Alpha Billionaire Series
Loving the One I Should Hate Chapter 21

MANDY

I waited for Vivica at the gyro stand at the end of the block from the MiMa Play offices. I had my laptop open and was crunching numbers as I waited for her.

She had called all excited and had something to tell me. She wouldn't tell me over the phone and insisted it had to be in person. So, we were meeting up for a late lunch. She was late.

I had her shawarma plate waiting for her. I nibbled on stuffed grape leaves and hummus. My pregnancy cravings kicked in shortly after I realized I really was pregnant. I couldn't get enough stuffed grape leaves or pickled vegetables. Not just classic dill pickles, but pickled beets, onions, cabbage; I wanted to drive back up into Wisconsin and replace that little country store on the way to Ferme de Fromage and buy all the pickled green beans I could get my hands on.

It was one thing to see a blue line on a plastic stick telling me I had an abundance of pregnancy hormones in my urine, it was another to feel my body start to change. I was starting to gain weight, and even though there was no baby bump yet, I felt uncomfortable with any pressure on my waist. If I wore jeans, I had to use a pregnancy hack I found online looping a rubber band through the buttonhole and over the button. It gave me a few extra inches and still kept my jeans on my b**t.

"Oh good, I'm starving," Vivica slid into the seat across from me like she was coming into home plate during a baseball game.

"Thanks for ordering for me. I don't have much time, and this couldn't wait."

"What's so important that you had to talk to me in person?" I saved the spreadsheet I was working on and closed the laptop. I was all ears.

"Grant," Vivica started.

"No." I shook my head. I didn't want to hear anything else about that man.

"Mandy, listen. I've been talking to Dylan. Grant had no idea who you were."

"Bullshit. I don't accept that. He played me." I had to blink and look up to force myself not to cry. I was already an angry crier, the pregnancy hormones had me crying constantly at the drop of a hat. I cried the other day in the grocery store over some really pretty lemons. I hated it normally, now it was extra bad.

"Well, Dylan and I-"

"Oh my God, have you been talking about us? Vivica, you haven't told him about the baby?" I buried my face in my hands. "I feel so stupid. I can't believe you are talking about me and Grant with your cousin."

"Well, believe it or not, and I know Dylan wouldn't say it in so many words, but he cares for Grant as much as I care for you, so yeah, we are talking about you guys. Someone I care for is hurting, and I know someone who happens to be in the exact same situation, so we are comparing notes. You don't have to say anything or agree to anything. But will you listen?"

As far as I was concerned Grant was responsible for my father's death. I didn't want to hear anything about him. Because of him I was crunching numbers so I could pay manufacturing and have money left over to pay off Agon. And in order to do that, I was looking at closing down the office and letting go of our lease. I had successfully worked remotely for several months. I was pretty sure we could do it companywide.

I was exploring the possibility of seriously downsizing in order to save the company. I wasn't interested in anything Grant was doing unless he was suffering. But he was rich, he wasn't facing losing the company his father started because of his affinity for spots. No, that was me.

But Vivica was so good to me, I would humor her. I wouldn't do whatever it was she wanted, but I would listen.

"Fine. I'll listen."

"You won't regret this, I promise," she said between bites.

I was already regretting it.

"After last week at the storage unit, I texted Dylan some more. Asked him about Grant, and I did tell him about you. Dylan knew that Grant was smitten with some woman up at the lake. He had no idea who it was, Grant said nothing. He told me that Grant had started talking crazy, like wanting to move the HQ offices up there."

"He wanted to do what?" Grant had wanted to move his company offices so he could stay at the lake. Was that because of me?

"Apparently that's how Dylan knew Grant had fallen for someone. Grant is a workaholic. Dylan and Grant's assistant have to threaten him with mutiny to get him to take a break and get away from the office. It sounds like Grant's idea of a good time is data analysis." I nodded. He was good at it. He had even offered some really useful business tactics whenever I had to work around him.

"Okay, so he went off the deep end. But that doesn't mean anything. Grant is one of those kinds who makes a decision and holds onto it. Maybe he just really likes living at the lake."

