Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Ava

She was sitting in the meeting wishing she were anywhere else. She was bored. No, it was beyond that. She was tired of hearing the same old arguments come from the same mouths. They were getting nowhere, and she had a mountain of work to do—something no one else in the room seemed to be concerned about. Instead of paying attention to the incessant chatter, she rubbed at her temples, praying the migraine would subside and she could survive the day. It was barely nine in the morning and already her day had turned to shit.

Ava glanced around the room, pausing to notice that the others all wore the same stoic expression. No one wanted to concede that they were getting nowhere. She felt out of place. Why had she even been invited to the meeting? She still didn’t understand even after forty-five frustrating minutes. She was out of her league. Way out. Not only was she the only female sitting around the mahogany table, she was the only one under fifty and the only one who wasn’t obviously wealthy. The men surrounding her wore impeccably tailored three-piece suits that had been pressed with military precision. She, on the other hand, wore a simple knee-length black skirt and white shirt she had purchased at a discount shop months earlier. Even her jewellery looked cheap.

A deep, commanding voice brought Ava’s mind back from its abstract adventure. “Anything to add, Ava?” her boss asked her pointedly.

Gulping, she knew she’d been caught daydreaming. Instead of looking like a wounded animal, she straightened her shoulders and spoke with all the authority she could muster. “Honestly? I don’t think we’ve gotten very far at all in the last half an hour. We seem to be going around in circles, which is a complete waste of time. We know what everyone wants. We all know that we each place different levels of importance on different things. The only thing we haven’t done yet is agreed to a compromise so we can set a priority list.”

In complete contrast to her outburst, Ava picked up her coffee and swallowed a large mouthful, desperate to drown her nerves. She was below everyone in that room on the food chain and they all knew it. Way below. And she had just let her frustration consume her and vocalized her thoughts on the matter. Now all she could do was wait for the repercussions. Instead of keeping cool and calm, her fingers were shaking as she lowered the cup back to the table. Humiliation consumed her as her trembling fingers betrayed her and the mocha brown liquid splashed on her white top, instantly making the fabric cling to her every curve.

“Shit,” she muttered as quietly as she could. As soon as the word left her mouth she knew she hadn’t been as quiet as she’d hoped. Instead, every pair of eyes in the room was now firmly locked on her ample chest as she tried to salvage her waning pride. “Excuse me,” she mumbled as she rose from the table and headed out the door before anyone had a chance to stop her.

As she scrambled from the room, she teetered on her too high, too small heels. She hated wearing them, but on days like today, when she had to play the part of the consummate professional, she gave in and squished her huge feet into the uncomfortable stilts. For years she had fought the high heel debate but no one seemed to be able to fully comprehend, or maybe it was that they just didn’t care that Ava in high heels was really a safety hazard. One day she was guaranteed to topple over and hurt herself. And the way today was panning out so far, Ava was certain today would be the day.

Angry with herself, she ducked into the nearest bathroom and grabbed fistfuls of paper towels. Moments later she was dabbing at her shirt, trying to pull her shit together with little success. She was more annoyed at herself than the pesky coffee mark which refused to budge. Not only had she managed to make it worse, but she also spread the wet patch further, only helping to increase the visibility through her shirt. “Seriously?” she growled at her reflection, before spinning on her heel and striding purposefully down the corridor back to the meeting. Ava was determined not to let a simple caffeine mishap prevent her from doing the job she’d fought so hard to get, and looking foolish and incompetent in front of a room filled with her superiors wasn’t going to deter her. Not in the slightest.

With her jaw set she pushed open the door, causing everyone’s heads to snap in her direction. “Sorry about that. What did I miss?” she asked, slipping effortlessly into her chair and snatching up her pen.

Quick, shocked glances were exchanged between the gents before the steady and firm voice of the company’s CEO, Christopher, filled the room. “We were just wrapping up. You were right, Ava. Going around in circles isn’t getting us anywhere,” he pronounced, shooting her a half smirk. “We’ll meet here again in two weeks and everyone will have reviewed the list of items on the to-do list and prioritized them for their own needs. Then we will consolidate to one single list that best meets the needs of the greater organization.” Christopher’s voice was thick with authority. It was a skill that Ava understood. He never dominated the room by exerting his power, yet his understated authority seemed to ooze from his pores.

“Thanks everyone,” Michael concluded, rising from his chair and effectively ending the meeting.

Michael was the number two head honcho in the company and in many ways just as powerful as Christopher, but that’s where the similarities ended. He seemed softer, more approachable, more in touch. Ava had lost track of the number of times she’d been an unwitting participant in conversations regarding Michael’s sex appeal. She just didn’t see it. He was a lovely person, both inside and out, but she would never declare him a heartthrob. He was tall, muscular, with short dark brown hair and misty hazel eyes. Over the years, Ava had spent enough hours with him to appreciate his appearance, but it just didn’t do it for her. She didn’t melt like others did.

Everyone was stumbling out the door, most headed for the nearest coffee shop, when unexpectedly Michael grabbed Ava’s hand and pulled her back into the room. “Ava, you okay?” he asked, tenderness filling his eyes.

“I’m fine.” Ava blushed at being singled out.

