Free Working Him: A Billionaire Romance by Amara Chase

her.
    She walked to the elevator and pressed the button, the doors opening.
    “I never asked how you came to be living in the same building as me,” I brought up casually as the elevator ascended to the nineteenth floor. It was comical, really, to know she was only one floor down from me, easily within reach this entire time.
    She fiddled with the plastic bag, looking suddenly nervous. “It’s a friend of mine’s condo. I told him I was relocating and he is allowing me to stay until I can find my own place.” She looked over, giving me a slight smile. “Like a secretary could afford a place here.”
    That was my sentiments exactly, but I did not like the fact she had mentioned her friend as a ‘he.’ Was the guy blind to not try and make the moves on Rachel? Maybe he was gay.
    The doors opened and we stepped out into the hall, walking down until she stopped before a door, inserting the key and pushing it open. “Welcome.”
    I stepped in, seeing the familiarity between her place and mine, including the balcony. It was tastefully decorated, though I saw no personal effects amongst the shelves that would even indicate that Rachel lived here. If she was truly looking for her own place, it made sense not to put out a bunch of stuff. Still, I thought it was weird that she had nothing personal laying around.
    “I’ll just grab some glasses and plates,” she was saying as she laid the bag on the counter, along with the wine. “I’ve got a bottle chilling in the fridge already.”
    “I’ll get it,” I said, walking over to the fridge and opening it, smirking as I saw the various takeout already on the shelves. She lived like I did, with no interest or time to cook for just one person. For her though, I would cook up a meal in a heartbeat.
    Grabbing the wine, I pulled it out of the fridge and turned to see Rachel already unpacking the bag, various containers littering the counter. “That’s a lot of food for one person,” I remarked, setting the wine on the counter. “Are you sure you were going to be alone tonight?”
    She laughed and reached for some silverware in one of the drawers, giving me a nice view of her ass in the process. “I always struggle to figure out what I want when I go so I get a little bit of everything. You’re in luck that I like a buffet.”
    I grinned, some of my anger melting away. This was what I needed. I needed her company to put me at ease. Rachel handed me a plate and I filled it with the piping hot food, pouring us both a glass a wine. “Do you want to sit on the balcony?”
    “Sure,” she answered, grabbing her plate as well. “Lead the way.”
    Balancing the plate and my glass, I opened the balcony door and stepped out, taking one of the cushioned chairs that were separated by a small table, both facing forward to the beach. Rachel took the other and we sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the food.
    “So,” she finally said, setting her plate on the table and picking up her wine glass. “Want to talk about it?”
    I chewed slowly, not really wanting to tell her I failed. I wasn’t used to failure and I certainly didn’t want her to see me as weak. “It was a deal,” I finally replied, putting my plate on the floor and grabbing my wine. “A huge deal. This was going to put me and Travis over the top, make us the premier realtors of South Florida. I thought I had it in the bag, that we had proven to them that we were good enough, the right company to handle this job, but they turned us down.”
    “Did they say why?” she asked softly.
    I shook my head, taking a sip of the tasty wine. “No and I think that’s the hardest part, you know? I want to know why I failed. I want to know why I wasn’t good enough.”
    “Oh Garrett,” she sighed. “Don’t let one deal define who you are.”
    I looked over at her and chuckled. “How come you always know what to say, Rachel? Even as a kid, you were full of witty words.”
    She laughed and I was mesmerized by her