by M J Rutter
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“Sorry?” I queried.
“About how I reacted to taking money from you, but I would rather go without than take money from a girl I am dating.”
“Are we dating?” I asked with a smile.
“Well, I guess we are.” He answered cautiously. “What would you call it?”
“A heck of a lot more than dating,” I beamed and squeezed his hand.
He grinned, “Okay, so, I will be thinking about our ‘heck of a lot more than dating’ all day.”
“So, will I.” I nodded. I leaned towards him as we approached his floor, “Meet me for lunch?”
“I’ll come to your office,” he affirmed and kissed me softly. “Have a good day.”
“And you.” I smiled as he let my hand go and the lift doors opened. I should have told him he now had red lipstick on his mouth, “Cain,” I called out. “You, um…” I pointed to my lips. He smiled and rubbed his fingers over his mouth, wiping it off.
“Thank you.” He muttered and turned around. The lift doors closed and I sighed again, a happy sigh though, I was happy and it felt incredible.
“Morning, Kate,” I announced as I glided past her desk. I certainly felt like I was walking on air that morning.
“Morning,” she said after me.
I closed my office door and walked over to the window. The city looked alive, lit up by the bright sunshine reflecting off the high-rise windows. Everything looked brighter to me, as if the dull and lifeless fog I had lived in for so long had lifted.
“Miss Lindon?” Kate said from behind, I spun around. “Sorry to bother you, but your nine o’clock is here.”
“Did you just call me Miss Lindon?” I asked, stunned.
“Well, you pointed out yesterday that I am only your assistant…,” she explained.
“I didn’t mean…. Look, I am sorry, okay? I felt you were pressing for personal information and you know I hate talking about my feelings.” I explained.
“I know. I am sorry. I just thought that we had become close friends, I crossed the line and I apologize.” She stated amicably. “Shall I show him in?”
“Please do.” I sighed. I had forgotten how stubborn she could be.
My nine o’clock was an author I had known for years, Richard La Craux. A thriller writer with an angry cop as the star in his detective stories that sometimes kept me awake at night. We discussed his new adventure, a spin off with one of the female cops featured in his stories. How he wanted to market the story and if I would speak with the marketing team about research with female police officers. I didn’t mind, but I wondered if he truly wanted to make some research, or if he was scouting for girl cops, he certainly was what they call a player. Either way, I agreed to do all I could for him.
After our meeting and a cup of coffee, he left my office. I finally switched on my computer for the first time that day, I had an email from Mr Cain J Macalister.
“Sorry, Jenna, I am going to have to take a rain check for lunch. I have to work through lunch to prepare for a meeting with the partners tomorrow.”
I emailed back and told him not to worry about it, then I set to work. I had so much to do before the release of the next three novels. I arranged a few interviews for one of the authors, discussed cover models for another and was asked to attend a photoshoot, there had been a problem.
Leaving the office, just before one, I headed across the city to Buckman Studios. A photographer we used a lot, worked her butt off for us and that is where we had set up the Historical Romance shoot. I didn’t know what the problem was, but as I entered, there was a lot of shouting and screaming.
Stevie, our stunning, red-haired model, came marching towards me almost breathing fire.
“I am never working with him again.” She ranted.
“Who?” I frowned. She looked amazing in her saloon girl dress with the laces open exposing her curvy breasts.
“George, he’s a dick, I swear to God!”
“Want me to talk to him again?”
“No, I want you to find a new cover model, one that doesn’t stink of stale whiskey and cigarettes.” She retorted angrily.
I looked over at the gorgeous George and he gave a lop-sided grin with a shrug of his bare, broad shoulders. “Okay, you go and take a break, I’ll speak with Andre.” I said and left her by the door.
“Sorry,” Andre, the make-up artist smiled apologetically.
“What happened this time?”
“George is hungover and basically told Stevie that even if he wasn’t gay, she’d still never be his type.”
“Remind me, why do we use him again?” I sighed.
“He’s gorgeous, he’s versatile and he doesn’t get turned on in our intimate shoots.” He replied.
Blushing slightly, as I realized what he meant, I muttered, “I had better go and talk to him, again,” and walked towards him. His dark hair had grown since the last shoot and he certainly looked like something out of Hollywood with his brown leather jeans and open shirt.
“Before you say anything, she started it today, not me.” He said and lifted his can of coke, taking a long swig.
“Okay, so, she’s refusing to work with you, I need this cover shot today and you are both blaming each other.” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest as he rolled his chocolate, brown eyes. “You know, I hear illustrated covers are in right now.” I turned to walk away.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll go and apologize. For the record though, I am innocent in all of this. I can’t help it if she has the hots for me and I don’t reciprocate.” He then grinned. “All women have the hots for me.” He added.
I scoffed, “Huh! Not this woman.” I flashed my eyes up at Stevie. “I have an idea.” I smiled and turned to Marcus, the prop guy. “Got any rope?” I asked.
