Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Is Marcus right? Am I stupidly clinging to the thrill of the past? Maybe I really do need to keep losing myself in pussy…
With a sigh, I turn to the brunette who’s still eyeing me and shift down a couple of stools, ready to strike up a conversation. The only problem? I’m convinced this will merely lead to another insignificant fuck that will still leave me feeling empty tomorrow.
Monday
Kate
“Are you sure about this?” my older sister, Mariah, asks over the phone. “You’re a long way from home…”
“Stop mommying me. You’ve already got three kids. You don’t need anyone else to worry about.”
“But new city, new job, new everything… It’s a lot of change at once. You sure you’re ready for all that?”
“Boston isn’t Phoenix, I’ll grant you.” I accelerate through a green light.
October is already far cooler than I anticipated, and in the week I’ve been settling into this city, I haven’t found a shred of good Mexican food. The amazing history here compensates for that…mostly. But it’s more. The sense of the unknown, as if I might find something new around the very next corner, excites me. Coming here was the right decision. I feel it. I’m supposed to be in Boston.
“That’s a given,” my snarky older sister says.
I grip the wheel as I head toward the office. I’ve made a couple of practice runs, so the roads aren’t unfamiliar. “That doesn’t make this city bad, just different. But working for Force Financial is—”
“Major.” She sighs. “I know. Landing this job was a coup—and better for you in the long run. I just hate that you’re so far away. I miss you so much. So does the rest of the family.”
I blink back tears. “I miss you all, too. I just needed to get away.”
“You did.” She sounds resigned. “Derrick didn’t deserve you. He was such a—”
“He was.” I have a lot of ways to describe my ex-husband—misogynist, backstabber, and insensitive ass come to mind—but I refuse to care anymore. “He’s also my past. This is a new start, sis, and I’m seizing it.”
“You always were a go-getter. I wish I had half your brains and energy.”
And I’ve always wished I had my sister’s big heart. She married one of the best guys out there and they have three amazing kids. They’re more in love than ever. When Derrick and I split, I flushed my dreams of happily ever after down the drain and vowed to focus on professional fulfillment.
“You’re doing great,” I assure her. “And you’re happy, right? I think I just need to focus on my career.”
I also need to stop wanting what my sister has. Commitment isn’t in the cards for me. Eight years with Derrick, three of them married, and I’m done with men. So done. I never saw myself being divorced at twenty-five, but I think the universe is telling me something. I need to listen.
“You deserve happiness, too.”
“I’ll find it—in my way.”
“You will. I have faith in you.”
Despite being over two thousand miles apart, my sister’s love radiates as strongly as if she stood beside me, like it has my entire life. I swallow back a sniffle. “Thanks. I’m driving into the lot now. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck, Katie. Just be you and your first day will be great.”
“Love you.”
“We love you, too. Call me later and tell me everything!”
“I will,” I promise as I pull into a parking spot a full fifteen minutes early. “Give Mom and Dad my love.”
Once we end the call, I step out, take a deep breath, and prepare to face my future. Leaving everything familiar behind, including the business I’d worked my ass off to stabilize then expand, wasn’t easy, but it’s led me to this point. I intend to make the most of it and find the best possible future for me.
Inside, the swanky chrome and crystal building is a well-balanced mix of contemporary and traditional elements. It tells everyone who walks through the door that Force Financial is an established, venerable institution but not too stodgy to keep up with modern business.
“Ms. Evans?” an older receptionist greets me with a kind smile that makes me feel immediately welcome.
“Yes. I’m here to see Savannah Force.”
“Of course. She’s waiting for you. One moment.” She picks up the phone and settles her glasses more firmly on her nose. “If you’d like some coffee, there’s a bar with sugar and creamer right around the corner.”
“Thank you.” After an anxious, restless night, caffeine is a necessity.
I pour a cup, eschewing anything to flavor it. Lots of time on construction sites has taught me to drink it hot, strong, and black. Carrying my cup in one hand and gripping my briefcase with the other, I make my way back to the reception desk in time to see Savannah Force emerge from the elevator, looking both professional and stunning in a wraparound dress in a turquoise shade that makes her blue eyes pop. Sharp black accents, along with her sedate up-do and professional smile, complete the look. I’d say she’s the perfect corporate wife if she wasn’t a dynamo in her own right. After less than a year with Force Financial, not only has she been recognized as an insightful economic thinker, but she’s quickly been promoted through the ranks. And two months ago, she married the CEO, billionaire bachelor Chad Force. Though Savannah’s dress gives nothing away, rumor has it they’re already expecting. She seems to have it all.