Chapter 7

Monica rode the elevator up to the forty-fifth floor where her office was located. It was still early enough that she was able to ride in complete silence except for the awful music that the building manager decided needed to play on an endless loop. At one point, she and Ash had begged for something different, but she was assured that the current playlist was conducive to the feel of the building and the overall productivity. She begged to differ. It made her want to poke her eyeballs out and would've loved to see the statistics behind that rationale. Shocker: no one would actually provide her with that data.

She sighed in relief when she was finally able to step out of the confining box and into the lobby of Carmichael Financial Advisors headquarters. The entire floor had gone through a renovation after Silverstein was sentenced to prison. Ash's father claimed it was long overdue, but she had a feeling the need to erase all hints of his former partner was the real driving force.

The ultra-modern sleek design was both sophisticated and practical with a touch of warmth that most office spaces lacked. Theirs had been one of them until the most recent update. A few minor tweaks by her hand were all it took.

"Good morning, Ms. Cole." Her secretary greeted her the second she was within her line of sight. "Mr. Carmichael asked to see you when you came in."

Amelia's tone was cheerful, but it was the look in her eyes that gave her away. Mr. Carmichael, AKA Ash's father and her new business partner, was on a tear this morning.

"Thanks, Amelia." She gave her secretary a warm smile. It wasn't her secretary's fault that Niles Carmichael was perpetually in a bad mood and had a tendency to take it out on everyone around him. No one was safe from his grumpiness.

Walking into her office, Monica dropped her briefcase on her desk and shrugged off her coat before grabbing her coffee and making her way across the large floor to the other bank of offices. The outer walls of the floor plan contained the offices and staff rooms while the inside area was nothing but cubicles and desks. If she stood on her chair in her office, she could see straight across to Carmichael's office. She often wondered if he did that on purpose so he could keep an eye on her at all times.

"Good morning, Sara." Monica greeted Mr. Carmichael's secretary with a warm smile even though she knew it wouldn't be returned.

"He's been waiting for you."

Monica didn't let it show how much the comment affected her. She wasn't late. In fact, she was thirty minutes early, but regardless of how early she arrived every morning, it was never before her partner. She often wondered if Carmichael, and his snotty secretary, slept at their desks.

"Thank you."

She knew what she would find even before she pushed the door open. Niles Carmichael sat behind his large mahogany desk, the single file he was perusing laid out on his meticulously organized area. Stray papers weren't tolerated.

"Care to tell me why you used both company time and resources to travel to Rome when I know for a fact we don't have any clients in that area?"

The man didn't even have the audacity to pick his head up when he asked her the question. She knew from years of working both under him and alongside him that it was just who he was as a person, but it still grated on her nerves. There were times like this when she wondered if Silverstein's reasons for acting out had anything to do with the fact that his business partner often felt he was better than everyone else. Then she would remember that it didn't matter how Samuel was treated, he never should've done what he did to her best friend.

"I was protecting our company."

That caught his attention.

"Excuse me?"

There was nothing soft about her business partner. Carmichael was every bit of the hard-ass she assumed he had been when he first carved his name into the financial world. It was why most people backed down when he turned that unforgiving scowl their way. But not Monica. She had long ago realized that if she wanted to stay at the top, she needed to give as good as she got.

"You heard me. I flew to Rome to protect our company. The same way I've been doing since I bought in as partner."

Partner was stretching it. Even though Ash's father had finally relented and given her the CEO position she so rightly deserved, she would never be an equal the way Samuel had been, and it had nothing to do with her being a woman or not being Ash, the person Carmichael wanted. It had everything to do with the fact that Carmichael would never trust anyone enough to hand over that much power again. Samuel had ruined it.

"What exactly did my company need protecting from, and why wasn't I informed about it?"

Monica hid her wince at the way he said "his company." After three years she should be used to it but just once she wanted him to realize that she cared just as much about the company as he did.

"Alexander Fletcher and Samuel Silverstein."

"We don't say that name around here anymore!" Carmichael snapped, just as she knew he would.

"That's why I didn't tell you I was going. I had the situation handled."

"And what situation might that be?"

Monica walked to the visitor's chair and lowered herself in. She was tired of standing, and since this conversation wouldn't be a quick one, it was better she made herself comfortable. Although sitting with perfect posture and her ankles crossed was anything but comfortable, it would have to do. Image was everything after all, and flopping back with a sigh would only further raise her partner's hackles.

"Alexander was interested in resuming a similar relationship to the one he previously had with my predecessor. I told him over the phone weeks ago that wouldn't happen, but he was insistent, so I figured making my point in person would be a better option. Turned out, I was right."

At least she hoped that was the case. She had a bad feeling Alexander wouldn't give up that easily but that was a problem for another day. Right now, she just wanted to get back to doing what she loved and maybe have dinner with the first man to give her butterflies in forever.

"What sort of relationship?"

