I tried to keep my face impassive as Zach spoke, but I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. In a way, he was right. The entire company pitched in to make this happen, but Sean’s ad campaigns were the biggest reason for the positive uptick in sales. Bringing Sean on had been my idea and mine alone. I was the one who spent all this time working with him and grooming him to become the face of the company. Didn’t I deserve some recognition?
Apparently, Zach didn’t think so. He led another round of applause, and I fell back in my seat. I forced a smile on my face and clapped along with everyone else. With a glance at Ray, I knew he didn’t appreciate Zach’s interruption any more than I did, but we were both too professionally minded to say so.
The meeting ended and everyone filtered out slowly. A few people congratulated me as they left, and I felt my mood begin to lift. No matter what Zach said, he couldn’t take this moment away from me. The company was a success once again, and it was almost entirely because of me.
Still, as I watched Zach leave the conference room, rage filled me. If I was ever going to confront him, now was the time. I marched out of the room and down the hall, not stopping until I reached his office. Without knocking, I stormed inside and closed the door behind me.
“What the hell is your problem?” I demanded. My eyes locked on Zach’s and I saw red.
“Excuse me?” Zach asked with narrowed eyes.
“Just now,” I said. “In the meeting, you completely discredited all the work I’ve done. Why? What was the point?”
“I just don’t think we should be praising one person over everyone else,” Zach said bluntly. “It’s not like you’ve done more for the company than the rest of us.”
“This entire thing was my idea!” I said. I could feel my pride getting the best of me, but I didn’t care. I was finally ready to put Zach in his place.
“Yeah,” Zach scoffed. “Bringing Sean on was your idea, and we’ve yet to see if it was smart call.”
“Are you kidding?” I laughed. I did my best to keep my voice level so I wouldn’t start to yell. “Did you not see the numbers? Our profits are higher than they’ve been in two years. Whether you like it or not, your brother is a huge success!”
“So, that’s what you’re upset about,” Zach said. He rolled his eyes and walked over to me. He stopped right in front of me and stared into my eyes with a mocking expression. Not for the first time that day, I wanted to slap him. “You just don’t want anyone insulting your boyfriend.”
“My boyfriend?” I laughed. “Please, Zach, this is about business. Nothing more.”
“Really?” he asked.
“You just can’t stand to admit that I was right,” I snapped. “You hate the fact that my idea was a good one, and that it’s actually working! I’ve spent years doing your job for you. Now it’s finally starting to show and you’re threatened.”
“Threatened?” Zach raised his eyebrows and exhaled sharply. I’d hit a nerve. “By you?”
“Yes.”
“Tara,” Zach said slowly. “Listen to me very closely. You are nothing to this company. Nothing. I could have you fired with a snap of my fingers and don’t ever forget that. You’re only here because I allow you to be, and the second that changes, you’re gone. My father doesn’t care about you. This company doesn’t need you. You. Are. Nothing.”
“And you are just a scared, insecure, child who can’t admit when someone bests him,” I fired back without missing a beat.
I spent so many years hating Zach. All those times I bit my tongue and forced myself to remain calm flared up inside of me in that moment. I didn’t even care if he fired me, I’d had enough of him.
“Be careful, Tara,” Zach warned. “If you lose your job, what will you have left? My brother? Don’t think for a second that he actually cares about you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with anger in my voice.
“You’re screwing him, right?” Zach asked with a laugh. “I know you are.”
“Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snapped. I wasn’t going to give Zach the satisfaction of knowing he was right.
“Be careful,” he said again. “Or he just might knock you up and leave you to raise a baby on your own. It’s what he did to his ex-wife, after all.”
“You’re full of shit,” I said with disgust. “It’s no wonder Sean doesn’t want anything to do with you. If I were related to you, I would be just as ashamed as Sean is. You’re pathetic, Zach.”
“Whatever you say.” Zach laughed. “But I know the truth. I know my brother better than you ever will.”
“I doubt that,” I said. I turned to leave, but I suddenly realized I had more to say. “I know who Sean is and I know what kind of father he is. He loves Paisley, and I know he loved her mother. Whatever happened between them wasn’t Sean’s fault.”
“You sound so sure of that,” Zach said. “But have you ever stopped to think that maybe you don’t know the whole story? That maybe, just maybe, Sean hasn’t been completely honest with you? That he isn’t the saint he pretends to be?”
“I know who he is,” I said again. I turned to face the door, walking quickly toward it. I’d had enough of Zach, and I wanted nothing more than to be away from him.
“For your sake,” Zach called after me. “I hope you’re right.”
I ripped open his office door and walked out into the hallway. I slammed the door shut behind me and marched to my office. I was still fuming when I sat in my chair and closed my eyes. Zach’s smug, sickening face was imprinted on my eyelids. My eyes flew open and I fought the urge to scream. In all my life, I had never hated anyone as much as I hated Zach.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Sean
Paisley and I walked into Yates’ Motorcycles early Tuesday morning. I wasn’t supposed to meet with Tara until nine, but Paisley was so excited that we left the house early. When we walked through the showroom, everyone stopped us to chat. Three different people asked how I was doing and if I needed anything. I was shocked, but pleased. Tara had told me the numbers were good, but I didn’t expect everyone to start treating me so differently.
I stepped in the elevator with Paisley right behind me. I felt better than I had in days because I knew I was going to see Tara. As much fun as I’d been having with Paisley, I couldn’t wait to be around Tara again, and I knew Paisley felt the same way. She was practically vibrating with excitement by the time the elevator doors opened.
Paisley hurried down the hallway toward Tara’s office. I smiled and watched her go. When we reached Tara’s office the door was closed so I told Paisley to knock. She did, and we stood back to wait for an answer.
It was a few seconds before the door swung open and Tara was standing in front of us. She smiled and let us inside. As we moved, I searched Tara’s face for some understanding as to why she’d been so distant for the past few days.
I hadn’t heard from her since Sunday night, when she blew off my dinner invitation. I knew something was wrong. The way she smiled at me when I walked into her office was strained, but genuine. I could tell she was happy to see me, but there was more going on behind her eyes. She was conflicted about something, and I needed to find out what it was.