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“I'm good.” My eyes continue to dart around. “I live in Maine now.”
“Maine? That's amazing.” She clearly doesn’t sense my uneasiness.
“It's really good to see you, Teasa, but I really need to see Westin. Is he here?” I do my best not to sound like a total bitch to her.
“Westin Carver?” She opens her mouth like she's going to say more, but then just smiles widely at me. “I didn't know you two kept in touch.” If she’s fishing for information, she’s not going to get it.
“Yeah. Hey look, I'm kind of in a rush. Is he here?” I ask apologetically.
Turning her attention to the snooty blonde, she asks, “Elizabeth, is Mr. Carver in a meeting right now or is he free to see Scarlett?”
“He's in a meeting right now according to scheduling, but she can wait upstairs.” She doesn’t miss her chance to throw me a dirty look.
Feeling overly aggravated with how she has treated me since my arrival, I take a step toward the desk until I’m standing directly in front of it. Leaning forward, I reach out my hand.
“I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met. I'm Scarlett. Scarlett Ryan. I believe you know my father.” I smile, watching her mouth drop open as she takes my hand and gives it a weak shake.
“I... I... Nice to meet you, Miss Ryan.” She stumbles over her words. Normally, I would never claim to be the daughter of Jonathan Ryan, but I would’ve done just about anything to see the look that is currently on her snooty little face. “Mr. Carver's office is on the second floor. Turn left at the top of the stairs and go to the receptionist desk at the end of the hall. They will tell you where you can wait,” she says, her voice suddenly much friendlier.
“Thank you.” I turn my attention back to Teasa. “It was great to see you again. Maybe we can catch up later,” I lie, but looking for a way to get the hell away from here and hide out in Westin's office for the time being.
“Absolutely.” She beams at me, as I excuse myself and quickly make my way up the open stairwell.
Doing my best not to run, knowing that it will only draw attention to me, I keep my footsteps quick as I make my way down the left side hallway. While it has undergone numerous upgrades, I still know the building well and quickly make my way to the second floor reception.
I know exactly where my father's office is, so as I approach the receptionist, I make sure to keep my eyes on the left set of double doors. That's where the attorney’s private offices are. If my father walks out, I want to see him before he sees me.
“Scarlett?” I hear a familiar voice and immediately turn my attention back to the bean shaped desk in front of me.
“Eleanor.” I smile brightly the moment I recognize her. My father's long time receptionist and the woman that practically raised me while my parents were traveling and attending fancy banquets and fundraisers.
“Oh dear, it's so good to see you.” She quickly makes her way around the desk. “Come here, come here.” She wraps her arms around me and pulls me firmly against her small, fragile looking frame.
While Eleanor is not what I would consider elderly, she's definitely getting up there, and I can clearly see how much she has aged in the years since I left. Her once dark hair is now striped with silver highlights. Her warm brown eyes are surrounded by wrinkles, and she seems to have a small limp to her step.
Pulling back, I smile warmly at her. “How are you, Eleanor?” I remember a day when this woman was the only person I knew I could count on.
Guilt over having not kept in contact with her floods through me, but I do my best to push it down. I’m here for one reason and traveling down memory lane is not it.
“Oh you know me. I'm hanging in there.” She swipes her hand through the air. “I sure am glad to see you, dear. What brings you here? Aren't you living in Maine?”
“I need to see Westin,” I say, knowing full well that she understands, given that when he left, she was one of the only people I had to talk to outside of my handful of close friends.
“Jonathan?” Her eyebrows shoot up in question.
“No, Eleanor. Definitely not.” I shake my head adamantly.
Not skipping a beat, she nods her head, once again understanding completely. Even after all the years that have passed since we have seen each other, I can tell the woman still knows me well.
“Mr. Carver's office is directly across from Mr. Ryan's at the end of the hall. I will buzz you back. And good luck.” She winks, making her way around the desk and hitting the button that unlocks the doors.
I mouth a thank you in her direction before quickly slipping behind the doors, not letting out my breath until I see that the hallway is completely deserted. Determined not to be seen by my father, I jog down the hallway. I don't slow until I reach the end where both Westin and my father's offices are located.
I can see from my position that my father's door is open, but only a fraction. If I can manage to reach Westin's door handle without being seen, I’m confident I can duck inside without drawing any attention to my presence.
But right as I’m reaching my hand out, a voice halts my movement.Westin. His voice is full of anger and it hits me like a tidal wave, all the air immediately leaving my body. He's in my father's office. And what's worse, they seem to be having a very heated discussion.
Even though I know I shouldn't, I cross the hall and position myself outside of my father's door. I don't have to strain to hear what's going on. Their voices are clear and the moment I hear my name, I feel like someone has dropped a bag of bricks on top of me. I can't breathe, I can't move. All I can do is listen.
