16. Mandy

My heels against cement echoed through the large, empty space as Jackson and I walked through the new campus together. A lot was still needed. They had the basics done—water, electricity, Wi-Fi. But it was still bare bones inside. A perfect, blank canvas that I could have my absolute way with.

"You said you wanted to add a canteen," Jackson said, turning down one unfinished hallway and into a room that still had construction going on. "I've added this room specifically for that purpose. It's still being built, obviously, but I'll get the blueprints over to you so you can start designing."

I looked up at him, the smug little grin on his face far more annoying than dashing. "You added on a whole new section just because I suggested a canteen?" I asked, jotting down a reminder to myself in my notebook to wait for the blueprints.

"I seriously consider all of your ideas, Mandy," he said. He led me further down the hall, toward a large, open area where the space widened out in an impressive angle. "This, I think, will work best for the main offices. I'm thinking long tables in the center, enough space for nine or ten programmers to fit on either side. We want to give them lots of space. And no cubicles—they serve no purpose for creative minds trying to collaborate together."

Note after note, I wrote down his ideas. It was nice to see the way his eyes lit up as he spoke about the campus he envisioned, what he wanted for his employees, and how much he wanted to do right by them. He might be a tyrant at times, but he did care.

He looked absolutely ridiculous in his suit with a bright orange hard hat on his head and I couldn't suppress the chuckle that escaped.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked.

I shook my head. "You just look silly in that hat."

The side of his lips tilted upward as he let out a chuckle of his own. "Yeah, so do you. You're lucky I haven't made any jokes about it yet."

"You have hard hat jokes just ready to go at any time?" I laughed.

"Of course I do. Maybe if you weren't so stubborn and hard-headed I'd tell them to you."

I snorted as I turned to him, his arms outstretched, his chest wide open as he spun in place. Above him, the skylights filtered in drop after drop of sunshine, illuminating him so perfectly that I inwardly gasped. I want to climb him like a tree.

Attraction had never and would never be a problem with him. He'd ticked off every box ten years ago, and even though he had changed and was no longer the man I'd fallen in love with, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Beneath the layers of his tailored suit was a strong and built physique, one I'd seen firsthand when he'd literally given me the shirt off his back.

I hadn't been able to stop myself from looking. I tried averting my gaze but I knew he could tell my eyes were glued. If anything, the attraction to him now was stronger than it had been when I was twenty-one, and I knew that he was aware of that as I watched him turn back toward me, his chin lowered, his jaw cut, the smallest bit of stubble poking through on his cheeks. I knew it from the way he looked at me.

"Don't like my joke?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Your joke was fine."

"Then what was that glare you just gave me about?" He asked. The sound echoed through the massive room as he took a step toward me, his scent swirling around me, invading my space. The same scent as the one on his shirt when he'd given it to me.

Fuck. I can't let him know I was thinking about him. "I was just coming up with ideas for this space. Maybe some art pieces hanging from the ceiling since it's so high up. That kind of thing."

"Oh." He turned his head upward, his eyes catching the light, his face lit from above as if a spotlight had fallen on him. I could see the gears in his mind turning, could tell he was envisioning it himself. It wasn't a bad idea—I'd seen something similar in other large offices, but it had tumbled out of my mouth before I could actually think about what that would entail and the amount of moneythat would need to go toward that type of decor.

"I love that."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." He nodded as he slipped his phone from his pocket, snapping a picture of the ceiling and its skylights. "We could even hire someone local to create something custom. Make it a community thing. We could have it as the centerpiece when we launch."

I wasn't expecting anything like that to come out of his mouth. It was far too sweet, down-to-earth, and thoughtful for someone with their head so high up in the sky. "Really?"

"Yes. I think something like that would fit nicely in this space and it would help with morale as well," he explained, his jaw ticking as he looked about the room. "It's a great idea, Mandy."

————

By the time we'd finished walking the expansive campus, it was nearing five o'clock and my notebook was filled to the brim with ideas and requests—half from him, half from me. Seeing the site in person had done a lot more good than I expected, especially with him in attendance. Would I have preferred to tour it with Harry instead? Maybe, maybe not. I wasn't quite so sure anymore.