“You know my door’s always open. Anytime,” he offered genuinely.

Ava prayed the floor would open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole. She didn’t know whether to be pissed at herself that he could see she was falling apart or thankful that someone had noticed how much she was struggling. “Thanks. I’ll be fine,” Ava managed to blurt out before darting around him and out of the conference room, which for some reason Ava had found suffocating.

Taking a deep breath, Ava strode purposefully back to her desk, hell bent on immersing herself in her to-do list for a couple of hours in hopes that she might actually accomplish something. Although she understood and could appreciate the importance of meetings, sometimes they just frustrated her more than anything. Sometimes just finishing a task could bring more relief than spending a day brainstorming the next new initiative.

“Ava?” a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yep?” Ava replied, her head snapping around to see who had called her before her eyes settled on Amanda perched behind the reception desk.

“There’s someone waiting to see you downstairs,” she announced softly, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

Sighing heavily, Ava couldn’t mask the disappointment. There went her plans of actually finishing something today. “Who is it?” she asked with an exasperated sigh.

“Not sure. I just got asked to send you down. I told them you were in a meeting and not sure when you would be out, but they insisted on waiting,” Amanda babbled.

Unable to contain her frustration, Ava undid the clip holding the mass of brown curls up off her shoulders and shook them loose. Scratching at her head, Ava quickly scrunched them up again and secured the clip. “Couldn’t someone else help them?” Ava complained as she dropped a pile of papers on the corner of Amanda’s desk.

“I’m not sure. All I was told was that they wanted to speak to you, and they were going to wait. It’s been about twenty minutes.”

Ava spun around and went to head downstairs, but her evident annoyance caused her to drop her pen. “Fuck!” she cursed as she bent to collect it. “It’s seriously not my fucking day!”

“What’s up?” Amanda chirped more happily than Ava could stand.

Wishing her day was over, Ava shrugged off the negative thoughts. She had hours to go before she could make it home to her too-deep bath tub and the half bottle of chardonnay that was calling her name. “Later,” was all she managed to offer. Realizing she was taking out her bad mood on Amanda, Ava turned and flashed her best fake smile. “Thanks. I’ll head down and sort it out. Hopefully it won’t take too long. I’m downstairs if anyone is looking for me.”

“No probs.” Amanda said as she twisted her hair around her fingers before turning her attention back to the ringing phone.

Chapter 3

Tyler

The sound of the clock ticking was driving him insane. Every second that counted off left Tyler feeling like he was waiting for his own execution. His frustration was boiling. Unable to sit any longer, he stood and paced. A caged lion was calmer. He knew he didn’t have the right to be pissed that she had kept him waiting—she didn’t even know he was there—but that didn’t calm him. He was used to getting his way and for some reason this girl, a girl he’d never set eyes on nor spoken to, had gotten under his skin. And now she was keeping him waiting.

Tyler paused and stared out the window, attempting to focus his attention on something else, but it didn’t help. Nothing did. The heavily tinted glass just showed him his own reflection, and what he saw scared him. He was tired, dishevelled, and his eyes were wild. “Shit!” Tyler muttered to himself, running his huge hands across his face, willing himself to calm down. He couldn’t confront her looking like this. She would take off. Screaming. And as much as he wanted to punish her, he wanted to talk to her more. He wanted to know why she had done it, but even more importantly was how. How’d she get into his head and understand him better than even he understood himself without him even knowing?

Hearing voices on the other side of the door made him freeze. For almost twelve hours he’d thought of nothing but this moment, but now it was here, he was having second thoughts. It was too late. He was here now. Time to get some answers.

Tyler sank into the lounge and grabbed a fistful of the nearest cushion. Sucking in deep breaths, he tried repeating reassurances to himself. It wasn’t working. But then he realised it. The anger had faded. The annoyance and frustration were gone. Instead he was filled with nerves like he had never experienced before.

The door creaked open and she appeared. Her face was directed down the hallway as she finished her conversation. Her voice washed through his body, and suddenly he was calm. Tyler quickly rubbed his clammy hands along his thighs as he rose to meet her. His eyes betrayed him and disclosed his curiosity. Thankful that she was still occupied with finishing up her discussion, he noticed she seemed slightly off balance in her orange pumps. His gaze snuck up her legs appreciatively as an unexpected warmth spread through his body. Clenching his fists, he forced his eyes higher. First he noticed the slight pull of the fabric across her well-endowed chest before landing on the wet spot on the top of her breast, which left it clingy and transparent. A shallow groan tumbled from the back of his throat as he forced his eyes higher and met hers.

Tyler gulped down his embarrassment. He’d been caught blatantly ogling her. He’d come to see her, to yell at her and make her apologise. Yet somehow, without even trying or knowing it, she had completely turned the tables on him.

Her eyes went wide as she realised who was standing before her. An involuntary gasp choked out only seconds before she paled and fell to the floor in an unconscious pile.

Dumbfounded, Tyler just stood there staring at the woman at his feet. It was definitely not the reaction he was expecting. Rubbing at the stubble coating his chin, he shook his head, forcing the confusion aside and compelling him to action. As quickly as he could, he stepped over Ava’s crumpled body and pushed open the door.

