Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (41 page)

“Surprise”
he sings opening the door.

“Dad what the heck?”

I
ask stepping into an office half the size of my dad’s but with
a wall of windows to match, “I don’t get it” I
shake my head looking around at the furnishings. There is a desk by
the windows with the requisite computer, phone and desk calendar, a
two seat beige sofa against the far wall with a glass coffee table
and two armchairs in front. My dad is smiling so wide I can count the
lines around his eyes.

“I
had this built a long time ago hoping that one day you would come
work here” he tells me as I sit in the leather chair behind the
desk running my hands over the glossy wooden surface, I notice the
calendar is two years out of date and laugh.

“I think we need a new
one,” I say tapping it with my finger. “Dad I don’t
know what to say I never really thought about working here to be
honest.”

He
takes a seat in one of the two leather chairs that sit in front of my
desk, resting his ankle on his knee he smiles at me “I know
sweetheart but a father can dream and like I told you at Christmas
this is all yours when I retire” he says holding out his hands
to the room.

“Well
then we better get to work” I smile back at him. We spend the
next few hours in his office going over paperwork and the computer
programs he uses, which I am familiar with from my IT stint. By
eleven o’clock I am starving and head back to the café
where I find Max “hey you” I say stepping in line behind
him.

“Hey sis” he gives me
a hug and we order our lunch sitting together.

“So
how do like it here Max?” he nods as he chews on his lunch,

“It’s
great I love it.”

“Hey
I got a surprise today so if you have time I can show you” I
smile thinking about my office.

“Sure,
so how are you doing? I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

That
was the point, I purposely avoided Max and Paige these last few weeks
to give them some alone time and I wanted to stay with my dad for a
while anyway.

“Yeah
I was busy and stayed with dad for a few days.”

Max
arches his eyebrow at me “It’s been weeks Bailey I went
to the apartment to see you but you haven’t been there
forever.”

“I know” I smile then
bite my burger.

“So
Knox is doing good I talked to him last night for a few hours”
Max says as my food lodges in my throat, I swallow hard and take a
drink shrugging my shoulders.

“That’s
good,” I whisper blinking back the tears that threaten to fall.

“Hey he’ll be home
soon” Max soothes.

“Like
I said that’s good” he eyes me for a minute.

“Ok sis spill it I know
something is up” we stare at each other for a few minutes.

“I
haven’t heard from him in the last four weeks, no emails, no
texts no phone calls.” I shrug drinking down more water to
stave off the pain in my throat of unshed tears, Max looks puzzled.

“I
didn’t know that sorry, he never said anything to me just
talked about getting into the swing of things over there.”

We
finish our lunch with out further discussion of my boyfriend if he
even still is. “So lets see this surprise” Max asks
standing up I take him up to the fifth floor passing my dad’s
office and turn the corner to face a single door, he reads the sign
and smiles “Damn sis that’s great” he hugs me.

“Come on you can have a
tour” opening the door we step inside. After two rounds Max
sits behind the desk resting his hands behind his head.

“This is sweet Bailey.”

“Yeah
I think it was hint from my dad to get my shit together” I
laugh stretching on the sofa, “Max” I ask looking up at
the ceiling I can hear him sigh and move over to me

“What’s
going on?”

I
look at him unable to stop the tears now, “Is Knox forgetting
about me? Do you know anything?” he looks sad but pulls me into
a hug.

“I don’t know sis but
I am damn sure going to find out what’s going on” I shake
my head wiping my eyes with my hands.

“No
it’s fine I will email him again later you never know maybe he
might answer this one” Max nods.

“I need to get back you
want to have dinner tonight?” nodding I smile.

“Yeah sure” He leaves
me alone to sit in my new office feeling depressed.

