Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"Chicago?" Eric repeated, stunned.

"Yes," Ana confirmed.

"I didn't know you were looking for a job in Chicago."

"I wasn't. But the company I met with thought I was overqualified for the position they were interviewing me for. They asked if I'd be willing to relocate."

"And you just said yes? Have you even thought this through?" Eric pressed.

Ana shrugged indifferently. "What is there to think through, Miller? They're offering me a job, and I need one."

"Have you signed a contract yet?"

"No," she answered. "I'm going in tomorrow afternoon to do that. They're paying me for my moving expenses, and the check won't be ready until then."

"Ana—you…why are you so quick to leave your life here in Seattle?" he asked.

"I don't really have a life here in Seattle anymore. I'm not attending college here; I'm not engaged. My family doesn't live here," she pointed out. "There's nothing holding me here."

"What about Kate?" he asked, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

Ana smiled softly. "Kate will be fine," she assured him. "She has Elliot now and—"

"It's not like they've been together for months, Ana," Eric reminded her. "It could fall apart tomorrow, and then where would she be?"

"Wha—Kate knows that it doesn't matter where I live. I'm there for her whenever she needs me," Ana said decisively.

"What about us?" Eric asked. "You can just walk away when so many things are unresolved with us?"

Ana laughed. "What do you mean 'us?'" she asked. "Luckily we were smart enough not to get emotionally involved. I think it'll be easy for both of 'us' to move on."

The onslaught of anger he felt at the idea of her being able to leave him so easily—again—surprised him. "So you can hop into my bed one night, on a plane to Hawaii the next day, and then into my bed again, and on a plane to Chicago to leave forever? I'm glad it's so effortless for you, Ana," he said crossly.

The glare she gave him only fueled his ire. "Are you saying that if I go to Chicago I'll be breaking your heart?" she asked caustically.

"No," he informed her. "I'm saying that if you go to Chicago, then it will only be because you're running away from me."

"That is some ego you have there!" she shot back. "Newsflash, Miller. I'm not running from anything. I'm running to something. This is an amazing opportunity for me and—"

"And you're still pissed that you feel like a slut," he interrupted harshly.

Whatever she was about to say flew from her head, and Ana resisted the urge to march over to him and slap him across the face. "As a matter of fact, I am still pissed about that, but I'll get over it."

"Ana…" His heavy sigh took her by surprise. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Self-control isn't usually such a problem for me, but with you…it seems I have no willpower."

His confession was staggering; she was going to tell him that when he spoke again.

"I made you feel easy; I would never do that unintentionally. The truth is—I like that you have a hard time resisting me," he told her.

Ana held up a hand. "Whoa…wait a minute. What?" she asked in confusion. "You would never make me feel like a slut un-intentionally, but you would intentionally?"

"Well…sure," he said with a shrug. "In a mutually agreed upon situation."

"You know what? I...I think I've heard enough," she informed him as she walked to her front door. She flung it open and stood there glaring at him. "You're absolutely right. There are a lot of unresolved issues between us, and it's going to have to stay that way. I mean no offense to you, Miller, but I liked myself much more before you came into my life. I can't even begin to tell you how much self-respect I lost in that coat room. Now please…walk away. And let me keep the shred of dignity that I do have left."

He stood there studying her for a moment, eyes piercing, before he pulled his coat from the back of her couch. Ana's breath caught as he pulled it on and came toward her; her heartbeat accelerated when he came to a stop in front of her and lifted a hand to her cheek. "Goodbye, Ana," he said softly, his eyes locked on hers.

"Goodbye," she returned. "And…please don't tell Elliot about our conversation. I'm having dinner with Kate tonight to break the news, and I'm afraid she isn't going to take it very well. I think it would be best coming from me."

"Of course," he agreed with a nod.

Ana closed the door as he walked away. She made her way to the couch and sat down, her mind racing as she replayed their conversation in her mind. She expected to feel some kind of relief…some kind of joy that he was finally gone…that this cat and mouse game that had been plaguing them since they'd met was over.