"You didn't show me your office," I mentioned, making idle chatter as we handed in our hard hats. "Is it not finished yet?"

"The space is already laid out. I just don't know exactly what to do with it yet," he admitted, one hand gently resting between my shoulder blades as he ushered me toward what would become the parking lot. "Isn't that why I'm here?" I asked with a chuckle. I stepped faster, letting his hand fall away. "Surely it'd be in your best interest to get my opinion."

"Maybe but it's my space, you know? I want it to feel like me. I'll let you know when I'm ready for you to work on it." He smiled tightly at me, the same one he used to give when he was stressed out of his mind from class and claimed nothing was wrong. "Would you like a coffee?"

What? Where the hell had that come from? He nodded toward the small, white shipping container ahead of us. From the sliding window on the side, a young man in an apron leaned out, coffee in hand, offering it to the construction worker in front of him. "Uh, yeah, sure. How…?"

"I hired one of the local specialty baristas to make coffee for the guys. They don't need to pay or anything, it's just to keep them energized and warm while they're working. It's actually really good coffee," he explained. He leaned against the side of the shipping container, his arms crossed over his suit-covered chest. "Are you still a latte girl?"

How and why did he remember that? "No," I chuckled, stepping up to the window.

The man in the apron leaned forward onto the counter, a friendly smile plastered to his face. "What can I get ya?"

"Oat milk flat white, please."

"And one black Americano," Jackson tacked on, coming up behind me far too close. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck as he placed his order. After a moment the barista came back with our drinks. "Let's sit," Jack whispered, his breath gliding past my ear.

I followed him over to the small seating area around the back of the shipping container. It was just a few chairs and tables, but it was a nice little space for the people that worked for him to take a break and enjoy their coffee. Despite the rumors of how much of a dictator he could be when it came to running his company, he seemed to actually care about his employees and wanted them to be happy. Maybethey were just rumors after all.

We sat in slightly uncomfortable silence sipping our coffees, my hands wrapped around the warm cup in the fading sunlight. I didn't know what to say to him, didn't know how to act since people were mingling around, workers turning in their hard hats for the night and shrugging off their brightly colored safety vests. I didn't know if I was supposed to be playing the role of Jackson's adoring fiancée or if I could just be myself, be the designer. I'd worn the ring just in case.

"It's good to see how far you've come, Jack," I said, the words slipping from my mouth before I had the chance to consider them. I had to commit now, otherwise, he'd just get cocky. It still hurt like a bitch to admit it, though. "You've… done some amazing work over the years. And it's clear as day that you care a lot about your employees."

"Thank you," he chuckled, his fingers sliding back and forth along the side of his coffee cup. It was nearly impossible not to watch, not to get transfixed by it. "That might be the nicest thing you've said to me in ten years."

"Oh, shut up."

"It's true," he laughed, that same smile not quite reaching his eyes. "In all honesty, Mandy, I'm impressed by you too. Your portfolio is astounding, and the testimonials that LV has received speak for themselves. You've grown a lot, princess. It's amazing."

"Thanks, Jack."

The silence that fell back over us felt more natural than it had before, questions pinging around my head daring me to ask them. There was so much I wanted to ask about his life, his struggle, what happened our last night together. I needed to know. I could ask him. He's being responsive right now. Maybe he'll bend.

"Can we talk about that night?" I asked.

Immediately, he stiffened. "Why?"

"Because I want to know what happened. If we're going to be spending a considerable amount of time together, fiancé, then I don't want questions hanging in the air," I explained, my nerves already starting to bubble in my gut.

"You want to know why I left." It wasn't a question. It was more of a statement.

"Yes."

Slowly, he took a deep breath, raising his coffee to his lips. His hands shook, just a little, and for a tiny fraction of a second, I genuinely thought he was going to tell me what happened.

But the words out of his mouth froze me in place.

"If you don't trust me when I say what I did was best for you, then I don't know what to tell you, Mandy. You weren't the only one who was in love."