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When he returned, he held a checkbook and a fountain pen. Sitting beside me on the end of the bed, he uncapped the pen and started writing. “When I launched Auto Watch in 1989, I did it with a loan of two-hundred and fifty-thousand pounds. My father was the sole investor. Now, I can’t be an investor. It would be a conflict of interest. But I can write you a check…”
My eyes widened, and I slowly dragged the cool cloth from my forehead.
“…From my personal…account.” He finished his signature with a flourish and tore the check free. “That’s not an investment. It’s not a loan. I’m giving you the capitol to start up, but I have no other connection to it.”
I took the crisp slip of paper from him. Half a million dollars.
“It’s a modest budget, but if I could do it with two hundred and fifty thousand, you can get by.”
“Do what?” I had no idea what was going on. For a split second, I wondered if he’d just written me a check to get out of an argument. “What are you talking about?”
“You said you abandoned your career. That’s not true. You were fired, and things were in the air for you. But that doesn’t mean you’ve left your passion behind you entirely.” He nodded at the note in my hand. “If you can’t get a job at a magazine, then get a magazine.”
“You mean…”
He blinked slowly, the hint of smile curling the edges of his mouth. “I mean, start your own magazine.”
For a weird moment, I saw myself doing just that. Sitting behind a big desk, making people get my coffee and generally terrorizing the masses. But then I remembered something crucial: “I have no idea how to start a magazine.”
“Oh, really? That’s a shame,” he bluffed smoothly. “If only there were someone you could go to for advice…”
“Oh, so you’re going to do the same thing you fired me and Deja for? You’re going to supply information to a rival company?” I pushed the check back at him.
He wouldn’t take it. “I said I would give you advice. I’m not going to talk to you about Porteras business. If you need me to give you advice, I’m here for you. But I’m not going to damage my own interests doing so.”
Neil said nothing as I laid the check between us. Then his gaze flicked up to my face and he said, “The choice is up to you. But if you were unable to have your dream job at Porteras, please consider building a new dream for yourself. I will be there for you every step of the way, if you want me there. I won’t walk away from you, Sophie. I’ve waited too damn long to be with you, and we’ve gone through too much together.”
I looked at the dollar signs and zeroes lying on the bed. “This isn’t your way of buying me out of my sadness?”
“No, Sophie, it isn’t. It’s me telling you that it’s all right to use our money for a fresh start.”
“If I take it… I’m just doing what Holli accused me of doing.” I remembered the way I’d bought a fucking hundred-thousand dollar purse right in front of her, like it was nothing. I was so ashamed. I hadn’t even told Neil about it yet.
I ripped up the check.
He grinned at me. “I had a feeling you would do that.”
“Well, one of these days, I’m going to surprise you. I’m not sure how yet, but I will.”
He put an arm around me and hugged me close. “Of that, darling, I have no doubt.”
* * * *
Two nights later, Neil came home from the office and started shouting for me from the front door. I’d been in the library filling out an interview for a blog—I’d naively assumed interviews were conducted over the phone—about my upcoming book. I shot to my feet; Neil rarely yelled if we weren’t in the middle of a heated argument, and I didn’t remember starting one today. Had something bad happened? I was absolutely sure I couldn’t take any more stress this week.
I dashed into the foyer, and he dropped his black leather messenger bag to catch me up in his arms and spin me around.
“Whoa!” I giggled, dizzy, and put my hands on his shoulders to slightly disentangle myself. “What’s gotten into you?”
“They accepted the offer. It’s ours.”
It took me a moment, but the wide grin on his face and the gleam of joy in his eyes clued me in. “The house?”
“Five million less than the asking price, and we can take possession at closing.” He leaned down for a kiss, and I obliged him, but his words stopped me.
“Wait, possession at closing… When will that be?” I was going to be very quickly plunged into a whirlwind of publicity for my book. It would be masochistic to try and manage a big move at the same time.
“I have to withdraw from one of my investment accounts to cover the purchase. I don’t have that type of money lying about easily accessible. It should take between ten and fourteen days for the transfer to clear, and then we’ll sign.”
