Page 7 of What She Deserves
During the ride to Layla’s loft, they talked a little about tonight’s event, and then Ethan focused on the phone, following up on messages left on his voicemail. She didn’t pay too much attention to his conversations because they were mostly business-related, and he was very rigid about the separation of his work and personal life. His executive assistant handled his work calendar and business issues, while Layla concentrated on his personal calendar and personal tasks—like managing his household, picking up his dry cleaning, and making sure important people in his life received the appropriate gifts on their birthdays and special occasions.
She joined his staff after being bored as a legal secretary, and while looking for more exciting work, she learned about the opportunity with Ethan. After working for two demanding attorneys, anticipating the needs of one man didn’t pose much of an issue.
Though supportive, her parents hadn’t been thrilled by her career decisions. They’d expected her to go into law like her other siblings—three of whom worked at the family law firm and two of whom had gone into local politics. Much preferring the supportive role, Layla knew that path wasn’t for her.
Ethan could be demanding at times, particularly when he was in a bad mood, but overall she enjoyed her job. She had great benefits, a six-figure salary, and nice perks that included trips to exotic locations, hefty bonuses, expensive gifts, and free use of a loft in an exclusive part of town.
When they arrived at her building, Halston came around with an umbrella and opened the door.
“Good night, Ethan. I’ll see you on Monday,” Layla said.
He waved distractedly, deeply engrossed in a phone conversation. She didn’t take offense. She’d worked with him enough to know that he wasn’t being rude, he was busy.
Halston escorted her to the door, and after a quick goodbye, she made her way up to her loft. Inside, she kicked off her heels and slipped out of the dress Ethan instructed a local boutique to send over for tonight’s event. Another perk. Whenever she accompanied him to an event, he made sure she didn’t have to pay for a single item needed to prepare.
After washing off her makeup and brushing her teeth, she crawled into bed but couldn’t sleep. Not with Rashad on her mind. The image of his face gnawed at her and kept her unduly restless after a long day that should result in a night of fitful sleep.
She stared up at the high ceiling, crisscrossed with exposed pipes and wood beams. She wanted to call one of her best friends to tell them she’d seen Rashad tonight but decided to wait until tomorrow.
To her, Rashad was still an enigma. He remained closed off, sharing very little about his past, while she’d been an open book. He had a way of pulling information out of you while revealing nothing about himself. Perhaps that had hurt the most. That he didn’t want to share his life with her beyond spending the night at each other’s house and dating. She was never allowed to get past the surface with him.
He knew all about her big family of three brothers and two sisters, and how difficult leaving the D.C. area had been when she decided to move to Atlanta. All she knew was that his parents died when he was young, causing him to spend time in foster care. He’d also started a financial investment firm, Newmark Advisors, with his best friend, Alex.
Six months together, and she never really knew him. Nothing had made that clearer than when he suggested the new terms of their relationship. To go from spending the bulk of their free time together, to being relegated to what she considered a booty call, had been devastating. She kept wondering what she’d done wrong. She’d thought they were heading toward a long-term relationship, while he’d been secretly plotting a way out.
With her wounded pride and damaged heart barely intact, she eventually turned him down. A week into his constant phone calls, she lied and said she was moving back to D.C. The calls stopped, and though she’d gotten her wish, the immediate lack of interest hurt like she’d never experienced before. Clearly, if she were no longer sexually available to him, he was not interested.
Tonight, he hadn’t denied not trying to call her, which meant he didn’t know she had changed her phone number, which more than anything confirmed he’d only cared about sex. If he’d cared about her as a person, surely he would have reached out to her at least once. Heaven knew she had wanted to reach out to him multiple times but hadn’t, simply to maintain her sanity. Now she was doubly glad she hadn’t. She would have been the only one making an attempt at reconciliation because Rashad simply hadn’t cared.
Layla burrowed deeper under the duvet. Seeing him had certainly rattled her, but the Atlanta metro area consisted of over eight thousand square miles and over six million people. She didn’t expect to run into him again anytime soon.
