Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

MARLOW

I woke up to my alarm screaming at me. My eyes were gritty and burning. Last night I had gotten very little sleep. Tossing and turning, I replayed the conversation with him over and over again in my mind. Each time, I found more things that I could've said differently, better ways I could've expressed my feelings. But no matter what brilliant retort or clever quip I thought of, it was too late. The words had already come out and caused damage.

I rolled over to grab my phone off the nightstand. Squinting against the harsh light, I unlocked the screen to see if there were any messages from him. There weren't. No missed calls either. Did he not even care? Or was he just so hurt by our last conversation he was done with me?

I supposed I thought he might want me enough to say a relationship was on the table. I wasn't asking for a wedding ring and promises of forever. But I couldn't be a booty call.

I threw the covers off but didn't move. My mind was a whirlwind, my heart a ticking time bomb that could explode at any second. I decided to get up and start the day early. Maybe being productive would take my mind off things. I couldn't dwell on the fact Spencer didn't want me. I was great for sex, but that was all he wanted. I couldn't do that. I valued myself too much to let him treat me like that.

I showered and dressed in silence, my thoughts still on him. I made myself some coffee and sat at the kitchen island, staring blankly at my mug as I sipped the hot liquid. It offered some comfort, but it wasn't enough to dull the ache in my chest.

It was not going to do much for cooling the tension at work. I was going to play it cool. We could still be friends, even if we weren't sleeping together. At the end of the day, he was still the guy that went to bat for me. He stuck up for me. That meant a lot to me. I wasn't willing to be his little fuck doll, but I did want to be friends with him. I hoped he let me be that.

"Good morning, Kyla," I said with a bright smile as I walked to my office.

"Good morning," she replied. "You didn't bring coffee."

"No.;" I laughed. "I didn't have time to make it."

"I'll get you some from out front," she said.

"Thank you."

As Kyla went to get me a cup of coffee, I looked around the office. It was just normal. I didn't see anyone gossiping nor did I hear Spencer's name mentioned. I wondered if he was in the office yet. I shrugged off my jacket and sat down at my desk.

Kyla returned with a grimace on her face. "He's back," she muttered.

"What?"

"Spencer is back. Forgive me, but I really hoped he would have had the stick removed on his day off."

I was taken aback by her comment. Kyla knew better than to talk that way about a man that signed her paycheck. But if she was saying it to me, then there was a reason.

"What's going on?"

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Someone needs to put a muzzle on him. I'm worried he might actually bite someone."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. I heard him snapping at his assistant and everyone else. I went all the way around to avoid him. I guess his day off didn't help."

"Sorry," I said, taking the coffee.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked. "You didn't do it."

Technically, I probably did. "Nothing. I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

"If I were you, I would hide in here. I'll guard you."

I laughed. "Thanks."

Kyla left my door open and returned to her desk. It wasn't long before I heard exactly what Kyla had been talking about. Spencer was barking at someone about a typo, from what I could tell. He was in a foul mood.

He was normally reserved, but today there was a dark cloud hanging over him that seemed to permeate the entire office. Usually, he just ignored and scowled at people. Today, he sounded like he was out for blood.

I happened to make eye contact with him outside my door. I smiled, but he glared in response. I had never seen him like this in all the years I had known him. I couldn't get a handle on his extreme reactions. He was like a pendulum, swinging from one side to the next, minus the predictability. I had no idea where he was going to go next.

Everyone felt it. Kyla brought a report to me and had very little to say. The whole office was struggling to deal with him. I needed to approach him about a new client with a cool product I thought we could get on board with. I wasn't sure what to expect from him. If I could go around him, I would, but this was something I had to get his okay on. I was still new, and I didn't want to step on any more toes.

Gathering my tablet with my notes, I stepped out of my office. Kyla looked up from the computer. "Do you need something?"

"No, I have to talk to Spencer. Do you know if he's in his office?"

"Listen to the roaring," she muttered. "Are you sure you want to go in there? I really don't think it's a good idea."

"What's the worst that can happen?" I shrugged.

"I don't think that's a question I want to answer."

With a forced smile, I patted her shoulder, reassuringly. "Don't worry about me, Kyla. I've dealt with worse."

She gave me a skeptical look but didn't argue further. It was apparent she was concerned, but she knew I could handle myself. I approached Spencer's door, taking a deep breath before knocking lightly. No reply came, but I could hear muffled voices from within. He was still on the phone. Waiting seemed like the better option than intruding, so I took a step back, arms folded across my chest.

Suddenly, the door opened. "What?"

"Spencer, do you have a minute?" I asked, trying to gauge his mood.

