Page 70 of Bigfoot Boss
“Bailey. I need you in my life. I love every inch of you, and every moment that we’ve spent together. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for everything I’ve done, and please, please, take me back.”
“Take you back?” She leans back, gently pulling away until I set her on her feet again. “Did you break up with me? I don’t remember that part of our conversation.”
“I was worried you would think—I didn’t ask them to give you that money—” I run my hands up and down her arms, not willing to stop touching her.
“I didn’t think you did.”
“I don’t want you to quit?—”
“I know.”
“I don’t want you to go anywhere, I need you in my life?—”
“I know. I know. It’s okay.” She almost laughs, reaching up to run her cool hand across my hot cheeks, smoothing out my beard. I catch one of her hands in mine and press a kiss to the meat of her palm. “It’s okay. I didn’t think you’d changed your mind about everything in four hours. I know you didn’t tell them about the contract.”
“I’m so sorry. I never should have made you sign that stupid document.” I keep her hand squeezed tight in my grip. “I just needed you so badly. I wasn’t thinking. It was such a ridiculous thing to ask you to do.”
“It’s okay,” she soothes, “I like ridiculous things remember?”
My chest squeezes. “I thought you were running away from me,” I admit.
She takes a very slow breath, “I think I’m ready to stop running.”
I almost relax, almost, every muscle still feels full of adrenaline. “I don’t know if I’ll ever let you out of my sight again. I was so worried. I called you, texted, you didn’t answer.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice, I’ve been with—will you come inside? To talk?” She walks backward, tugging me with her into her apartment. There’s a woman standing in the middle her living room. Not Margot. Someone tall and slender with brown hair tied up in a bun.
“This is Carlotta,” Bailey says, “Carlotta, this is Sacha.”
Carlotta’s eyes go wide when she sees me. “Sacha Kwatch, owner of one of the largest tech companies in the world.”
“Part owner…” I agree tentatively.
“Carlotta is helping me with a project,” Bailey says. “I was going to have to tell her that my funding fell through, but then—well today happened and I thought I might as well make lemonade out of lemons. I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone, we were looking at real estate.”
“Real estate?” I look between the women.
“Carlotta Miller, realtor,” the woman holds out her hand for me to shake, “I’ve been helping Bailey look for space to rent.”
“A space to rent?” I take the woman’s hand without really thinking.
Bailey looks slightly embarrassed. “I called her when you first asked me to sign the contract. When I thought I was going to get the money quickly. We looked at a few places?—”
“But, then she called me back about three weeks ago to say the deal was off, and then she called me again this morning to say the funding was available after all.” Carlotta looks me up and down appraisingly. “I must say you’ve sent us on a bit of an emotional roller coaster, Mr. Kwatch.”
“You are starting your cafe?” I ask Bailey, “For real?”
“Yes. I know it’s a big commitment,” she grins, “but I think I’m ready for a big commitment.”
“I should get out of your hair for now,” Carlotta says, gathering her things, “but I’ll line up some of those showings for later in the week.”
She leaves quickly, which is fortunate because I am already pulling Bailey back into my arms as the door closes.
“You can have your money back, Sacha, if you want it.” Bailey lets herself be tugged toward me, but she doesn’t look me in the eye. “If you didn’t really want me to have it?”
“No,” I say immediately. “No. It’s yours, it belongs to you. I want you to have it, I want to see you succeed.”
“Alright.” She smiles but it seems sad. I just want to hold her until all her worries fade away, “I know I was never a very good assistant, and I was fired today, but there was one last message I was supposed to give you.” She fists her fingers into my shirt and presses herself against me.
