by Ella Jade
He admired her long, tanned legs for a moment before returning his gaze to her wide, charcoal eyes. He noted how dark they were, recalling how he couldn’t see her pupils last night when they were face to face in line at the register. She’d looked more together than she had the evening before. Her hair was shiny and blown out straight, and her makeup was subtle but flawless. She was fabulous. He hadn’t thought that about another woman since... Mona.
“Please come in.” He got up from his desk and came around to greet her. “I only asked your age because it feels silly for you to call me Mr. Callahan.”
“Most people around here do.” She stepped inside his office just beyond the door. “You’re the boss.”
“So I’m told.” He leaned against his desk, inhaling her fresh, floral scent. “What brings you up here?”
“I’m about to start my shift but I wanted to give you this.” She held out an envelope. “For last night.”
“Keep it.”
“No.”
“Didn’t you just say I was the boss?”
“Ah, yeah but...” The flush in her cheeks stirred something inside him. Her awkward demeanor intrigued him.
“I’m teasing.”
“So you’ll take it?”
“No.” Did she really think he wanted the twenty-seven dollars?
“But?”
“I have a better idea.” He was about to overstep but it couldn’t be helped. He’d been working so hard lately and he needed an outlet even if just for an hour. “We can have lunch together instead.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you eat?”
“Yeah I do, but why do you want to have lunch with me?”
“Don’t you want to have lunch with me?”
“I...” She let out a breath. “You’re teasing me again.”
“A little but I would like to have lunch with you.” He wasn’t sure why. He would admit she was striking but it was more than that. He liked her smile. The light in her eyes when she looked at him. “What time is your lunch break?”
“Noon.”
“I’ll be in the lobby at noon.”
“You don’t usually leave the building for lunch.”
“Do you keep tabs on me?”
“No, it’s just that, well, it’s my job to know if you’re in the building and I notice you don’t leave much during business hours.”
“I can make an exception.” Maybe that was how he’d missed such a spectacular woman. He’d been locked in his office, reading contracts and answering emails. He didn’t make it through the lobby during normal business hours and most days he used Brody’s private entrance if he wanted to get a few minutes of fresh air.
“Okay.” She nodded as she reluctantly agreed. “I’ll have lunch with you.”
“Justine!” A slender woman dressed in a tight, designer gray dress bellowed from Gavin’s doorway.
Who the hell is she? Gavin had seen her around but Brody did a better job dealing with the staff. Right now Gavin wasn’t pleased she’d interrupted his conversation. It irked him that she stood outside his office acting as if she had some authority.
Justine closed her eyes as an unpleasant expression crossed her face. Her displeasure bothered him.
“What are you doing up here?” the intimidating woman asked. “You know that’s against the rules.”
“My shift doesn’t start for another ten minutes.” Justine turned around. “But I was just leaving.”
“I didn’t ask for commentary. I apologize for the intrusion, Mr. Callahan.”
He didn’t care for the way this woman glared at Justine.
“She has no business in here because she works in the lobby. She should know better. She has been here for almost three months but her probationary period isn’t over.”
That was meant to be a threat.
“I’m going.” Justine moved toward the door. “Thanks again, Mr. Callahan.”
“You’ll have to explain what you’re doing up here,” the woman said. “I’ll deal with you in a few minutes.”
“I asked her up here,” Gavin interjected. “There’s no issue at all, Ms...?”
“Jackie.” She extended her hand. “Flint.”
“Justine,” he said. “I’ll see you later.” He needed a few minutes alone with Ms. Flint.
“Have a good morning.” Justine put her head down and made her way into the hall.
“Ms. Flint.” Gavin sat at his desk. “May I have a word with you?”
“Of course.”
“Close the door.” Clasping his hands, he rested them on the desk. “What is your title here?”
“Director of Staff Operations. I handle most of the staff in the building.” She nodded as she looked around his office. “Making sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be. That sort of thing. Again, I apologize for Justine. She’ll be reprimanded.”
“I believe I already said that wouldn’t be necessary.” He cleared his throat. “She’s done nothing wrong. She’s not even on the clock.”
“I know, Gavin, but we can’t have employees not following the rules.”
“Do you speak to all the employees the way you just did to her?” He wondered how Brody had hired her. “My father had a philosophy. He was extremely kind to his staff. All of them from the CEO to housekeeping.” Gavin may not have always followed in his dad’s footsteps but he was learning how to treat people.
“Why don’t you let me handle the employees? It is my job, after all.”
“Do you refer to my brother by his first name?” If she was going to challenge him, he would show her who was in charge.
