel must have noticed my expression fall because he said, “What is it, baby?”
I didn’t want to keep Thorn’s tale a secret. Whether Thorn’s suspicion was right or wrong, I couldn’t hide it from Diesel. We planned to share our lives together, which meant we had to share everything else. “Thorn said a woman stopped by my office today asking about me. She was worried about my health after the shooting. She seemed legitimately upset about it…and she looked just like me.”
Diesel’s expression didn’t change at first. Slowly, it morphed into a stone-like mask. He was guarded, concerned, and hard.
“Her name is Bridget Creed. Thorn looked her up and said she’s been married for the last ten years, and she has two sons. That’s all he knows, but he didn’t look deeper.” I didn’t need to spell out the words because Diesel had already reached the same conclusion.
His fingers pulled away from my hair, and he released a quiet sigh. “What do you think?”
“I don’t think anything.”
“You think it’s her?”
I knew exactly what he was asking. “Whether it is or not, it doesn’t matter.”
Diesel questioned me with his look. His features only changed slightly, but it was enough for me to understand what he was thinking.
“She chose to leave. I accept her decision and don’t think less of her for it. She couldn’t handle the responsibility of being a mother, so she left me with my father, who did an amazing job. If she didn’t want to be there, I didn’t want her to be there. But she can’t walk back into my life now, even if she does really care. She gave up that right the second she walked out on me. She can’t have it both ways.”
Diesel’s expression softened. “That makes sense. But don’t you want to know if it’s her? I can make a quick phone call, and we can get to the bottom of it.”
Like I said, it didn’t change anything. “I don’t want to know.”
“Are you sure? If it were me, I’d want that answer.”
“But you aren’t me, Diesel.” I dismissed the conversation by turning away. “Thorn said she didn’t seem dangerous. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
“But she might try to talk to you. Maybe you should be prepared.”
“I still don’t want to know, Diesel.” I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the TV, ending the conversation by drowning out the silence with cheering fans.
Diesel finally dropped it. His fingers moved into my hair again, slowly caressing me. “Who do you think is gonna win, baby?”
It’d been weeks since I wore a dress and heels.
It felt right.
I missed dressing up like I had somewhere important to be. I missed having a reason to get ready in the morning. The only purpose I had lately was saying goodbye to Diesel when he left for work.
The rest of the time, my life had no meaning.
But now the pumps felt perfect on my feet. They were a little painful—as they should be. My dress wasn’t as tight because I dropped a few pounds during my illness, but it still fit me well. I styled my hair in soft curls and applied my makeup heavier than I used to.
I imagined we would conduct our meeting in my living room. It seemed unnecessary to take her all the way down the hallway to my private office. We already had ambitions to work together, so it seemed pointless to play games.
The light over the elevator lit up once someone stepped inside from the lobby.
I knew it was Thorn and Ms. Alexander.
I smoothed out the front of my dress and approached the elevator, my heels clapping against the hardwood floor. My hands came together in front of my waist, and I listened to the distant grind of the elevator as it slowly approached the top floor.
The light lit up again before the doors opened.
Thorn stood in a gray suit with a coral tie. The light colors complemented his fair features. His dirty-blond hair was perfectly styled, and his light blue eyes looked like a spring afternoon.
Ms. Alexander stood beside him in a pencil skirt and a buttoned jacket. She had jet-black hair, tanned skin, and a face pretty enough for a picture. She wore a cute pair of heels, but her height was still considerably less than Thorn’s. She was shorter than me as well.
I smiled when we made eye contact.
Thorn extended his arm, having her exit first. Then he stepped into my living room and greeted me with a hug. “You cleaned up good.”
I hugged him back. “Thanks.”
He winked before he stepped away. “Titan, this is Ms. Alexander. I’m excited the two of you are finally in the same room together.”
Ms. Alexander held herself with perfect grace. With a straight spine, poised shoulders, and a beautiful smile, she extended her hand to shake mine. “It’s truly an honor, Ms. Titan. I’ve followed your career for a long time. Without strong women like you to pave the way, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today.”
A lot of people blew smoke up my ass to get what they wanted. They didn’t realize flattery was useless on confident people. But in her case, it seemed genuine. I was an excellent judge of character, and based on my research and her appearance, she seemed like the real deal. “That’s nice of you to say, Ms. Alexander. I appreciate your flexibility coming to my home this afternoon. I’m still not well enough to return to the office just yet.”
“It’s no problem,” she said. “I’m happy to be here.”
Thorn eyed us
