Page 36 of Accidental Getaway

Alexander jumps up from behind the desk when he sees me. “Jenni! What happened? We all thought you left. Are you okay?”

He runs over to me and takes my bags. I straighten my suit and run my fingers under my eyes to get any remaining smudged mascara.

“You have no idea how okay I am, Alexander,” I say, wrapping him in a huge hug that, of course, makes him blush. I love him even more for it. “I need to get to the board meeting. Is it still in the conference room? Is Niko in there?”

“Yes, but I must warn you. He has been terribly upset since yesterday.”

“That’s probably my fault.”

Ana’s voice rings out from the stairs. “You’re back!”

“Ana, thank goodness. I need your help.”

She rushes to my side. “What can we do? Are you here to see Niko? He just went into the meeting, but one of the board members still isn’t here so they haven’t started yet. Should I get him for you?”

I need to talk to him. Preferably alone before I talk to the entire board. I would also like to not look or smell like I’ve been traveling for the last fifteen hours. “Yes, but let me find my makeup. I look like a mess.”

I unzip my suitcase and start throwing clothes out, searching for my toiletry bag. Half of my things are on the floor before I find it.

“Come to my room. We’ll clean you up. Alexander, pick up Jenni’s things and then go stall the meeting. Tell the kitchen to send in coffee and pastries—do whatever you can. And tell Niko that I need him in my room in ten minutes.”

“Yes, Miss Ana. I’m on it.”

He quickly dumps everything into my bag, kicks it behind the desk and runs to the kitchen with the determination of a royal messenger.

“You know he worships you, right?” I ask Ana as we walk briskly to her room. “He would go in there in a clown suit if you asked him to.”

“And that’s why I didn’t ask him to go in there in a clown suit. Alexander is such a sweetheart and also way too young for me. He will have to settle for us being friends.”

When we arrive at the room, Ana ushers me into the bathroom.

“You do your makeup. I will do your hair.” She grabs a barrel brush and her blow dryer. While I apply foundation, she brushes through my hair. Expertly, she curls the layers to frame my face, and my hair miraculously smooths out.

While I finish up my lips, Ana plugs in a steamer and runs it along my slacks and suit coat. I didn’t think you could steam clothes while wearing them. Then, she lingers a little too long in one spot and I can feel the hot steam burn through the fabric. “Ow!”

“I’m sorry! Almost done.”

Ana hits one more sleeve with the steamer and then sets it on the counter. I appraise myself in the mirror. I look ten times better. I could have never done any of this alone. Ana picks out a perfume from an acrylic case on the counter and spritzes me. “Perfection.”

I raise my eyebrows at her. I’m far from perfection, but I can at least show my face without worrying that I look like I’ve been spit out by a whale.

“Thank you, Ana. I can’t tell you how much this means to me. And I’m so sorry about yesterday. I don’t know how to explain it right now without ruining all this makeup, but I know I messed up, and I’m so sorry.”

Before she can respond, there’s a knock on the door. “Ana?” It’s Niko. Ana opens the door.

“Are you okay? Alexander said it was urgent.” He looks her up and down, his face strained.

Without saying a word, Ana steps back, letting Niko into the room, where he finally sees me. He stops a few feet away. His face is still full of hurt.

“Jenni? What are you doing here?” He sounds eager, but tired.

“Can we talk?” My stomach flutters with nervous excitement.

“Of course. Can it wait? Alexander just pulled me from the board meeting, and I am afraid of what my dad might try to do in my absence.”

This is going to be hard. But I have to do it. I hurt him.

“I know, but I need to explain everything. If you can give me a couple minutes, I can tell you everything. Then hopefully, if you’ll have me, I can join you at the board meeting.”

His eyes dart to mine and I can tell he’s confused.

“I’ll give you two a moment alone.” Ana says and steps out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Where to start? I practiced this speech over and over again on the boat, but now, with Niko in the flesh, all I want to do is bury myself in his arms and beg for forgiveness. He deserves more than that, though. I have to be honest with him and tell him the whole truth.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” I start. “I was scared, and I didn’t know how to make things right. So I ran. It’s kind of what I do. This is a first for me, though, because I came back.”

