Page 57 of The Enemies With Benefits Deal

And now, it’s going to spend tomorrow night hanging over the top of my mirror, wishing that it could be worn even though I have no intention of going to the party.

Not after everything that happened.

There’s a knock at my door before I can spend too much time missing what could have been.

I’ve already spent a week wallowing about it. We weren’t together. We were never a couple. He doesn’t know how much I care about him.

Everything that we have is nothing.

Thankfully, as I hurry through the apartment and pull open the front door, Paloma holds up a bottle of tequila.

“I know you said to get white wine, but this seemed like a better idea.”

Laughing, I shut the door behind her and lead her over to the kitchen, where the boxes of pizza are waiting. “It might not pair well with cheese and pepperoni, but it’s better than nothing.”

Paloma grabs a couple of shot glasses from the cupboard, puts them on the counter and unscrews the top on the tequila. She pours two healthy shots and holds one out to me.

“Here’s to a night of having fun after a week of wallowing and wishing that men weren’t so stupid.” She holds her glass up to mine, her smile lifting my spirits a little.

I clink my glass against hers. “Here’s to the future.”

We throw back our glasses and put them down on the counter. I reach for a slice of pizza, the cheese stretching long before snapping. I take a large bite, groaning at the little grease puddles on the cups of pepperoni, flavor exploding on my tongue.

Paloma leans against the counter. “You going to tell me everything that went down between the two of you?” she says, her voice gentle as she pulls herself up to sit on the counter. “I know you had a bust-up in the office, but the way you’re wallowing has me thinking this was more than just sex for you.”

I groan. I’ve been trying to avoid talking about it, but Paloma can always see through me. “I think I was starting to fall for him. Hell, I was probably past the starting-to-fall phase, and then he went off the rails.”

“Why, though?”

“He’s so hung up on taking over the company. It seems like he has tunnel vision about the entire thing and will say and do whatever he needs to get there. He saw me as a threat.”

Paloma shakes her head. “I don’t see how that’s possible. I’ve watched the two of you together. You seemed happy. He looked at you that way someone does when they care.”

“He has a funny way of showing it.” I take another large bite of pizza, trying not to think too much, but it doesn’t work.

All I’ve been able to think about for the last week is the way Grayson hurt me. I can’t stop hearing those words, and when I dream of him at night, it’s like the wound is opening itself all over again.

Paloma sighs and holds out her hand. “Mind passing me one of those? I have a feeling we’re going to need all the carbs we can get to soak up the tequila tonight.”

I pull out a slice and hand it to her. “I don’t know what to do. I was supposed to go to the launch party tomorrow, but I don’t think I can do it.”

“That’s understandable.”

“I don’t think I would be able to see him getting everything he wants and is willing to ruin us over, but on the other hand, I want to be there to support him.”

“Has it even been confirmed that he’s getting the CEO position yet?”

“Lara called me the other day and she thinks that it’s likely, but she doesn’t know for sure. There’s still a chance that something else could happen.” I finish off the first slice of pizza and reachfor another. “I’m sure he’s going to get it, though. This is everything he’s worked for.”

“This might be everything he’s worked for, but this launch is everything you’ve worked for too.”

She has a point. I spent three months of my life working on this launch. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into it. There were sleepless nights and early mornings. A trip to the other side of the world. Calling up my contacts and seeing who would be willing to work with us on an incredibly short timeline.

Paloma pours another two shots. “For what it’s worth, I think you should be there at the launch.”

“I know I should be, but it’s going to be hard as hell.”

She hands me a shot. “Nobody says you have to be there for the entire event, but I think you should at least make an appearance. Make him see that you’re doing fine without him. That you’re the best thing that’s ever happened in his life, and he ruined that for the sake of his daddy’s approval.”

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