Vivica let out a sharp laugh. "Mandy, that man was smitten with you. I saw the look on his face. I completely believe that he would move his entire operation so that he would be near you."

I bit my lip. I wanted him to have felt that way about me. I hated the fact that I had been willing to follow him around like a lost puppy. Thankfully, mom needed me as her caretaker, and that grounded me. I couldn't go chasing off after a handsome man, no matter what I had felt at the time. I was grateful that I hadn't, especially since I found out who he really was.

"Dylan says he's not acting the same. He lashes out at people who aren't doing anything, and he's gone mental over the whole MiMa Play situation. Dylan thinks if you just talk to Grant, maybe he'll see sense. Dylan thinks this attempted takeover is bad business. He doesn't like how it's being handled. According to Dylan, Grant found humanity with you, and it's been slipping from his fingers ever since he got back from the lake after you were gone. He's aware he's made a mistake. I think if you two talk it out..." "I don't know Vivica," I hesitated.

"Mandy, he's the father of your baby. You don't want to raise that baby on your own, do you? You're going to have to tell him eventually."

I hated it when she was right.

"Fine. Tell Dylan I'll meet with Grant. I want it to be in public, and he's paying for my meal."

Vivica vibrated and she was so excited. She pulled out her phone.

"You aren't going to call him right now, are you?" I asked. Panic lodged in my throat. I wasn't as brave as I was pretending to be.

"I'm just texting him. I doubt he'll respond right away." She paused long enough to send a quick message. "Oh, wow, that was fast. Okay, Dylan says he'll check with Grant."

"What do you mean check with Grant? I thought this was a done deal. I don't want Grant thinking that I'm the one asking to meet with him. I thought... Oh, God, I don't know what I thought. Grant is going to assume I'm desperate."

"He's not. And Grant won't think you're the one reaching out. He's going to think that Dylan and his cousin are interfering so and so's."

Her phone pinged again, and we both stared at it.

"Well, what did he say?" I asked. I couldn't handle this. This was as bad as passing notes back and forth in middle school.

"Grant is willing to see you," she said.

For some reason the phrase 'is willing' felt like a slap. I was willing to see him, he should be the one who wanted to see me, after all, he's the one who lied to me the entire time we were together. Unfortunately, the ache in my chest made me think I was the one who needed to see him.

Of course, he selected an upscale restaurant. He knew I was financially struggling. Was this some kind of a power play, showing off stuff? Did he think the choice of location would scare me off? No, I had been tempted to show up in jeans, just to be obnoxious. But I wasn't going to let him win. I showed up appropriately dressed. I even wore something new.

I stepped inside and the smell of the food immediately caressed my senses. At least the food smelled amazing, and not simply overwhelmingly garlic. Too many restaurants smelled like garlic to me recently. The hostess immediately greeted me.

"I'm meeting Mr. Carpenter. I'm a bit late, he's probably already here," I said.

"You can take a quick look around our dining room." She gestured for me to step into the large room. Everything was decorated in slate gray, white, and highly polished brass.

I saw Grant waiting for me. My insides flipped and my heart pounded in my throat. I suddenly panicked about everything from the business to our past relationship, to being pregnant.

I knew the extra baby weight was starting to make an appearance, but I didn't look pregnant. At least I didn't to myself. I certainly hoped I didn't look pregnant to Grant. I didn't want him to know. I wasn't ready to tell him. I still felt every raw nerve ending from his betrayal.

Had he known who I was the entire time, and he was just humoring me until he could sweep in and I'd hand him the company?

I wiped my sweaty hands against the sides of my swing dress. It was dark and flowy, it hit a multitude of sins, from the sudden sweat attack I was having, to any extra weight this pregnancy was adding.

I could turn around, and he would never know that I had arrived at the restaurant. He would be mad at me for not showing up. Vivica would be mad at me for not following through. And I'm pretty sure Dylan would also be mad at me, because he was friends with Grant, and if I didn't walk back to that table, I would have wasted everyone's time.

I forced myself to take the first step. The next thing I knew, I was standing next to the table where Grant diligently studied the menu. I don't think he saw me.

"Hi, Grant." My voice cracked as I said his name.