His expression was dark and unreadable. "What is it?" he snapped, stepping back and gesturing for me to enter the lion's den.

I walked in and waited while he closed the door. He gestured to a chair without saying a word. I sat down and he walked around his desk and took his own seat, his dark eyes staring at me. I figured I better just say it. The less time I was sitting in front of him, the better.

"I have a potential client here with a new product. It's a unique water bottle that's gaining traction in the market. I think we could really make something of it." I blurted it all out, trying to keep my tone light and professional.

Spencer waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care about the product. It's stupid. Does the world really need more fucking water bottles? Aren't all of you still drooling over the fucking Stanley cups or something like that?"

I blinked, taken aback by his harshness. "It's a booming market, Spencer. People are obsessed with their different water bottles. They use them for self-expression as well as a health tool. It's a cool accessory. There is no age limit. Young and old are the target markets. There are few products that have that wide of a reach."

He laughed, but it was a cold, humorless sound. "Carrying around a forty-ounce bottle looks ridiculous. Are people trying to express that they're hydrated? It's like a walking billboard announcing that they pee every half hour. No."

"Spencer, I?—"

"I said no," he cut me off, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

I flinched, feeling hurt. I tried to grasp at straws, trying to figure out how to work with him when he was like this. "If this is about last night, we can talk about?—"

He cut me off again. "You did me a favor last night. You told me where you stand, and now I know where I stand. Right here. Where I'm supposed to be. I'm not fighting your battles anymore. I'm not holding your hand. Find a better product."

With that, he got up and left his office, leaving me sitting there with my head spinning. I watched him go, wondering how I was supposed to navigate this. I never should have slept with him again. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

He was mad at me because I had boundaries around sex? Because I didn't want to casually screw someone without a commitment? Because I had standards? I wasn't going to apologize for that. He could be pissed off, but that was even more disrespectful than assuming I would ever want to be his fuck buddy.

I left the file for the water bottle client on his desk and grabbed a sharpie. In bold letters, I wrote, "When you're done with your tantrum, look at the file. Unless you hate money." Then I left, cursing Spencer Kane and my own foolishness for falling for his protector act. His savior moment had come with expectations, and I was absolutely not interested in that. I couldn't help but wonder if it was all a game. He knew I would think it was sweet and sexy and want to thank him.

"Asshole," I muttered and walked back to my office. "Kyla!"

She looked up from her desk and took one look at my expression. "Uh oh. Are you okay?"

"Fantastic. Do you want to grab lunch?"

She nodded. "Always."

Together, we took the elevator down.

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Kyla asked as we walked out of the lobby.

I inhaled the mostly fresh air, trying to shake off the darkness of that meeting with Spencer. I wasn't sure I could even call it a meeting. It had been him growling and snarling at me.

I shook my head, feeling a tight knot in my chest. "I'd rather talk about literally anything else."

Kyla laughed, linking her arm through mine as we crossed the street to a sandwich shop. "Okay, I got an email today from a business magazine that wants to do a feature on you next month. Should I book the interview? I know you said you wanted to focus on your work more, but this is a good way to get some exposure for your new job."

"Let's do it." I nodded.

We found a cozy corner table in the sandwich shop after we placed our orders. I tried to focus on what Kyla was telling me about the coming interview, but my mind kept drifting back to Spencer. I couldn't understand why he was so angry with me for having boundaries. It wasn't like I had done anything wrong. But his harsh words and cold demeanor had stung more than I cared to admit.

Our orders were delivered in record time.

Kyla must have sensed my distraction because she changed the subject again. "So, any big plans for the weekend?"

I sighed, stirring my soup absently. "No, not really."

"You need a break."

I smiled. "I need to have my head examined. Why did I join this company? Life was so simple when it was just us."

"It was," she said. "But you teamed up with the company to make connections with stellar clients and to make an even bigger name for yourself. It was a smart move. But if you're unhappy, we can call the movers this afternoon."

"It's tempting, but no. I'm not walking away just yet." I shook my head. "I need to see through at least one successful campaign to the end. Prove I have what it takes. Then after that, I might have a nice long think about what the future looks like."

Kyla grinned. "You know I've got your back, chief."

"I know and thank you."

The rest of lunch passed in a blur, with Kyla doing most of the talking. I appreciated her efforts to keep my mind off things, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. What had I gotten myself into with Spencer?

When we returned to the office, I saw Spencer in the hallway, his expression still stormy. He didn't acknowledge me as he passed. I felt a pang of sadness. This was not how I had envisioned things going between us. At the end of the day, we were still old friends. At least that was what I wanted. Clearly, he didn't.