Whendhie

"I really don't want your apology, Tim," Chloe said. "I would prefer you didn’t treat me like some unwanted stranger you can’t wait to be rid of." There was a throb of irritation in her voice.

"I don't treat you like a stranger. Things are just different now." Timothy replied.

"Oh please" replied Chloe. "All you did in there was frown whenever my name was mentioned. And let's not even talk about the cold manner in which you have spoken to me since I arrived. You look like this is the last place you want to be just because I'm here. Am I really that vile?" 

Timothy said nothing. Instead he gritted his teeth and shoved his hands into his pocket.

Even in her anger, Chloe noticed him... Every inch of him... And his smell. She could pick out his unique scent. Rough. Masculine and mouthwateringly sexy. It made no sense to her, but she was attuned to his every nuance. 

The man she had called her best friend until a dizzying series of events dissolved the title like sugar in hot water stared at her dispassionately. It was a good thing they were outside and she hoped that he couldn't see the hurt and disappointment on her face. The look wasn't just in his eyes. It seeped through every shrug, every curl of lips she had once thought were the most perfectly created set of lips on earth.

She looked deeper, pathetically desperate to find something else. Something more. A reminder of those times when they would talk to each other for hours, and resume conversations the moment they saw one another again.

But clearly the Tim she knew had been replaced by a harder, edgier version of a Timothy Kavell - Packard. He was hard and edgy and cynical to start off with. If she had known that he hated her this much, she wouldn't have agreed to his parents' offer to have dinner with them. 

She had agreed because a stupid part of her had hoped that somehow, they would fix things and be friends again... And she was just beginning to see how wrong she had been....

PLAY WITH ME

Her presentation went off without a hitch. Each part of her team executed their part flawlessly, and through it all, Evan Reese sat back with a very satisfied expression on his face. By the time she was done, she was as convinced as everyone else that Timothy would sign with Golden Gates promotions. He’d be a fool not to. The lights went back up after her last video clip. 


“This concludes our presentation,” she said to Timothy. “I hope we’ve convinced you of our commitment to you and your company.” 


He took his time responding. For a moment he studied her, his hands stretched out in front of him. Then he simply nodded. 


“I’m very impressed. My question is, how soon can we move on this?” he asked. 


The after party that evening was packed with the after-work crowd, but the entire back room was filled with Golden Gates Promotions employees, all celebrating their biggest coup to date—Packard Enterprises. 


Chapter Thirty Four