But she felt neither.

It wasn't as easy for her as he assumed it was…to walk away him. It had taken every ounce of strength to tell him goodbye. And it would take just as much to get on that plane to Chicago.

Eric didn't bother with the elevator; he headed straight for the stairs.

Chicago? It felt like someone had just dropped a bomb in his lap. It was a damn good thing he hadn't waited a week! The thought of Ana disappearing from his life again was crushing—though he refused to examine why. He simply could not allow it to happen again.

And he wouldn't.

The persistent ring of her telephone was driving her crazy. It was the third time in an hour that it had rung, and she huffed as she made her way to the living room. It was the same number—one she didn't recognize, but it was clear they weren't going to stop calling.

"Hello?" she practically barked into the receiver.

"Ana Thompson, please."

"This is Ana," she said with a sigh.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Thompson. My name is Callie Johnson and I'm calling from The Lux."

Ana immediately recognized the name of the hotel she and Eric had spent the night in and held back a groan. Would she never escape him? And…what did they want with her?

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I found your resumé on , and I have a position here that I'd like to interview you for," the woman said.

"Oh," Ana returned in surprise. "I've actually been offered a position with another company."

"And you've accepted?" the woman pressed.

"Well, I haven't signed the paperwork yet, but—"

"Excellent. I would love to meet with you this afternoon if you have the time. I could tell you about the position. And we're looking to make a decision fairly quickly. Typically employers are willing to wait up to a week while you make a decision on whether or not to sign with them, so this shouldn't interfere with your other job offer if that's what you're worried about. If you'd like to give them a call and then call me back…" The woman's voice trailed off expectantly.

"Is the job here in Seattle?" Ana asked hesitantly.

"Yes," the woman answered. "But there is opportunity for advancement, and we have hotels in most of the major cities here in the U.S. as well as some abroad. Relocation in the future isn't something that would be out of the question. Assuming you get the job, of course."

"What time should I be there?"

Ana tried to contain herself as she made her way to the restaurant where she was meeting Kate. Her friend was going to be so excited at the news! She walked inside and told them she who she was meeting, and they took her to a table near the back.

"Hello," Ana said in a sing-song voice.

"Hello," Kate said cautiously, her eyes never leaving Ana as she sat down. "You sound…chipper."

"Oh, I am," Ana returned excitedly. "And you will be, too, when you hear what I have to say."

Kate's eyes lit up and she gasped. "You got the job you interviewed for!" she guessed.

A smile spread across Ana's face as she nodded. "I did."

"Ana, that's fantastic!" Kate said as she reached for her friend's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I know!" Ana agreed. "But it's also in Chicago."

Kate's eyes widened. "You're moving to Chicago?" she wailed.

"No," Ana said.

"But you just said—"

"Well, that's not the end of the story," Ana informed her friend.

"OK. Well…finish, because my heart is about to explode."

Ana giggled at her friend's reaction. "OK. I was supposed to go tomorrow to sign my new job offer, but as I was cleaning my oven today, another opportunity presented itself."

The expectant look on Kate's face was comical, and Ana suppressed another giggle.

"A woman from The Lux called. She found my resumé online and wanted to interview me."

"And?" Kate asked.

Ana's grin widened. "They offered me a job on the spot and I signed with them!" she said exuberantly. "And the best part? I get to stay right here! In Seattle!"

"Ana…that…that's great!" Kate said thoughtfully.

"What…why don't I think that you really think that's great?" Ana asked.

"Well…do you know who owns The Lux?" Kate asked.

Ana shook her head as she took a sip of water. "They wanted to meet with me so quickly that I didn't have time to do my research on the company. I was praying they wouldn't ask me what I knew about them! Luckily, they didn't. Who owns it?" she asked as she looked for their waiter. She wanted a bottle of wine to celebrate her good news!

"Elliot's brother," Kate informed her.

"What?"