Ruby Red, The Sequel - The Romance Story Continues (Complete)

Chapter 23

When Ali had returned home that night, they hadn't talked about what happened at the restaurant. Sam rehearsed his words, not wanting to repeat the disaster of the afternoon, but it was all for naught. Being her first night volunteering at the woman's shelter, Ali had stayed late, not coming back to their apartment until after midnight. She was drained physically and emotionally by that point and just wanted to go to bed.

The next morning had been a rush to get to the office so no time to chat.  Despite any inner turmoil she may have been experiencing, Ali was a complete professional in the office.  She didn't waste a moment, diving right in to solve their most urgent problems. She listened and suggested a plan of attack. Sam wondered if she purposely never once mentioned Noah by name, instead referring to his studio using generic descriptions like the event location.

As they sat in meetings together with Ali carefully laying out her plans for the charity event, Sam studied her.  He had never really seen this side of her, the business side and man, was it impressive.

She was sharp and caught up quickly. When her ideas were challenged, Ali didn't back down, yet she could recognize when she didn't have the support of the room and expertly negotiated compromises. It was like watching an artist draw a picture as Ali rallied the troops around her, bringing the team together.

Her parents were fools for not involving Ali in the family business.  Sam was grateful because it was on the other side of the country and she would not be here with him if they did. But right now, she felt far away. Something had broken between them and Sam didn't know what to do to fix it.

When Ali left early to meet with a potential caterer, Sam had the feeling Noah would also be at the appointment, but she was careful not to mention it. To waste time, Sam took Cruz up on his request for a drink after work with the others in the office.  It was becoming a tradition and Sam didn't want to disappoint the gang. He was enjoying himself until a shot glass filled with a portion of thick liquid plopped down in front of him.

The hand offering the alcohol belonged to Vicky.  He later found out one of the other girls in the office had invited her.  Sam politely declined her offering, much to Vicky's obvious dismay.  Not interested in having two women pissed off at him, Sam made his excuses and went home to wait for Ali. 

When he entered their apartment, the living room was dark, but there was a sliver of light under the door to their shared office. Sam knocked as he opened it, finding Ali typing away on her laptop, Scout diligently sitting at her feet. The dog's head jerked up at Sam's presence but settled back down when Ali didn't move. Sam knew this look, she was working on her book. 

Asking if she wanted him to start dinner, hoping Ali might take a break to eat with him, Sam hid his dismay when she informed him she had already eaten. She promised to join him soon, wanting to write down her thoughts on the previous night's interactions with the abused women before they escaped her.  Ali spent the evening in the study and eventually after walking the dog, Sam went to bed by himself.

Sitting in his office, trying to focus on the report on his desk, Sam chided himself for his stupidity. He knew he had overreacted. Standing there watching Noah practically fondle Ali set off an onslaught of emotions that he couldn't control. It wasn't like him and he wanted to take it all back.

Over the past few days, he had given Ali space, hoping that would help. Prove that he trusted her. They set her up with a desk just down the hall from his office at the Foundation and now and again he could hear her voice or laughter filter into his office. He wanted to get up, find her and be part of the conversation. But when he had tried that, Ali slipped quickly into professional mode.  He heard her voice now, talking to Cruz about getting a vendor paid.