Page 89 of See You Maybe
It was only because Chris was still lurking around, he told himself. Declan hadn’t been happy to learn, that instead of packing up and returning to New York, Chris had leased a condo in Atlanta. His instincts told him Chris wasn’t done fighting, and with Olivia’s ex running his mouth, Declan couldn’t leave Atlanta until he knew she was safe from Chris.
Olivia had kept a perfectly professional demeaner during their meeting, which shouldn’t have bothered him—wasn’t that exactly what he wanted? Yet, he couldn’t resist the urge to provoke her, to make her smile at him the way she used to. Now, Olivia was leaving even angrier than when she’d arrived.
The door opened, and his assistant stuck his head in, surprised to find Olivia standing close to the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have a phone call.”
“Not now, Todd.”
The young man cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. She is insistent.”
Declan’s lips deepened into a frown. “My sister?”
“It’s Fiona Carrol.”
Olivia’s shoulders stiffened, and Declan cursed silently, knowing she’d recognized the name.
“Sounds important.” Olivia clutched her portfolio to her chest and slipped past his assistant.
Declan wanted to stop her, to find a legitimate reason to keep her there. There wasn’t one.
He waved an angry hand dismissively at Todd, who closed the door behind him. Declan settled himself at the desk, taking a moment to rein in his annoyance. Olivia angry with him was a good thing, he reminded himself.
“You must be busy,” Fiona complained when he finally picked up the handset. “You aren’t answering your cell phone, and I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I am.”
There was a pause. Normally, he would attempt to be at least a little friendly, but right now Declan struggled with being civil.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt you,” she said icily.
Declan swallowed his distaste. The tentative agreement he had come to with Alan Carrol hadn’t bothered him before. Now, seeing Olivia again… The concept of tying his life to Fiona left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Declan pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter how he felt about it. Without her father’s support, it would be exponentially harder to secure the votes he needed to become CEO again.
“Did you need something?”
“Can’t I call because I miss you?”
“You never have before.”
Fiona chuckled. “That’s true.” Another pause. “I didn’t realize you were planning on staying in Atlanta for so long. My father assumed you would be back by now. Wasn’t your meeting last week?”
Declan knew there had been talk in certain circles. Those who witnessed him carrying Olivia out of the gala hadn’t hesitated to share the gossip. However, since Declan didn’t know how to explain his behavior that night, even to himself, he wouldn’t bother to try.
“It’s an unusual situation. This company is going to require a bit more of a hands-on treatment than I expected.” An image of his hands on Olivia’s silky skin flashed in his mind, and he inwardly cursed his unfortunate choice of words.
“Mm.” Fiona wasn’t interested in what Declan did professionally. The concept… the power he wielded… Yes… What it entailed… No.
Declan’s thoughts drifted, and he tuned out Fiona’s voice.
Olivia understood what he did. They spoke the same language, and he loved that she wasn’t afraid to challenge him.
“I’ve arranged for dinner this Saturday with Tracy and Tomas.” Fiona’s voice came back to him at full volume, pulling him from his thoughts.
“What?”
“Tracy recommended Inferno,” Fiona continued without pause. “She and Tomas have been there before.”
Declan’s brain scrambled to play catchup. Who the fuck were Tracy and Tomas? Declan mentally ran back over what Fiona had said.