“How do you know about it?”
“Because I got one too. And I’m not the only one.”
“Fuck. Who else?”
“Lucas and Carmen.” He names two mutual friends, also CEOs of their own companies.
“He’s hitting big names. And I can guarantee you, it’s more than just the four of us,” Xavier says what I’m dreading. “What is going on, Kaine?”
“I don’t know, Xave. Fuck, I don’t know. How was your card delivered?
“By mail. Stamp, no return address, obviously. You?”
“On my bloody desk.”
“Shit. Again? How is this happening?
“I don’t know, but I’ve had 50 people come in and out of my office today, most of them have come to my desk at one time or another, it could’ve been any of them.”
“You called Dylan?”
“Yeah, it’s why I’m calling, he needs you to give him clearance for the security cams of the building.”
“Fine. I… er, I need to call him anyway.”
“Why? What do you need to talk to him about that I didn’t tell him?” Xavier asks, his curiosity pipped.
“It’s nothing,” I evade the question.
“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“Remember when we used to joke about you charging me by the word?”
“Yeah. Actually, Jade said the same thing to me the other day.”
The mention of her name stops my brain functioning, and in that instant I forget Xavier’s there.
“Hey. Mr. Talkative. What’s your point?” he prompts me.
“You talk too much, that’s my point.”
“I meant the thing about talking to Dylan.”
“It’s nothing. I just need him to check up on someone for me, that’s all. Geez, when did you get so nosy?”
“You pay me to be nosy.”
“No, I pay you, cos I can’t get rid of you.”
“So, what do you want Dylan to find out about Jade?”
“Huh? Who said anything about Jade?” I should know better than to try to hide anything from Xavier. He’s right, I pay him to know my business.
“You do. All the time. With your non-words and moody moods.”
I huff quietly and hope he’ll move on. But apparently he knows me better than I know him.
“So, am I right?” he says, victory already in his voice.
“Shut up.”
He laughs so hard there’s a thud and a curse, and I secretly hope he cracked his phone screen when he dropped it.
“You know, and this is just a thought…”
“Maybe keep it that way.”
“Nah, it’s too good a thought, so I’m sharing it with you”
“What?”
“There are better and, you’ll like this, CHEAPER ways of finding out things about a person, you know. Not everything has to cost $500 an hour.”
“And what way is that?”
“Just ask her, you dumb ass.”
HER
It’s near the end of the day and the last straggler of my weekly genealogy group finally leaves. I lean back into my chair, utterly exhausted. I’m thankful for the busy day though, or else I’d have spent it watching the clock, waiting for the day to end, and my evening to start… with him.
Not that I allow myself too much time, but in the rare moment my imagination runs away with itself before I have a chance to stop it, the day dream involves him, picking me up from work, and us spending time together, doing nothing, doing everything. In those moments, it takes me a long time to remember the last time I felt as safe and at peace as I did this morning, just sitting in the limo watching him work.
“Uhhh,” I grunt as I push myself away from the big wooden desk in the meeting room and stroll back to my office carrying an armful of books.
“Hey, you done?” Harriet asks as she packs up her desk, throwing away yet another rotten apple from her drawer.
“Yeah. Good group today. Found out some cool stuff.” I refer to one of the group’s discovery about her ancestors.
“Any more Zac Efron relations?”
“Unfortunately not. Just a hairy, pillaging Viking. Still cool though.”
“Sure. Hey, it’s 5:56,” she points out.
“Okay… thanks?”
“You have two minutes to get ready to go home.”
“What are you rambling about?” I reply, as if I don’t know exactly what time it is and exactly what it implies.
“Well, Superman he said to be ready to go at 5:58 p. m.”
“Er no, Myst-, er, Kaine said he’d be here at 5:58 p. m. You said I’m finished working at 6 p. m, so he can just damn well wait.”
“Yes, I damn well can,” he says from the doorway.
And there’s something about the way the light streams through the dusty window and hits his face, accentuating the high bridge of his nose and the clear, deep, crystal blue of his eyes that makes me lose my balance. I sink into my chair to mask my stumble but I don’t take my eyes off him. In all my neuroses, in all my worry about myself, my brother, his scars, his past, I’d never let it sink in, just how handsome he was.
Breathtakingly so.
“Mr. Ashley!” Harriet says, getting up to stand next to me, nudging me hard with her elbow against the side of shoulder.
“Wha? Stop nudging me!” I scowl at her. “What do you want?”
Her eyes bulge out at me and I deliberately ignore the signs she’s trying to give me.
“I don’t want anything, but maybe you shouldn’t be keeping Mr. Ashley waiting, he did come to pick you up just to make sure you get home safely.” Her defence of him grates at me. Maybe because it comes off as flirting and the searing heat of possessiveness rises up my throat.
“Maybe you’re the one I need protection from, sheesh. Put some cream on those elbows when you get home,” I taunt her, while secretly feeling guilty at the betrayal of my best friend because of a man.
She covers her mouth as a small gasp slips from her lips. “Bitch,” she mumbles under her breath.
I turn to Kaine and he looks confused by the exchange.
I grab my bag and swing it, pretending to accidentally whack Harriet across the arm. She jumps out of the way and grins at me, giving me a wink that makes me bite down a laugh.