“I don’t buy it,” I grit out. “It’s more than just what I saw last night. The drugs…taking advantage of the Babies…you fucking invested some of our money into a bad venture last quarter and we took a beating. You did that without my knowledge.”

“I know,” he says, his hands coming up in supplication. “All fucking bad moves on my part. But I’m telling you, Beck…if the choice is to get my shit together or lose out on one of my best friends and an amazing company I helped to create, I’m fucking telling you right now, no bullshit…I’ll get it together. I’m just asking for another chance. I deserve it.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do you do when someone like JT with an ego the size of Mount Everest sits before you completely remorseful, accepting responsibility, and practically begging for another chance? A feeling of desperation overtakes me, equal parts wanting to believe in him and regain the sanctity of our business relationship—possibly our friendship—and at the same time wanting to cut ties with someone who I believe ultimately could be my downfall.

While my brain works out its inner turmoil, I wonder briefly what Sela would have me do. I know she dislikes JT intensely, and while we didn’t talk about it last night—hello, too busy fucking—I know she was beyond disgusted with him. Will she think poorly of me if I don’t cut him loose? Will she believe my morals are as compromised as his?

Should I even care what she thinks?

Fuck yeah, I should. I’m starting to care more and more for all things Sela Halstead, and the mere fact she’s taking up residence in my thought process in making a business decision sort of says it all, right?

“Beck,” JT says with soft emotion, and my eyes raise up to meet his. “I do not want to fight you for this company. I know you’ve had a lawyer look at things and I’m sure you know…unless I’m doing something illegal in the running of the business, it’s going to be a fight you won’t win. So I’m begging you…let’s work this out. Let’s get back on track and be a team again. I swear to you I’ll get my shit together and we’ll make this company even more fucking phenomenal than it already is.”

I fight against it, but my shoulders sag the minute the words leave his mouth. Regardless the head of steam I came in with, he’s managed to cut my legs out from underneath me with a well-planned, one-two-three-combo punch.

One, he did not illegally drug that woman last night. She apparently agreed to it.

Two, he is promising to get back on track with our business.

Three, he’s reminded me that I can’t take the company away from him and I’ll still have to walk if I want out.

More than that, I can’t overlook the years of friendship we have between us. I can’t discount the tremendously deep ties we have, even if he has no clue just how important they are to me.

“I’m not sure I trust in your ability to grow the fuck up,” I tell JT truthfully.

He gives an understanding laugh and nods at me. “I get it. Just give me the chance.”

Sighing, I lean forward in the chair. “I’d like to request that you get my approval before any other major financial decisions are made.”

“Done,” he says with an earnest smile.

“And I want to see that agreement.”

“Done.”

And Christ…it looks like my hopes of coming out the victor after the meeting today have completely splintered.

“All right,” I say with resignation and sudden longing to get back to the condo and sink myself into Sela. “I’ll give you a shot. But this is the one and only shot I’ll give.”

“I won’t let you down,” he says, and leans forward on the couch, extending his hand to me. I reach across and take it, a firm handshake of renewed promise occurring between us.

When we release, I stand up. “I need to get going.”

“Big plans with your girl today?” JT asks, pushing up from his seat with a knowing tone that causes me to go immediately back on the defensive.

“My girl?” I ask, playing stupid. While I’m not embarrassed or shy about the fact I’ve asked Sela to move in with me, for some reason I don’t want JT knowing this. I’m guessing it has to do with his lewd interest in her last Wednesday when she came to the office.

“Yeah…Sela…wasn’t that her name?” he says offhandedly as we move toward my office door. “I saw you with her last night at the party. You two looked cozy.”

“Yeah, Sela,” I say vaguely without offering anything more as we walk out my door. I’m silent as I close it behind us and lock it.

“Dude…is she a Sugar Baby or what?” JT asks with a playful punch to my shoulder. His grin is open, not mocking at all. It seems like the old JT…the one I used to know way back when.

“No, she’s not a Sugar Baby,” I snap at him, but then decide if I’m going to give him a chance, I’ve got to truly give it to him. “But she has moved in with me.”

JT whistles low through his teeth and gives an amused shake of his head that isn’t mocking, but seemingly genuinely pleased for me. “Beck North…falling to commitment and monogamy. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Yeah, well…it’s still early on. I might not even know what the fuck I’m doing, but I’m going for it.”

We turn to walk down the hall toward the lobby. JT puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a hard squeeze. “I’m happy for you, bro. You deserve a good woman, and she seems like the type that would suit you.”

“She’s great,” I admit, surprised by how nice it feels to talk about her with someone. Even JT, who just as recently as last week came on to her right in front of me, the fucker.

“Maybe we should all do dinner one night together,” JT suggests. “This is pretty epic that you have a girlfriend. Isn’t this like your first ever?”

Girlfriend?

Sela Halstead…my girlfriend?

I hadn’t thought of her like that before. Not until the word came out of JT’s mouth and it didn’t sound disgusting, but rather felt kind of right.

Yes…I have a girlfriend, and JT is right about that. First one ever.

I’m fucking twenty-eight years old and I have a girlfriend.

I give a bemused shake of my head and JT and I exit the building together. We part ways as he gets into a cab and I head toward the Millennium, intent on walking back the six blocks so I can continue to ponder everything that happened this morning.