Sitting
at the desk I start my computer but I don’t have the password
so I call down to Mr. Singh the man I was shadowing for my IT
internship to get me logged into the server, after my set up is
complete I open my email account and type at a furious pace to my
boyfriend. I pour my heart out but in a scathing way rather than a
romantic way, he has hurt me again and I tell him so, also I tell him
I am moving out of the apartment because the summer is over and it’s
time to get beck to reality and stop playing house by myself. I hit
send and collapse against the chair, my phone rings so I grab it
“Hello” “Sweetheart can you come in here?” my
dad asks I hang up and walk around to his office.

“Yes
dad you rang.”

I
smile he holds out a pile of papers “I need you to read these
for me and sign at the bottom” taking the papers I sit down and
he smirks at me.

“In your office” he
winks.

“Oh right” I say
standing and walking to the door “Hey dad” he looks up at
me, “Don’t think because you gave me an office I am just
an employee I am still your daughter so remember that” I wink
making him laugh

“I would never forget.”

Stepping outside I close his door
and return to my own little piece of heaven in the M.E. building. I
should go shopping and get something to decorate this place make it
my own, smiling at the idea I begin the task of reading and signing.

It
takes me about two hours to get through all this stuff finally I am
done bringing them back to my dad I smile “All done pop’s”
he chuckles at me.

“Thanks
sweetheart you can leave if you like” I nod.

“Yeah
I was thinking of getting a few bits to decorate my office” he
nods at me,

“Here
take the company card but don’t go wild you can have five
hundred” taking the card I grin.

“Thanks
dad but I don’t need that much.”

Rolling
his eyes he waves me out. Driving to the mall the loneliness hits me
again I don’t understand why he hasn’t contacted me at
all, it’s like he moved on and left me behind, pulling into the
office supplies store I browse the stationary section. I know my dad
has a supply closet but I want my own stuff that just says me, I grab
a stapler, one of those shoes that are a tape dispenser and a handbag
note dispenser. I get a new desk calendar and some candy, leaving
this store I continue my spree in the art store finding a nice
picture of the beach for the wall.

I
make it to the apartment by five dragging my shopping with me I grab
the mail and walk into the kitchen it feels bare and empty. Sorting
the mail it’s mostly for Knox so I dump it with all the rest on
the counter, deciding on a shower and some music. I dress in a floaty
white summer dress and sandals, tie my hair in a ponytail and text
Max to see if we are still having dinner, lying on the bed I wait for
an answer and wait. My iPad rings into life without thinking I swipe
the screen to reveal a different looking Knox Porter.

“Hey
darlin” he says sounding forced, I look at him for a minute
seeing his bright green eyes and his black hair so familiar yet so
different.

“Hi” I manage keeping
my guard up.

“I got the strangest email
today from a B. Mortenson of Mortenson Engineering” he smiles
at me melting my heart just a little.

“Yeah
what was strange about it?” he sighs running his hand over his
new goatee.

“It
said some pretty crazy stuff sounded like a Dear John” he looks
at me waiting for my answer.

“I
don’t know you tell me. Maybe the writer was pissed off that
she hasn’t heard from the man she loves for four weeks and
maybe she is scared of him not wanting to be with her. Maybe she
doesn’t want to wait until September to have her heart ripped
out again,” I say biting hard on my lip so I won’t cry.

“Oh
and maybe she hates that fucking goatee” he throws his head
back laughing at me.

“Yeah I tried it but I
don’t like it either” he watches me his eyes taking in
every part of my face and eyes “I’m sorry for not writing
or calling Bailey” he sighs closing his eyes again.

When
he opens them they are glassy “I fucking miss you like crazy,
it’s too hard to see you. Damn darlin I always said you would
kill me” he lets out a breath.

“Yeah
I will kill you if you don’t shave that rat of your face.”

We
both chuckle for a beat but sober up just watching each other.

“So” he says, “Was
that email a dear John? Are you leaving me?” I shake my head no
as the tears fall.

“No
I am not leaving you Knox but this is hard on me too, I miss you. I
want you home with me. I thought you were done because you never
answered my calls or emails.” he shakes his head as his own
tears fall.

“Fuck!”

He
runs his hand over his face wiping them away “What are you
doing?” I ask trying to make this into a normal conversation.

