Page 122 of Inflame

“I sneaked in a quick kick to the balls though.”

“Ha, it was well deserved. He better hope our paths don’t cross.”

I imagine it was hard on her to keep her cool around Ethan. It would have been extremely difficult for me, if the roles were reversed. “I do appreciate you allowing me the space to figure it all out on my own.”

“Claire, I am always on your side. Always. I just hope you stop sacrificing your identity for the approval of others. You don’t have to change for someone to love you. You just need to find your person. The man that truly wants to be with you will accept you, flaws and all.”

I allow Angie’s words to marinate inside my head. She is so wise, and I often forget how similar we are when it comes to life’s challenges.

Feeling empowered, I straighten up my posture and put my game face on. “So, let’s get down to business and start laying the groundwork for our journey.”

“I’m so flipping excited over joining forces with you that I can’t shut my brain off because my ideas seem to be endless,” she squeals with pent-up energy. “So, I need your expertise about coming up with an execution plan and some mock-ups for what we want to accomplish. Up for a brainstorming day?”

“Perfect. Let’s each make an independent list about our ideas on what we want our women’s line to focus on and maybe a name for our brand will come to light. Then we can think about the type of people we need to hire to help us get the ball rolling.”

Angie and I each grab a notebook from the desk and a gel pen from the fresh pack of pens I brought for this momentous occasion. We find our own space on the sectional sofa and get to work jotting down our ideas. I pop my earbuds in and set my phone to play my playlist by my favorite artist, Punch Drunk.

Around noon, we finally get up from the sofa and laugh when we look over each other’s lists. So many things align that it is refreshing to have someone who is on my same page.

“Let’s go out for lunch and we can talk about some of our ideas,” Angie suggests.

“Sounds great. Hopefully I won’t get accosted at the security checkpoint on the way back in,” I mumble.

“Oh, no. Really? That happened to you? I will talk with Graham. He has been so beyond stressed over some issues happening here. When it comes to invasions and untrustworthiness, he takes it to a whole other level of anger. He values loyalty above all else. Probably why he is so relieved to have Nic on board to handle all things privacy and security. The two Hoffman brothers are a fierce combo of testosterone.”

I nod. Nic definitely wasn’t happy when he found me in the lobby being interrogated by the wannabe police. If looks alone could kill, there would have been two casualties. As much as Angie talks about Nic’s calm demeanor, I know that underneath lies a very calculated man. He doesn’t seem to waver on his decisions, and I doubt his expectations are anything but intense.

We head out of our office and make our way to the elevator bank.

“Do you need to let Graham know you are leaving?” I ask, trying to avoid any issues for her later on.

She shakes her head. “Nope. One of my stipulations to working under his roof is that I don’t have to report to him during the work day. I know he has a personal team looking out for me, but I made him promise they would be unobtrusive and would give me the illusion that I am independent.”

“Wow, I bet that was a hard concession to make on both sides,” I comment, entering the empty car that just arrived. I know you were dead set that the security detail was unnecessary for a long time.”

Angie looks over at me. “Yeah. I totally was. But then I realized how selfish I was being in regard to Graham’s need to protect those he loves. And I just gave in and accepted that it was part of being in a relationship with him. I’ve grown to love Collins. I mean, he is the keeper of all the secrets. So, he’s basically family to me now.”

I smile. I try to mentally push back the feelings I have over wanting those things too. I want a family. One that wants me as much as I want them. I fight the tears that start to develop in my eyes. I have no place for sadness in my life today. Today is about starting over and making new memories. Positive ones.

We walk past several security officers, and I resist glaring at the two who accosted me this morning. I don’t return the half smile they give me, but at least I can exit the building without incident. The air is warm but the humidity is low. I love this time of the year, when everything starts to look fresh again. Trees are blossoming. Birds are happily chirping. Winter’s dreariness is officially over.

“What are you in the mood for?” Angie asks, looking down the street.

I look with her and spot Collins getting out of his vehicle. I don’t even think that Angie notices. Maybe she is just immune to it all. He has sunglasses on and looks impeccably dressed. Everyone who works with Graham and Nic seems to be. I may have to up my wardrobe game if I want to look the part. What got me by for my escort work won’t get me by coming into this fancy corporate building on the regular. I just need to have a steady paycheck first, and unfortunately, that is the main component that start-ups lack.

“Something lunch-y?” I suggest. “Maybe Toss Up?”

“Sure. I’m not picky.”

The salad shop is just a block away and has a line of people outside the door, waiting to get in. Angie and I chat easily about our individual brainstorming session we had this morning.

“What is the one thing you want to accomplish?” I ask.

“I want our platform to empower women.”

I nod. “And it will. I think we need to utilize what we are best at and market ourselves as a power couple—so to speak.”

We move forward a few places in line and continue to chat.

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