I swallow against the lump in my throat before I continue.

“For the last six months, my life has been a wreck. I’m not technically a marketer despite what Amber and I led you to believe.

I’m her assistant. She sent me here only when no one else would do it.

This trip—this job—was supposed to be my ticket to put my life back together.

I thought that if I came here and convinced you to work with us, I would prove everyone wrong about me.

I could get a promotion and get my life back on track.

“At first, everything was going so well. But then I started to fall for you. And I hadn’t felt that way about anyone in years.

You made me feel like the sun was shining on me again after years of storms. My last boyfriend was horrible.

He was manipulative and controlling, and …

we worked together. Getting involved with him is what eventually led to me losing my job in Chicago.

So I freaked out. I thought that might happen again if I got too involved with you. So I put walls up.”

“And I respected them,” Niko interrupts, finally speaking. He looks so desperate, and I feel the weight of his heart on my shoulders. I have to be careful with him.

“You did, and I can’t begin to tell you how much that meant to me.”

“So what happened?”

This is the hard part. The part where I still want to run and hide. But I won’t. I have to trust Niko with this. Otherwise, we have no hope of ever having a real chance at a relationship. We can’t build a future on lies. Not when that future is what I want more than anything.

“He showed up. ”

“Who?”

I give Niko a beat to let it sink it. After a moment, his eyes go wide, and his mouth drops slightly open. “Malcolm is your ex? I knew I hated that guy. I’m going to throw him out. How dare he show up here. He should have left the moment he saw you.”

I think I love you, Niko . I don’t say it out loud, because we aren’t ready for that even if my heart is.

“Ana said you would do that,” I say instead, smiling.

“It felt too scary. I didn’t trust that I was worth that sort of help.

I should have known you cared enough. I should have known you would protect me.

But he got in my head. He told me the board would never pick my little agency over his firm.

He made big, empty promises about getting me my old job back.

I never believed he would. I know he’s never going to get me a spot at the firm and admit his mistakes.

What I did believe was that no one would ever choose me.

I didn’t think I would survive that. But then, by leaving, I realized that what I was really doing was taking the chance away from myself.

That the only way I could know if you picked me, or if the board picked me, was if I actually tried. ”

My hands are trembling. I inhale a deep breath, encouraging myself to keep going.

“So I’m back. I’m asking you to forgive me.

I’m not asking you to be with me because I know I broke your trust in so many ways, but I am asking you to let me pitch to the board.

Because Malcolm does not have your best interests in mind.

He will not take care of your hotel the way Aspen Sky will, whether I still have a job with Amber or not.

I know you know that, and I’m asking you to let me help you convince your dad. ”

Niko steps toward me and takes my hands in his. I can’t decipher his face, but I prepare myself for the worst. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. No man should ever treat you that way. I want you to know that. ”

I nod.

“And thank you for telling me. It’s a lot to take in, but I really appreciate you trusting me enough with your life.”

I nod again. All of this is great, but none of it is an answer to my question about whether he’ll forgive me.

His thumbs gently rub the back of my hands as he scans my face.

I don’t know what he’s looking for, but I try to project every ounce of my heart for him to see.

I am laying all of it bare. No more hiding.

“I just have one question,” Niko says. I blink, waiting. “After all of this, will you stay? Not forever; I’m not asking for a commitment. But for a week, maybe? I want time with you. The time we lost and then some.”

I let out a huge sigh, tears brimming on my eyelashes. I blink a couple times so the mascara doesn’t smudge. “Yes, yes, of course. I mean, I’ll have to run it by Amber, but yes, I would like that very much.”

“I lied. I have two questions.”

“Okay …”

“Can I kiss you, again?”

Instead of answering, I reach up and take his gorgeous face in both of my hands.

He smiles against my lips. The kiss is fast, passionate, nothing like the one on the boat that was full of excitement and lust. This kiss sinks deep into my soul, carrying with it all the vulnerability and trust we’re rebuilding.

Niko’s hands run into my hair, pulling me closer to him and I move my hands to his back, feeling flexed muscles through his lightweight dress shirt.

