Page 65 of Her Filthy Mistake

God willing, tonight, Zoe will be in my arms, and this will all be a thing of the past.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Zoe

After relaying everything I discovered to Ethan James, he studies me from across his desk. His salt and pepper hair is precisely cut to accent his impeccable wardrobe. While my father fights to be as imposing as him, he fails. Ethan is the real deal.

He tents his hands on top of his desk. “So why did you come to me?”

“Because you should have the opportunity to rectify something you would’ve done four years ago if you hadn’t been fed fraudulent information.” I’m not intimidated by him, but I do respect him. Okay. My hands are sweaty as fuck, but they aren’t shaking.

“And what’s that?”

I tilt my head and steady my shoulders. “You would’ve signed Jace and stolen him away from my father. If he wasn’t so pigheaded to realize what a good deal he was sabotaging.”

One corner of his mouth twitches. “Have you heard his new music?”

“Yes.” I lick my lips but show no other sign of weakness. “I’ve listened to everything he’s posted online, and it’s remarkable. You’d be making a mistake not to add him to your label.”

And I’m not saying that because I’ve re-listened to everything after hearing him declare to my father that he loves me. Or loved me. I bite my bottom lip as happy butterflies flutter in my belly.

He loves me. You don’t spend weeks pouring your heart out on paper and not still mean it. But before I fly to see him, I need to rectify two things. I need to get him a record label contract, and I need to tell my father to kiss my ass as I grab my stuff from my desk. I’ll miss working with Felix, but I’m not bowing down to him again. Ever.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“And what happens when he gets the girl that he’s been singing about for years?” His lips twitch again as heat floods through me. Having someone know that he was singing about me and the intimate details of making love to me is going to take some getting used to. “Is he still going to be able to write and sing with that much emotion?”

“Yes, I believe he will.” All those times, I thought he was singing about Samantha and wallowing in misery because he didn’t have her; he was singing about me.

“Good.” He relaxes his shoulders, rocks back into his chair, and braces his hands on the armrest. “I’ve heard his music. Both then and now.” His lips twitch again but never break into a full smile. Although, his eyes give him away as they twinkle with humor. “Tell him to be in my office next week, and we’ll finalize a deal that I believe you’ll both find satisfactory.”

“Yes, Sir.” I jump from my seat, no longer able to control my happiness. But the movements instantly bring on a wave of dizziness. Fuck. When did I last eat? I swipe my hands on my pants and steady my balance. “You won’t regret it.”

At some point, I need to get some sleep and eat. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for days now.

“I don’t plan to.” His eyes grow serious as he studies me. “What do you say to a job with me? You’re clearly amazing at talent acquisition. You know the business inside and out. And it would totally piss your father off if you came and worked for me.”

“Let me think about it. I appreciate the offer, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” If things go well with Jace and he wants to live in Vegas or somewhere else, I don’t want to be tied down here.

Once I leave Ethan’s office, I return to my father’s building. I no longer consider it where I work and pull into my old parking space. The weather is pleasant. The sky is blue with a few puffy clouds, and even from my vehicle, I notice bees flitting around in the flowers adorning the walkway to the back entrance.

After stepping out of my car, someone yells my name. I turn to find Daisy jogging across the parking lot. “Hey, lady.” She smiles and gives me a quick hug.

“What’re you doing here?” I pat her back and walk toward the door.

“I’m here for moral support and to help you grab your gear. After you tell your dad to take this job and shove it.” She slings her arm over my shoulders. “Although, I’m worried I’m going to lose my calculus partner when you run off to Vegas to be with Jace, but I’ll survive.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do. You’ve been there when my dad acted like a giant douche canoe. The least I can do is support you when you need me. And my dad has never stooped this low, so you need me.”

“Thank you.” I slide my arm around her waist and squeeze her as I blink at the stinging in my eyes. “Thank you for being my best friend and for helping me deal with this mess.”

“You’re welcome.” She waves her free hand toward the entrance. “Let’s do this.”

As we travel inside and to the elevator, I’m quiet. The lobby looks the same as always. Clean and smells like lemon cleaner. Everything is sleek. Classic. Black and silver. The floor is marbled black, white, and silver with a fine line of gold throughout the space giving it an elegant feeling.

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