Page 61 of Not Home Alone

“So? I bet she’d love to move back here.”

Suddenly, I’m reminded that my world is not all peppermint and schnitzels and rainbows. It’s a god damn tragedy. I scrub my face with my palm and groan. “But if I take over the company, I still have to live in New York. Remember?”

“So don’t take over the company. Move back here and start a new company. Convince her to move back too.”

I consider that for a moment, because in a perfect world that would be great. But it’s not a perfect world. My dad has made sure of that. “If I don’t take over for my father, he’ll sell to Voss. You know what he’ll do to this town. To her dad’s store. She’d never forgive me.”

“So take over and stay here.”

“The board approved the move to New York. It’s non-negotiable.”

“Everything’s negotiable. You know that. You’re just afraid to fight for what you want because she might not want you too.”

“I am afraid of nothing, Finch. Nothing. And everyone wants me.” Jesus. I do not sound convincing anymore. I didn’t buy a word of what I just said. But it’s not fear. I just don’t want to hurt her again.

“Yeah? Is that why you dodged her kiss in The Notcracker performance ten years ago in front of everyone, even though you made out with her the night before?”

“How the hell do you know about that?”

He lowers his voice, even though the soundproofing in this old building is really impressive. “I told you. Joy is her friend. But I remember how miserable you were when you got back from Christmas break that year. I mean, you were always a moody fucker, but that January you were so dark, I thought you had an insane wife shackled in an attic somewhere.”

“What?”

“Mr. Rochester. Jane Eyre.”

“You are such a nerd.”

“You’re the one who couldn’t handle kissing a girl you liked on stage.”

“You talk about this kind of thing with your assistant?”

“God, no. Not usually. But she had some wine with dinner the other night and mentioned the whole backstory with you and Merrily. She was adamant that I should never tell anyone. She swears that she never told anyone besides me, and that she was the only person Merrily told.”

“You had dinner with Joy?”

“Not with her. I was eating dinner here, and she was eating dinner where you’re sitting, and we were working. Stop trying to change the subject.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one changing the subject.”

“I’m the one who knows exactly where he’ll be working in January and has no love life to talk about.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“Oh, I have a sex life, I’m just not a lovesick idiot.” He goes back to typing. “If you aren’t going to make any more decisions today, then you can go.”

Such a grumpy fucker. How is it that people think I’m grumpy? I’m a goddamn Labradoodle puppy compared to this asshole.

“I made a decision. I already know that I can’t ask her to believe in me when I can’t give her what she deserves.”

“Right. So nothing’s changed.”

Is that true? That’s not true. “Everything’s changed. I could give her what she deserves. I just don’t want to complicate things for her.”

“Uh huh.”

“I need to make a decision about The Moody Group first. One thing at a time. I just need to make sure we both understand that this is a casual thing, I guess.”

Without taking his attention away from his monitor, he says, “Personally, I don’t live in the same house as the women I’m having casual things with. But that’s just me.”