Page 7 of Yours, Finally

"Good luck to us."

She crossed her arms and walked away. I followed her from a respectable distance, my suit jacket hanging from my arm, and my heart trailing behind me on the gravel.

Chapter 3

Vi

Alone in my office,a ping from my phone didn't do much to break me out of a reverie. I reached for the device absentmindedly.

Two and a half years ago, my brother's best friend finally kissed me. It took us nowhere. All that followed were months and months of me doing my best to move on and failing, and Jake treating me in the most infuriating, neutrally polite way possible.

Over time, I had learned to accept my fate. The policies at our workplace stated we couldn't start a relationship, and I wasn't willing to be the one VP in the whole conglomerate breaking the rules of engagement. Those were there for a reason, andwhile Jake was a step below me in the hierarchy, it could never happen.

He was going to get a promotion in about a year, though…

That wasn't the point. Even if the changes planned for the Sotomayor Group included my brother becoming the CEO and Jake taking his current place, putting him at my executive level, I didn't plan on waiting.

I had no reason to believe he had changed his mind since the last gala we attended, after all.

After reading the text from my brother glaring on the screen, I would have to brand the resolution to my heart.

Gabe: Can you bring Jake to dinner? I told him I'd pick him up from work but I'm not going to make it

I leaned back on my chair and sighed. In every romance book I read, I wanted the heroine to fight against the odds and find a way to be with her one true love. Preferably, she'd be active and empowered and have a strong personality. She would overcome all barriers and dare her partner to love her just as hard.

Maybe I sought that out in books because, in real life, barriers were much more complicated. In books, I could imagine myself as that kind of person, and be with someone who loved me fiercely for who I was. In books, it was rarely the case that the heroine was a billionaire high up in the hierarchy of an international conglomerate… or for her to be the one with an upper hand in all power dynamics with the object of her affections.

Even after Jake got the promotion, I wouldn't put my hope in us falling in love. I had no plan to compete with my family or ask Jake to choose. I liked that he had found a refuge with us. We all needed that, and my parents had enough love for everyone. I wouldn't jeopardize that for him.

At the same time, I wanted to know real romantic love. I may have had no idea what loving someone who loved you backfeltlike, or what it did to your body and mind and soul, but I had seen my parents. I had read the books and watched the movies. If I couldn't get that with Jake, then I would look for someone who made me feel like he did, but who would be emotionally available to it.

A car ride wouldn't make me forget that Jake couldn't offer that to me.

Vi: Sure. Does he know, or do I get to surprise him?

I could imagine Jake's face at the news. This could be one of those times when a soft blush appeared on his white skin, half-hidden by his reddish beard. It always made me want to put his face in my hands and smack a kiss on his lips.

It wouldn't happen within the half hour that it would take us to drive home.

Gabe: I texted him, but the text shows as unread. I could always call his assistant and ask Ryan to get a driver for him

Vi: nah, it's fine. Leave it to me

A flutter of anxiety took over my stomach, but I shoved it away. I smiled at colleagues and admin assistants as I made my way to Jake's office. As he was the COO to Gabe's VP of Operations, we shared the same floor in my family's office building. Typically, it made for a hundred opportunities each week for Jake and I to cross paths, and for me to curse the stars for not aligning in our favor.

I stopped near his office and spied inside. The Sotomayor headquarters were modern, and the offices at the highest floorsall had privacy glass that could turn opaque at the push of a button. Jake's glass wall was currently in transparent mode, and he sat at his desk working at his computer.

His blond-red hair and beard were well styled, as always. He'd taken off his suit jacket, and his light blue shirt draped around his big, soft body. Big enough to take the inertia of my curves. Soft enough to hold me and for it to feel like home... I imagined.

Jake had a way to look at me, sometimes, when we gazed at each other for too long, that made me wonder if he thought of the kiss we shared all that time ago.

Welp, better stop that train of thought.

I entered Jake's office with resolute steps. "Hey. Almost done?"

He didn't appear to react, except for a mild, almost invisible tension appearing on his shoulders. Not spending time alone was an unspoken rule between us, and walking into his space broke the status quo.

He nodded, his eyes still on the screen. "Finishing up. Are you catching a ride with Gabe too?"