8. Leah

CHAPTER 8

LEAH

" T hank you." I give the barista a smile, take my latte, and exit the coffee shop.

It's a beautiful Monday morning, and I'm in an unusually good mood. I still haven't texted Jack, but I plan on doing so later.

In the meantime, there's plenty of work to keep busy with, and Taylor and I have plans to go to kickboxing together this evening. My life isn't exactly full, but I've decided to make a commitment to take it there.

Maybe I'll start with a few houseplants. Or joining a meetup.

Sipping my latte, I contemplate the possibilities and cross the street. My phone goes off in my purse, and I pull it out only to see Taylor's name.

But why is she calling me right now? We'll see each other in the office in about five minutes.

Confused, I swipe the answer button. "Hey. What's up?"

"Have you seen the news?"

I stop outside of the office building. "Not today."

"And have you talked to anyone yet?"

The tension in her voice makes my chest knot up. "Taylor, what's going on?"

"Leadsom Inc. went to our shareholders and bought GourmetGlobal. They went behind your back, Leah."

I blink, her words sinking in. And yet… it still doesn't seem real.

"What?" I ask.

"The shareholders voted to sell. No one said anything to you about it?"

"No." I clench my coffee cup as anger boils through me.

Of course the shareholders wouldn't say anything. They don't need my vote since I'm only one person.

"I'm so sorry, Leah," Taylor says. "I can't believe they did this to you."

"I can," I say bitterly. "They never liked me, and they've been itching to sell. I just can't believe Jack…"

My voice catches. I was going to say I couldn't believe he did this to me, but then again, I'm no one to him. He owes me nothing.

I close my eyes, the pain hot and vibrant. And to think I actually liked the guy. I was planning on trying to date him.

Clearly, I'm nothing to him, though. My app means more to him than my human desires.

"He knew I wasn't going to sell," I say between gritted teeth.

"And then he went behind your back," Taylor solemnly finishes. "What are you going to do?"

I open my eyes. "There's nothing I can do. How can I fight this? I don't own those shares."

Tears are filling my eyes, and I do my best to blink them back. This is so humiliating, so painful.

"When will you be here?" Taylor asks.

"I'm downstairs, about to walk in. Why?"

"Just be careful, okay?" Taylor warns me. "Jack Leadsom is here, in a meeting with the shareholders."

My heart drops. I can't imagine facing Jack right now, not when I'm feeling so vulnerable. But I can't avoid him either. He might have taken my company, but I refuse to shrink into the shadows. If nothing else, I'll at least be holding my head high.

"Thanks for the heads-up," I say, then end the call.

Taking a deep breath, I gather my courage and walk into the building. The lobby receptionist greets me with a smile, but I can't return it.

The elevator ride up is agonizingly slow, and my mind is racing. What will I say to Jack? How can I act professionally when he just betrayed me like this?

The doors finally slide open, and I step out into the lobby. Jack is standing by the water cooler, his back to me. He's holding a glass, and I can see the tension in his shoulders.

I approach him cautiously, and he turns around. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees me, and for a moment, there's a flicker of guilt on his face.

"Leah," he says, setting down his glass. "Good morning."

"Good morning?" I snap, feeling like I just got stabbed in the chest. "How could you do this to me, Jack? You knew I didn't want to sell, and you acted like you respected that decision, but then you do this ?"

His eyes are cold as stone, and I see nothing of the man I shared Friday night with. "One day you'll thank me. This is the best decision for the company."

I scoff. "The best decision for the company? What about me? I poured everything I had into GourmetGlobal, and you just took it out from under me."

"I know this is hard for you, but you have to understand the bigger picture. GourmetGlobal will still continue under the new ownership, and it will thrive."

His tone is so condescending I could punch him.

I clench my fists and take a step forward, but Jack holds his ground.

"So this is what you're really like, huh?" I snap. "You see what you want and you take it?"

His gaze briefly dips to my chest, and it's a smack in the face. Yes. He does take whatever he wants.

And he gets away with it, too. Because he's Jack Leadsom.

The breath leaves my lungs, and I step back. I'm such a fool. This man played me like a fiddle, and I had no idea what was happening.

He slowly smiles. I'm beat, and he knows that I know it.

"Your position at the GourmetGlobal is still secure," he slowly says. "As for your staff, the shareholders and I have already decided who will be staying and who will be going."

"You fired some of my staff?" I steel myself. "Who? Who did you get rid of?"

"Let's just say we made some necessary cuts to improve efficiency."

My heart sinks. I hand-picked everyone at GourmetGlobal. There's not a person on this team that doesn't do great work. Why would he get rid of any of them?

