Page 111 of See You Maybe
What were she and Declan doing? Their connection burned as hot as it always had. But did he still plan on marrying Fiona? He’d said they weren’t a couple, but that didn’t mean he would choose Olivia.
A few days later, Olivia stopped by one of the local bakery cafes to pick up a basket of pastries. Stuart and his team had been working practically around the clock to get closer to a prototype of the new design, and she wanted to reward them.
Olivia turned from the counter and saw Declan's sister Cara waving at her wildly from a corner booth. Seated with her, Olivia recognized Dahlia and Cami. Olivia hesitated, but other than being openly rude, she couldn't think of an excuse to escape.
“Good morning,” she said brightly, hoping it covered her nerves. The last time she saw these women, she had collapsed in their arms. Olivia shifted the large basket.
“We saw you standing over there and wanted to say hi. Small world.” Cara laughed.
Olivia’s body relaxed. “I’m glad I ran into you, too. I wanted to apologize for what happened in New York. I made a fool of myself, and I really appreciate the three of you stepping in to keep a bad situation from getting worse.”
“It wasn't that bad,” Dahlia said, from under a black baseball cap pulled low over her eyes.
“Thankfully, I don't remember most of it.”
Cara scooted to the side of the bench seat and patted the open space. “Sit down for a minute. I wanted to ask you something.” Her panic must have shown, because Cara’s face softened. “Please.”
Slightly terrified by what Declan’s sister might want to talk with her about, Olivia sank onto the seat. She placed the basket of pastries on the table but left her coat on. “I only have a few minutes. I need to get to work.”
“How is it going?” Cami asked, her eyes inquisitive. “James said there was some kind of surprise ending to the deal you were brokering.”
Olivia wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “We're thrilled to have been acquired by Bloom Capital.”
Dahlia gave her a sarcastic look.
“At least it's keeping Declan in town for a while,” Cara said. “It's been nice knowing he's around, even if we don't see him much.”
“He’s been a lot more involved than I anticipated,” Olivia agreed.
“What’s he like to work with? Does he issue edicts and then growl when you aren’t fast enough?” Cara asked, laughing a little.
“It’s been…” Olivia screwed her mouth to the side. “I’m trying to think of the right word.”
“Complicated?” Dahlia supplied.
A laugh escaped Olivia. “Yes! Then again, if Declan’s involved, I can't see how it could be anything but complicated.” The words slipped out before Olivia realized, and she cursed herself as the women exchanged looks.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as a criticism of your brother, I?—”
Cami grinned. “Sounds about right.”
“Declan is the most complicated human on the planet,” Cara agreed.
“And stubborn,” Olivia muttered, and Cara burst out laughing.
“You have gotten to know him pretty well.”
“We’ve been working on the restructure together.”
“That can’t be easy,” Cami observed.
Olivia shrugged. “It’s been a challenge. There haven’t been any massive layoffs yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” Tension prickled in her spine. “Entire divisions. Everyone is working hard to hold it off for as long as possible. I usually bring them muffins on Fridays, but I thought they needed extra ones this week.” She gestured to the basket. “Morale boost.”
Cara scrunched her nose. “That’s tough. Declan must be making you miserable. I can’t believe he’s going to fire all those people. That seems harsh even for him.”
Her words startled Olivia. “Declan has actually been extremely fair. He didn’t get rid of anyone right away, so people could start looking for jobs, and he’s also offered an extremely generous severance package. Really, it’s more than we would have gotten from someone else. Declan’s good at what he does, and this is business. He has his own investors to answer to.” Olivia realized she sounded defensive, and her cheeks flushed. She was all too aware the women were smiling widely at her.
“I should go. Thank you again.” Olivia slipped from the bench, but as she bent for the basket, Cara leaned forward and sniffed her.