No thanks.
Knowing how Alejandro had betrayed him was bad enough, but he definitely didn’t trust himself to face him in person. Not in an office setting, at least. A good bar brawl, that he could do. A quick session in a boxing match? Sure, he’d be there. But having to sit across a conference table and see that smirking, smug face and not be able to hit it? No way.
Still, it was kind of sweet that she kept trying. “Any updates from Darren?”
One of his newest clients, Alexander Darren III, was an up-and-coming real estate developer who was looking to Ben and his firm to provide the capital for his next venture. So far the pitches Darren had sent over looked promising and the numbers seemed to add up. But there was still a long way to go before they signed a deal.
“Nothing yet.” Natalie sounded bored by that topic. Oh, heaven forbid they ever get through a phone conversation that solely revolved around business. “Where are you staying?”
Natalie may not know the details—or maybe she did, his assistant seemed to know everything—but she’d helped book him a hotel for those first few hideous nights and was well aware that he hadn’t returned thanks to her assistance having movers pick up his belongings and all.
“Still at Gregory’s.”
Natalie let out a sigh that could only be described as dreamy. “Mmm, Gregory. Is he single yet?”
Ben couldn’t help but laugh. “No, and neither are you.”
She sighed again, but it was only to make him laugh. His assistant was almost twice his and Gregory’s age and was happily married with three kids. But, as she liked to point out whenever Gregory stopped by to pick him up for lunch, a girl can dream at any age.
“That’s actually why I’m calling,” he said.
“Because Gregory’s single?”
“No, you vulture, because I’m going to need to find a new place. Soon. I think I may have overstayed my welcome.”
“What are you thinking, another hotel?”
Ben made a face even though no one could see him. Those nights at the hotel had been miserable. Alone and self-pitying, he’d had nothing to do but wallow. He was an inherently social creature and he needed to be around people—or a person at the very least—now more than ever.
“Why don’t you see if there are any temporary sublets available out there. Maybe with a roommate?”
If his assistant found that request odd, she didn’t let on. She knew him well enough at this point that little he did or said fazed her.
“Will do. I’ll send you some options by end of day.”
Gregory walked into the room, his normally put together look more disheveled than Ben could ever remember seeing him.
“Gotta run, Nat, your dreamboat just walked in.”
“Natalie?” Gregory asked as he hung up.
“The one and only. Did Vanessa leave?” His question was followed by a loud slam of the front door and he and Gregory both winced.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Ben said.
Gregory plopped down into an overstuffed chair in the corner of the study, opposite Ben who was slumped over the desk. He’d been poring over numbers all morning—or at least until the fighting had started, making number crunching impossible.
“You doing okay?” Ben asked.
Gregory’s head snapped up in surprise. Understandably. Ben wasn’t exactly known for being touchy-feely, and Gregory was definitely not one to talk about his emotions.
“Do I look that bad?” Gregory joked, although there was little humor in his expression.
“You look like shit.” Ben was also not known for mincing words, and right now his friend—who was rather notorious for being suave and debonair—looked like he’d been through battle. His normally clean-shaven face bore a five o’clock shadow and his eyes were circled with dark shadows.
Gregory let out a little laugh as he thrust a hand through his already disheveled dark hair. “That’s about how I feel.”
An awkward silence hung between them as Ben debated whether his friend needed a sympathetic ear or a diversion. Gregory made the decision for him. “So, have you heard anything from this new client?”
Ben shook his head. Unlike Ben, Gregory came from money. Serious money. He was the guy that everyone loved to hate. Even Ben, although he counted Gregory as one of his few true friends. Definitely one of a small number of friends who weren’t also work acquaintances.
The thing that was most annoying about his friend was that he had it all. Not only did he inherit a sum that most would never dare dream to see in their lifetime, but he was also ridiculously handsome, intelligent beyond belief, and had managed to quadruple his inheritance by the age of thirty.
He was also whip smart when it came to real estate, a fact which Ben had knowingly taken advantage of during this deal with Darren. He knew numbers, and the numbers told him that real estate was the next route his company should take. But it was unchartered territory for the small, private firm, and Gregory had been a wealth of information.
Ben wasn’t above using his friend and his connections to get ahead. Unlike Gregory, he had most definitely not come from money. His father may have been a bastard, but he’d made sure Ben knew the value of hard work and the benefits of having money. To get to the point he was at, one of the youngest partners in his firm, he’d had to be driven. Easy to do when your one and only goal in life was to succeed in business. His father had drilled it into him long ago—the only way to get ahead was to stay focused. His relationship with Olivia had been a distraction. All the drama had made him lose his focus. He was still considered ruthless and sharp by his colleagues, but he knew he could do better. This deal with Darren was his chance to get ahead of the pack.
It was a good thing that Olivia had cheated on him. Now he could go back to focusing on the things that mattered. He should have stuck with one-night stands and casual flings like he’d always done in the past. He’d vowed ages ago that he’d never allow a woman or a relationship to interfere with his goals. He’d seen the bitterness that had developed between his parents. The resentment had eaten away at their marriage because his father blamed his mother—and her children—for holding him back from success.
He’d been raised to believe that he could have one or the other in life, that was the lesson he’d learned all those years ago. Love or money. Family or freedom. Relationships or power. He’d chosen the latter every time and had never regretted it. The former were fleeting, untrustworthy. But money and the freedom and power that came with it… That was tangible, controllable. The only factors involved in success were effort and determination, whereas love was a fickle beast, victim of the whims of others.
But even knowing all that, what had he done? He’d gone and broken his own rule. He’d gotten involved, like an idiot. He’d become sloppy, forgotten his own rules and the reason they existed because he’d been swept up in Olivia’s intoxicating passion. Any relationship would have been stupid, but one like that? One that stole his energy and took away his focus, that had been a gigantic mistake. One he wouldn’t be making again anytime soon.
Ben pulled himself back from that train of thought. Every time his mind turned to his ex and her betrayal, he was on the verge of losing himself in a shame spiral. Betrayal, jealousy, pain… These were all the reasons he avoided relationships in the first place. He should never have been in a position to be hurt to begin with. He’d let her get too close and he’d suffered as a result. Served him right.
Gregory cleared his throat, pulling him back from the maudlin thoughts that had been