Page 84 of Stay

I’m meeting Haley at a coffee shop in town. Don’t know why she wants to see me in the middle of the day like this, but I’m not complaining. Shit, any time my girl wants to see me, I’ll be there.

Besides, I’m going stir crazy at home. Putting feelers out for another job has been frustrating as hell.

Holding the door for a lady in a red coat, I let her through first, then head in. Unzipping my coat, I scan the café for my girl.

She’s not here yet.

Cool. Cool. I’ll just order her favorite and wait.

I order two lattes and when I pick them up at the other end of the café, I run into someone I never thought I’d see again. My stomach plummets.

Charles Bowman.

“Cole.” He grabs his coffee from the counter and gestures to a table with his coat already hanging off one chair. “Have a seat.”

It takes a hot minute for my brain to make my body move correctly. I cautiously head over and sit down with him. “It’s good to see you again.”

Am I in the twilight zone? “You too, Sir.”

“I’m going to cut to the chase,” he says, pushing his coffee cup out of the way. “I heard you quit NGC.”

My tongue feels fat in my mouth. Like a dipshit, I nod.

Charles taps the table. “I’m glad.”

“It was overdue,” I manage to say. “I only planned to stay when I got the deal with you. Once that was gone, there was no reason to stick around.”

He leans back in his chair with his arms crossed. “I couldn’t in good conscience work with a company like that. Noah was incredibly out of line with my wife.”

“I’m sorry you and Mrs. Bowman were disrespected.”

“Don’t apologize for things you didn’t do. That’s on Noah. Not you.” He clears his throat. “And we only went with Noah because I’d seen some of your designs from colleagues of mine. I’m on a lot of boards, Cole. A lot. And I have a lot of fucking money.”

My stomach clenches. I have no clue what he’s trying to say to me.

“I’m always disappointed when my colleagues don’t have the balls to step outside of conventional designs.”

“Classics are classics for a reason, sir. They stand the test of time.”

“True. But that’s not how you make a statement. You can’t pave a way to greatness by playing it safe. The future needs boldness. It needs leaders who aren’t afraid to stand out.”

I still have no clue where he’s going with this.

Charles looks down at his hands. “My wife and daughter are meeting with Next Level Events right now, making wedding plans.”

My heart swells with pride for Hales. “They’ll love working with Haley. She’s incredibly talented and so genuine.”

“And she’s yours, right? You two are a couple?”

What the fuck?

“Yes, Sir. She’s…” I look down, shaking my head and chuckling. “She’s the love of my life. The only one I’ve ever had.”

“I was the same way with Sinclair. She’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I’ll do anything for her. And also, my daughter.”

“I get it.”

His expression turns more serious. “A smart man knows when the right thing comes along and he better grab it with both hands and not let go.”

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