“Someone help!” he called out, barely recognising his own shaky voice as it echoed down the empty corridor. “Please.” Hoping someone, anyone heard him, he refocused all his attention on Ava. She needed him, whether she knew it or not. Guilt was spurring him to action. “I should never have fucking come,” Tyler swore angrily at himself.

“Everything okay in here?” a bald gentleman asked, poking his head through the gap in the door. Tyler watched as his face fell as he observed the situation. “Shit!” He turned towards the open door and called to someone else. Turning his attention back to Tyler, his face softened. “What happened?” He was a conundrum that Tyler couldn’t quite figure out. He looked powerful and important, but Tyler didn’t see any judgement in his face.

Tyler felt off kilter. “Not sure. She opened the door and in the next breath she was out cold,” Tyler explained as the man with the very expensive wristwatch checked her pulse. Tyler stepped back and watched. He wasn’t sure what to do or even what to say, and that wasn’t a feeling he was used to. No one had ever made him feel off balance before.

“Christopher, need a hand?” a voice cooed through the door as two men stepped in and assessed the situation.

“Thanks. Go find someone to help and grab a glass of water. When she comes to she’s not going to be feeling one hundred percent and someone’s going to need to watch her,” the man known as Christopher said. His authority wasn’t in Tyler’s head. It was oozing from his every pore. Tyler was fascinated how the others just fell in line.

“Patrick, you grab the water, I’ll go find someone,” a man with short brown hair directed.

“Actually, Michael, can you sit with her and I’ll go?” Christopher asked, standing up and stepping back.

“Sure,” Michael agreed, shrugging out of his jacket and crouching down beside Ava’s limp, unresponsive body. “Anyone know what happened?” It was only moments before all three men glanced up into Tyler’s bewildered face. Tyler watched as three pairs of eyes settled on him before exchanging knowing glances.

Tyler wanted to scream, no one was telling him anything. Wide grins broke out across the faces staring at him while they all seemingly ignored Ava.

“Yep, that’ll do it,” Michael said with a chuckle as he reached for Ava’s wrist, wrapping his long fingers around hers as he checked her pulse.

Frustrated and feeling helpless, Tyler lashed out without thinking. “Someone want to tell me what’s so fucking funny?”

With a throaty laugh, Christopher offered his parting words. “Michael, you’re up. I’m going to get Amanda.” With that, Patrick and Christopher vanished.

Ignoring Tyler’s bulky frame hovering over him, Michael instead focused on Ava and bringing her back to the land of the living. “Ava! Ava,” he cooed softly as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “Come on, Ava. Time to wake up now.”

Tyler watched on helplessly, his stomach cramping with nerves—something he was used to dealing with for a completely different reason. He could stand in front of a crowded stadium or a room full of paparazzi ready to dissect his every word and every move, yet here he was, metres from an unconscious woman, completely consumed with anxiety. She had to wake up. She had to be okay. Although he had driven hours with every intention of making her life as miserable as he possibly could, he had never wanted to see her get hurt.

“Ava, please,” Michael pleaded as he pushed a stray curl from her forehead.

“She’s coming round,” Tyler mumbled as Ava’s eyelids began to flutter. Not open, but there was a definite movement.

“Okay. Come on, Ava,” Michael whispered one more time before her delicate eyelids flickered open.

Tyler had never experienced such relief as he stepped out of her line of sight and watched as she slowly came around. Her eyes were darting about, trying to piece together the situation but not really focusing. Her cheeks were slowly filled with a red blush that crept over her body.

“You’re okay, Ava. Don’t try to sit up yet. Just give it a second,” Michael instructed and Ava immediately complied. She stopped fidgeting and fretting and instead just trusted Michael implicitly. “Ava, did you hurt anything?”

After a pause that Tyler could have sworn lasted an eternity, Ava began to murmur, “Umm…my head is fuzzy.”

“That’s okay. Anywhere else?”

Rubbing her hand across her eyes, Ava’s face was squished with concentration as she tried to form words. Tyler could have sworn he heard her heart beating faster than a drum. “My…my wrist.” She massaged her left wrist.

Instantly Michael took it in his hands and inspected the offending appendage. “You’ll be fine. It looks like you banged it as you fell, probably on the coffee table, but it doesn’t look broken. Maybe just bruised. Take it easy. You ready to sit up?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped her to sit.

Tyler watched as her eyes rolled about. She was still clearly out of it. He didn’t dare to speak or approach her, instead he found himself taking a step backwards and slumping his shoulders in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.

“How’s that?” Michael asked, seemingly having forgotten about Tyler standing behind him.

“Okay,” Ava whimpered, clutching at her head. Clearly she was lying.

“Ava, Amanda’s here. She’s going to take you to the bathroom to wash your face. That should help,” Christopher announced as he stepped to Ava’s side.

Michael and Christopher pulled Ava to her feet slowly and held her hands until she stopped swaying. Then a skinny young girl with wild curly brown hair and wide green eyes stepped up beside Ava and took her hand. “Come on, Ava. Let’s get you cleaned up,” she cooed softly, like she was talking to a child.