Niko puts a hand on my waist, inside of my blazer, pulling me taut against his body. “I missed you,” he whispers in my ear.

Someone clears their throat. “Okay, this makes me so happy, but Alexander just texted that they are getting antsy downstairs.”

I jump back at the sound of Ana’s voice. We must have missed when she opened the door. I put a hand over my mouth and she looks us both up and down. “Niko, go wipe the lipstick off your mouth, and Jenni, let me smooth your hair.”

She squeals quietly as soon as Niko steps into the bathroom. “I love this, I love this, I love this!” She runs her fingers through my hair, tucking one side behind my ear.

Niko emerges from the bathroom. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s go.”

I grab my computer and the three of us make our way down to the conference room.

“The board consists of my dad, Dimitri; Ana’s father, Andreas; two financiers; and an actor, who joins on video from California.

You might recognize him from some TV sitcoms. But don’t worry about it.

I honestly think he mutes us until his assistant tells him it’s time to chime in.

He’s a distant cousin who likes to put his name on things. ”

“That doesn’t sound terrifying at all.”

“It won’t be. Just pretend it’s you and me. No one else.”

Knowing that Niko is going to be in there, rooting for me, helps. But it is still intimidating.

“Don’t forget me! I’m coming in,” Ana declares. We both turn to look at her. “What? I’m the new events and hospitality manager; I need to know about our marketing strategy as much as anyone else.”

“That is a very good point,” Niko says, winking at me. “Then you’ve got both of us in your corner. You were slated to present first, and I never updated the agenda, so they are probably still expecting you. Malcolm will come in for his portion afterward.”

Good. I don’t want to have to do this with him in the room. I would prefer not to have to see him ever again. I probably won’t be that lucky, however.

Ana grunts. “I wanted to see the look on his face when she strolls in to take over.” She’s wearing a smirk that only a woman on a revenge mission could wear. She might be enjoying this a little too much.

When we reach the conference room doors, Niko enters first. “I’m sorry for the delay. I hope you’ve enjoyed the additional refreshments.”

Ana and I enter the room behind him.

On the other side of the long oval table, Malcolm stands before the group, the Prewitt Luxury logo spinning on a large screen behind him.

When he looks over and sees me, his eyes bulge out of their sockets.

I hear Ana snicker behind me, but I’m frozen, transported back to the last time Malcolm and I were in the same room with a client.

“What the hell was that?” the client spits out, pointing toward me. “Is she calling me sexist? Trying to force some political agenda on my festival? Why is she even talking right now? Whiny cow.”

Is he serious? I was just trying to help.

All I did was point out that an advertisement telling men to “leave the women and children at home” for the heavy metal portion of the festival might incur some criticism.

It’s a valid point, and he is going to feel pretty stupid when Malcolm agrees with me.

I stand my ground.

Except Malcolm doesn’t agree with me. He takes the client’s side. My boss—my boyfriend—is taking sides with a man who just spewed misogynistic hatred at me.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. McCarthy,” Malcolm says, his hands up in the air, feigning innocence.

My stomach drops. What is he doing? We talked about this before we left the office. Malcolm agreed that the billboard was insensitive and a bad look for the festival. He had commended me for picking up on it and gave me the go-ahead to address it during our meeting. Why is he doing this ?

Malcolm glares at me and then continues. “Miss Swanson is completely out of line. We would never question your judgment.”

I stare at Malcolm, waiting for the catch. He has to have an angle. He wouldn’t throw me under the bus like this. It would make the whole firm look bad. But he refuses to make eye contact.

“Get her out of here,” McCarthy says, his voice filled with vitriol. “There’s nothing I hate more than a woman who constantly plays victim. It’s a billboard, not a royal decree. It’s not that serious.”

“Jenni,” Malcolm addresses me. “I think you should go. I’ll take the meeting from here.”

My hands shake as I gather my things and stand, staring at Malcolm, wanting to believe this isn’t happening. It’s some cruel joke.

He never stops me. I walk the twenty blocks back to our office and don’t hear a single word from him.