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“She actually doesn’t like that word. Boyfriend, that is. She’s not into labels,” Heath says. “And shouldn’t I be at this meeting?”
She looks him up and down. He’s wearing sweats and a T-shirt that claims he is a code ninja. “No.”
He nods and reaches out to take Lady Buttercup. “All righty, then. I’ll stay here and hold down the fort.”
Ria is already moving in to pet the Maltese, while Ye Joon looks like he’s just trying to stay out of the way.
I grab my bag and start to follow CeCe out. “You know I’m not dressed much better than Heath.”
I had on jeans and a sweater, Vans on my feet.
She’s moving toward the elevator. Again, no idea how she managed to get up without buzzing in. Lydia’s place has an actual doorman, and apparently CeCe had gotten past him. I often think she could have made an excellent spy. Not the stay undercover kind. She would have been a female version of Bond, walking boldly into every European casino and announcing her full name and taking down the bad guys, but only after she’d slept with them a couple of times.
The elevator doors magically open as she nears them. A man steps out and then scurries away as though he knows a predator is near. I have to hustle to catch up. Naturally she leaves it to me to push the button for the ground floor.
“At least your sweater isn’t covered in sarcastic sayings,” she says, glancing down at her watch. “Also, I want to talk to you away from him.”
That doesn’t sound good. “Anything you can…”
Her lips form a flat line. “Do not complete that sentence. I knew you would likely end up enjoying that young man, but I need the illusion that you’re not making a foolish mistake with him.”
I turn and face the elevator doors. “I’m not making a mistake at all. We’re nothing more than friendly business associates who enjoy a physical connection.”
That is starting to sound dumb to my ears. I’ve said it over and over the last couple of weeks, trying to make it feel more real to me.
“I think that you might want to keep it that way.”
I’m really nervous now. “What can you not say around Heath?”
“I’m not sure,” she hedges as the doors open and we enter the lobby. “Benjamin said he’s heard something he’d like to talk to us about, and I’m worried it’s specifically about you.”
That makes my gut tighten. “But he didn’t want to do a conference call?”
“You know how he enjoys a good luncheon,” she says as the doorman holds the door open for her.
“Ms. Foust,” he says with a nod.
I would be shocked if the man knew my name and I’ve been coming in most days for the last several weeks.
“But today is ziti,” I argue because sometimes CeCe’s version of luncheon is very froufrou and involves things like microgreens infused with the essence of steak. You know what’s better than the essence of steak? Steak.
“You know pasta makes you bloat, and then the reporters will all wonder if you’re pregnant and you’ll be right back in People again.” CeCe moves out into the sunlight but only for a moment because somehow her driver is right in front of the building, holding the door open at precisely the right time. She moves in effortlessly, and I’m left scrambling to not get hit by a car as I stumble in via the other side.
“You’re in a mood today. You don’t usually body shame unless it’s something really bad.” I’ve barely gotten my seatbelt on when the driver takes off.
He moves the old-school Rolls-Royce through the streets like the expert he is. Thomas is the only member of CeCe’s staff who’s roughly her and Benjamin’s age. Not that he’s not attractive. He’s former British SAS, and has served as her bodyguard as well. He deeply enjoys cutting off taxis and Ubers. Sometimes I think CeCe instructs him to Fast and Furious a drive just so she can get a jolt of adrenaline.
I prepare myself to die. It might be good since apparently I’m going to be given shitty news over lunch that won’t be ziti piled high with sausage and cheese.
“I have other things to talk to you about. Things I don’t like to talk about.”
Damn. CeCe isn’t afraid to talk about anything. She gave me a sex ed talk when I was in college that I to this day still cringe about. So this is bad. “You want to pull out of the project?”
The thought panics me utterly. What will we do? She really is paying for the lawyers I can’t afford. Will I still be able to file for the patents? I can try to find funding outside of the normal investors.
What will I do if I let Heath down?