"You're just trying to assert yourself." I raise my chin. "To make it look like you're actually doing something here when in reality you're riding other people's coattails."

Jack's expression turns icy, an indication that I've hit close to home. "Watch yourself, Leah. I may still need to rely on you in the future. Don't make me regret keeping you on."

I grit my teeth and clench my fists at my sides. I want to scream, to lash out, but I know it won't do any good.

Instead, I take a deep breath and force myself to maintain a calm facade. It would be too easy to walk out right now, to say screw this and start over.

But I won't be doing that for a number of reasons. One is that I won't be giving Jack that satisfaction. The other is that this company still matters more to me than anything. You'd have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming.

"I'll need a list of the staff who will be staying and going," I say, my voice steady.

"Of course. I'll have my assistant send it over to you by the end of the day." His voice is as smooth as butter, like we didn't just have a near brawl in the middle of this office.

"As far as GourmetGlobal's location…" He clears his throat. "You'll be moving into Leadsom Tower. You will have everything you need there."

Right. Well, at least I won't be paying rent anymore…

"Fine." I nod. "Anything else I need to know?"

His gaze lingers on my face, and the energy shifts between us. It's palpable, strong, and completely unwanted on my part.

It's also irresistible.

"Yes," he whispers. "You left your panties at my place." He grins. "I hope they weren't a special pair."

He couldn't have hurt me more were he to body slam me into the wall. My dreams of us becoming anything beyond a one-night stand now seem like foolish schoolgirl fantasies. I can read into his words well enough.

He wants me to know that our fling is over and under no conditions will I ever be in his house again.

Fine by me. If this guy were to touch me at this point, I would probably vomit.

"I'll have someone pick them up," I say, just to get under his skin.

Jack's grin widens. He's completely unfazed. "Why don't you come over and get them yourself? Stay for another night, maybe two. I promise it'll be worth your while."

My blood boils at his audacity. He doesn't seriously mean this, does he? Not only has he insulted me, but now he's my boss.

"I think I'll pass," I spit out. "I have work to do."

"As if work is the only thing on your mind," he mutters. But I hear him loud and clear.

I force a sarcastic smile and turn to leave, feeling his eyes on my back as I walk away. In the open-spaced work area, people are gathered together, talking frantically.

When they see me, everyone gets quiet, and all eyes turn to me.

I know I need to say something. I need to be a good boss right now, a good leader. Even though it feels like my whole world is falling apart, I can't show that.

Standing in front of everyone, I clear my throat.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm sure you've heard the news by now. I know this is a difficult time for all of us, but we need to focus on the future." I look into everyone's eyes. "We will be moving to a new location, but we will continue to work hard and make GourmetGlobal the best it can be."

There are murmurs of agreement among the staff, and I can feel their support. It gives me strength, makes me want to go on.

Should I mention the layoffs?

No. That would only make them panic, and not everyone will be leaving. As much as I hate it, it's best to let Jack handle that one.

Even though it kills me.

I clear my throat and go on. "I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication. Whatever happens from this point on, I want you all to know how much I appreciate you."

The staff applauds as I step down from the makeshift stage, and the reality of the situation still hits me hard. I've lost full control of my company. It's the nightmare I've always feared.

Just fifteen minutes ago I was on a high, and now it feels like I'm dragging along the ground.

Sitting at my desk, I pull up my email and wait for the list of fired employees to come in. As I wait, I can feel a knot forming in my stomach. I know that some of my closest friends and colleagues will be on that list, and I'm not looking forward to reading it.

When it does pop up, I suck in a breath and click on the document.

Quickly, I scan the list. Taylor's not on there, thank God.

The first name that jumps out at me is John's. He's been with the company since day one, and he's one of our most loyal and hardworking employees. I can't imagine why they would let him go.

It's not just him, though. There are other names that I disagree with, and I can only imagine Jack is planning on replacing them with his own picks.

Sighing, I push back from my desk. I only just got to the office, but I need some fresh air.

I head to the elevator. It's almost done closing, and I have to run to catch it.

As I slip inside of it, I instantly regret I didn't miss it. There's only one other person inside of it.

Jack.

He smirks as the doors slide closed. "Leaving so soon?"

I glare at him. "You wish."

He studies me, but there's no animosity in his eyes. There's… admiration.

"You're the real deal, Leah. I know that our, ah, situation makes it seem like I'm swooping in and taking what I want—"

"Aren't you?" I interrupt, folding my arms.

A quick grin flashes across his face. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't believe in GourmetGlobal, if I didn't believe in you. There's a bright future ahead for us. You'll see."

The doors open on the main floor, and he strides out, leaving me shaking.