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“So, what, she won’t be okay if you date Charlize now, but she’ll magically be okay with it if you wait a couple of weeks?”
“No, but I don’t need to give her any ammunition to go to war with me over at work.”
“You see what you’re doing here, don’t you?”
I’ve known Bradford since we were five. He’s my oldest friend and the one who never fails to call me on my bullshit. Jameson does that too, but Bradford’s been doing it for longer. He’s spent the last six months trying to set me up with women, telling me to remove Jill’s claws. I’ve no doubt this conversation is leading back there somehow.
“I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me.”
“You’ve spent the last year trying like fuck to minimize Jill’s pain because you feel guilty over the divorce. You’re still doing that with this situation. You’ve met a woman you’re interested in and you’re letting this bullshit be the reason why you won’t let Jill see you with someone else.”
“Jill has seen me with other women. That’s not with this is.”
“Yes, but those were women you saw once or twice. Women you slept with and moved on from after. You weren’t interested in them. There’s a vast difference between those women and Charlize, Owen. Everyone at that dinner saw that last night, my friend.”
Julian appears at my door, motioning to let me know he needs to discuss something.
My brain is processing what Bradford’s saying because he usually isn’t wrong in his assessments of people. He hasn’t studied psychology, but I’d swear he had if I didn’t know better. However, Julian and I have a lot to go over today, so I push those thoughts to the side and signal for him to come in. “I have to go,” I say to Bradford. “Thanks for coming last night.”
“I can’t say I thought much of Ron, but I enjoyed meeting Charlize. One other thing, we’re golfing at Bayonne this Saturday and don’t try to get out of it. I need you to help me win Senator Bailey over. We fly out at seven. Tee time is eight.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
We end the call and I look at Julian who is now sitting across from me. “Ron declined the new contract. He did, however, appear to appreciate the dinner and the things we discussed for the future. He’s given me two weeks to decide on Jill. He’s on vacation, off grid until then.”
“So, Ron thinks he’s now the fucking CEO here?”
I feel him on this. “His return last quarter should make him think twice about walking. I’ve emailed him a reminder of that and what this quarter is shaping up to be.”
“He’s not going to leave. He knows he won’t get better anywhere else. This is all a fucking power trip.”
“I don’t disagree, but we need to tread carefully. The last thing I want is to be fucking blindsided.”
“You’re meeting with Saul next week. And Mathius. We bring them on board, it won’t hurt as much if we lose Ron.”
It’d still fucking hurt, though, so it’s high on my priority list to not lose him.
We spend ten minutes going over our game plan for my discussions with Saul, Mathius, and a couple of other potential investors I’ll be meeting with while I’m in London for a conference next week. Julian is sharing his thoughts on Saul when I see Charlize walking toward my office. My eyes are immediately drawn to the black bow around her neck. She’s wearing another white blouse and that bow is a feature of it, so large that it takes up most of the space between her throat and her breasts. She and I need to have words about her love of fabric that clings to her neck. I barely notice the black skirt she’s wearing because I can’t stop imagining untying that damn bow.
She doesn’t come to my office. She makes her way to Tahlia’s desk and places a folder on it before turning and leaving. She doesn’t look at me once but after talking with her last night, I suspect that wasn’t easy for her.
Charlize wanted to force me into my bedroom last night.
It took everything in me not to demand she do that.
Charlize passes Jill on her way, and after they talk for a minute, Jill joins Julian and me. She and I haven’t spoken a lot over the last two days since she expressed her anger after theNew York Timesinterview. Because of this, I don’t have a feel for her current mood.
Her attention is squarely on me. “Is Tahlia going to be in today?”
I shake my head. “I doubt it.”
Concern etches Jill’s face. “Is she going to be available for the conference next week?”
Tahlia is working from home while looking after her sister’s two-year-old daughter. I’ve no idea when she’ll be back in the office. Usually, this wouldn’t be an issue since Tahlia can do her job remotely, but I’ll need her in London with me next week while I meet with potential investors. She plays a key role in making the things happen that need to.
“I believe she will be,” I say.