I watched as Brenna shot pictures of Stevie and George, we tried some with him lassoed, some with him coiled in the rope and Stevie holding him close to her body. She seemed to like the pose where he was lying on the floor and she pinned him there with her foot. The story featured a bounty hunter and a salon girl, she was feisty and took no crap, this pose seemed to fit the story, but it would be up to the author to make the final choice.
I grabbed a sandwich at the deli across from the office before heading back in. I climbed into the elevator as Lander walked towards me. I held the doors open for him. He smiled as he climbed into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor.
“Thank you.” He said.
“Sure.” I smiled.
“Cain is doing okay, you know, if you were interested.”
“Great.” I swallowed.
“How long have you two been together?” he then asked.
“Not long.” I answered and pursed my lips.
“He’s a little young for you though, right?”
“It’s not an issue.” I stated.
“Never had you down as a cougar, Jenna.”
“Well, it surprised me too.” I responded. “How is Annie doing, can’t be long ‘til the baby arrives now?”
“Six weeks to go.” He replied. “She’s huge, but as beautiful as ever.”
“I don’t doubt that she is.” The lift stopped, and the doors opened. “Can you ask Cain to stop by my office when he finishes, we’re traveling home together?”
“I will.” He promised and stepped out of the lift. Something in his tone un-nerved me. I couldn’t help but worry if he was going to make things awkward with Cain.
I hurried to my office and closed the door behind me. I just wanted five seconds to myself. I sat at my desk and opened my sandwich. I was just about to take a bite when my door flew open. Cain frowned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Did you tell Lander about us?” he asked.
“He asked, I assumed you had, why?”
“He has just said that he doesn’t think I am right for the team after all, he will let me know in the morning, so I am guessing he is pissed at u
s being together and because of that, he is threatening to fire me.”
“Is he now?” I stood from my desk. “Wait here.”
“Jenna, don’t, he’ll just use it against me.” He frowned.
“Where does he think you are now?” I asked.
“Getting coffee from across the street. As soon as he saw us arrive together, he changed and has been on my back all day.” He explained. “I thought it was going great.”
“You go and get their coffee, I have a call to make.”
“If it’s going to cause us problems, I’d rather quit.”
“Cain, it will be fine, just get the coffee and I will make a call.”
“Not to Lander?”
“No, to his father.” I replied. “Don’t worry about it.” I assured him.
He left my office slightly calmer than when he arrived. I was furious though, I was going to Reginald to get it sorted out. After all, this particular legal team was only with us because Lander was his son and I had been with the company longer.
“Come in,” Mr Dalton, who had asked me to come to his office, announced after I gently knocked on his door. I opened the door, he was sat behind his desk reading some documents, he glanced up from the papers and peeped with his light, blue eyes over the rim of his silver eye-glasses. “Ms Lindon,” he smiled. His silver hair had grown since I last saw him. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“And you.” I replied.
“Please take a seat.” He said. I approached the chair, “I hear our models were fighting at Buckman again.”
“They were, but it gave me an idea for a new angle and the pictures look fantastic on screen.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He said as I sat. “So, what brings you to my office?”
“Your son,” I answered. His eyes widened as I explained the situation with Cain. “I didn’t think our one date would have caused this.”
“No,” he frowned.
“I realize that asking him to see what he could find out about what happened to Cain was a huge favor to ask, I didn’t expect him to offer Cain a job and for that I am grateful. Cain has been through a lot recently and I thought that Lander and I were friends enough to move on from what did or didn’t happen between us.”
“I agree. I take it that you and this Cain are in a relationship?” he queried.
I couldn’t help but smile, “It’s early days, but…” I began.
“You like him, he has put a spark into your eyes.” He grinned. “Well, I hired Cain, not Lander, so I’ll be doing the firing if it comes to that. Please assure Cain he has nothing to worry about. I’ll be reminding Lander of his duties to the company and that he had better start acting like the conscientious, professional lawyer I hired, this isn’t high school.” He stated.
“Thank you.” I smiled and stood from his desk.
“In fact, I may have an opening on this floor Cain could fill, just in case my son wants to make things difficult for him to stay. Perhaps I can make it look like a natural progression for him, so that it doesn’t cause ill feelings with Lander.”
“That would be fantastic.” I beamed. “Thank you.”
“I’ll not let on to my son we have spoken regarding this.” I smiled, relieved. “Cain is a lucky man, Ms Lindon.” He added.
“No, sir. I am the lucky one.” I declared and left his office.
When I got back to my office, Kate stood and greeted me,
“Jenna, I mean, Miss Lindon… Lander Dalton is looking for you.”
“Kate?” I frowned.
“Yes.”
“Cut the Miss Lindon crap, okay?”
“Okay.” She agreed.
I then asked, “Where did he go?”
“Back to his office, I think.”
“I’ll try him on his phone.” I said and left her at her desk.
