He had been rude. Inconsiderate. He’d failed to attend Olivia’s going-away party, for Pete’s sake! Sure he had been inundated with work, but deep down inside he knew he owed Olivia an apology. Unfortunately, she was already gone and he wasn’t going to get the chance to make one.
Worse, he realized, glancing around at his cluttered desk and the rows of filing cabinets that lined the wall of Olivia’s cubicle, there was no way in hell he could train her replacement. Two years ago, she had taken over little things like his minor chitchat correspondence. Only she knew the filing system. Only she knew the names, addresses and phone numbers that he needed and when he needed them.
He was in big trouble!
Of course, if he went to Olivia’s house on the pretense of seeking her help to train her replacement, he could also edge in an apology without looking completely desperate. Not only would they both feel better, but also, once he explained that he hadn’t understood she was quitting her job, he could probably persuade her to come back for a week or two until they found a replacement and trained him or her.
He was sure he could persuade Olivia. She was a levelheaded, sincere woman, and a good sport. A champ. A woman among women.
And he was also director of marketing and advertising. He knew how to get people to see his point and do his bidding. Combining Olivia’s respectful disposition and his skill at illustrating the obvious, he was positive he could have Olivia back on her office chair Monday morning without so much as a ripple of unease.
All Olivia had to do to dry her tears was remember how many times she had covered for her boss, how many times he had taken advantage of her and how many times he had behaved as if she were a convenience, not a person.
As she strode to her car, she didn’t even see the celebrated blossoms of spring in Georgia, feel the warmth of the March sun or smell the fresh air that signaled new life. All she could think of was how poorly Josh had treated her, and how foolish she had been to let him.
With every mile she drove on her way to her apartment, huge chunks of grief and sadness dislodged from her soul, but more than that she got angry. Furious. She was so damned glad to be moving on with the rest of her life that she hoped she never saw Josh Anderson again.
She was grateful—thrilled—he had been obnoxious when she tried to say goodbye. It was painful to think she had wasted four years of her life being head over heels in love with the guy. This rude awakening was exactly what she needed to force her to face the truth and assure that she didn’t change her mind or have any regrets. After the way he had treated her, she was absolutely certain she wouldn’t have to worry about being nice to him again, let alone falling back in love with him. Let alone reversing her decision and staying in Georgia one minute beyond her deadline!
When there was a knock at her apartment door only a few minutes after she arrived home, Olivia peered up from the final box she was packing and wondered who the heck it could be. Positive it was a well-wisher, hopefully somebody with takeout dinner, she answered the door with a smile.
When she saw Josh, her smile faded and she said, “What do you want?”
“Hey, is that any way to treat a guy who is here to apologize?”
She only stared at him. It was odd. Now that she had faced the truth about him, and now that he was no longer her boss, she didn’t have the butterflies in her stomach that she usually got. They were equals. On even ground. He didn’t hold her future in his hands anymore.
Heck, she didn’t even like him anymore.
She could talk to him any way she wanted.
“I’m going to take a wild stab at this and guess that you’re here because Gina finally got you to understand that today was my last day.”
Josh shuffled his feet. “Yes and no. Come on, Liv, I’ve been busy. You know that better than anybody else. And I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I feel like a heel for not realizing you were going.”
“They had a cake for me sitting by the coffeepot. You ate three pieces, but didn’t see the Good Luck in Florida decoration? You’re a marketing whiz who graduated from Princeton. I’m just about certain you can read.”
“Come on, Liv,” he groaned. “I’ve been preoccupied. Florida? You’re moving to Florida?”
“My mother lives there.”
“Oh, so you’re moving to be with family?”
She almost told him she was moving to get away from him, but thought the better of it. Not that he didn’t deserve it, but she didn’t want him to know she had spent the past four years desperately hoping he would notice her, desperately wishing he would fall in love with her. He had embarrassed her enough for one lifetime—or maybe she had embarrassed herself by not waking up sooner. But she was awake now and she wasn’t letting her guard down.
“Look, Josh, I’m busy. I’ve got to pack these things in my car. And then I need to find a hotel and go to bed early so I can be on the road first thing in the morning to avoid some of the traffic.”
“What part of Florida?”
“What difference does it make?” Olivia said, getting angry. Now that she wanted him out of her life, it appeared he wanted to camp at her front door.
“I’m just curious. We’ve been together three years—”
“Four,” she interrupted him.
“Four years. Four long years,” he said, ambling into her living room, which was empty except for boxes. “And now you’re just going. It doesn’t feel right.”
For the first time since his arrival, Olivia began to weaken. He finally got it. Her leaving didn’t feel right. It felt forced and awkward.
Still, it was too late.
This time she shuffled her feet. “Yeah, it feels weird.”
“And it’s the worst possible time for Hilton-Cooper-Martin.”
Olivia swallowed. That was the one part she regretted. And her only Achilles’ heel. She hadn’t intended to leave when all hell was breaking loose for the company that had employed her and paid her generously for four years. But she had set a deadline of one year to get him to notice her, and she had promised herself she would leave if he didn’t. In the past twelve months she had tried everything under the sun to get Josh to see her as a woman, to ask her out, or even to hold a more personal conversation with her, but he hadn’t. So, keeping the deal she made with herself, she gave up what was clearly an unrequited love and turned in her two-week notice. She had actually resigned before Gina’s father, Hilton Martin, gave Josh the assignment that buried him with work. But in spite of the gravity of the situation, she wouldn’t let herself take back her resignation. She couldn’t. Forcing herself to admit that her life was stagnating and it was time to move on had been difficult enough the first time. She never would be able to do it a second time.
“Sorry.”
He caught her gaze and gave her the sweet, sheepish smile that always made her melt. “You could salve your conscience and save my career if you would stay another week and help me train a new person.”
She shook her head. “Can’t.”
“You
