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“Sorry,” I said, taking a step back and shaking my head. “I don’t work with criminals.” I gestured toward the door. “You can leave now.”
It might have been showing my hand, but I wasn’t going to let Justin pretend to be anything other than what he really was. His entitlement and arrogance were on full display for the world to see. He clearly thought I would play along. He figured building my client list and padding my bank account with his commission was the most important priority to me. He was very much mistaken.
“I don’t think you understand,” Justin said. “I want to hire you as my investor. I am very motivated to make my efforts work this time, and I think the two of us could make a lot of money together.”
That disgusting grin on his face was almost more than I could bear. I stood my ground and stared directly into his eyes so he could make no mistake of my intentions.
“I understand very clearly. As you said, I’m the best in the business. Which means I have the luxury of being able to choose my clients as I please. And I have absolutely no intention of spending any of my time helping you. You know where the door is,” I said.
Justin stood there staring at me with a look on his face that was both shocked and offended, but also still arrogant. He didn’t move. It was like he thought I was going to change my mind. If he could just stand there long enough and look at me like he didn’t believe what I was saying, then I would come to my senses and immediately welcome him back into my office so we can get started.
There was absolutely no chance of that. He was fortunate I had enough control to keep my hands to myself. If I had known who he was when he first started into the building, he wouldn’t have made it three steps inside. As it was, if he didn’t leave soon, I was tempted to remove him myself.
I waited him out, my stance strong and steady, my arms crossed over my chest. Finally, he walked out. He didn’t turn tail and run. He didn’t even seem all that worked up about the situation. He just walked away. That was enough to confirm to me that he wasn’t just showing up at my office to try to get investment advice.
He was going to try to weasel his way back into Bryn’s life any way he could. He mentioned hearing that I was helping her, which made me wonder who he was talking to. Who would know she had come to me and that I was doing investments for her, but would also know Justin and tell him?
This man was up to something. He was trying to figure out how to get back into Bryn’s life and probably win her back. There was no way I was going to let that happen.
There was still more work for me to do, but it could wait for the next day. I had far more important things on my mind. I went back into my office and shut everything down. Heading out, I locked the doors and looked around to see if Justin might still be lingering nearby ready for another confrontation. He wasn’t there, so I got in my truck and drove away.33BrynI wondered if it was too early for me to start nesting. Without much experience with pregnant women in my life, I didn’t have much to base it on. But what I had heard was that most of the time women went into the phase of obsessively getting everything ready for the baby in the last few weeks before the birth. I was nowhere near that, and I was already in full-blown preparation mode.
I had done a few little things here and there before my visit from Minnie. Justin’s office had already been cleaned out in the couple of days after he left. That was just a matter of getting the last few remnants out and painting the walls. Then I added the dresser. At that point, I felt like it was probably enough for this stage of my pregnancy.
And then Minnie showed up with that gift bag. Seeing the clothes and stuffed bunny triggered something in me. Now I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that needed to get done before the baby arrived. That night was laundry. In addition to the sweet little clothes Minnie got, I’d picked out a few things when I went shopping after lunch with Trish.
Just like I expected, she was over the moon about the pregnancy and wanted to be involved as much as I would possibly let her. It didn’t feel intrusive. Instead, it was the kind of excitement and enthusiasm I would have loved to have had from a sister. Or from my mother if she were still alive.
