Chapter 14

Hannah “I’m sorry, but Mr. Ford is busy and won’t take visitors right now. Not even from his wife.”

My chest fills with frustration. Tobias told me he wanted me to bring the baked goods to his office. It doesn’t make sense that his assistant isn’t letting me see him.

“Listen,” I look down at her nametag. “Samantha, isn’t there something you can do? I’m Mr. Ford’s wife, and I need to see him,” I hold up the plastic container with cupcakes. “These were made on demand, and I can assure you that your boss will be grumpy if he doesn’t get them. Believe me, I know my husband.”

Samantha keeps her dazzling fake smile. “I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Why don’t you sit down. in the lobby and wait for Mr. Ford’s meetings to be over?”

Meetings? What the flipping fuck?! Tobias doesn’t have any appointments, not from what he told me! The assistant is making that up, yet I drag my sorry ass to the couch.

I don’t want to cause a scene, so I take a seat and glare at Tobias’s assistant.

There is a TV playing an ad for Ford Hotels And Resorts on a loop. Everyone in the lobby looks up at it now then before getting called into the room of the person they have been waiting for.

Everyone gets called in except for me. Tobias isn’t responding to messages, and Samantha has probably forgotten me. She is staring at her Macbook screen.

I clear my throat.

Samantha ignores me.

Wow.

Samantha is really determined not to let me see my husband. I find her willpower admiring. I will be waiting all day if she gets her way.

And I can’t have that.

My parents weren’t great, but they raised no coward! It’s time to make Samantha beg to have me leave this lobby slash waiting room!

I fill my lungs with sticky air, and then I stand up. My eyes settle on a chair in the corner of the waiting room. I grab it and pull it forward until I face assistant Samantha’s desk.

She still ignores me, but the other people in the waiting room look at me with curious eyes. Goosebumps spread over my arms. I’m nervous, but there is no backing down.

It’s time to create a scene!

I stand on the chair and open my mouth to sing. “Humidity is rising…” I use my deepest voice and place a hand on my chest to raise my tone even higher. “Barometer’s getting low…”

That sentence makes Samantha look up in shock. I wink at her as I begin rocking it to my version of “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls from my place on the chair. And believe me, I’m not done yet!

I close my eyes and sing even louder, and I’m tone-deaf! Cats scream, and children cry when I sing, but I have to convince Samantha to let me see my husband!

And believe me, she will because this whole waiting room will now be my freaking stage!

My courage grows, and I start moving my head and shaking my hips on top of the chair. I’m still singing and striking poses. I even roll my shoulders while dancing; anything to get attention!

By now, Samantha is staring at me, and her jaw is slacking to the floor. She is such a bore! The other people in the waiting room are whistling and encouraging me to keep singing!

“IT’S RAINING MEN!” I’m practically screaming that sentence when the doors to the elevator open behind me, and Tobias walks out, wide-eyed and confused.

“Hannah?!” Tobias barks. “What are you doing?!”

Shit.

I turn around, smiling nervously. “Hi… husband… how was your day?”

I expect Tobias to raise his voice at me, but he simply lifts his eyebrows to look me up and down with judging eyes. “You holding concerts in my waiting rooms now?”

“Ehh…” I grimace. “I can explain?”

Now he looks amused. “Uh-huh?”

“Your assistant wouldn’t let me see you…”

He walks to stand directly in front of the chair. We are closer in height now, and his lips curl by the corners before he speaks. “So you decided to rock it out like Adele to make her beg you to stop?”

I nod.

Tobias snorts and wraps his arms around me. “Let me get you down from there, so you don’t hurt yourself.

He lifts me down, and I get a whiff of his cologne. Dang, he smells good, but my joyride is soon over.

Tobias places me down on the floor and then lifts his eyes to someone holding up their phone. He smiles. “Did you happen to record that?”

The stranger nods.

Tobias stifles a laugh. “Mind sending it to me?

“W-what are you going to do with the recording?” I ask.

