Page 112 of Crazy In Love
“I didn’t bring a gift,” Booker confesses. “I’m sorry. I was actually…” He brings his eyes back to Fox. “I’ve been trying to call you for a couple of hours.”
“You have?” She pats her hip. Her backside. Right where her phone would be if she wasn’t wearing a gown. “Crap! I left my purse in Tommy’s office. Why?” From delight to dread, her smile falls away. “What’s wrong? You said you couldn’t be here, and now you are. Who is?—”
“Everyone is fine.” He wraps her wrist in his hand. So gentle. So fucking intimate.Don’t touch her!“I didn’t mean to give you a fright. I was actually calling you withgoodnews. I left Rome last night, and the timing just kinda worked out. So I flew here, instead of home, because I wanted to tell you myself.”
“Tell me what?” She questions. “What news?”
Alana’s eyes narrow to dangerous, challenging slits.“What wassourgent you flew in from Rome for it?”
“Well, I was flying, regardless,” he chuckles. “The destination, though, changed while I was at the airport. Then, like I said, I tried to call. I knew the wedding was today, and I knew you girls are close. So I figured this was one of those serendipitous moments where everyone can be together while I tell you.”
“I’m so sorry, Booker.” Alana grabs his wrist and curls his hand back in threat. “I don’t mean to rush you, but I’ve had a hell of a month, and I haven’t slept more than three consecutive hours in quite a while. If you don’t share your good newsimmediately, I might snap your arm.”
“The board met yesterday.” Quick as a flash, his eyes swing back to Fox. “They decided they’d like you to come to them.”
“To Rome? For next year’s meeting?”
“For the nextfiveyears.” He beams, like his words aren’t a knife at my throat. “They want you tomoveto Rome and help set them up the way you have us.”
“What?” Tommy’s eyes whip across to mine, then back to the dude. “You want her to move to Rome?Georgia,right?”
“Italy,” he laughs, brushing a hand over his lips and meeting Fox’s eyes. “I had a pretty good feeling they’d jump when I told them you were interested. I didn’t wanna get your hopes up, in case it fell through. But they’re all in, Fox, which means that dinner I wanted to get once you returned to New York is kinda being pushed up.”
“But…” Her voice crackles, rasping and breathy. And though she brings her eyes across to me, they’re not nearly as bright as I remember them. Shaking her head, she looks back at her boss. “That’s not what I thought you were going to say.”
“You’ve been talking about Rome foryears. You begged for this.”
“I know, I just…” She swallows, her throat bobbing with the movement. “Wow. I thought you were transferring me to marketing. Not to Italy.”
“Both, actually.” He touches her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Amedeo wants you in Rome, and he knows you want marketing. So I pitched the whole deal. They see what you’ve done for us in New York. They were skeptics, but they saw the proof. So now they want to borrow you.”
“F-for five years?” she tremors, visibly shaking and tucking hair behind her ear. “You want me to move to Rome for five years?”
“It comes with anextremelysexy salary package that includes accommodation.So you could sublet your New York apartment if you wanna keep it, or you could let it go and stay in Italy.”
“Stay in Italy,” she gulps. “Jesus.”
“Or go to London and do the same again.” He practically dances, oblivious to Tommy’s glare. And Alana’s.
Franky’s.
Fuck, what does my face look like?
Trembling, Fox peeks my way and searches my eyes. So I paste on my most convincing smile.
Kill me. Bury me.“You pitched this idea?” Put me out of my fucking misery. “Holy shit, Fox.Youpitched this, and now he’s delivering the good news. That’s exciting.”
“He gets it!” Booker hooks a thumb in my direction, and because he’s clearly accustomed to touching her, he grabs Fox’s hand and sandwiches it between his. “You got everything you wanted.Allof the terms you stipulated. That’s why I came here instead of waiting for you to get back in a week.”
She studies me, her lips dropped open, and her pulse thundering in her throat.
So I hold on to my smile.
She asked for this!
I’ll be damned if I’m the reason she second-guesses her instincts.
“Fox? Honey?” Booker gives her hand a gentle shake. “Are you listening? It’s all a bit exciting, I know.”
