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“There isn’t.”
He’s saved from this conversation when his cell phone rings, and by the way he answers the call faster than I’ve ever seen him answer one, I’m guessing it’s something important.
I finish cooking his breakfast while he takes the call in his office, and I think about how out of character he’s being this morning.Telling me he had his reasons for sleeping with Penelope but not being forthcoming with those reasons is not like him at all.My mind runs wild with possible scenarios.
Does he actually have feelings for her?
Is he feeling pressure at work?
Has he developed a sex addiction?
Is he depressed?
I conjure up way more ideas than that, and when I start wondering if he’s depressed, I know I need to stop.Callan is far from depressed.And while I pride myself on being a good friend, I am really overstepping boundaries by assuming this is any of my business.If Callan has something going on, he’ll eventually talk to me about it.He always does.
* * *
“You got a minute?”
I glance up from my computer just after 10:30 a.m.and find Hayden in the doorway of my office.I lean back in my seat and nod.“What’s up?”
He comes and sits in the chair across the desk from me.“How are you coping with having Slade added to your schedule?”
My brows pull together.I’ve worked for Hayden for two years and while he’s always cared about my workload, he’s never stopped by my office to check how I’m coping with it.“I’ve got it handled.Why the concern?”
“Because we just got a call from Mace Hawkins’s team.”
“Jesus, how do these hockey players get themselves into so much trouble?”Mace is the third New York Power player we’ve had a call from in the last two weeks.
“He’s got a wife who’s about to be an ex-wife intent on causing problems for him, the latest problem being she’s stolen half a million worth of jewelry from Penelope Rush and the news has been splashed across every gossip account this morning.”
I sit forward at the mention of Callan’s Penelope.Immediately, I wish I could scrub those two words from my brain.I hate that I put them together.“This just happened today?”
“Yeah.Penelope’s on a rampage about it now.”
“I saw her this morning and she was fine.”I’ve no idea why I’m even saying this.It’s not relevant and obviously something has happened since I saw her, but my mind seems to be in slow motion right now.Not a place I’m familiar with generally, which is only adding to my perplexed state.
It’s Hayden’s turn to furrow his brows.“I wasn’t aware you and Penelope were friends.”
I adore Callan’s older brother.In so many ways, he and I are alike.I mean, we both went into law for one.But besides that, we’re fastidious about our attention to detail and I value that trait in another person.
When Hayden asked me to come and work in his law firm, I jumped at the chance.Not only is it one of the most successful firms in the country, but I also like the culture of genuine care for clients he’s created and the vision he has for his company.I had no idea my job would turn into crisis management, or that I would love doing this work so much, and I’m so grateful to him for giving me the freedom to build this arm of the firm.
I shake my head.“We are definitely not friends.I just ran into her this morning.”I push past all the weird thoughts and feelings swirling through me and bring the conversation back to work.“Mace is coming in today?”
“He’ll be here in an hour.Can you fit him in?”
Hayden knows I will but I like that he never assumes anything.“Yes.”
“Thanks, Liv.I owe you for taking these guys on.”
“You don’t.It’s my job, Hayden.”
“Yeah, but lumping you with Slade at the last minute on Saturday was a lot on top of everything else you’re working on, and now this.I appreciate you adding extra to your plate.”
After he leaves, I finish up what I was working on and am about to start researching Mace Hawkins when I receive a text from Blair.
Blair
