Page 36 of (Un)Planned

Theo shook his head then finally glanced up at me. “If you couldn’t tell, that did not pan out the way I was expecting.”

“What happened?”

“Wish I fucking knew.” Theo rubbed his eyes. “I tried to talk to him about what’s been going on, but the guy’s a fortress. He wouldn’t tell me anything, just that he’s not ready to take any more jobs.” He laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “Shit, Calla. What the hell am I supposed to do? It’s like he’s self-destructing in front of me, and all I can do is watch.”

With one glance through the glass, I moved over to Theo’s desk, pretending that I was showing him part of the contract. My hand briefly found his, offering him a comforting squeeze. “Give him time,” I whispered. “Keep letting him know that you are there for him as his friend, not his agent. When he’s ready, he’ll open up.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

I wanted to make the moment better, to make promises I knew I couldn’t keep, to tell Theo that everything would be alright when we had no idea what the future would hold. But all those words were out of reach, so I did what I could for him in this dark moment. I stood with him, waiting with him for as long as he needed.

As his breath started to even out, Theo looked up at me, an apprehensive smile gracing his features. “I’m sorry about that, Calla. You said Jack wanted me to look through that contract?”

“Oh, yes!” I jumped up and settled back on the couch. “He was going to drop it off later, but I thought you and Adam could use a little break from your conversation.”

“Always looking out for me.” He smiled before glancing over the documents. As he read through the text, I sat back, toying with the idea of saying something about Jack. Even though Devyn had dismissed my concerns, something about Jack still bothered me, like when he tried to warn me away from Theo.

“I can practically hear the gears turning in your head.” Theo closed the folder and looked up at me. “What’s going on, Calla?”

I sighed, toying with my bracelet before deciding to speak. “So Jack… You guys have known each other a long time?”

Theo nodded. “Over a decade. We started at the agency within weeks of each other. We’ve been a solid team ever since.” He tilted his head. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know how to take him,” I answered honestly. “He’s made a couple of comments that haven’t sat right.”

Theo sighed as he sat back on his chair. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No, nothing like that!”

“Calla, I’m serious. If he’s making you uncomfortable in any way, I will handle it. Immediately.”

“Theo, I promise. He hasn’t said anything like that.” I chewed on my lower lip. “But you trust him, right?”

“With my life,” Theo answered. “He’s had my back for years, Calla. There aren’t many people I truly trust. Jack is one of them.” He smiled at me. “You’re another.”

And with that simple admission, my heart started to beat a little faster, knowing I trusted Theo just as much. Ifhe put his faith in Jack, I would have to as well, even if it seemed like the wrong choice.

Later that evening,I stood in the middle of Theo’s elevator, twisting my fingers together. I pushed my breath through my lips as I stared at the rising numbers, my anxiety growing as we got closer to the top.

Even though we spent last night together, this felt different. That was a collision, an inevitable conclusion to the tension between us. But being here tonight—this was a choice. I was walking into his apartment with no pretenses, no pretending that this was strictly a work relationship.

My nerves started when I arrived at his building, lying to his doorman about my visit. Thomas was a good man, one I’d gotten to know well during my frequent visits as Theo’s assistant. I probably could have told him the truth, but after hiding our relationship from everyone else, it felt easier to continue the ruse.

I closed my eyes to push away the guilt, focusing on what was important. Even though I was anxious about taking this next step, I was dying to spend more time with Theo. I told Devyn I was going out with a few girls from work and that I was crashing on one of their couches for the night. She’d just nodded, barely looking up from her pile of paperwork as I ran out the door. Eventually, I’d have to come clean with her and the other people in my life, but for now, I wanted to enjoy my time with Theo without anyone else’s input.

When the elevator door dinged open, I stepped inside his foyer, lifting my hand to knock on the door. Before I could, though, Theo ripped it open, pulling me into hisapartment. The moment I saw his face, all my earlier nerves disappeared, and I was finally at ease now that it was just us.

“Thank God you’re here,” he called out as he rushed back to the kitchen. “I screwed something up, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

I chuckled as I followed him into the kitchen. The smell of burnt food invaded my nostrils the moment I walked inside. Covering my mouth, I stepped closer to his stove, lifting a pan lid to see a pile of black mush. “Do I even want to know?”

Theo ran his hand over his face. “I was trying to recreate one of my mother’s recipes—this chicken stew she’d make when I was younger. She called it moghrabieh. Safe to say, I have no clue what I’m doing.” He peeked over my shoulder. "Is there any way we can save it?”

“Nope.” I chuckled in his arms. “Do you have any more ingredients? We can try again, together this time.”

“Not really. To be honest, this was attempt number two. The first one was even worse.” He grimaced as he looked inside the plan. “I wanted to make tonight special for you.”

I leaned back, pressing the back of my head into his chest. “You don’t need to do anything for me, Theo.”

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