when I heard his voice in the hallway. Why is Dean here? Why does he have a meeting with Trent? My heart raced as I thought of all the possible reasons he’d be here, and every possibility that came to mind was not a good one. Could it be possible that he set me up? Is he about to tell Trent something?
Somehow I snapped out of my temporary paralysis and decided to follow Dean. I waited a minute to make sure he was already near Trent’s office before I proceeded out of the elevator and toward Trent’s office. I walked quickly past Trent’s office and snuck into the small conference room on the other side of his office. With the door closed behind me, I grabbed a glass cup and placed it against the wall of Trent’s office.
“I can’t do this,” I heard Dean’s muffled voice say.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I can’t set up Blair.”
I covered my mouth as a gasp escaped my lips when I heard Dean’s words. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was clear that my brother and my most recent lover had been colluding together, and somehow, I was the target. My jaw clenched as I realized how stupid and gullible I’d been, and how easy I’d allowed Dean to weasel himself into my life.
“Have you fucked her yet?” I heard Trent ask.
Why does he want to know this? What’s going on?
There was a silence and I held my breath, waiting for Dean to betray me.
“I’m only here to tell you that I’m not going to take you up on your offer. I’m not here to tell you anything else.”
“You’re making a big fucking mistake here, Dean.”
“Well, that’s a big fucking mistake that I get to make, and not you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I couldn’t believe that Dean wasn’t going to tell Trent anything.
“Does she actually mean that much to you that you’re actually thinking about giving up this opportunity for you and your firm? Do I need to remind you of how much is at stake here?”
What’s at stake here? I wondered. What is Trent trying to do here?
“No. Don’t waste your breath trying to remind me.” There was a short pause. “And to answer your question. Yes. She’s really that important to me. If you really must know, I didn’t know how I felt about your sister before. But when you made me the offer that day, you forced me to confront my deepest feelings, the ones I’ve buried and locked away inside me for almost ten years. I didn’t know how much I actually cared for her until you forced my hand. But because of y ou, I now know the truth. She could possibly become one of the most important people in my life. She makes me feel more alive and happy than I’d remember ever feeling. I would never do anything to hurt her. So thank you for making me face this reality.”
Tears streamed down my face as I digested Dean’s words. I had wanted to believe that he had genuine feelings toward me, but a part of me wouldn’t let myself believe it. But now, hearing his words, his real feelings were confirmed, and I felt a surge of happiness grow inside me.
“You’ve really disappointed me, Dean. I thought you had the potential for greatness. But you’re just another pussy-whipped fool. Now get the fuck out of my office! Tell your partners at the firm that after this acquisition deal is said and done, don’t ever expect another piece of business from us.”
I heard Dean storm out of the office.
“Fuck!” Trent screamed as a pile of papers flew across the room. Then he picked up his phone. “Jane, cancel all my meetings today. I’m taking the rest of the day off and heading to the golf course. I need to get away. You can take the rest of the day off too after you’ve cleared my calendar.”
***
I waited an extra thirty minutes after I heard Trent leave before opening the conference room. I walked past Jane’s cubicle, which was in front of Trent’s office, and found that she had also left for the day.
Against my better judgment, I opened Trent’s office door and
Somehow I snapped out of my temporary paralysis and decided to follow Dean. I waited a minute to make sure he was already near Trent’s office before I proceeded out of the elevator and toward Trent’s office. I walked quickly past Trent’s office and snuck into the small conference room on the other side of his office. With the door closed behind me, I grabbed a glass cup and placed it against the wall of Trent’s office.
“I can’t do this,” I heard Dean’s muffled voice say.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I can’t set up Blair.”
I covered my mouth as a gasp escaped my lips when I heard Dean’s words. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was clear that my brother and my most recent lover had been colluding together, and somehow, I was the target. My jaw clenched as I realized how stupid and gullible I’d been, and how easy I’d allowed Dean to weasel himself into my life.
“Have you fucked her yet?” I heard Trent ask.
Why does he want to know this? What’s going on?
There was a silence and I held my breath, waiting for Dean to betray me.
“I’m only here to tell you that I’m not going to take you up on your offer. I’m not here to tell you anything else.”
“You’re making a big fucking mistake here, Dean.”
“Well, that’s a big fucking mistake that I get to make, and not you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I couldn’t believe that Dean wasn’t going to tell Trent anything.
“Does she actually mean that much to you that you’re actually thinking about giving up this opportunity for you and your firm? Do I need to remind you of how much is at stake here?”
What’s at stake here? I wondered. What is Trent trying to do here?
“No. Don’t waste your breath trying to remind me.” There was a short pause. “And to answer your question. Yes. She’s really that important to me. If you really must know, I didn’t know how I felt about your sister before. But when you made me the offer that day, you forced me to confront my deepest feelings, the ones I’ve buried and locked away inside me for almost ten years. I didn’t know how much I actually cared for her until you forced my hand. But because of y ou, I now know the truth. She could possibly become one of the most important people in my life. She makes me feel more alive and happy than I’d remember ever feeling. I would never do anything to hurt her. So thank you for making me face this reality.”
Tears streamed down my face as I digested Dean’s words. I had wanted to believe that he had genuine feelings toward me, but a part of me wouldn’t let myself believe it. But now, hearing his words, his real feelings were confirmed, and I felt a surge of happiness grow inside me.
“You’ve really disappointed me, Dean. I thought you had the potential for greatness. But you’re just another pussy-whipped fool. Now get the fuck out of my office! Tell your partners at the firm that after this acquisition deal is said and done, don’t ever expect another piece of business from us.”
I heard Dean storm out of the office.
“Fuck!” Trent screamed as a pile of papers flew across the room. Then he picked up his phone. “Jane, cancel all my meetings today. I’m taking the rest of the day off and heading to the golf course. I need to get away. You can take the rest of the day off too after you’ve cleared my calendar.”
***
I waited an extra thirty minutes after I heard Trent leave before opening the conference room. I walked past Jane’s cubicle, which was in front of Trent’s office, and found that she had also left for the day.
Against my better judgment, I opened Trent’s office door and
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