She was worth getting a new career over.
She was worth everything.
Now that he had that figured out, he just had to figure out how he could do this and get paid for it. Hannah’s suggestion that he put together corporate travel packages for executives, taking them to fabulous surf spots had stuck in his mind. He could charge enough to cover the costs of travel for himself and them, equipment rental, and surf lessons from him for everyone. He had experience teaching surfing, and he’d enjoyed it enough to do it every summer since he’d been good enough for the local surf shops to hire him. He hadn’t done it this last summer for the first time in years, choosing to stay in Spokane for his internship, trying to be a grown up and make smart decisions. Even then he’d come home before the internship started to help out at the surf shop, and on a few weekends when they had more students than they could handle.
He’d have to run numbers, research what it would cost to go different places along the Pacific Coast, and figure out where and how to market everything. Maybe he could get some people to help him with start-up capital. A smirk came to his face as he thought about the signing bonus Chris might get if he got drafted somewhere. He’d be willing to invest in Matt’s fledgling company, and he’d probably get a group together to use Matt’s services once Chris’s first football season ended. That would be the perfect time to take a surfing vacation somewhere warm.
After a few hours, the weather changed, a spring storm blowing in, chopping up the water. Matt drifted in, his mind full of possibilities and plans. He’d talk to his parents, figure out the numbers, get some plans down on paper and get this worked out. Once he had that plan in place, he’d find a way to win Hannah back. Because none of it would mean much without her.
Hannah threw herself into school and work, trying to block out the memories of her time with Matt and the familiar agony of missing him. She did everything possible to avoid seeing him at work or thinking about him any other time, determined to get over him as fast as she could. Her subconscious was less cooperative, waking her up from dreams of him—of his hands and mouth and cock, his dirty words, and the way she felt with him—flushed and needy, a pulsing ache between her thighs. On those days she got up and took a shower, trying her best to wash away the memories from her skin, not even willing to touch herself to relieve the pressure, and threw herself into homework or an ongoing project for work.
Since Matt no longer managed the interns, she didn’t have trouble avoiding him there. She rarely left the marketing department, and she imagined he stayed busy with whatever grunt work Janine had him working on as punishment. She pushed away thoughts that he was being punished for dating her, reminding herself that he’d known the risks and pursued her anyway. And the ugly truth was, he must’ve been planning on asking her not to take a summer internship if one were offered, to sacrifice herself and her goals for him to keep a crappy job he didn’t even like. That thought burned, firming her resolve anytime she wavered and thought about calling him or texting him. Just to see how he was doing. And tell him how desperately she missed him.
He called a few times that first week after they broke up, but she sent every call to voicemail and deleted the messages without listening to them. She knew if she gave in at all that they’d be back where they started, at this impasse again. And this time she might give in to him, and she didn’t know if she could live with herself if she did that.
She bumped into him once at work in the break room. She’d been in there getting fresh coffee for herself and Sandra, when someone else walked in.
“Hannah.” Matt’s voice caused her body to flush, and a shiver raced up her spine and the breathless sound of his voice. But she didn’t want him to know how much he affected her still. She forced herself to continue stirring sugar and creamer into her coffee before picking up both mugs and turning.
She gave him a nod of acknowledgment. “Matt.” And she walked out the door. He called after her to wait, but she pretended not to hear him. When she rounded the corner, she had to stop and lean against the wall and take a few deep breaths to steady the shaking of her hands before she could keep going. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this, to catch her in this moment of weakness, least of all Matt, so she didn’t linger. Forcing her spine straight and her head high, she walked back to Sandra’s desk like nothing could touch her, dropping off her mentor’s coffee before returning to her own computer to keep working.
Elena did her part to distract Hannah, taking her out to clubs and parties that she knew about. Anytime either one of them saw anyone from the football team, they stayed far away, careful to avoid any possibility of encountering Matt or one of his friends. It was fun, mostly. She enjoyed going out dancing with her friend, and sometimes a few of their other friends joined them. After a couple weeks of fending off douchebags that didn’t understand the word no, they made sure to bring along Elena’s debate partner and one or two of his
