Page 96 of Open for Negotiation
Epilogue
Scarlett
Six Months Later
The smell of butter and pancetta sizzling in the skillet is filling the kitchen by the time Max leaves his office after a conference call that went much longer than he anticipated.
We were going to go out to dinner, but I opted to start cooking instead. Partially because the meeting ran over and we missed our reservations, but also because Trooper looked so sad over on his plush floor pillow. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving that spoiled old man of a dog.
“Christ, I thought that would never end,” he says, sliding up behind me and wrapping me in his arms. “You didn’t want to go out anymore?”
“It started getting late and I was rummaging through your cabinets for a snack when I realized you have all the fixing for a little meal from memory lane.”
“You just didn’t want to leave Trooper and you know it.” He nibbles on the space between my shoulder and ear.
I gasp then giggle, “I can neither confirm or deny that fact.”
“You know, you could see him all the time, every single day, if you’d just, I don’t know, move in with me.”
I smile, even though he can’t see me and continue stirring the simmering sauce.
“I told you, Boss, I want us to do this slowly, especially since we work together. I don’t want to move too fast and one of us regret it.”
It didn’t take long for me to get my job back at Fortress once the dust settled between Max and me. There were many meetings with HR and negotiations to be had, but I’m back in my old position and happier than ever.
“You know that there is no part of me that will ever regret being with you, right?” he says.
“And I feel the same way.” I place the wooden spoon down and turn to face him, sliding my arms around his neck. “I just think this is smart, for now.” I push up on my toes to kiss his lips. “Plus, I do enjoy the anticipation of seeing you when I haven’t slept over, and I do like shacking up here on the weekends.”
He grips my ass and pulls me closer, and I swear, I hear a little growl in the back of his throat that sends shivers up my spine. “I’m tempted to kidnap you and tie you to my bed forever.”
“Promises, promises.”
We kiss again, this time slower, sexier, but it’s quickly interrupted by the kitchen timer telling me the garlic bread is ready.
“Used a timer this time, huh?” he teases and backs away to pour us drinks for dinner.
When we sit to eat a short time later, he slides his phone across the table toward me, screen brightly illuminated with an email.
“What’s this?” I lift it up to read.
“Miranda touched base. She’s doing well.”
Miranda went into a treatment facility for mental health and alcohol abuse as part of a deal we made with her. I wouldn’t press charges as long as she took care of herself and sought out treatment, and so far, it’s working out very well for her.
There was a lot of conversations had and confusion cleared up about everything that went down with she and Garrett, all of which she took full responsibility for.
Max decided that it was still best that Garrett part ways with Fortress, however, and that was something I agreed was better as well.
He was my friend, yes, but he betrayed me, broke my heart, and hurt me in ways that aren’t forgivable.
I haven’t heard from him at all over the last six months. Last I heard, he was working for a firm in South Georgia.
Her email is short and to the point, providing us with an update on her treatment, milestones she’s hit, and saying she hopes we are both doing well. We’ve drawn boundaries with her and will stick with them, but at the end of the day, she does have us in her corner, regardless of past atrocities and mistakes.
“I’m glad she’s okay.” I slide the phone back to him.
“Thank you for being so understanding where she is concerned, Scarlett. That means a lot to me, and I know it can’t be easy.”