How the hell did Samuel get away with anything? Carmichael was a tyrant and kept his thumb on every damn thing that happened in the office.

"Samuel was providing him information about clients."

"I told you we don't say that name around here."

For fuck's sake. Monica wanted nothing more than to throw her hands up in the air or pull at her damn hair and scream. He wanted information but didn't want her to use his former business partner's name. It was exhausting trying to have a conversation with the man.

"You're the one who wanted the information. I'm just trying to give it to you." She kept her tone as professional as she could possibly make it.

"Watch how you speak to me."

That was the biggest crock of shit she had ever heard. He was one to talk.

"What kind of information was he asking you to pass along?"

"He didn't ask for anything specific, but he hinted at how his previous relationship worked. I wasn't interested, and when I met him in Rome, I called him out for waiting until you were close to retirement to approach me. He admitted he knew you would never go for it. I made sure I expressed I was of the same mindset as you and then walked away. Rome was strictly a business trip."

She left out the part about Luke. She hadn't gone there to meet him and her original agenda only left room for work. The fact that she carved out even a tiny amount of time for herself was irrelevant to the conversation.

"Good. There's no room for error right now. Your focus needs to be work and work only. Otherwise, I will need to reconsider my thoughts on retiring."

His words were a kick straight to the stomach. It was almost as if he had read her mind and seen the one thought of Luke she let slip in.

"I understand."

She took the dismissal for what it was and left his office. On the outside, she presented the perfectly poised boss she was expected to be. On the inside, she was a raging mess. Yesterday she thought she had everything figured out. Three years of proving herself, of working twelve-plus hours a day and having zero social life except for the rare times Ash or Trista came to visit, all in the hopes that she would be worthy to take over and finally have some type of life.

It appeared that wouldn't be the case.

"Ms. Cole?"

She waved Amelia off and continued straight into her office. An apology would be required later but right now she didn't have it in her to pretend everything was fine. One small decision to take something for herself and suddenly she was in danger of losing everything she ever wanted. She couldn't let that happen.

The shrill beep of her phone pulled her from the downward spiral she was on. Only one group had that specific tone and all the negative thoughts slipped away as she dug the phone out of her bag.

BFF: How was Rome? I hope you took the time to find a few minutes for yourself and maybe found someone to spend it with.

Oh, Ash. Ever the romantic of their group. Now that her best friend had found the man of her dreams, she wanted everyone else to as well.

FASHIONISTA: For her to do that she would actually have to speak to someone other than clients. We both know that's not happening these days. Not while Daddy Dearest is breathing down her neck.

And then there was Trista. The realist and blunt friend who spoke the truth no matter how harsh it was. She loved that about Trista. It balanced Ash out so well.

MONICA: Speaking of. I just left a meeting in which I was reminded of the importance of focusing on work right now. So even if I wanted to spend time with a man . . .

She didn't bother to finish. They had this same conversation every few months.

BFF: GAH! I'm going to come up there and give my father a piece of my mind. You need a life outside of work. This isn't healthy and I won't stand for it.

FASHIONISTA: I second that. A woman needs more than a vibrator and dildo in their life. When was the last time you had some real dick?

She wanted to say recently but then her friends would only hound her more. So instead, she tried to fend them off.

MONICA: It hasn't been as long as you think. I'm so close to having everything I ever wanted. I just need to keep my eye on the prize. Even if that means giving up some really good dick.

She realized her mistake the second she hit send.

BFF: So something did happen in Rome? You would've told us if there was someone before, and since we spoke on your way to the airport, that means that good dick was recently.

FASHIONISTA: Spill!!!! We want the tea.

Open mouth, insert foot. Stress. It was the only excuse for her slipping up like that. Now she would have to give them something because neither friend would shut up until she did.

MONICA: Fine! Yes, I took some time for myself in Rome. Unintentionally. I met someone great but it can't go anywhere. My life is too complicated right now and Daddy Dearest is right. I need to focus.

Memories of her night with Luke tried to surface but she quickly pushed them down. They would need to stay buried, except for those late lonely nights with her vibrator.

BFF: I refuse to let you push a good thing away because my father is pressuring you. I think an intervention is in order to deal with this so-called complicated life.

MONICA: An intervention is not needed.

FASHIONISTA: Too late. I'm getting Falcon to fly us out and you can tell us all about this complication you seem to think stops you from seeing a great guy.

MONICA: I'm sure Falcon can't just drop everything so he can fly you out to see me.

FASHIONISTA: Sure he can. It's all about using the right incentive. I happen to be great at incentivizing him. ;)

She didn't need that visual floating around in her head. Falcon was hot but he was also one of her best friends' husbands. Thinking about him naked and being serviced by said best friend crossed too many boundaries.

MONICA: I'll take your word for it. I don't need the details.

Nor did she have time to continue the discussion. Nothing she said would change their mind, so she needed to get some work done while she had the time. God knows once the two of them showed up, she would be looped into whatever trouble they planned to get her into.