Page 2 of Mending Our Chance

“I meant what I said,” I growled back at him under my breath. “If you want to meet me outside this classroom, asshole, I’ll show you just how we do it where I come from.” I let the challenge hang in the air between us, while still keeping my focus on the woman in the center of the room.

Felicity was standing to the side of the podium, staring up at me as her eyes flashed over my body. All I could see in those dark depths was seething hate.

Fuck, she isn’t gonna help me.

“Mr. Lauder is correct,” Felicity responded in a formal, yet cold voice. “So if you don’t know your basic terminology, Mr. Bowers, I think the Intro to Economics is in the next building over. This is a graduate level class and I know that you are not on my roster.” Felicity’s eyes then traveled around the room as she continued discussing whatever strategy she had been talking about moments before.

Just like that, she had shut me down. What was worse, was that I had detected a hint of anger in her tone. What does she have to be mad about? I had expected her derision and censer about my proposal—which I hadn’t even broached with her yet. But wrath? I broke out in a cold sweat, desperate for the class to finish so I could approach her.

I couldn’t think straight and I could barely hear what she was saying for what remained of the lecture. My elbows found my knees, and no matter how badly I wanted to lean forward and rest my head onto my hands, I did not want to show any weakness. Still, it was a task to just sit there and keep calm. The demons couldn’t show up here, not now. Breathing through my panic, I searched for a bright side and my mind latched onto a mantra about patience. When I could think a little more clearly, I told myself it wasn’t all over, that in fact, the fun had just begun. Give her a chance to hear me out. She might be angry at the interruption. When she sees me again, the annoyance will have dissipated.

I could feel her students staring at me, no doubt wanting to sneak a peek at the class doofus. I kept my shoulders back and my eyes focused on Felicity. I had only one reason to be in this room. They could insult my accent and mock my heritage, but I was a Southern boy, and I would not let their opinions matter.

Eventually, the class finished, and I picked up the bottle of wine inside the sparkly gift bag that I couldn’t afford. I had once been a very young man stationed in California, awaiting my orders while partying it up with college chicks. This woman below had centered me. Our relationship, although brief, was what had made me realize how much growing up I needed to do, despite all the years I had served in the military. In fact, my second term with the Marines was completely different thanks to Felicity. And I wanted her to know how much she had done to help me become the man I was today.

I smoothed down my blazer and fastened the top button. As the grad students filed out of the room, I managed to make a dignified descent. It took me no time at all to reach her. I stopped in front of her as she stood there, waiting.

“Felicity.” I lifted my hand to shakes hers, and contemplated kissing her knuckles instead. But she crossed her arms over her generous chest, refusing my proffered hand and scowled up at me. Clearly, she was still annoyed at my interruption of her lecture. I forged ahead. “Fancy us being in the same city again after all these years. How long has it been? Six years?”

“Almost seven.” Her admission, pushed through gritted teeth, told me more. It told me that she had thought about me in the past. “Just what the hell are you doing in my classroom, Marcus, let alone my city?”

“I moved here a few months ago after my tour of duty ended.” I quickly glossed over my all too vibrant military career, not willing to open that jar of worms right this second. “I’m here because I’m starting a tech company and I find myself in need of a consultant. Do you know any business consultants, city slicker?” I gave her a wink.

The scowl on her face deepened. “You need to leave. I told you the last time we met that I never wanted to see your face again.”

I placed a hand over my heart, feigning pain at her words. “You never said that. The last time I saw you, you kissed my forehead after I told you our time together had come to an end.”

As her expression darkened, I rocked back onto my heels and dropped the dramatics. There was a storm brewing behind those piercing dark eyes of hers. I tried to amend the situation. “In all honesty, I think fate brought us together again. When I was searching for business consultants, your website came up. You, Felicity, not some other company. You’re one of the best around. Add on top the fact that I know you and that makes you the ideal candidate as my consultant.” And I want you to be the only person handling my business.

“How dare you!” Felicity seethed. Her hands flew to her hips. Leaning forward, she hissed, “Do you think it’s an honor to be pursued by you?” She cocked her head to the side, her gaze scathing. “How do I make this clear in words you’ll understand: you aren’t fit to wipe my boots!”

And with those harsh words flying straight off her pouty lips, Felicity snatched up her briefcase and stomped out of the room.

Her words ricocheted through my mind. Dammit, she hates me. The realization was so shattering that I felt physical pain. If I was elderly, the tightness in my chest would have indicated a medical emergency.