“Just
reading everyone else took off.”

“Then
why don’t you bring me into the bathroom so I can watch you
shave” I smile at him because he knows I love watching him.

“Anything for you” he
smiles at me walking into the bathroom of the house they all share. I
can hear the water run as he places me high on a shelf I watch him
lather his face and begin the task of ridding it of all that hair.

“I
wish you were home babe.”

I
whisper as he strokes the blade against his chin “Me too”
he glances at me his eyes full of pain once he is done I smile.

“Now that is the guy I
love” he smiles at me drying his face. He climbs onto his bed
and we talk about work both of ours, he is busy all the time his dad
makes him work sixteen-hour days “Are you liking it?” I
ask watching him frown.

“Yes
and no. I like learning but I miss home, I miss my freedom and my own
place, having to share with these guys gets old” I nod.

“Yeah
I have too much space I need a room mate, I’m taking
applications.”

“Sorry
darlin I believe that you’re under a strict contract that says
no room mates while your boyfriend is out of town and misses you like
crazy” my phone beeps with a text from Max and I smile, Knox
looks at me.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh
secret admirer taking me to dinner at the French bistro to celebrate
my,” I read the text “My new office and life as an old
workaholic” I laugh. “Max babe” I wave my phone to
him.

“Ok then I will let you
go,” he sounds sad.

“I
will call when I am back so charge your iPad and you better answer me
Knox or I will be on the next flight and kick the crap out of you”
laughing he nods.

“Ok darlin I’ll be
waiting” I blow him a kiss and wave goodbye.

I
meet Max and Paige at the bistro we fall into an easy conversation
about work and going back to school but all I want to do is go home
and call Knox back.

“Are
you coming to the bar tonight?” Paige asks.

“No
I have a date,” I answer smiling at her.

“With who?” Max
grunts at me making me laugh,

“My
boyfriend” I tell him and he smiles at me.

“Finally,
I thought I was going to have to knock sense into him,” I tell
them about his goatee and how I made him shave it off there is no way
I am kissing him with that on his face, after dinner I race home
changing into one of Knox’s t-shirts and making a hot
chocolate, I climb into bed and call him. We talk for about three
hours he fills me in on everything he has been doing and complaining
about his roommates.

“I wish you could come home
early,” I say wistfully watching his sleepy face.

“Me
too darlin, me too” we stay on until our batteries are nearly
gone “I love you Bailey Mortenson of Mortenson Engineering”
he jokes.

“I
love you Knox Porter of, if you don’t come home soon I will
die” he nods.

“I’ll see what I can
I do beautiful” we say goodbye again agreeing to talk on
Sunday.

Knox
and I have gotten better with the video chats we talk at least three
times a week and I couldn’t help but tell him it should have
been that way all along. We are both missing each other but only two
weeks to go and he will be home, my heart burst with the news when he
told me last night. I decided to do a little decorating in the
apartment hanging pictures of us through out making it our home for
real.

Walking
over to Paige’s apartment I am feeling a little off, I don’t
know what is going on with her and I haven’t seen her in weeks
so now here I am knocking on her door trying to keep the scrap of
friendship alive. She pulls the door open looking like an eighties
extra from flash dance, with her hair all messy and wearing a sweater
with the neck stretched out so it sits off one shoulder and a pair of
shorts.

“Hey”
I smile while she looks at me.

“Hey what’s up?”
her cold attitude keeps me form inviting myself in.

“I
haven’t seen you in weeks you want to hang out?”

I
ask as friendly as I can. Part of me is wondering why the hell I am
going to this much trouble. I never had to be like this with Summer,
maybe I was spoiled having her friendship, it was easy and kind we
could sit in a room together for hours without speaking and still
feel relaxed, but with Paige it’s all work.

“Sure”
she nods her head and steps aside to allow me entry.

“So
what have you been up to?” I ask walking down the hallway to
the kitchen.

“Not
much getting things ready for school, you?” we sit at the small
dining table and I am feeling uncomfortable.