He gives me a wicked grin. “Isn’t it obvious? Watch it whenever I’m having a bad day.”

What he is saying is terrible, and I gasp in shock. But then Tobias cracks up, and the sound of his laughter. is too much for my vagina and ovaries, especially with his rolled-up sleeves.

Drool…

I don’t know why I’m suddenly such a horndog, but I suspect it’s related to having lost my virginity to Tobias.

“Since you’re making fun of me, I don’t know if you deserve these.” I hold up the container with cupcakes. There is blue cream cheese frosting on them, and I see Tobias’s eyes lit up.

“You really baked cupcakes?” He sounds excited. “For me?”

I hold the Tupperware container out of reach. “Well, it was but-”

Before I can react, Tobias easily takes the cupcakes from my hands and holds them out of reach. I can’t reach the Tupperware container, and he opens it with sparkling eyes.

“These look amazing.” Tobias takes a bite, and the ice thaws around his face and heart. I kid you not; he looks like a child on Christmas day and beams down at me, entirely out of character. “These are so tasty!

Did you bake them yourself?”

“I did.” I say shyly, basking in the knowledge that Tobias thinks I’m a skilled baker, if I’m to judge by the hearts and the diamonds in his emerald eyes.

Tobias smiles and bends down to place a kiss on my cheek. It’s quick but sweet and leaves me a gooey mess after it’s over. I peer up at him, and his smile is warm.

“Thank you for coming here today. This-” Tobias taps the container with the nail of his finger. “Made my day.”

“I’m glad.”

We stare at each other and smile like idiots. No one is making a move until Samantha clears her throat behind us.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ford, but you have a meeting with the board members in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, I haven’t forgotten about that rescheduled meeting…” Tobias sighs. “Well, I better get going. Was there anything else?”

Is it just me, or does he look hopeful? Or is that just wishful thinking?

“No, I just came to give you your share of the cupcakes. I will be heading out to meet one of my friends.

for a coffee, and then we have plans. We are cleaning a friend’s apartment today.”

“Oh,” Tobias has a weird gleam in his eye. “This friend of yours that you’re meeting for coffee… is it a male or a female?”

Why does he care? “A female,” I say. “Her name is Caroline.”

His shoulders immediately turn less tense. “Great. Tell your friend I said hi, and have a wonderful day.”

“You too!”

We part ways. Tobias enters the elevator to the left, and I step into the right one with a bright smile. I’m in an excellent mood until the doors close, and I realize I’m not alone.

Sarah is standing behind me. She wears a tight dress which emphasizes her skinny frame. High heels.

make her much taller than me, and her lips look glossy and fabulous. The woman is gorgeous, I have to admit.

And hopefully, she will ignore me…

Sadly, there is no such luck.

Sarah steps forward once our eyes meet in the mirrors on the walls. I shudder, but I’m the only one uncomfortable with this situation.

“Hannah!” Sarah exclaims my name in such an enthusiastic tone you could think we were best friends.

How are you?”

“Hi…” I plaster a smile onto my lips. “I don’t believe you and I have been introduced to each other-”

“Oh, please. Cut the bullshit. You know who I am,” Sarah snorts, and I’m flabbergasted by the change in her personality. With a hand on my shoulder, she looks me up and down like a cat. “So this is who my husband married. How is he, by the way? Does Tobias still put his job before his wife? Do you ever get time to fuck each other?”

What the flipping fuck?

How can she just ask me that?!

My face burns, and I furrow my eyebrows. “I-I’m sorry, but that’s a rather p-personal question.” And not something I would ever share with Tobias’s ex-wife.

“I suppose it is,” Sarah shrugs nonchalantly. “Anyway, don’t get too used to sharing a bed with Tobias.”

She is stepping out of the elevator now and winks at me. “I’m planning on winning him back. Ciao.”

Ciao?

I stare at Sarah’s brown, glossy hair and how she sashays forward before the door closes and continues.

taking me to the first floor.

What the heck was that?