“No, but he’s my boss. He’s the CEO.”
“In case you missed the memo, Ms. Flint, I own half this company.” He leaned back in his chair, waiting for her useless comment.
“Mr. Callahan, I meant no disrespect.”
“Just try to be a little less abrupt with the staff.” He averted his attention to his laptop. “That’ll be all.”
She left his office without another word. There was something about her he didn’t like. He’d have to assess the situation by keeping an eye on her. Maybe it was the way she spoke to Justine that he didn’t care for. He wouldn’t have any of Callahan Industries employees being bullied. His father wouldn’t have wanted it that way.
***
A few hours later, Justine found herself eating lunch with Gavin Callahan. She wasn’t sure how or why that had happened. Only that it did and now she was trying not to appear like a nervous fool as they made small talk while they waited for their meals to arrive.
“It’s quaint here.” She gazed around the cozy cafe, admiring the blazing fireplace and the large windows that overlooked the marina. “I’ve passed it a few times but I’ve never been inside.”
“I usually don’t dine in.” He refilled both their glasses from the pitcher of water the server had left for them. “I’ve taken to eating at my desk.”
“You and your brother seem very driven. When either of you come through the lobby you’re a blur.” She smiled. “Although I don’t see either of you often.”
“We start early and leave late.”
“Claudia will stop to say hello but I haven’t seen her or her adorable little one lately.”
“You know Claudia?”
“Not formally but she always says something kind when she comes into the office. She’s been working from home a lot. Sometimes I have to forward her calls there if they make it to the lobby.”
“Well, with Jason, it’s easier.”
“I haven’t seen her much since you came to Manhattan. She seemed to work more from the office a few months ago.”
“Really?” He shrugged his shoulders, looking a bit disinterested. “Do you like working for Callahan Industries?”
“It’s great.” She placed her napkin on her lap when she smelled an enticing aroma coming from the kitchen. Her appetite had increased in the last couple of days. If she wasn’t nauseous she was hungry. Weird.
“I met so many nice people.”
“Including Jackie?”
“Well.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say she likes being the boss.”
“I got that impression too.”
“I try not to let her bother me. I just do my job.”
“The company is lucky to have you.”
There was an easiness about him. She’d only been in Brody’s presence a few times but he was all business unless he was with his wife. Claudia had a way of bringing out a softer side of him. Gavin wasn’t as intense as his brother. He appeared more laid back. More approachable.
“You don’t know me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, enjoying the attention he paid to her. She probably shouldn’t have accepted his invitation to lunch, but she’d been down lately, and having a new friend might be a pleasant surprise. “How do you know I’m an asset?”
“I can tell.” When he relaxed his masculine jaw, that cute dimple made an appearance. Gorgeous green eyes, sexy, messy hair, expensive suit, and a deep, smooth voice that sent a shiver along her spine. The women this man must intoxicate.
“You’re very sweet.” Was it okay to tell the owner of the company she worked for that he was sweet? Was this some kind of conflict of interest? She hadn’t done anything wrong. He asked her to eat with him. Right? It was probably just a one-time thing. Even if it wasn’t, she would have to make it a solo performance. What would he want with a pregnant woman?
“Am I?” When he laughed she couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t been this relaxed in days. There was something about him that made her forget the mess she was in.
“I hope I’m not being inappropriate,” she said.
“I’m not very appropriate most of the time.”
“There’s a story behind those magnificent green eyes, isn’t there?” A little harmless flirting wouldn’t hurt. Would it?
“Nothing worth telling.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“I’m Gavin Callahan. My family is ridiculously rich. My father left the whole company to my half-brother Brody.” He appeared sullen almost as if he didn’t want to tell her these things. “I was resentful and acted out trying to get my way. My mother sided with my brother and they sent me to Boston to learn the family business. I pulled myself together, learned all I could in the past two years, and when I came back, Brody was finally satisfied that I could be his partner. I’m trying my best not to revert to my old ways and screw this opportunity up.”
“That’s why you work so hard.”
“Well, that and we are extremely busy. Brody was right, I wasn’t ready before but now I know I can do this.”
“That I believe.” She smiled at his determination. She admired his confidence. He was the total opposite of Carter. Gavin was a real man. One who would never abandon his child, she thought as she lost herself in the idea of him. Stop it! You’ve known him all of five minutes and you’ve decided he was an upstanding man with an impeccable character?
“That’s very kind of you to say.” He draped his napkin over his lap. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You’re relatively new to Callahan Industries. Do you live in the city?”
