Chapter Twenty-Six
Nate
“Guest of honor, huh?” Clara exclaims, inspecting my invitation next Friday morning. There will be a gala tonight, and everyone working at the San Francisco branch is invited. Horowitz told me about it days ago but forgot to mention that I’m a guest of honor. I only found out when the invitation was delivered.
“Yeah, which means I have a speech to write.” Which is why I’m sitting at my desk at the studio, staring at a blank document on my laptop instead of doing my job. The only good part about being a guest of honor is that I can invite one person to join me. Alice was ecstatic about it.
“And no time for it.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
“Well, this day can’t get any crazier.” As Horowitz’s laughter resounds through the open door of my office, Clara jerks her head back. “I spoke too soon. What is he doing here?”
“No idea.” Horowitz doesn’t come down to the studios unless shit hits the fan.
Seconds later, the man himself steps inside, holding a stack of papers in his hands. “Hello, Clara. Can you give me a few minutes with Nate?”
“Sure.”
She casts a worried glance my way before leaving. The moment the door closes behind her, Horowitz places the stack of papers on my desk, then claps his hands.
“Abbott quit. The London team is desperate for you to take over the job. Here’s the contract. They want you to start right away.”
***
Alice
The gala is in full swing by the time I arrive. I’m glad I took the extra time to let Pippa do my hair and makeup because I would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb if I had taken my usual low-maintenance approach. As it is, my fancy hairdo with the bright red flower that matches the red shoes do make me stand out, but in all the right ways. The venue is clearly old luxury with high ceilings and low-hanging crystal chandeliers. Round tables with exquisite tablecloths are scattered throughout the room. The centerpiece is the stage at the back for speeches.
With careful steps, I wander around, looking for Nate. The venue is packed with men wearing suits, which makes it even more difficult to identify my man.
Yeah, I’m going to repeat that a few more times in my mind because it sounds too good. My man.
“Well, well, if I don’t have the honor to be the date of the most beautiful woman around,” Nate says from behind me.
I swirl around, grinning from ear to ear. “I was desperately trying to find you, but with so many suits….”
“You, on the other hand, are very easy to notice. And very beautiful. You—”
“Nate, the man of the hour,” one such suit exclaims, stepping right between us and shaking Nate’s hand. “Congratulations on the London offer. Horowitz told me this morning, right after he brought you the contract. I knew Abbott wouldn’t last a year. Bastard gave up less than three months into the job. You’ll do great.”
Nate tenses instantly. My mouth goes dry, the words feeling like whiplash. Someone calls the suit, and he takes off with a curt nod at me. I need a few seconds to gather my wits, and to steel myself.
I blink at Nate, waiting to hear what he has to say. Why didn’t he tell me all of this? Granted, I just saw him, but according to the suit, he’s known since this morning. He had all day. Unless he decided already and didn’t know how to tell me. My stomach constricts, and I taste bile at the back of my throat just as a wave of nausea hits me. I feel so silly now in my ridiculously high shoes and with the stupid flower in my hair. No one needs to dress up to have their heart broken.
“Congratulations,” I say softly, looking at my hands.
“I meant to tell you today, but I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”
“Of course.”
“I haven’t accepted the job yet, Alice.”
The key word being yet. Snapping my head up, I see a multitude of emotions warring on his face. Hope, fear, uncertainty. I know how much he wants this, and how much he worked for it. If there’s one thing I understand, it’s hard work and chasing dreams.
“But you will,” I say when I finally find my voice again. “Because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, isn’t it? To be at the helm of the show you idolize.”
“Alice—”
“I’ll watch every single episode,” I promise. “You’ll be great.”
“Listen to me.” Desperation tinges his voice, and it makes my eyes burn. “Maybe there will be other opportunities that don’t require me to move an ocean away from you.”
I nearly choke up. “Do you honestly believe there will be other opportunities for exactly what you want?”
His silence is my answer, and I know deep down that I can’t let him give this up just to be here with me. It wouldn’t be fair. Maybe he would say no anyway, but it wouldn’t be right to ask. It would be selfish and inconsiderate. Even if he said yes, years from now he could resent me for it.
My mind scrambles with a solution, a way to make this work, but I come up blank. To be honest, the effort to not cry takes all my concentration—not enough neurons left to be smart. So I do the only thing that seems logical. Taking a step toward him, I rise on my tiptoes—even in heels, I’m shorter than him—and kiss his cheek once.
“You’ll love London,” I whisper. “And you’ll do a great show. I’ll watch every episode, and—” My voice cracks on the last word, but I’m persistent. “And I’ll think about our time together. About how much it meant to me. To us. You’ll do great, you’ll see.”
Nate hooks a forceful arm around my waist. “Alice, stop. Don’t—”
“I need to leave now, okay?” My voice is unsteady. Nate’s grip on my waist tightens. “I need you to let me go so I can do that.”
“Stay.”
“I don’t think I can,” I whisper, inhaling deeply. His scent, both earthy and fresh, fills my nostrils. When he touches my forehead with his lips, it feels like a stamp on the letter that was our love story.
“Becker,” someone calls in the distance. I use it as my chance to leave. Pulling out of his grasp is easy because he doesn’t resist anymore.
“I’ll go with you.”
“You’re the guest of honor,” I whisper. “You can’t bail. Call me tomorrow, if you want. Or don’t. It’s better if you don’t call. Easier.”
As the suit who was calling Nate’s name steps into view, I paste a plastic smile on my face, say goodbye, and then twirl around. As if through a haze, I walk toward the entrance door. My heart is pounding so hard it’s making me nauseous, and my eyes are burning.
I just need to make it out of here, that’s all.