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Sighing happily, Georgina lays her palm on my chest and shoots a wide, glorious smile at me, her hazel eyes sparkling. “I like you so damned much, too, Reed. So damned much, I feel like I’m going to burst when I’m with you.”
And, just like that, my rising panic disappears... supplanted by butterflies in my stomach. No, bald eagles this time. Fucking condors.
Georgina’s stomach rumbles loudly, making her giggle.
“Was that you?” I say, laughing.
She blushes. “I’m hungry.”
“Well, damn, let’s get you fed, before the alien living inside your stomach bursts out and eats my face.”
She laughs, but, again, I know she’s clueless.
“You have no idea what movie I just referenced, do you?” I say.
“You referenced a movie?”
Oh, God, I can’t get enough of this girl. I touch her cheek. “What am I gonna do with you?”
“In the immediate future, feed me,” she says. “After that, do whatever you please.”
I kiss her full lips gently, my heart soaring around the room. “Come, come, little kitty. Let’s get you some food.”
Chapter 16
Georgina
“I can’t believe how good this is,” I say, eating another mouthful of Amalia’s amazing soup.
“It’s my all-time favorite,” Reed says. “The word ‘soup’ doesn’t do it justice.”
We’re sitting across from each other at Reed’s small kitchen table. I’m wearing a tank top and a pair of soft shorts. Reed is shirtless and in sweats, looking like a god. And for the past twenty minutes or so, I’ve been peppering him with follow-up questions about what Leonard told me at his office today. I’ve asked my questions out of genuine curiosity. But also, they’ve been my way of easing into asking Reed about an even greater topic of interest: the lawsuits I got earlier today at the courthouse.
Thus far, I’ve read two out of the three lawsuits the court clerk copied for me. I ran out of time to read the third, before it was time to head back to Reed’s house. But what I’ve read so far in the first two lawsuits has raised some serious questions for me. Well, actually, not the first one involving a lease dispute. That one was a total snoozefest, as expected.
But the second lawsuit, the one filed eight years ago by a former employee of River Records claiming sexual harassment and wrongful termination? Yeah, I’ve got some burning questions about that one. All of which I plan to ask Reed about during this meal. Just as soon as I muster the courage.
In her lawsuit, Stephanie claimed Reed pressured her into having a sexual relationship for several months, and then fired her when she refused to continue. Which means, if her claims were true, then Reed was, and is, an asshole of epic proportions. A dirtbag who’d shamelessly abuse his power.
But Stephanie’s version of Reed doesn’t ring true to me. Yes, he’s harsh at times. And arrogant. But the kind of boss who’d force an employee into a sexual relationship? Reed himself told me he never has sex with his employees. Also, when I toured River Records with Owen, back when Reed was still in New York, it was clear to me everyone on Reed’s staff, including a bunch of women, respect their boss. Yes, they said he’s exacting and tough and pulls no punches. Yes, one person laughingly said Reed can flash-freeze a room with one withering glare. But it was obvious to me they all admire their fearless leader, and would follow him to the ends of the earth.
I mean, I recognize I might not be the best person to accurately assess Reed on this topic, since the man started hitting on me the second he saw me. But he’s not my boss. And, in fact, expressly told me he wouldn’t have agreed to the special edition if it meant he would be.
Plus, I’ve never felt taken advantage of by Reed, even when we’ve gone toe to toe. For instance, backstage at the RCR show, when we were engaged in hard-nosed “negotiations,” Reed stopped me several times, when I made a misstep, to tell me I’d said the wrong thing—basically, to give me a free pass—because he knew he’s got far more experience at negotiations than I do.
Frankly, if it weren’t for the fact that Reed settled Stephanie’s case, and has told me his philosophy regarding settlements, I’d be thinking Stephanie’s complaint was almost certainly a pack of lies, every bit as much as the copyright infringement lawsuit against Red Card Riot. But Reed did settle it. And Reed did tell me he only settles cases when they’ve got merit, or he thinks a jury will believe it.
The bottom line? I’m dying to ask Reed what the hell happened between him and Stephanie Moreland. Will Stephanie’s lawsuit make it into my article? It’s unlikely. But, either way, Reed is the man I’ve been sleeping with. The man I’ve been swooning over. Feeling addicted to. The man who gives me butterflies like crazy. If it turns out he’s an asshole who’d force an employee into a sexual relationship, then, regardless of my article, I want to know about it.
