Page 68 of Faking the Face Off

I brace myself for it. “What?”

“I am so proud of you,” she says. “Proud that you stepped up like you did for your family, and proud that you’re not taking the role with me because you can. I wish you would because I mean it when I say you have potential, but I think you know that if you want or need anything ever from me, or the Renegades, you can and will get it.”

“Box seats?” I tease.

“How about an invite to sit with the owner in her box whenever you want?”

“Done. I’m not a fan of a big crowd anyway.” The knot in my stomach unravels. When I woke up this morning, I knew at some point I wanted to talk to my dad and Sutton, but ticking them both off the to-do list so soon in the day, and so quickly, spurs me on.

“Ben said you’d taken time off from work with them, too.” While Sutton presents this as a question, it isn’t one really.

“I had some vacation days coming to me, so I cashed in.”

“Are you going to stay with them?” she asks. “Look, you and I have been through enough. I won’t say anything if you aren’t, and if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll shut up.”

I think about keeping my other secret, but it’s Sutton. You don’t go through what we have, and have the history we do, then keep your tea from her. You spill it. “I think I’m going to give them my two weeks later today.”

“You are?” She gasps.

“Don’t say anything, you promise?”

“Promise.” She lets out a big ole breath of air. “Oh wow, Anna. Are you sure?”

“No.” And that is true. I’m safe with them, I’ve gotten used to my role. Something I realized the past couple of days is that complacency can be the death of your soul. Even if you adore your employers, sometimes you need to go. “I have one more thing to do today, and if it goes through, then I will be giving them my notice.”

I can almost smell the fire burning in her mind as her wheels start spinning. I love how nosy she is, it’s like she’s a sister from another mister.

“Can you tell me what it is? Is it Ollie?”

I crack up. “I can’t tell you what it is. Just donotsay anything to anyone. Yet.”

There’s a noise in the background on Sutton’s end of the line. She asks me to hold and goes away for a brief moment, speaking to someone who must have entered her office. It’s about thirty seconds later before she comes back on the line.

“Ugh, sorry, Anna. I have to go. Meeting with Ben in ten minutes, right here in the Ivory Tower.”

“Wow, things have changed fast in a week,” I say with a snicker. I cannot tell you when the last time was that Ben crossed the threshold of the offices, and now he’s headed there for a meeting. “Don’t forget, keep the secret.”

“You got it,” are her last words to me as she hangs up.

I slide my phone into the pocket of my robe and toddle back into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee and conviction, laced with ambition cause I need it. I meant what I told her: I want to give Ben my notice. Not that he’s awful to work for, they’re amazing, but it’s a me thing.

I get my mug and walk into the living room, settling in on the couch. Across the room, sitting on top of Dad’s old record player I’d pulled from storage, is the album Ollie gave me. He’d purchased a copy of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’srecord for me. The one with the song on it I liked from the moment I heard it at his place.

I jump up and turn the player on, placing the needle on the groove. In a few moments, the melancholy sounds of “My One and Only Love” fill the air around me. It reminds me of Ollie’s touch. His sweetness and kindness, his heart. Oh, that golden and gooey heart of his…and his laugh.

Don’t even let me get started on the kisses.

But I have another move to make in my own chess game. This one is important, because if this one doesn’t happen, then…

Well, I’m going to need to go back to the drawing board.

I grab my phone and scroll through it, looking for the phone number I need. When I find it, I tap the button for the call to go through, then press the phone to my ear and wait. Fingers crossed, because I do not want this call to go to voicemail.

Here’s hoping.

CHAPTER 24

OLLIE

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