Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 29567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
THE INTERN
IVY
“My bathroom is to your left.” I let Nolan into the condo. “We can go back to the lobby to talk when you’re done.”
“Well, damn…” He smiles, looking as in awe as I was when I first saw this place. “Why can’t we just talk up here?”
“I just don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say, crossing my arms. “To your left and make it quick…”
He ignores me and walks over to the windows, taking in the city below.
“Are your parents on their way?” I ask.
“No, um…” He clears his throat. “I lied about them coming. I just wanted to send you on a guilt trip because I thought you were ignoring me.”
I roll my eyes. “How mature.”
“Sorry.” The smile on his face reveals he isn’t slightly apologetic. “Do you have anything to drink?”
“There’s an entire coffee bar downstairs.”
“Oh, come on, Ivy.” He walks over to me. “Is it really like that now?”
“I don’t know,” I say, honestly frustrated. “We’ve been ‘on a break’ with status checkups for almost two years now, and sometimes I honestly forget what the hell we’re still holding onto.”
“I’ll make the drinks myself then.” He moves past me and into the kitchen, making a beeline for Dominic’s custom wet bar.
“I really would prefer if we went downstairs.” I notice him loosening his tie.
As if he can’t hear me, he pulls down a flight of shot glasses and fills them with vodka before pushing them toward me. Then he makes a glass of whiskey for himself.
“This brand is like five hundred a bottle,” he says. “I’m impressed that you’re making enough to buy something like this now. Six months ago, you could barely afford to get a decent six-pack of beer.”
I knock back a shot.
“Are you going to ask me what I’ve been up to, Ivy?” He takes a long sip. “I’ve made some huge upgrades in my life, too.”
“Sure.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes and knock back another shot.
“Well, six months away from you—well, ‘us’—flew by in a flash, and I really did learn a lot about myself and what I want in a relationship.”
“Me too.” I pause, thinking I heard the elevator chime on the other side of the door, but it can’t be.
It can’t be…
“I’ve always thought you were a go-getter,” Nolan says. “And you’ve always had the most creative mind I’ve ever known. There’s even—”
He stops talking as the front door swings open, as Dominic strolls inside, still wearing the custom navy blue suit.
“Um, who are you?” Nolan asks.
Dominic doesn’t answer. He just clenches his jaw while glaring at me.
“Babe?” Nolan sets down his glass. “Who is the guy walking into your place like he thinks he owns it?”
“Like I think I own it?” Dominic asks. “Is that what you just said?”
“He’s my roommate.” I shoot Dominic a please help me out look. “He’s part of the, uh, huge intern-plus-executive-office-share program I mentioned to you.”
“Ohhh.” Nolan nods. “Oh, okay.”
“Yeah, okay.” Dominic keeps his eyes on me. “Can I speak to you in private for a second, roommate?”
“Excuse me…” I barely manage to Nolan, and I follow Dominic down the hall and into his parlor room.
He shuts the door behind us, and I can literally feel the heat rolling off his body in waves.
“So,” he says through gritted teeth, “you cut your apartment search early today to come home and fuck another man in my condo?”
“No. We weren’t even supposed to come up here, but—”
“You have two minutes to get him the hell out of my place, and then I’ll deal with you after that.”
“Dominic, listen.”
“Two fucking minutes.” He dismisses me with nothing more, and I return to the living room.
“Everything alright, babe?” Nolan asks.
“No,” I say. “And I need you to stop calling me ‘babe,’ when we’re on a break that never seems to end. I’ll have to talk to you some other day.”
“Well, that’s fine.” He shrugs. “I was only trying to see you to say that I think this latest break has been good for us, and I miss you, but I’m not quite ready to get back together.”
“So why did you make such a big deal out of wanting to see me?”
“I wanted to see where you are—like in life. To see if you’re leveling up like I’m leveling up,” he says. “And it looks like you’re finally getting my vision, and I think with another six months, we’ll be good so…”
He steps forward and presses an unwanted kiss on my cheek. “Don’t give away what’s mine and don’t let anyone else touch you, okay?”
I’m juggling far too many emotions right now to even respond to that.
“I’ll call you tomorrow to see if you want to have one final lunch before we set a new break check-in date. We’re not over just yet, right?”
I don’t answer that. I just walk him to the door and into the hallway for the elevator.