SLOAN POV
Hunter followed me into the building where I head to the stairs and he glances at the elevator. "Sloan, it's quicker by elevator." He hollers. "I prefer the stairs." He continued, and I did too, using the stairs.
Reached the tenth floor to find Hunter already with the team and they are laughing. No doubt telling him how they hate me, and can't work with me. To be honest, I don't like the way they give snide remarks behind my back to one another. But I'm not going to tell Hunter that, when they worked for him longer than I have. This is the problem I get, and then they go to the boss, making up some excuse, and the boss asks me to leave quietly.
Sure, I could do with the money too, but something Hunter said had me rethinking about working for him. I'm not using him for money, or to get ahead in my profession. Everyone knows I'm at the top of my profession, that's why Silas contacted me personally.
I'd be working for him and no one else. No team, no worry of being stabbed in the back or your ideas being stolen. It would be just Silas and me. What a perfect job to be offered. I would be designing the page layout for his sporting app. While he was on TV, playing eligible billionaire bachelor.
Yet, I'm here defending my profession and trying to keep my shit together. If I'm truly honest, I need to be far away from Hunter, so I don't catch feelings. He is my boss, not my friend. I preferred it when he annoyed me more, but now it's awkward, messy, complicated.
Hunter is my brother's best mate. And we did something that we can't take back, or tell anyone without ridicule. Damn you, Hunter Grady for being so perfect. Having the sexiest body, the hottest abs, and gorgeous blue eyes. Did I happen to mention he's tall, dark hair, and fucking good-looking. The way Hunter Grady looks is a damn crime to mankind.
It's like all the sweetness got poured into sculpting this guy. That's why I need to distance myself from him. Before we both do something we regret, or we get hurt. And I've been hurt. And trust me, the feeling isn't nice, and the things they say, just to get a kick out of destroying you. Rendering you with doubt that you believe every word they said. Carter, never had a good word to say about me after he left, and he still rants his hatred towards me. He told everyone I was the one who kicked him out, which wasn't true. Carter left. Then he ranted about how lousy I am in bed. That hurt, it deeply hurt.
Every time Carter and I got intimate, he would stand up afterwards shaking his head, telling me I wasn't turning him on and how I was stiff when he touched me. But when I'm with Hunter, It's so different. The way Hunter touches me, gliding his fingers softly over my exposed skin. Even his kisses are tender, filled with passion. Or is Hunter acting?
I really don't know. And that's why I need to distance myself from being a friend. Hunter is my boss, or was my boss.
***
I drew in a breath standing at the back of the room waiting for the laughter to die down, but it doesn't. Instead, they chat about a few ideas they have which were mine and now it's backfired on me again.
Folded my arms, closed my eyes, waiting for my tears to stop threatening. The only one who knew my ideas is my brother. Yeah, I always run things by him to get his opinion. Guess I do rely on my brother far too much.
But my attention needs to be focused on what's being said. And the team are chatting to Hunter like it was their Ideas.
I was going to speak up, but kept my mouth shut, as Hunter nodded and liked the ideas. "Sloan, what do you think?" Hunter now asks after they chatted for almost an hour, and forgot I was here. "It's up to you. You're the boss." His eyes furrow, then glances at the layout of the front page. "Amber, why did you chose this pose of me?" She's gone a little red faced, and glances at one of the others for help.
Hunter peers towards me. "Sloan, do you know?" Shake my head. "Nope, I don't know why Amber chose it." I was telling the truth. Amber didn't chose it, I did. But I'm fed up. "If you don't need me anymore, I will leave." Hunter slowly looks at me.
"Yeah, okay. I'll catch you tomorrow." I stepped over to the small desk where my bag is and pick it up, but my diary falls out and so do the small bits of paper with all my ideas they talked about too.
I bent down and collected them as Hunter picked up a few to look over. They are small like blue prints, my brother I would do. It's like a template, so you had an Idea where to put what. But Amber speaks. "You took them from us." I blew out a breath. Waiting for Hunter to say something but it just continues to look at the loose bits of paper.
I headed to the door not wanting to listen to the lies. What the hell happened to my backbone? I would rip people apart, when they spoke to me like that. And now I just walk away.
***
Rested on my bed, I got my mobile out to ring Hudson; I waited for an answer and nothing. Threw my mobile on the bed, which bounced and landed on the floor. Reached over to pick it up and fell off the bed landing on my hip with a loud thud and screamed out in pain. Grabbed my mobile and rang Hudson again but no answer. The only other number to ring is the ambulance. I was in a lot of pain.
