Chapter 7: Never The Best: Chapter 7

‘Lunch?’ I asked Pearl as we walked out of a conference room at Savannah Lace.

I didn’t really need to attend this meeting. I had an efficient team that could handle a project this size. However, I decided to take it on, which surprised some of my team members. They assumed it was because of my Aunt Hattie’s closeness to Nina Davenport.

The truth was more straightforward. I was hoping and praying for a chance to apologize, truly this time, to Pearl. She’d never forgive me, I knew that, and I didn’t deserve it either, but she needed to know that I’d been wrong, so very wrong. She needed to know that the flawed person, in our sordid history, was me, not her. And, I needed her to know that I wasn’t that boy any longer, that I had become a decent man.

After Sage told me how her conversation with Pearl went, it was evident to me that the past preyed on Pearl as it did me. If I could in any way reduce that burden for her, I would.

But what will you do if she needs you to stay away from her? I didn’t have an answer to that question, so I stayed on course.

Before Pearl could reply to my lunch request and most probably turn me down, I heard Nina Davenport, the CEO of Savannah Lace, say from behind me, ‘She can’t, I’m afraid. There’s a finance team lunch meeting, but I’d love to go with you.’

I didn’t miss the grateful look Pearl threw Nina’s way.

How the hell was I going to make this right if I didn’t get an opportunity to talk to Pearl? Apparently, no one gave a flying fuck, and I got it. The need to apologize was mine, and as always, I was pushing with a single-minded focus on what I needed. Perhaps Pearl didn’t need me bugging her. But if only she’d give me some time, so I could….

‘Where should we go?’ Nina asked.

She was an imposing woman—tall, with sharp features softened just slightly by an elegant sweep of dark hair. Everything about her radiated control, from the tailored navy pantsuit she wore to the deliberate, measured way she spoke. Nina Davenport was Savannah, through and through—polished, commanding, and rooted in tradition, but smart enough to bend with the times.

‘The Collins Quarter?’ I suggested an eatery I’d been to a handful of times. It had a central location and a professional vibe. It was only a short walk from Savannah Lace, tucked along Bull Street.

Nina nodded. “Perfect. I’m in the mood for their smashed avocado toast, which is always en pointe.”

As we walked, I glanced back over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of Pearl. Nina noticed out of the corner of her eye, but if she had an opinion, she didn’t voice it. Instead, she strode ahead with confidence, knowing I’d follow.

The Collins Quarter was just busy enough to feel alive without being chaotic. The hum of conversation blended with soft jazz playing from overhead speakers, and spring sunlight poured in through tall windows, spreading warm shadowy patches across the polished wood floors. The smell of fresh coffee and herbs lingered in the air as servers in crisp white shirts moved efficiently between tables.

We were seated by the window. The server handed us menus, but I already knew what I was ordering—grilled chicken salad with lemon vinaigrette. Nina glanced at the menu briefly before closing it neatly and placing it on the edge of the table.

“Smashed avocado toast,” she told the waiter. “Add a poached egg, please.”

The waiter nodded and looked at me expectantly.

“Grilled chicken salad.” I handed him my menu.

After he left, Nina turned her piercing blue eyes on me. “I think we both know this lunch isn’t about the project, Rhett.’ Her tone was even but pointed.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. Nina wasn’t the type of woman you could sidestep with charm or vague answers. But I wasn’t ready to submit, either. ‘No?‘

Her lips curved. ‘Hattie and I have a bet. Want to hear about it?’

‘No, thank you,’ I said seriously.

Nina snickered. ‘Okay, that’s smart of you, considering your aunt is absolutely one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.’

‘You said it, not me.’ I raised my hands in a sign of peace, amused. She wasn’t wrong about my aunt.

‘Why are you here, Rhett? And don’t tell me it’s about the project because you and I both know you didn’t need to take this one yourself.”

I guess we’re done with small talk, I thought with a sigh.

I leaned back in my chair, my gaze dropping to the tabletop for a moment before meeting hers again. Nina didn’t flinch. She wasn’t angry or accusing, just direct. I usually liked that about her.

“I want to apologize to Pearl,” I admitted finally. “Properly, this time.”

‘What happened the last time?’ she asked.

‘I was disappointed that she didn’t accept my apology since I got off my high horse and gave it to her,’ I said in self-deprecation.

‘Oh, Rhett! Sometimes I forget that you used to be a spoiled rich boy like so many others continue to be.’

