“It was a question with a comment attached,” Nora said. “And actually, you didn’t ask me that question. You asked if that was the reason I had a chip on my shoulder. Which I can assure you I don’t. I’m professional in my job, something that many should take note of and learn from. If you want to know if Norris is my father, he is. Right, Dad?”
Norris didn’t turn his head to look at him. “She is my daughter, which has no bearing on her job or mine. We barely interact on a business level.”
Or outside of work either, but he couldn’t say that out loud. Norris didn’t know he knew those facts.
“Got it,” Heather said. “I was only curious. I should get back to work.”
Norris stepped back and Heather fled the office fast. The door shut after and he heard the sound machine go on in Nora’s office preventing him from hearing the conversation.
As much as he wanted to go in and join her, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
He just had to trust she’d tell him what was said.
It wasn’t even five minutes before her door opened, and the machine was off. It was a switch that Norris must have hit on and then off when he left, not even popping his head in to say hi.
Nothing new there either.
Five minutes went by. Then ten.
He buzzed her. “I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to finish this email I was working on before everyone interrupted me. Or do you need me right now?”
“When you’re done.”
So she wasn’t ignoring him.
A few minutes later, she came in, shut the door, hit the sound machine switch and then sat across from his desk.
“Come here,” he said, holding his hand out.
She moved back to the door and locked it, then came around the desk and sat on his lap.
She was anxious. It wasn’t just the look on her face or the tone of her voice when talking to Heather. She held firm, but it was more than she’d said before.
“I just need to calm my heart down.”
“I heard it.”
“I know you did. I heard your door open and appreciated that you didn’t interfere. I wondered if Carolyn had said something to get it moving again today.”
“I highly doubt she said a word. She wouldn’t have asked you if she hadn’t been hearing it also. So there is chatter and Heatherhas already had words with you. She felt she could flex again because she’s done it and you don’t clap back. My door was shut, she might have thought I was out.”
“I’m not sure if it’s going to be worse or not that my father was here for it. I knew I couldn’t not say what I did or I’d get crap from him about being walked all over.”
He ran a hand slowly down her back. “You be you, Nora. Not who you think someone wants you to be.”
She sighed. “I know. I was going to say something either way but maybe not as sharp as I did. Now she’ll go around telling everyone I’m a bitch.”
He didn’t give a damn about office gossip. Never had. People talked about him too.
He could have promised to handle it, but that wasn’t what she needed from him.
“You’ll deal with it if it happens,” he said softly. “But it might not. What did your father say?”
“He was on his way to see Mason when he heard. I’m honestly surprised he stopped. I expected him to keep walking.”
“But he didn’t. He backed you up. That’s what’s really getting to you, isn’t it?”
She nodded against his chest. “He’s never done that before. I tell myself he’s not trying, then he shows me just a little that he is. That tiny stand he took wasn’t warm or comforting, but it was... something. He was there.”