I dialled his number, “Lander Dalton.” He said.
“You wanted to see me.” I replied.
“Yes, any idea where your boyfriend is?” he asked.
“No, I thought he was meant to be working with you.” I queried.
“I sent him for coffee, he hasn’t got back yet.” My heart filled with pain. “Do you have his cell number?”
“I’ll find him.” I stated, hung up the phone and lifted my bag.
I hurried down to the high street in the hope of seeing him somewhere, but he was nowhere. I pulled my cell out and tried his number. After the third attempt of calling him,
“Hello?” he sighed.
“Where are you?”
“In the line at the coffee shop, there’s a new girl apparently and she has got a bit behind.” He explained.
“Lander came to my office looking for you.” I explained.
“Great, so I am already going to get fired and now this…”
“I’ll come and find you, okay?” I said and hurried across the street.
I found him standing in line, just as he said and decided I should trust him a little more, a lot more. I smiled as I stood beside him and pushed my hand into his.
“What did he say?” he asked.
“Well, you won’t be working for Lander anymore.” I replied.
“I knew it, family is family…”
I smiled as I told him the good news, “You’re going up to the top floor to work for Mr Dalton Sr, it might not be law, but it’s the top floor and well, it’s away from that idiot.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am, Lander will be in his office right now being told that his father has had a re-think and that your services would be of better use on his floor. They deal with corporate stuff, meetings, contracts, that sort of thing.”
He stepped up to the counter, put in the order and turned to me. “You are so incredible.” He said pushing a loose curl over my ear, “What did I do to deserve someone like you? Thank you, Jenna.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled again.
Eleven
He waited for me in the foyer, he looked tired, but also happy and I hoped his afternoon was better than his morning. As we sat together on the train home, I rested my head on his shoulder as he took my hand in his. He talked about his talk with Reg Dalton and how he would need to report to him first thing in the morning.
“Shall we order in tonight?” I asked.
“Why order in when there is a refrigerator full of food in your kitchen?” he said.
“Well, I know I am tired and you look exhausted, I thought it would be a night off from the stove and then we could get an early night.”
“I like the sound of an early night, but I won’t let you waste your money. I can cook us an omelette or a stir-fry, we don’t have to order it, wait for it and still have dishes to do.”
“You look tired though.” I frowned.
“I am, but I love cooking for you.” He grinned and pecked my forehead.
“I love you cooking for me.” I admitted. “So, a quick dinner and then bed.”
“It’s a date.” He agreed.
I sorted through my mail while he cooked us a stir-fry with pork and vegetables. It smelled delicious and as he served two plates not twenty or so minutes after we arrived home, my stomach growled. I never got to eat my sandwich I bought for lunch, so I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
I sat opposite him at the table as he got another text. I didn’t want to pry, it had troubled him again, but I felt if he wanted me to know, he would tell me. The hot, crispy vegetables with the salty pork danced on my tongue, I was that hungry. I sipped my water as he silently moved his food around his plate.
“Cain,” I asked. “Is everything okay?”
“My grandfather keeps texting me to call him.” He muttered.
“As in Jake’s dad?” I checked.
“Yes,” he sighed. “He probably wants to have another go at me.”
“Oh really?” I frowned. “But, it could be important, maybe you should call, if he starts, you can always hang up the phone.” He stared at me, “Or not.” I shrugged.
>
“What if he asks where I am?”
“Tell him you are with your new woman.” I smiled. He just stared. “Unless you don’t want your family to know about us.”
“Is there an ‘us’?” he pressed. It was my turn to stare now. “I mean, I know how I feel, you said you care about me and I believe you, but is it right to say we’re an item?”
“An item? So, you want a label for us, is that it?” I placed my fork down and pushed my plate away.
“No, of course not.”
“Is it because I am older then, or maybe because I am your dad’s ex?”
“Jenna, it is nothing to do with that.” He protested.
“Then please, enlighten me as to what this is because I am confused.” I demanded.
“Yesterday we fought, last night we slept together, and this morning was, wow. Look, I just didn’t want to be too forward and presume we’re something yet.” He explained.
“Are we just friends?” I asked. “Lovers or are you just here for what you can get, you know, jump my bones and then…” Hot tears pierced my eyes.
“See, this is what happens with my old man’s family and why I don’t have anything to do with them.” He snapped and left the table.
I sat there and stared at the plates as he hurried up the stairs. Had I over reacted? I mean, did it really matter what he thought we were? For a moment, I was happy just being with him, but now I wanted to know what we were to each other. I fought my tears back and went up to him. He was sat on the floor of the hall outside of my room, his knees bent to his chest and his elbows were resting on top of them. His hands were shaking, and his head was resting back against the wall as he glared up at the ceiling.
Gingerly, I sat beside him. He sighed loudly and looked at me,
“If I tell him about you, they will tell my dad and I just know the second he finds out, he will come here and all hell will break loose.”