What I was beginning to understand was that our past had meant more to her than I had previously thought. Almost seven years ago now, our summer of love had led to the inevitable path of separation. In the years between I had always seen myself as the one with the short end of the stick—to have tasted happiness only to walk away from it for duty and honor. I’d known that walking away from her had been my greatest mistake, because Felicity was the one who had got away, and I was the fool who had set her free. We had broken things off amicably—or so I had thought. Clearly, that wasn’t the case given I had just been figuratively back-handed by her.

However, if I couldn’t win her over, it was going to have a huge impact on my business. The magazines had heralded me as the Purple Heart Veteran who would bring in a new era of tech development. I had the products, and Harold—my developer—was on board. But everything was going to flush down the drain if I didn’t have a business consultant who knew the ropes. We had already made some costly mistakes; I wasn’t keen to make more. So I had begun to look for professional help, and from what I’d worked out, Felicity was the best there was. I knew the analysis, but the logistics of business was hard. That was where Felicity was supposed to come into the picture—before she dismissed me, that is.

I went to swipe a hand through my hair only to be stopped by the bottle of classy wine. The damn bottle of red was something I did not have the cash flow to justify. It had been purchased on a whim—a gift to the lady when she agreed to come aboard. Now it was an empty token. Standing in the now vacant lecture hall, I realized I had two choices. I could take the bottle to my dump of an apartment and get silly, or I could see if someone else could give it to Felicity on my behalf. I contemplated my options.

Deciding that there was a third option, I tightly gripped the bottle and strode through the door Felicity had just disappeared through and began to sprint after her.

I won’t be dismissed that fast. I wove through the crowded campus. It was time to stand on my own two feet like the men before me. It wasn’t enough to be a decorated soldier. I was going make something of myself—and Felicity would help me. There was no other alternative. Forgetting the daydream where she not only facilitated my business success but also fell head over heels for me again, I realized that, for now, I would be content to just have a moment of her time. And if she wasn’t thinking about me the way I was thinking about her, then she needed to be.

I came upon her and reached out a hand to stop her to tell her just that. But instead, I blurted out, “Stop! Don’t walk away from me. This is your chance to show your students and the world that you know about running businesses, not just applied theory. This is a golden opportunity to build up a business in the real world. I’m offering you something more than just a consult; you could take the business world by storm!”

Spinning out of my hold, Felicity turned on me, seething. “Get a grip, asshole! Don’t you get that I don’t want to see you?”

Her words might be barbed, but I wasn’t running from the dark haired goddess. It was clear she was spoilin’ for a fight and it was one I couldn’t afford to let her win. If she needed a pound of flesh as payment, then I would make the cut myself. I dug in my heels, urging myself not to falter. “I’m sorry about the past, Felicity, but I have business I want to discuss with you.” My mind was screaming at me to make a recovery from my blunder. “Just give me a few minutes to show you the specs. They speak for themselves, and in terms of money, I can offer you more than your rate!”

“You fucking bastard!” Felicity shoved past me, but managed to snap with cold venom, “Don’t come after me again.”

Raw pain consumed me. She hates me. Flustered, I let her go and sat down on a bench. Images of the past rolled through my mind. I remembered the group of friends we had been part of in California—how she had shined amongst them. It didn’t take me long to stop fooling around with the other beach babes to focus solely on Felicity. We had grown close, and I had been the only one who got to hear her screams of pleasure. We’d spent the days on the beach, the nights under the stars, enjoying the simple things in life—food, sex, and young fun…until my second term of service with the Marine Corps had put a stop to it all.

The day I told her we were over, it couldn’t have been a surprise. We’d both known the fate of our relationship. There was nothing more that could come from us—no matter how much I had wished that wasn’t the truth. I remembered our parting being amicable, even as I tried to hide the pain of losing her. Had I broken her heart in addition to mine? Had she had been too proud to tell me? Hope blossomed in my chest at the thought.

Maybe this wasn’t over.

A gentleman would have accepted defeat and respected the wishes of the lady in question. But I couldn’t afford to be a gentleman; I needed Felicity. After this response, I needed to discover what it was she had really felt. Furthermore, I couldn’t afford to back down from this. The personal and the professional were already mixed, and both of these required the same solution: Felicity.

Clutching the wine in one hand, I whipped out my phone with the other and punched in a number. “Harold.” I cut to the chase when the little nerd picked up. “Time to wash up and put on some clothes. I need you to do some work, man.”

Felicity Saccone was the best and I needed the best, because I couldn’t waste time doubting someone else’s ability. This business was the most important thing in my life right now. It was all I had left to prove myself. My war career had ended with a beloved friend in a body bag, and this business was my redemption—maybe in more ways than one. Given Felicity’s response, there was a chance I could also get my woman back.

I fucking need her. Even if she doesn’t want to talk to me.

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