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“Please, if this is about Ava, I don’t want to discuss her.”
“You’ve made your position very clear, but it has come to my attention that the woman you allowed to accompany you here works for the agency. You brought the damn cleaning woman, boy. Have you no sense?”
“How did you know who Coda was?”
“My granddaughter is very determined when she wants to be. She’s humiliated, and I can’t blame her.”
“Look, my personal life is none of your business. Ava shouldn’t feel disgraced in the least. We broke up months ago.”
“You brought that woman to embarrass my Ava. A cleaning woman? Really, Spencer, what were you thinking?”
“Coda is much more than a cleaning woman.” His anger increased each time Pierce referred to Coda as if she were insignificant. “She’s a talented, witty, intelligent woman with a bright future. She knows more about our business than your Ava ever cared to learn. If you want to help your granddaughter, tell her to leave me alone. She needs to stay out of my personal life.”
“When you graduated college, you told me you saw a future with her. Were you lying to make sure I voted yes on you becoming CEO?”
“Of course not,” he said. “I did like Ava. I tried to make it work, but she was never going to be right for me. I’m not right for her.” He understood that better than he ever had, thanks to Coda. Before her he never would have thought it was possible to find his match. “We’re worlds apart, Pierce.” Spencer hated to have to explain any of this to him, but eventually he would have to listen. “We weren’t going to work. Don’t you see it was better for us not to have gone any further than we did? Think of the shambles we would have created it we had gotten a divorce. Where would the company be then?”
“My granddaughter loves you. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“She’s in love with the idea of me. Please, don’t encourage her anymore. She needs to move on. I have.”
“I can see that. I saw the way you looked at Coda when you played the piano last night. Anyone with eyes could see how taken you are with that girl. I hope you know what you’re doing. She doesn’t come from our world. Can she handle the man you are when you’re the CEO? I’ve seen you, Spencer. I know that’s why you’re perfect for this job. You won’t let anything or anyone interfere. That can be hard for a woman to accept.”
“I can keep my job separate from my personal life.” Spencer glanced at his watch. “Don’t worry about the company. I have everything under control. I always do.”
“I pushed Ava in your direction because I knew she would understand your work ethic. As long as she had pretty things and expensive toys she’d let you be. I thought it was a good match for both of you. I was wrong, and I apologize.”
“I appreciate that.” Spencer nodded. “I have to get going. I have a call I need to take in the car on the drive back. I want to be packed and ready to leave soon.”
“That’s my boy.” Pierce patted his back. “The Bradfords will be at the agency tomorrow morning. Let’s make sure the ink is dry before they leave.”
“It will be.”
If Spencer could deal with this account by tomorrow, maybe he could convince Coda to take a few days and go away with him. Just the two of them. No contracts or negotiations. Perhaps she’d let him help her find a job too. She’d never allow him to step in on her behalf at Cannon and Carrington, and he respected that, but he had other contacts in the industry. He could help her find something, even if it wasn’t at his agency.
* * * *
CODA RESTED HER HEADon Spencer’s shoulder as they drove home. So many things had changed since the ride to the wedding. When he picked her up from the boutique on Wednesday afternoon she never imagined things would go down the way they had.
“I was thinking,” Spencer said. “I never take any time off.”
“You had a long weekend.” She cuddled closer to him. “Are you getting lazy?”
“Hardly.” The way he played with the ends of her hair relaxed her. “I may have been away from the office, but I really didn’t stop working.”
“No, you didn’t.” She felt bad for him. He carried such a heavy burden when it came to the agency. She saw the way Jack and Pierce rode him every chance they got. They depended on Spencer to fix everything. “Do you want to take a vacation? Can you?”
“The last time I was away for pleasure was the month after my college graduation. I went to Italy with a few friends. It was a wonderful trip.”
“That was almost eight years ago.”
“I started working full-time at the agency that summer. My grandfather taught me everything I needed to know about every aspect of the business. I put everything I had into becoming CEO, and when they finally gave me the job a few years ago, the learning didn’t stop. Before long I found myself putting in twelve hour days. I’ve landed eight national accounts in two years. That was unprecedented for us.”
“You deserve a vacation.” She closed her eyes and imagined sitting on an exotic beach with him—just the two of them. “Where would you go?”
“Anywhere you want.”
“What?” She looked up at him. “You want me to pick your vacation destination for you? I’ve been to New Jersey and Connecticut. I’m not very worldly.”
