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Ben buzzes his assistant. “Can you please ask Constance Carson to come to my office? I have a few things I need to discuss with her.”
“Of course, Mr. Cowdery.”
As we wait, Ben flicks through the papers approvingly. “It looks like you have everything together. You’re sure you’re ready?”
“Yes. I’m sure. It just doesn’t seem appropriate…”
He smiles tightly, looking both tired and understanding. “It wouldn’t, you’re right. I just want to make sure you’re not going to regret passing up on certain work, once you have a wider array of responsibilities.”
Before I can respond, Constance steps into the room. It’s clear she wasn’t expecting me, but her caught-off-guard expression changes to one of suspicion. She smiles at Ben, who spared her after Vanessa’s report to Quinn. As far as I know, there’s been talk of Constance being on probation, but she’d be the last to admit it.
“Mrs. Carson, please sit down.”
Constance lowers herself into a chair, smiling delightedly at me. She really thinks she’s something, I’ll give her that. I smile back, wondering if she has any idea what’s about to happen.
“Mrs. Carson, you may be aware that Miss Morrison is in a relationship with one of our clients.”
“Yes,” Constance is quick to chime in. “I thought that might be the case. I should have mentioned something sooner, given our company’s policies—”
“Oh, that’s fine, but thank you for your diligence, Constance. Blair has notified me and HR. We’re aware of the situation.”
There are triumphant sparks in her eyes and she practically leans forward in the chair. She thinks I’m about to get punished. I fight back a smile.
“I asked you in here because we’ll need someone to take over the Weaver accounts. Now that Blair is engaged to Nicholas Weaver.”
Her face drops. She looks totally stunned, staring at Ben, and then at me, in disbelief.
“I—I’m sorry, what?”
“I’ve been keeping it quiet,” I explain sweetly, a hand over my belly—the hand with the ring on it. “You know, it just wouldn’t be appropriate for me to work on my husband’s account. And with the baby coming, I was hoping you could do me a favor and find a way to work this into your caseload.”
The smile I give her is sickly sweet, a taunt, a reminder of every single crappy thing she’s done to me. Constance looks outraged, disbelieving. And I can understand why. I’ve just snagged the city’s most eligible bachelor, after all.
“And then there’s the problem of her promotion to firm partner, which will keep her busy once she’s back from maternity leave. So, I’m sure you won’t have a problem finding the time,” Ben chimes in, but it sounds more like a warning than a recommendation. “Blair, you have to…?”
“Yes,” I say, standing. “I have to get going. We’re looking at venues today and I don’t want to keep him waiting too long.”
A nod. “Give Nick my best. And tell him I said congratulations.”
Walking out of the building feels like walking through a sheet of flames that can’t touch me. I’m grinning when I step through the door, eyes finding him immediately. Nick is leaning against the car, Lee waiting patiently inside.
As soon as he sees me he returns the grin and starts toward me. With a spin, and a slight lift he lays a kiss on my lips. I lean in, wanting to press myself much closer, but we’re in a very public area.
“How did it go?” Nick asks, pulling back. His fingers toy with the stunning diamond engagement ring on my finger, spinning and tugging it.
“Good. Great, I think. Constance seemed surprised, to say the least.”
We share a secret smile. This feels like the perfect final dig.
“Ben says congratulations, by the way.”
Nick nods. “I like him. He seems like a good man.”
“He is. And he likes you.” Who knows, maybe we’ll invite Ben and his wife over for dinner someday soon.
“You know,” Nick teases, tugging me toward the open door of the SUV, “I’m still a little surprised you said yes.”
“Really?” I slip in past him, not wanting to let go of his hand yet. Not now that he’s mine. “I knew I was going to say yes the moment we got past all the obstacles in our way.”