I picked up the wooden saltshaker and then set it down. ‘I was more than spoiled, Nina; I was cruel and entitled. This wasn’t just about buying a car I wanted, yeah? It was….’ I shook my head, not sure how to tell her or anyone that inside me was this horrible feeling that, even though I’d worked on myself, I’d never be able to remove the taint of my youth that came from doing what I had to Pearl.

I felt the weight of her scrutiny. “Since I like you, despite your youthful indiscretions, what the fuck are you tryin’ to achieve by stirrin’ up things that Pearl clearly doesn’t want to talk to you about?”

Like I said, Nina was direct. She didn’t pussyfoot.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she held up a hand to stop me.

‘Here is what I know. Pearl’s working very hard to rebuild her life. She doesn’t need you barging in with your guilt and good intentions, throwing her off balance. So, I’m going to ask you again—what are you trying to achieve?”

I swallowed hard, the words catching in my throat. Nina’s gaze didn’t waver. It wasn’t angry or cruel—just firm, unrelenting. I felt like I was being dressed down by a professor who knew I hadn’t done the assigned reading.

I sighed. ‘Do you know what happened when we were teenagers?’

Nina shook her head. ‘I’ve been busy building a company and have not been in tune with Savannah gossip. Hattie mentioned that Pearl left because of an incident involving you. I didn’t pry.’

She wouldn’t. Even now, if I glossed over the past, she’d let it be. Nina wasn’t one to dig into people’s secrets; she was more interested in their present intentions.

‘The incident was me,’ I began. ‘I was seventeen; Pearl’s a year younger than me. I…we had sex. No, actually, we became friends…well, I was…fuckin’ hell.‘

I ran a hand through my hair.

‘Spit it out,’ Nina instructed.

I chuckled. ‘I convinced her that she could trust me, and then had sex with her. I won a bet doin’ that.’

Nina made a face. ‘Well, that’s horrible and disgusting, even for an entitled son of a bitch.’

‘Oh, but it gets worse.’

“How?” she prompted, her eyes narrow with disgust.

“I said some terrible things about her afterward…about her weight. She overheard me. And since I had done the telling in front of lots of other people, it ruined her reputation. She didn’t deserve any of it, and I can’t undo what I did. But I need her to know that I regret it. That I was wrong. I know I can’t make it right, but I just…I want her to hear it from me.”

Nina was silent for a moment, her sharp gaze never leaving mine. Finally, she crossed her legs with the grace of someone who could disarm an entire boardroom with a single glance.

“I appreciate your honesty.” She continued to study me, probably trying to measure the truth behind my words. After a moment, she gave a slight, deliberate nod as if she’d found what she was looking for. “I believe you when you say you regret your actions. But what you need doesn’t appear to align with what she needs—or wants. From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like Pearl is ready to have this conversation with you.”

“I just want her to know I’ve changed.” My voice was hoarse as I tamped down my emotions, my need to shake Nina so she’d understand where I was coming from.

Nina tilted her head slightly. “Maybe you have changed. And maybe, one day, Pearl will be ready to hear that. But it has to be on her terms, not yours. You can’t bulldoze her into forgiving you, and you sure as hell can’t do it where she works.”

The server returned with our food, breaking the tension for a brief moment. I nodded politely as he set my salad in front of me, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick up my fork.

Nina, on the other hand, picked up her knife and began slicing into her toast with the same precision she brought to this conversation. She didn’t rush, didn’t push. She let the silence hang for a moment before speaking again.

“For what it’s worth”—she glanced up at me—“Rhett, I’ve always thought you were smart and driven, and more capable than your father gives you credit for. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and let you hurt Pearl, even unintentionally.”

I’d expected Nina to be protective of Pearl, but I hadn’t expected her to handle me with such firm grace. She wasn’t angry, she was measured and controlled. And she was right.

“Understood,” I accepted quietly.

“Good.” She gave me a small, approving smile. “Now, let’s talk shop. So, how much is this upgrade going to cost me?”

I grinned. “Well, you know how they say that you have to spend money to make money?”

“That’s what they say?”

“Yes, they most certainly do. Let me break it down for you.” We talked shop, and Nina didn’t bring up Pearl throughout the rest of our conversation.

When I walked her back to Savannah Lace, I didn’t go inside the building as I wanted to—because Nina was right.

I had to respect Pearl’s need for space and time.

I also had to accept the possibility that she might never give me the chance to apologize—and that I’d have to live with my guilt forever.