Chapter –3

Amelia's POV

He shook my hand hard. Like business not like we never met.

But his thumb touched my fingers. Quick. Nobody else saw.

He knew, he totally knew.

"Welcome to the team, Amelia," he said in a nice voice which was calm.

Then he went to other people. Shook their hands. I talked to them. Like I was nothing.

My face got hot. My chest hurts. I wanted to yell. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to ask why he left me like that.

But I sat down. Fake the smile.

The meeting was long. He talked about work stuff. New things. Company changes. Everyone loved everything he said. At least he wasn't arrogant like his son Nathan.

I did not listen. I thought about his hands on me. How he talked in my ear. How he made me feel good and his kisses that night.

Now he acted like nothing happened.

The meeting ended. People got up. We talked in groups. I stayed sitting. I looked busy.

"Miss Banks?"

I looked up. He stood there. Close. I smelled him. Same smell from last night.

"Come to my office. I want to talk."

My stomach hurts. Was he going to fire me? Tell me to shut up?

"Okay," I said. The voice sounded normal.

I walked with him. His office was big.

He shut the door. The clicking sound was loud.

"Sit," he said.

I sat in silence with my head straight.

He went around his desk. Sat down. I looked at myself for a long time.

"You do good work," he said. "The Morrison thing was good."

I blinked. He knew my work? How?

"Thanks," I said.

"Making a special team. Big work. Big clients. The kind that makes people famous."

My heart beat fast. This sounded big.

"You want me on it?"

"Yes." He sat back. "But you work with me. Long hours. Travel sometimes. Can you do it?"

Was he testing me? Seeing if I would talk about last night?

I could play games too.

"I can do anything," I said. It made my voice strong.

His eyes got dark. Just a little.

"Good. Start Monday. Sarah will tell you stuff."

He stood up. I stood up.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"No."

I walked to the door. Put my hand on it. Then stopped.

"Mr. Smith?"

"Yeah?"

I turned around. I looked right at him.

"Thanks for this. I will not mess up."

How I said it. How I looked at him. It meant more than the words.

His jaw got tight. His hands made fists on the desk.

"I know you will not," he said quietly.

I left. Shut the door. My legs felt weak but I kept walking.

Sarah gave me a folder. Info about the new team. Big names. Lots of money. People fight for this work.

He just gave it to me.

Why?

I went to my desk. Sat down. I looked at the folder.

"Holy crap, Amelia!"

I looked up. Jessica stood there. Her eyes were big.

"You got picked for the top team? You know how huge this is?"

Other people looked too. Some are happy for me. Some are jealous.

"I worked hard I guess," I said.

"Hard work? Girl this is like winning money. Sarah said they only picked five people from everyone."

Five people. Out of so many.

The rest of the day was crazy. People said congrats. Asked questions. I wanted to know how I got picked.

I smiled. Said I worked hard. Did not say anything else.

Got home that night. Poured wine. Sat on the couch. Thought about today.

This morning I felt like trash. Used. Dumb. Like always after bad choices with guys.

Now I had the biggest chance of my life. Because of the same guy who made me feel like trash.

What was he doing?

Did he feel bad? Was this sorry?

Or did he really think I was good at work?

My phone buzzed. Text from Nathan.

"Heard about your job from my father's company. Good for you I guess."

I stared at it. He heard already?

Another text.

"Rose says hi. We should get coffee soon."

Rose. My stepsister. The girl he cheated with. The one he picked over me.

They wanted coffee. Like we were friends. Like nothing bad happened.

My hands shook. Not scared this time. Mad.

I thought about Nathan. The betrayal hit me harder than expected. I blamed him for the night stand with his father. How I wished he knew.

I thought about Rose. How she smiled when I saw them both on the bed. How she acted like nothing happened after taking Nathan away from me.

And I thought about Ethan, Nathan's father. How he made me feel alive last night. How an advanced man could hit me on the right G-spot like a young man. How he gave me this chance today.

Maybe he was playing games. Maybe he had reasons.

But I could play games too.

I could be smart.

Nathan thought he won when he left me for Rose. He thought I would cry. Beg him back. Fall apart.

But I was getting promoted. Moving up. Getting to work with people who surrounded him.

And my new boss? His father was running everything for me.

He wanted me. I saw it in his eyes today. How he looked at me. How his voice changed when he said my name. Maybe I was over thinking. He is too advanced for me.

Nathan never told me about his mom or so.

He might act like he's working now. But I felt his hand stay on mine too long. I saw his jaw get tight when I talked to him.

I picked up my phone. Deleted Nathan's text.

Then I opened my laptop. Read about the new team. The clients. The work.

I was going to be the best worker Ethan Smith ever had. Work harder than everyone. Learn faster. Do better.

And somewhere? I was going to make him remember what it felt like to hold me.

Make him want me so bad he could not think.

And when Nathan saw me with his dad, who is the CEO of the biggest company in the city?

When he saw what he gave up?

When he saw I did not just live without him but got better?

That would be worth everything.

I shut my laptop. Drank my wine. Smiled.

Game time.

Nathan wanted to play dirty? Fine.

This time I was going to win. Though he doesn't know how I will play the game. I just wanted to let him know he will come begging me.