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“You want to discuss work here?” I ask, taking a seat and dazedly looking around.
Oliver appears incredibly pleased with himself. “Yes, and no. I wanted to try the breakfast menu here. It’s owned by a previous client of mine who designed this into a proper English experience. I thought you would appreciate it.”
I raise a brow. “Are we going to have tea and crumpets?”
Oliver gives me a pleasant smile. “Awfully stuck on those crumpets, aren’t you? Do you even know what one looks like?”
A blush creeps up my neck, but I refuse to give in, meeting his eyes head-on. “Nope.”
He laughs then, a short burst that is rich in sound. It makes me forget how to breathe for a moment. Giving me an affectionate look, he reaches out to lightly touch my hand. “Then, I’ll take one of your firsts today by feeding you a crumpet.”
The image his words bring to mind is an erotic one where he’s feeding it to me while I sit on his lap. The way he drawls ‘take one of your firsts’ is making my overactive imagination jump into overdrive as well, with other images that should carry an over-eighteen warning. When he gives me an odd look, I shake my head, getting rid of the sudden mental images crashing into each other.
A server comes around to serve coffee, leaving behind a basket of bread, butter, and jam. After he takes our order, he promptly disappears.
I sip at the hot coffee, nearly moaning at the exquisite blend.
“You look better,” Oliver suddenly says.
I lift my head, surprised by the change in his tone, then nod somberly. “I did some thinking last night. I don’t understand what my family is trying to do, but I’m not going to stand for it. I’ll give it a few months, but I might consider putting some distance between myself and them.”
Oliver lowers his cup, stilling. “Distance?”
I shrug. At most, I’ve flirted with the idea.
“Maybe change jobs at some point. I’ve been here for five years. With all this restructuring, maybe I should also consider a change.”
Oliver’s expression is impassive. “Nobody’s firing you, Lana.”
I smile wanly. “I know. But a change of scenery might be good for me. I should start thinking of setting down roots, away from my family. It’s getting too toxic.”
He considers my words before slowly saying, “That’s a lot of soul searching for one night.”
I flash a quick grin. “Maybe. It’s just something I’m toying with. I’m still here as long as Caleb needs me. If I abandon him right now, he won’t let me hear the end of it.”
“You and Caleb seem close,” Oliver remarks, reaching for a bread roll, his tone casual. He’s obviously probing for information.
I hesitate. “He took some business classes at a night school. I was also enrolled in them. It was years back. We just sort of became friends.” I snort then. “Not that Caleb has friends. He’s a manipulative piece of shit, and he knows it.”
There is no venom in my tone, just fond exasperation, and Oliver picks up on it.
“You, Lucas, and Caleb, there’s a bond there.”
I take the bread roll he’s buttered up and is now offering me. “I introduced him to Lucas. Like I said, Caleb doesn’t do ‘friends’. But he does understand loyalty. Which is why I’ll stay as long as I’m needed.” I sigh. “But if I get a better opportunity and the time is right, I might go for it.”
Oliver is silent, absorbing this information. “Your absence would be a huge loss to the company.”
I smile at that, flattered, yet realistic. “No, it won’t. Aside from handling employees—”
“You’re wrong,” Oliver cuts in, and I’m startled by his intensity as he watches me. “You’ve built a culture here. I have never seen a company with such an exquisitely managed HR department. Your shoes would be hard to fill.”
The warmth that seeps into my soul makes me go silent.
I’ve put my heart and soul into this company—to have it acknowledged like this? I have no words for this feeling of happiness.
“Thank you,” I murmur instead of getting any deeper.
The topic is changed when the server brings our breakfast. As I’m surveying the heap of food in front of me, I realize I’m already half full what with Oliver lathering the bread rolls with jam and butter and handing them to me.
