Page 40 of (Un)Planned

“Okay?”

“I’m all in.”

TWENTY-THREE

The weekend ended far too quickly. Calla and I spent the whole time together, not bothering to leave the apartment at all. And even after forty-eight hours together, the moment she walked out of the door to return home, I wanted her to come back.

It had been years since I took any time off from work. Even if I managed to pull myself from the office for a day, I would always sneak away to send some emails or check in with my clients.

However, when Calla was in my arms, I felt none of that. Instead of stressing about my constantly vibrating phone, I was annoyed—irritated that people were invading my limited time with Calla. We spent almost every day together, but I wasn’t able to touch her or hold her. I wanted to savor every minute together, to pretend that nothing else mattered but the two of us.

However, as soon as Calla left, the reality of our situation started to sink in. Last night, I’d gone over every possible option, trying to figure out how we’d be able to staytogether and keep our jobs, but nothing seemed to work. Not without Calla quitting or me resigning in disgrace.

Maybe it was selfish of me to pursue this relationship when it was against our company’s rules, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel guilty about it. As long as it didn’t negatively impact Calla, I never would. I meant what I said—I chose her over the job, over the fear, over everything else. I wouldn’t let her go without a fight.

When Monday rolled around, I got to the office before dawn. The city around me was still sleeping when my car pulled up to the front of the building, only the security guard around. He waved as I walked inside, familiar with my ridiculous schedule. Most days, when I arrived early, it was because I had a million projects I needed to wrap up. But today, I was because all I could think of was Calla and how we’d get out of this mess. Not to mention, my bed felt too big and cold without her lying next to me.

As the elevator doors opened, my heckles immediately rose. I was used to this building, and I knew its sights and sounds in the early hours. So when our office doors were open and all the overhead lights were on, I knew something was wrong.

The smell of coffee filled the air as I walked inside. Glancing at my phone to check the hour, I debated calling security up to our floor. But there was no sign of a break-in, and most burglars didn’t stop to brew a coffee pod when they were trying to rob a place. More than likely, a junior agent had bribed a janitor to let them in, something I’d done many times when I was starting out.

But as I turned the corner and saw movement in my office, my blood pressure started to spike. I stormed inside, ripping the door open. A man jumped at the sight, sending files and folders into the air.

“JesusChrist,” Jack screamed. “Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?”

My jaw tensed, staring at him in my space. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Seriously, man?” Jack asked. “You told me I could use your office on days you weren’t here. I’ve been working in here all weekend.”

I stared at him, trying to recall the conversation. It was a blank, but then again, that wasn’t an uncommon occurrence lately. Between trying to keep my relationship with Calla a secret and awaiting the partners’ visit in a few weeks, I was having trouble keeping track of non-essential things.

Dropping my briefcase at my desk, I dropped my head into my hand. “Shit, sorry.” I sat down on the couch, looking over the papers he’d compiled. “I saw the lights on and thought someone was trying to break in.”

Jack chuckled, grabbing the last of the fallen papers. “Shit, what did you think they were going to take?” He nodded at the fall behind me. “Although you could probably get some good money for those footballs online.”

“Don’t even think about it.” I nodded at the papers. “Remind me why you wanted to work in here and not your office?”

He shrugged, “Your set-up is better than mine. I can’t fit a full-sized couch in my office. You think Calla could hook me up too?”

“It's worth a shot. But I’ve got her working on the partners' visit, so she might not have time until after they leave.” I took the file in front of him, twisting it so I could read the top of it. “The McManus contract? Why are you staring at that old thing?”

Jack rubbed his hand over his eyes. “Trying to thinkoutside of the box for one of my guys. GM’s trying to screw him over after they heard other teams were pursuing him.” He leaned back on the couch. “Information you would know if you’d answered the phone this weekend. Where the hell were you? I thought you died or something.”

“Thanks for the concern,” I said sardonically, “I needed to clear my head, take a few days away.”

Jack kept staring at me as if he knew there was more to the story. As if he could read the guilt on my face, he suddenly smirked, pointing at me. “You fucking dog. You were with a girl, weren’t you?” When I didn’t respond, he continued. “Please tell me you finally got over your shit and made a move on Calla. That girl is way too hot to wait around for you.”

“Nothing happened.”

Jack leaned back, studying me. “That’s good. A lot of the guys in the sports department want to make a run at her. Maybe I’ll pass along her number.”

“Watch it,” I bit out.

“Damn, I never thought I’d see the day.” Jack chuckled. “Good for you, Theo. About time.”

I smiled to myself, thinking of my weekend spend wrapped up in Calla. But being in the office poured cold water over my elation. My jaw tensed. “But listen, Jack. You can’t–”

“I gotcha, buddy. Your secret is safe with me.” He sighed, his face suddenly turning serious. “Just make sure you’re careful, okay, man? I’d hate for this to mess up how hard you’ve worked.”

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