All Of It

"It has to be good news, right? I mean, they wouldn't be back so soon if it wasn't…or maybe she can't wait to end everything." Caleb retrieves his hands from his pockets only to shove them back in before perching on the arm of his office couch, facing Darren. He is nervous as hell. Not even the worst of cases in the E.R had made him this nervous before. The feeling had stuck with him from the moment Layla disappeared with Janice and the news of their return just caused his nerves to thicken. Could a little over two hours be enough for her to decide to forgive him or had she decided to skip that part entirely and just dump him.

"Can't tell, Janice sounded sort of off." Darren's words and the accompanying frown does nothing to ease the tension Caleb is feeling. "But then again, she's been cranky the past few days, so I highly doubt her mood can be used to determine anything."

"Did she tell you about the baby yet?" Caleb figures a bit of a distraction will do him good and hopefully help shake off some of his nerves.

"Nope. I suspect she's planning something to that effect, which means I'm screwed."

"How so?"

"You know I suck at acting, so how the hell am I supposed to fake surprise that will be convincing for her? She'll see right through me."

"You could try the truth route. I know I should have." Caleb sighs, thinking about the flash of pain that painted Layla's face when realization hit her.

"To be fair, yours wasn't a lie. You just haven't gotten to that part yet."

"Might as well have been. I should have told her and you know it. And now I might lose her because I was too chicken to face my past."

"On the bright side, she's the reason you are here. You could use that angle to get yourself out of the misunderstanding."

He could totally do that and he has no doubt it would work like a charm, but that would make him no different from Simon. "I don't want to get myself out of anywhere. I will not treat this like some business transaction. I want her to know how much she means to me. I want her to know that I'm not just another Simon waiting to get rid of her after I get what I want."

"And what exactly is it you want?" 

"All of it. Partner, friend, wife, home, babies, all that mundane stuff." Caleb replies with more conviction than necessary. With Layla, not even his own fears are enough to keep him from wanting it all.

"Then you are in luck."

"Janice?" Caleb shoots up from his seat at her voice, eyes going past the pregnant woman looking for Layla. Disappointment greets him when he doesn't find her. Janice's smile however, showers him with a little hope.

"You have one more chance to pitch that lovely dream of yours. Don't mess it up." Janice pokes him on the chest before crashing on the couch next to her husband. "I've got a lot riding on this and if you mess it up, I'll never forgive you."

Caleb would have had a snarky comment to that, just to piss Janice off, but right now Layla's absence is all he cares about. "Where is she?"

"Relax, she'll be here. Just get ready to spread your charm. Though I highly doubt you'll really need any of that."

"I won't?" Everything about Janice tells him to relax, but Caleb can't seem to do that.

"Nope." Janice gestures to Darren for them to leave. "There is dinner to be had and you two better make it." She demands as she drags a reluctant Darren past him and for whatever reason Caleb finds the sight heartwarming. What he'd give to have that with Layla.

"What's taking her so long then? Did she go to the ladies room or something?"Caleb asks when he realizes Janice is about to leave without actually telling him where Layla is.

"Who said anything about the ladies room?" Janice pauses in the doorway to his office, frowning.

"I just assumed that…"

"That she needed to wipe away all the evidence of her crying over you?" 

"Was she crying?" The thought makes him want to punch himself. He's supposed to make her happy, not cry.

"God no. But for a while there, she looked like she was going to have your head though. Might still want to, so be forewarned." Janice smirks, making him let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, he'd rather have her furious than in tears. She'd already shed enough of those. And he certainly doesn't want her shedding any on his account. Happy ones, maybe. "She did go to the ladies room, but only to get ready for her interview."

"What interview? Did she have another one scheduled for today?" Despite everything, Caleb feels a hint of betrayal. Why wouldn't she tell him about it?

"Relax." Janice rolls her eyes, probably noticing the expression on his face. "It's the same one. She's doing it with HR. You both have a shared interest so she asked for you both to be excused."

"I didn't authorize anything of the sort, did you?" Caleb turns to Darren, but his friend only shakes his head.

"I did. And I know she'll do great."

"She doesn't need to go through some damn interview." Caleb finally takes a seat, hating the image of his woman trying to justify why she should be hired by his own company that he would gladly give to her if she wanted. That was the whole reason he'd asked to have her come up to his office. He was going to offer her the position without all that because she was more than qualified for it. And if he was being honest, he was excited to see what they'd accomplish together. 

"She needs to do this…alone." Janice pins him with one of her intimidating looks when he opens his mouth to protest. "She's dating her future boss, God knows she'd want to prove her worth to her future coworkers."

He hadn't thought of that angle and now that Janice has mentioned it, he already resolves to fire whoever will accuse Layla of sleeping her way into his company. God help them all.

"Don't be late." With a brow raised, Janice closes the door. The silence that engulfs his office space after plunges him right back into his nervous state. Despite Janice's conviction that he is going to show up with Layla for dinner, that reality seems too far-fetched to him. Not until they work out this mess he created and she gives him the verdict.

But what if she doesn't show up? What if she decides to leave after the interview?

A fresh wave of panic washes over him and he reaches for his phone to give Layla a call, damn the interview. 

"Or maybe I should just head over to HR." Deciding he can just hang around outside the boardroom while she finishes up, he cuts the call and heads for the door instead. It doesn't even matter that that is equal to connering her and not giving her a choice in the matter.

A soft knock on his door as he walks towards it has him pausing for a moment and then hurrying to open it, thinking it might be Layla. It is and he couldn't be happier.

"Hey." No fury in her eyes? Caleb's insides instantly relax and the subtle smile on her face pumps hope into his system. 

"Hey." The tenderness in her voice is like music to his ears. "May I come in?"

"Sure." He wants nothing more than to pull her in for a hug but figures that despite all the hope blooming within him, that action might not be welcome. He instead follows reluctantly as she walks further into his office. When she stops right in front of the T.V screen that is still off, he braces for impact from her words. He decides he'll take all the yelling if she feels the need to.

"I got it."

"What?" Caleb is taken aback when he is treated to Layla's beautiful smile instead of yelling when she turns to him.

"The job. I know you planned to offer it to me anyway, but it feels damn good to have aced this interview the more…conventional way."

Oh thank God! He's surprised that that's what she decides to go with first, making him appreciate Janice's advice to let her do this her way. And if that slave driver needs him on onion chopping duty the entire time she prepares this dinner, he will gladly do it. That satisfied expression on Layla's face is worth all the tears that particular chore will draw out of him.

"Welcome aboard." Relieved beyond anything, he stretches his hand for that formal welcome handshake, but Caleb is taken aback when he gets his hug instead. Warm and tight. "Layla?"

"You are not Simon."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not, but what has that got to do with anything?" He hugs her just as tightly, grateful to have her back in his arms sooner than he thought.

"I shouldn't compare you to him at every turn. You have been nothing but perfect and–"

"Shh…" His index finger on her lips is enough to keep her from saying anymore. As much as he is happy that she is back and not mad at him, Caleb won't let her blame herself for his mistake. "Before you say anything, I'm sorry." Surprise crosses her face but he only smiles before cupping her cheeks tenderly. "I should have told you and you are right."

"I am?"

"Yes, but I won't apologize for that. It's as you said, I won and I want to rub it in his face, but not because you are some business prize, but because I love you. I want to love you the way you deserve. The way he should have loved you had he been man enough." Her hold on him tightens and he hopes she'll still be holding on to him just as tightly once she meets the real him. "And that starts with knowing all of me."