Page 60 of (Un)Planned

She turned, a confused expression furrowing her brows. “You’re giving me space in your office?”

“Calla…” I stepped toward her. “You might feel like you don’t have a place within your family, but you’ll always have a place here, with me. Even if it’s just your books for now, I like there being pieces of you in my home.”

“Are you sure about this?” She chewed on her lower lip. “My books are going to make this office all cluttered and chaotic, break up the black-on-black motif you have going on.”

“You’ve done it before, beautiful, and my life got better for it.”

She pressed onto her toes, kissing me with enough force for me to stumble a little. Calla chuckled as she pulled back. “This is the best surprise I’ve gotten in a long time.”

“Give it time, beautiful. I plan on spoiling you for a lot longer.”

The next morning,I kissed Calla goodbye before the sun came up, heading straight into the office. As I walked inside, I passed by my office, instead going toward the conference room where Allen was already waiting. I’d texted him late last night, knowing that he was as attached to his phone as I used to be. Without much information, I told him we needed to talk first thing in the morning.

“Have a seat, Theo.”

I did as he requested, taking the spot opposite him. Yet again, his expression gave nothing away. I didn’t know what he expected from this meeting, but I hoped I would still be in his favor when it was done.

He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers over his stomach. “You called this meeting, so let’s get into it. Why did you need to speak with me?”

“I appreciate the opportunity you presented me. As much as I would like to lead a new office, I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve got a good thing going here in New York and would like to continue to manage this office. You’ve seen what we can do in a few short months, so let me show you how successful we can be in the long term.”

Allen stared at me, probably in disbelief over my words. In truth, I was too. Six months ago, when Calla first walked into my life, I never would have thought I’d be here. But now that I was, I had no regrets, no reason to fear the future. Even if I never achieved every one of my goals, I’d be content with my lot in life as long as I had Calla at my side. That mattered more than my job title.

“Listen, Theo,” Allen sighed. “Some new information has come to light, and I’m afraid that won’t be an option.”

My heart stalled in my chest.

“Excuse me?”

“As of next month, you will no longer be in charge of the New York office.”

There were no words to describe the deafening sound in my ears, the way my chest felt like it had caved in at his words. Out of all the possibilities, that was the last thing I thought he would say.

I shook my head, my hands shaking in my lap. “I don’t understand. Just last night, you were saying how well this office is running. You wanted me to run another office because this one’s been such a goddamn success.” I slammed my hands on the table, lifting myself up to stand. “Why the fuck do you think that’s happened?Me. I’ve killed myself to make this office work, and now you’re saying I’m fired?”

“No,” Allen said calmly. “That is not what I’m saying at all. We see your talent, Theo. We know what an excellent leader you are, which is why we’re offering you a choice. Either lead the new expansion, or you can return to your old position in the LA office.”

What the fuck?

“Just not here,” I scoffed. “Why, Allen?”

He looked up at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of emotion. Regret? Annoyance? I wasn’t sure, but either way, he didn’t like what he was about to say.

“How long have you been sleeping with your assistant?”

THIRTY-SIX

I’d never been as nervous as I was in this moment. I’d sat across the table from movie stars, legendary singers, and hall of famers from almost every sport. None of them were as terrifying as staring into the eyes of the woman I loved, knowing that what I had to say could change our relationship forever.

As soon as my conversation with Allen ended, I returned home, hating that I was being put in this position. Not once did I think our talk would go that way. I’d wracked my brain the entire trip home, trying to figure out how he’d found out about Calla and me. An anonymous source had come forward with their suspicions. That was all he told me. And while there was no direct evidence to link us together, I wasn’t going to lie about our relationship either. To tell Allen it was untrue would have probably been the smart move, but once I opened my mouth, I couldn’t deny how much I cared about Calla. To say anything less than the truth would have cheapened our relationship, cheapened the bond between us.

Even if it cost me everything.

“Theo?” Calla called out as she stepped out of the kitchen and came closer to me. “What’s going on? You’re freaking me out a little bit.”

I rubbed my hand through my hair then dropped it down to grip the back of the couch. I needed something to hold me up, something to give me strength when I had none to spare.

“Last night, at dinner, Allen said that the agency is potentially opening up another satellite office.” I inhaled slowly, forcing the words past my lips. “And if it passes, they want me to head the new location.”

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