Ambushed by M.E. McAndrews
Chapter 11
Austin
sound of the doorbell pierces through my headache. I try to ignore it, but it continues to ring, insisting on my attention. I finally drag myself out of bed, shuffling to the door with an angry scowl on my face. Another night of terrible sleep. The few drinks at Olivia’s bar didn’t help. I already know who’s going to be on the other side of the door. He’s been blowing up my phone all morning.
As I pull the door open, I confirm it is Henry standing on my doorstep, his hands stuck deep inside his pockets, and a look of genuine concern on his face. He purses his lips and furrows his brows with worry.
“What the hell, man?” I grumble, rubbing my temple. “Can't a guy sleep in peace?”
“It’s almost noon.”
“Yeah, so? I was still sleeping.”
“I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours, Boss,” Henry says, his voice tight. “I was getting worried.”
I shrug, leaning against the doorframe. “Sorry, man, I had a rough night.”
Henry's eyes scan my face, observing my obvious signs of a hangover. “Yeah, I can see that,” he says, a hint of amusement in his voice.
I roll my eyes, but I can't help but smirk. Few people are confident enough to speak to me the way Henry does. His fearless honesty is one of the things I like most about him.
“Come on in,” I say, stepping aside to let him in. “I could use some coffee. You want some?”
“Sure.” Henry nods, following me into the kitchen. As I start a pot of coffee, he takes a seat at the table, watching me with the concerned look still on his face. “So, what exactly happened last night?” he asks, breaking the silence.
“I went to her bar,” I say, pouring two cups of coffee from the freshly brewed pot. “And I saw Olivia.”
“Oh yeah?” Henry says, raising an eyebrow as he takes the coffee cup in front of him. “How'd that go?”
I shrug. “She's still keeping her distance, but I'm making progress,” I say, a smirk forming on my lips.
“Progress?” Henry’s tone is skeptical. “What the hell does that even mean?”
“It means that she’s close to breaking,” I say, setting my coffee cup down on the table. “I admit. I can't seem to shake her. She's got this fire in her, this determination to be one stubborn hell of a bitch. And it’s kind of a turn-on. But with her husband gone, I feel there’s an opening.”
“Well, that's good, I guess,” Henry says, sounding unsure. He folds his arms over his chest. “You missed the meeting this morning.”
“I know.”
He studies me for a long while. “Don't let the games with the Williams widow consume you.”
I take another long sip of my coffee, trying to process Henry's words. He's right, but the whole thing just seems so far away. Right now, my focus is on Olivia and her damn plot. Getting her to sell is a critical success factor for the development project.
“Focus on the company, not the girl,” Henry reiterates.
“I’m focusing on both.”
“Trying to break this woman is not the best tactic. What's your plan? To threaten her? You know Stark won’t have any of that.”
“Yes. That’s why we aren’t including Stark in any of our plans,” I say, my smile fading. “But what else do you want me to do?” My eyes meet his, and I can see that I've got his attention. I let this sit in the back of my mind for a second, my fingers tapping against the table. Olivia's words ring in my ears: You're an asshole, Austin. She's right. I am an asshole. And now, I'm going to use it to my advantage.
“I think I have an idea. But it's a long shot.”
“What is it?” Henry asks, curiosity in his eyes.
“Well, it's kind of crazy,” I say, setting my cup down. “But I asked her out. To lunch.”
Henry snorts. “This is the exact bullshit I’m talking about.”
“What is?”
“Asking her to lunch. You really think you can charm your way into convincing her to sell?”
“Who said anything about charm? I want to figure out what makes the bitch tick. Find her weaknesses.”
He blinks slowly, shaking his head. “That's sweet,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But are you sure you can trust yourself not to screw this up?”
“I won't screw it up,” I say, my voice firm.
He stares at me, unimpressed, and I think I might have lost him.
“You sure about that?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “Because you can get a little... obsessed when you're in the middle of something.”
I narrow my eyes, suddenly offended. He's not wrong, but he is getting close to the edge of insubordination with his excess of honesty. “I'm not that bad,” I grumble, holding back my anger and rubbing my temples with my fingertips. “I’ll make this work. She’s emotional.”
“That's the spirit,” Henry says, his tone sarcastic. I can feel my blood boiling, but I know he's just trying to help. “So, how is this going to work?”
I lick my lips, trying to figure out how to explain it.
“I'm going to be smart, piss her off, find her breaking point. Lunch is just a steppingstone in this game of cat and mouse, so when I make her an offer, she'll accept. She's in a desperate situation. Desperate people are different.”
“Different from what?”
I take a long sip of my coffee, my face tense and serious.
“Cowards.”
He rolls his eyes. “And here I was thinking you planned to get her between the sheets.”
“I'm not that much of a dog.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Okay, Austin. Okay. I give it two weeks.”
“Until what?”
He shrugs. “Until you've done everything you can, and you still can't get access to her property. All I'm saying is that you, women, and business don't mix.”
“Really?” I say, my mood growing darker. “And what makes you so goddamn sure of that?”
“I don't know, man. I've seen you do this before. Except this time, I'm certain Olivia Williams will figure you out.”
“That won’t happen. My goal is to figure out what the hell's got a stick driven up her ass, then maybe I can figure out how to get our hands on that property.”
“What did she do when you showed up at her work?”
“She called me an asshole.”
He nods. “I told you. She may be smarter than you think.” He chuckles. “Well, now that I’ve confirmed you're alive and in a perfectly foul mood, I can leave. Just text me next time you think about dipping in on a meeting.”
I wave my hand. “I've got to get ready for my date, anyway. You want to come?”
He laughs. “No. No. I'll leave Olivia Williams to your mastery.”
Henry turns to the door, stops, and turns back to me. “Good luck, Casanova,” he continues, a smirk spreading across his face. “Please show up to our next project meeting. I hate covering for you.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” I nod in appreciation and watch as he leaves, closing the door behind him. I stand there for a moment, gathering my thoughts before heading upstairs.
As I make my way up the steps, my phone dings with a text from my ex-wife, Izzy.
Iz: Hey Austin, can I come over tonight? Been awhile since we've talked.
I pause at the top of the stairs.
What the hell?
Me: “No, Iz.”
I type back, but before I hit send, my phone dings again. More messages from her. Looks like she's sent me nudes—something she hadn't done since we were dating. The photo shows a glimpse of her bare skin, glimmering in the light with her curves highlighted in silhouette. Her face is half-turned from the camera, and her hair dark. And short. Her eyes are closed and her lips slightly parted by the tip of her tongue poking from between them, conveying a sense of vulnerability and desire.
A wave of emotions washes over me as I stare at her picture.
What game is she playing now? I delete the images before I look at them for more than a second. Then I hit send.
Not tonight, sweetheart, not any night. I push my hair out of my eyes. I've got a date with Olivia today. That's my priority.