Page 10 of Now and Forever
The sudden captivation was second nature at this point. The urge to sigh dreamily up at his beautiful face was like muscle memory, instinctual and pointless to fight. But deep down underneath her undying affection for the man she couldn’t help but recall the day he let her down when she needed him most, when she had come home early one morning to find her aunt’s still body in her chair.
Stunned and shaken, she had dialed Grayson's number, instinctively turning to the man she knew could help her.
"Mr. Rosebank I…I…need to talk to you-"
She would never forget Grayson's deep almost cold-sounding voice as he cut her off. "Golden, I can't speak right now, I'm getting on a plane. I have to go. I'm sure Gaige can talk to you about whatever it is."
It had been so unlike him, so distant. But she knew why, she thought bitterly even now as she unwillingly recalled that day. He had been disappointed in her because of what happened the night before, she was sure of that.
Blinking, Golden forced herself back to the present, stepped back, and glared at him. "What's going on? Why am I up here?"
Grayson's eyes scanned her, and Golden felt a small shudder pass through her. His devastating blue eyes took in her emerald green wide-leg pants and white button-up blouse. She hated herself for the satisfaction she felt for picking the outfit. She looked good in it. The tucked-in shirt with the high-waisted pants accentuated her curves while also lengthening her legs. Resisting the urge to raise her hand and check the short curls framing her face, she maintained her determined stare at the handsome bastard.
Unfazed by her accusing look, Grayson smirked and walked over to the seating area in front of his desk and sat down in one of the chairs. "You're being reassigned. I want you to work with me as my assistant."
"What? No." She shook her head, rebuking his words. "I'm supposed to be working as a production assistant in the basement."
The corner of his mouth quirked. "You mean far from me."
Golden looked away from him as she answered. It was like staring at the sun, she couldn't look at him for too long or it hurt something deep inside of her she thought she pushed away years ago. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
"Golden-" he began, his velvety voice rich with patience.
"No, this was not what I agreed to." She held up her hands. She wanted to stamp her feet. She couldn't believe she was already seeing him like this. She wasn't ready, dammit. Not now, maybe not ever. If she was working in the basement, like she had been promised, this wouldn't be happening.
His mouth tightened as he stared back at her and the subtle movement made her feel a little weak. Golden was only ever used to Grayson's calm composure. Not once had she ever seen the man truly angry. With an unwavering calmness, his expression was always reserved, rarely betraying any emotion beyond the dignified mask he wore. But this one minuscule twitch of a muscle in his jaw silently commanded her compliance.
Slowly, she sat down in the chair across from him despite every instinct in her body telling her just to abandon the job and run back home.
The muscle in his jaw relaxed as she sat down and he gave her a considering look. "You ignored me for two years. I understand, I wasn't there when you needed me. I can't undo that, but I hoped we could at least try and go back to the way it was before that," he continued gently. "I know you've always been my son's friend, but I like to think you and I were friends, too."
Guilt lanced through her with longing. Did he not know how much her decision to distance herself from him hurt her? She had loved him. She had seen him multiple times a week forfour years straight. There had been countless times in New York she laid in bed crying over the loss of their friendship. She desperately wanted him back in her life. But how could she ever forget what happened that day?
Golden cleared her throat. "We were friends…until…"
"Say it," Grayson lifted his chin and looked down at her, a challenge glinting in his clear blue eyes, daring her to put it all on the table. "Until what?"
"No." She shook her head and got up. "I don’t want to do this." Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest. This was not what she had planned for the day. She was just supposed to start a boring little job as a production assistant, not rake up the past and its painful memories.
"Golden," her name sounded like a lash of a whip cracking in the air, commanding her body to stop moving.
Angry at herself and shocked at his gall, she spun around on her new wedges and glared at him with tears shimmering in her eyes. "We were friends until you left me alone!" she yelled at him. "You turned me away when I really needed you."All because I made a stupid mistake that night, she thought.
She hadn't even taken two steps back before he was standing in front of her grasping her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I would do anything to go back to that day and fix it all, but I can't. I'm sorry for letting you down when you needed me most."
As his warm hands gently enveloped her shoulders, Golden felt a surge of solace seep through her, like sunlight thawing frost. And she couldn't fight it anymore. She buried her face against his broad chest, letting the tears she had been fighting spill freely in quiet sobs. In response, Grayson pulled her closer,his arms strong and reassuring, forming a fortress around her, shielding her from the outside world. The steady heartbeat beneath her face served as a comforting lull in the storm of her emotions.
For minutes, they just stood like that until her tears finally subsided. Being in his arms felt so good, she wasn't sure how she managed to pull back.
Wiping her face, Golden looked away embarrassed and more than a little angry at herself. "I still don't think I should work here," she mumbled.
Grayson didn't move away; she could feel his gaze burning into the side of her face. "And I still disagree," replied calmly.
Exasperated, she ran a careful hand over her short curls to make sure they were still in place before pacing across the large office to stop at his desk. She desperately searched for a reason to leave that he would listen to.
"I don't want to take someone's job who would be more qualified for a position like this. Besides," she smirked in growing triumph as the argument solidified in her mind. "If I work directly for you, it would be blatant nepotism!" she pointed out. Surely, she had him there.
"It would," Grayson agreed, with not an ounce of shame. He walked around his desk and sat calmly in his chair. "I can assure you, however, that you wouldn't be taking anyone's job nor should anyone feel slighted. Every single employee gets paid well for their position and knows exactly what is required to move to another position. Besides, your job at my side didn't exist until today."
