**IsaEven if I didn't exactly get Tevin's blessing, it was still worth it to go to Alyssa's birthday party. By the end of that day, Alyssa and I felt like sisters, and Veronica felt like my aunt, too.I even got to talk with Veronica's husband for a while, as well as a couple of Callan's cousins. Roman showed up at the end, and we were able to get fairly acquainted.To be honest, I was on a high after that weekend. A happy high.Even the continued whispers at work weren't enough to bring me down. Yes, it was discouraging to hear people say that I was using Callan, or even that he was being irresponsible by dating someone who worked under him, but I really took Veronica's advice to heart.She had told me that people wouldn't understand or come to accept our relationship if we kept trying to hide it. Well, now that it was out in the open, there wasn't any reason I thought of that should keep us remaining in the dark.So even if we weren't holding hands or o
Chapter 47 - Non-Father**Isa"It's my dad," I said. The muscles in Callan's jaw tightened. I hadn't talked much about my dad with Callan, and I never told him about the last time I met with my father or his demand to give me the inheritance money. But I guessed learning what kind of guy he had been during my childhood was enough to make Callan dislike him. "He didn't say what was wrong exactly, but he said it's urgent, and that he needs to speak with me in person as soon as possible. He even… mentioned that my mom is with him and that they want to have a family discussion," I said. I felt like I was in a daze. If my mom was involved, it must be something serious. That thought scared me.Callan patted my hand. "Should we go? I can go with, if that's okay."As much as I didn't want Callan to have to meet my father, I was more afraid of another scene breaking out between us. If Callan was there, I knew I'd feel safer, and perhaps my dad wouldn'
**IsaRather than being exhausted when we got back home from Portland, I felt lighter. I had been amazed by Callan this weekend. He got along so well with my friends, he handled my father with silent and stern strength and composure, and even if my mom didn't say anything, I thought he might have had a positive effect on her too. I was really starting to feel like things were going to be okay now.Callan was so much more than I thought from the first night I met him. But my first impression of him was right: he was special. I was glad that my feelings lingered as long as they did, and that, when he finally came around to remembering me, we found a way to become part of each other's lives. Yeah, for too long I'd let myself get knocked around by the fear of what other people would think of me, but now, especially after the weekend, I really felt Callan's love. I really felt my appreciation for him, too. It made me realize what him and Myalin and even his aunt
**Isa"Boob check," Maggie chirped, leaning around me and placing her hands on my chest. I gave her a look of dead disbelief. Earlier, she'd put me in a strappy form-fitting blue top and skirt and told me that it was guaranteed to make Thomas (my ex) regret dumping me and losing his business partner in turn."Personal space, dude," Erin said, swatting our friend's hand off of me. Maggie rolled her eyes and adjusted her dress to show off another quarter inch of cleavage. "What's it gonna hurt?" she pouted. "You know what they say about how to get over one man…""Yeah, yeah, you have to get under the next—" I started flatly."Nope," Maggie said smugly. "You just have to go out into the world looking hot and get complimented by all of the other men in the world. At least… that's how I do it."Erin rolled her eyes but smiled. "Let's go get hit on then," she said, looping her arm through mine and heading inside the bar. Maggie pittered behind us, still distracted by her o
**IsaFirst-day jitters had never been a thing for me. Even when it came to my first days of school each year or going on first dates or starting new jobs, I just wasn't a nervous person. Instead, it was more thrilling to me than anything. I wasn't COO of my investing app anymore, but I would have the opportunity to try out a new area of business that I had always been interested in. As the Chief Marketing Officer of this new company, SoulMode International, I would finally get to put my Master's Degree in Marketing to use.I was excited to get started at such a prestigious place as SoulMode International Clothing. I knew I didn't have to create something with my own hands in order to feel successful, so while it was tough to leave a company I had been co-operating for more than four years, it was refreshing to get to start again. Confidence.My mother had always told me that's how businesswomen had to get through work and through life. That's how she got through divorc
**Callan"But Mr. Arison really is a tough nut to crack," I overheard Rosie say casually. "He's so cold to all of us that most of us are afraid to meet his eyes. I bet half of the staff couldn't even tell you what he looks like because they're too afraid to look at him and piss him off."I scoffed as I rounded the corner. This wasn't the first time I'd heard my subordinates gossiping about how mean I was—though I would disagree with the term 'mean.' 'Tough,' maybe.Besides, looking someone in the eye was a display of trust just as much as it was a display of dominance. It just depended on your mindset. "I guess I'll just have to decide for myself what kind of person he is whenever Mr. CEO finally shows me his face," an unfamiliar voice chimed in. The new girl.... She sounded nonchalant, uninspired by Rosie's words. I stepped into the break room, and Jeffery, my personal assistant, halted just behind me. I cleared my throat. "Perhaps you'd like to save the speculations,
**Isa"Uh, are you going to be okay?" Erin asked. I pedaled my stationary bike faster and gritted my teeth together. I could feel her eyeballing me with worry, but I just had to tire myself out before I talked about this. I'd seen his face a few times now at work, even a couple of times up close, and nothing. Either he didn't remember me, or he was hella good at playing pretend. I scoffed and tried to go faster, but I accidentally lifted my foot off the pedal, causing it to swing around and clip the back of my heel. I flinched in pain and nearly fell off the damn thing. "Woah, girl," Erin said, stabilizing me with her motherly-instinctive hand. "What's going on with you? Do we need to take a break? Take a walk?"I took the towel from around my shoulders and wiped at my hairline, sitting back on the seat of the bike. My heart was racing, and I could feel my blood pounding in my head. "Seriously, this has to be some kind of lame-ass joke, right?" I said, looking over t
**Isa'How did we get here? Sitting across from one another in a diner?' I wondered. 'And why was the room so… hot?'"Are you uncomfortable?" Callan asked. I stopped pulling at the neck of my shirt and straightened up in my seat. I didn't want him to see me at any level of weakness. "I'm just a bit warm," I said. He eyed me and then glanced outside, probably wondering how I could be warm in the middle of September this far north. "This is the only place that's still open that's close to the office," he said, lifting the diner's menu to his nose. "It's fine. I needed a break anyway," I said, trying to remain professional. "Thanks for offering to give me a reprieve."Never showing the slightest bit of a smile or hint of lightness in his eyes, he nodded and set the menu down. Feeling a bit awkward, I lifted the paper up to cover my face—well, mostly to keep my eyes from wandering to his face. Up until this moment, I had been too angry. I didn't even