What Would It Take

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The bathroom door creaked open, and Sailor heard Jill’s voice.

“I see your feet, missy. Want to come out and explain? I know you, so there must be a good reason why you’re hiding out in the bathroom. Are you feeling okay, boss?

Dalton called me and explained about your outburst. Do you know how many places I have had to check to find you?”

Sailor sighed. What the hell was wrong with her? One look at Saxton fucking Crawford and she’d reverted to an awkward teenage girl. With an audible ugh of disgust, she got up from the floor of the stall she had been hiding out in.

Smoothing down the creases in her now-wrinkled outfit, she unlocked the door before pulling it open. Sailor stared at the ground then raised her eyes taking in Jill’s slight frame and elegant green dress. Jill’s pretty face had a concerned expression that deepened as she approached Sailor. She wrapped Sailor in her arms and hugged her tightly. Sailor buried her face in Jill’s strawberry-blonde curls. The woman hugged her tighter and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Oh, honey, what is wrong?”

Sailor hugged her back. She wasn’t about to tell her assistant and friend the embarrassing truth about her momentary loss of rational thinking. The lie about why she was holed up in the bathroom slipped easily past her lips. “I’m okay. I just got a little sick. Too much tequila last night.”

Jill leaned back and studied her face. “That makes sense. I’ve heard of many reactions to Saxton Crawford, but sick isn’t usually one of them.”

Sailor burst out with an almost maniac laugh. “Oh Jill, you have no idea.”

Jill smiled at her than. “You got this, Sailor. Tequila be damned. Go in there, and do what you do best.”

Sailor stepped back and nodded. Jill was right. She had this. She wasn’t that awkward girl anymore, and she wouldn’t let some man reduce her to a clumsy, nervous teenager again, even if he was the most gorgeous male specimen she’d ever seen.

She turned and looked into the mirror. She still looked decent. Digging deep, she let out a breath and turned back to Jill.

“I need a bottled water and Tylenol. ASAP.” 

Jill smiled and nodded. 

“On it, boss.”

Sailor waited in the bathroom for Jill to return. When she did, Sailor took the pain relievers and gulped down half the bottle of water in one swig before handing it back to her assistant. Determined, she straightened then walked out of the bathroom with Jill on her heels. As she approached the conference room, she heard raised but muffled voices coming from behind the door. Jill patted her on the back before she headed to the elevator. Sailor knocked at the door and didn’t wait for a response this time. She opened the door, finding Saxton and Dalton standing toe-to-toe in a heated discussion. They abruptly stopped at her entrance.

“Am I interrupting? I can come back.”

Dalton held up a hand and motioned for her to come in. “No, no, Clay, you’re good.” She smiled at Dalton’s nickname for her as he pointed at Saxton. “My stubborn friend and I were just having a conversation.”

Dalton shot Saxton a look then. “We’ll continue this discussion later.” 

Saxton grinned, and Sailor’s traitorous belly flipped.

“Nothing further to discuss. You know the terms. I won’t budge on this one.”

Dalton narrowed his eyes at Saxton, and Sailor felt as if she were missing something.