Ten minutes later two very nice ambulance guys load me in the back of the ambulance and I'm on my way to the hospital to get X-rays. I was on gas and air for the pain I was in. My entire day was fucked up from the start. And now this.
Shit.
***
A sexy doctor examined me, and sent me for X-rays. When the nurse took me back to the cubicle, the doctor was waiting. "Mrs Dawson." I needed to correct him. "Please call me Sloan. I'm not a Mrs." He nods and shows me the extent of my injury. "You broke your femur and will need to have an operation." Rested my head on the pillow. "How long will the healing take?" I asked with my eyes closed. "It depends how quick your body recovers from this. It could take six months, it could be longer. If you rest and have physio, you will heal at the right speed." He places the X-rays on the small desk, then stares at me. "How did you do it?" "Reaching for my mobile, which was on the floor and I fell off the bed." He shakes his head. "Mmm, I want to do a full blood count. You're young, and falling at that height should not have broken your femur." I glared at him. "There's no need to do that." He rose to his feet and leaves the room.
A nurse enters to prep me for surgery, then wheels me to a ward before I go for surgery. All I wanted to do is talk to Hudson. I gripped my mobile and try him again but still no answer. I didn't want to ring my parents and have them here.
My mother would give me the third degree and my father would just listen to my mother not saying a damn word. I know they mean well, and they love me, but it gets too much. That's why I never wanted to go home when I was at boarding school. My mother would have a dinner party, and brag about how Hudson was the golden boy. How he was top of his class, and was a genius. Then they gave me this expression of disappointment.
I would roll my eyes, which made my mother furious. They didn't realise I was five years younger than Hudson, and still had a lot of growing to do.
Guess I rebelled for not being able to have a childhood or to have real friends, other than the ones that my mother chose. Then Hudson left for college and I wanted the same, so I opted for boarding school.
The only reason I opted for boarding school is I watched St Trinian's. And I wanted that. But it wasn't like that, it was still fun, and I met a few girls. Oh, my mother wasn't stupid, it was an all girl's school. Plus, I would stay during any of the school breaks. I just didn't want to go home and witness the shame my mother had in her eyes.
Yes, I know they love me, and gave me the best education money can buy. But I had to live in my brother's shadow and I tried to be something I'm not. Disappointment is what I live with. My marriage, was a sham. Lousy at keeping a job.
I slept with my brother's best mate, how much more do I have to do before my family actually tell me how disappointed they are. I so need my brother right now. Just to chat too.
***
A week later
Well, what can I say, about how things have gone from bad to worse. The surgery was fine but my bloods were not. The doctor informs me I'm lacking in iron, salt, nutrients, and some other jargon, he rattled off. So I'm now hooked up to a machine to monitor my oxygen level in my blood, and giving me supplements to boost my immune system. But also being on pain relief.
And on the plus side, I have a sexy doctor who visits me every day to check up on me. So, I'm still a sucker for a sexy guy.
That all happened a week ago and two days after my surgery I called Hudson to tell him what happened, he was not impressed that I left it so long to tell him. Then he told me about the conversation he had with Hunter. I could only imagine what was said. But Hudson kindly told Hunter what happened to me, and the very same day my room filled with get well soon balloons, all from Hunter.
Hudson never told me what Hunter said about the magazine, so I didn't question him any further.
A nurse enters my room with a card to hand me.
"Another card for you came Sloan." I smiled and take it. I glanced at the handwriting and recognised it. Hunter. I opened it.
"Hey, Sloan. Hope you are feeling better? I would visit but I have a big game to train for, plus... I need to apologise for the way the magazine team acted towards you. In actual fact, they stole your ideas. I only found that out by pressing them for more information, which got me thinking. So I contacted Hudson, and we spoke about the blueprints. He brought to my attention that this happened with Chad Conway, too. So I contacted Chad. We have set up a meeting after I get back from this game. And I want you to be present. I need to go and practice. Hope you can make it to the meeting? Hunter Grady X"
That certainly got my attention. I placed the card on the table and gazed out the window lost in dreamworld about Hunter and I rolling around on his bed. The thing is, I can't go because Hunter will be there.
Shit.
The only way to even stop this is to keep away from Hunter, then the feelings I have will disperse.
It sounds easy but is it that easy?
*****