Page 54 of Kayla's List

“Anderson, my goodness! Stop running after a woman who doesn’t want you! You’re chasing this girl around this party. Hell, around every party, you two are together. I’m right here. Helping you with everything, and you don’t even acknowledge me.Ihelped you get that deal with Pearson Grant! Me leaking that story got everybody interested. I need to be the woman on your arm. We would be the power couple that everyone wants to be. Can’t you see that?” Bethany’s words are strong but not loud. If anyone were watching, they would think we were just having a normal conversation. But her words shock me.

Bethany just dropped a bomb of emotions, and I wasn’t aware of the depth of her feelings. My grandmother was right as usual. Bethany doesn’t just want to be with me. Her words tell me that she has thought long and hard about this. I can’t have the conversation that needs to be had at this very moment, but I can tell Bethany the truth.

“Bethany, I’m in love with Kayla,” I say, not to hurt her feelings but to make her understand. “I’m not interested in you that way. You’re a good employee, but I’m not the man for you. I can never be that guy.”

Bethany looks up at me with tears in her eyes and takes a deep breath. Then she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. I jerk away from her in surprise, and the first thing I do is look to where Kayla was standing.She’s gone.

I run my hands over my face, and I look around the ballroom in dismay. I can’t believe Bethany just did that. What the hell was she thinking?

“See? No matter what, a woman like that can’t handle you, Anderson. She won’t even fight for you. You say that you love her, but does she love you back?” Bethany has an evil little grin on her face, and I’m flabbergasted.

“Kayla doesn’t need to fight for me. Why the fuck am I still standing here arguing with you? Fuck this!” I begin to walk away to go chase after my woman. What’s between Kay and me is nobody’s business, especially Bethany.

“Anderson, you need to do this for…”

“You’re fired, Bethany,” I throw over my shoulder. I’ll be damned if I have a person like that working for me.

When I finally reach the hall, Kayla is nowhere to be found. I can’t believe this shit! I know that she was ready to hear what I had to say because she didn’t run when I looked in her direction. Kayla has been skittish from the start, and now there’s no telling what she’s thinking.

“You know, if I weren’t close enough to eavesdrop on that conniving snake you call a PR specialist, I would kick your ass right now.” Shelby comes up behind me, and I’m glad that her nosy ass is here for once.

“You heard her?” I say with slight relief lacing my tone.

“Yeah. She’s going to be a problem, Andy.” Shelby shakes her head, and I know she’s right. Hell, my grandmother said the same thing. But I can’t think about Bethany right now. I need to find Kay.

“Where’s Kayla? Did she leave?” I asked, still looking around as if she will pop up out of thin air.

“She did her best impression of Cinderella, but no worries, I got your back, Andy.” Shelby smirks at me, and I shake my head.

“Thanks, Shell. But the way Kayla left, I don’t think she’ll even listen to what I have to say,” I say in a defeated tone.

I was such a dick to her at the restaurant, and now she catches me not even a week later kissing one of my employees. There’s no telling what she’s thinking right now.I have to explain things to her.The irony of the thought isn’t lost on me. If I would’ve just let her explain things to me, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Now, I just hope that she will give me the chance I didn’t give to her.

“You’re going to have to do a lot of groveling, but she’ll listen. Eventually,” Shelby says, and although her words are meant to encourage, I still feel a sense of loss like never before.

Bethany knew I would never be with her, but I guess the saying is correct… misery loves company. But I refuse to be miserable for one minute longer. I am going to get Kayla back. Fuck misery!

25

Foolishness, Flowers, And Forgiveness

ANDERSON

“She’s trying to do what?” My loud voice almost shakes the walls of our conference room.

It’s been a week since the McNair Fall Ball, and we are in an emergency meeting. Bethany is claiming her firing was in retaliation for my sexual advances not being returned. She’s saying that I sexually harassed her.

“We need to just settle. Bethany Lester will go away with a few million.” One of the slimy lawyers suggest, and I want to fire his ass. These are a different batch of attorneys than the ones we use for business negotiations. And these weasels are the worst.

“Fuck that! I didn’t sexually harass her, and I’m not giving her a dime,” I growl at the man.

“You said that Shelby heard everything that she said. She’s a witness,” Brady says.

“Yeah, but Shelby is a friend. They’ll just claim that she’s lying.” I shake my head. That was the first thing I thought of when I heard the ridiculous claims.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call Shelby your friend, though.” Brady shrugs. I nod, but that’s beside the point. We have enough friends in common that the relationship is still there.

“Won’t work. We need solid evidence that Bethany is lying,” another lawyer says.