“I live in Brooklyn but I love the city. I graduated last year but finding a job has been slow going. I applied for the lobby position a few months ago. My dad, who I live with, used to work for your company when I was younger. It seemed familiar to me.”
“He worked for my father?”
“Yes, so he was excited to see me carry on the family tradition.” Her job wasn’t what she had originally set out to do, but the benefits were fantastic and she couldn’t complain about the paycheck. The only downfall was her boss, but she’d tolerate Jackie especially now that she really needed this job.
“Does your mother live with you too?”
“No, she lives in Florida with her husband. She moved there when I was twelve. I haven’t seen her much in the last ten years. Neither of my parents could afford to fly me to see her on a regular basis and once I graduated from high school and started college I didn’t really make visiting her a priority.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“She left.” She didn’t like to talk about her mother. There was no ill-will between them but they really didn’t have a relationship. “We talk a few times a month but she doesn’t ever come back to New York either. My dad has a big family. I have lots of aunts and cousins, so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.”
“Family can sometimes be complicated.” When he gazed over her shoulder there was a distance in his eyes that made her wonder what weighed so heavily on his mind. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving.”
As the waiter placed the plates in front of them, the fragrance of his cheeseburger mixed with the scent of her Cobb salad. Whoa! Pregnancy had heightened her sense of smell and not in a good way. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her gag reflex. It wasn’t working.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You don’t look well.”
She shook her head as she placed her hand over her mouth. Darting from the table, she made her way to the restroom. Breathing in and out for a few seconds she steadied herself against the sink. Of all the moment’s her body could have picked to act pregnant.
Now what should she do? She could say she got the stomach flu. Gross! He’d think she was contagious. Maybe she could tell him the truth. She wasn’t that far along but she couldn’t keep it a secret forever. Did it really make a difference if she told him? It wasn’t as if they were on a date or anything. Although it would be cool to have a man like Gavin take an interest in her. He was educated, charismatic, handsome, and driven. What woman wouldn’t want to be seen with him? It didn’t matter. She was not the woman for him.
A light tap on the door interrupted her thought process.
“Justine,” Gavin called. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes.” She splashed some cold water on her face and quickly dried it with a paper towel before checking herself in the mirror. She smoothed out her hair and pinched her cheeks so she didn’t appear pale. “I’m coming.” When she exited the bathroom, she found Gavin leaning against the wall. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” He clasped her hand and led her back to the table, pulling out her chair, he guided her to sit. “Are you feeling better?”
“My stomach’s upset.” She gazed down at her salad. “I’m going to get that to go. I’ll have it for dinner.” She pointed to his burger. “Please eat.”
He motioned toward the waiter. “Have some water,” he instructed her. “Take a few deep breaths.” There was a take-charge-attitude in his tone, but there was also something comforting about him.
“Is everything okay, Mr. Callahan?” The server anxiously approached them.
“We’re going to have the salad boxed and could you please bring my friend some crackers and ginger ale?”
“Of course.” He took her salad away from the table. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sorry to cause such a commotion.” She drank her water. “You’re probably wishing you ate lunch alone.”
“I’m enjoying the company.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks heated and she hoped it was because she was flattered by his attention and not because she was going to vomit.
“Maybe you’re coming down with something? Perhaps you should take a half day.”
“That’s not necessary.” She had no right to be so taken with him. “I’m not sick.”
“Glad to hear it.”
The waiter set a fizzy glass of ginger ale in front of her and a plate of crackers. The kind her grandmother used to give her when she wasn’t feeling well.
“Thank you.” She nodded at him. “I’m sure this will help.”
“Let me know if there is anything else I can do,” he said.
“Sip that slowly,” Gavin said. “It will settle your stomach.”
“Okay.” She did as he suggeste
d. “You’re very kind.”
“I didn’t do anything.” There was a modesty in his voice.
“That’s not true.” She nibbled on a cracker. “You bailed me out last night, ran interference with Jackie this morning, and now you’re nursing me through lunch.”
“Well, if you put it that way.” When he laughed, her stomach fluttered with the butterflies reserved for a new relationship with someone she really wanted to get to know.
Was that possible? If it was, there was only one way to move forward. She had to be truthful from the beginning. If he wasn’t interested in her after he learned of her situation then at least no one’s feelings would be hurt.
“So, I said I wasn’t sick.” She took a deep breath, deciding to do this in one fast rip. Like taking off a bandage. “I’m not, really. It’s just, that, I’m kind of pregnant.” The words tumbled out of her mouth faster than she realized but it was good to say them out loud.
“Kind of?” He sat back in his chair, the expression on his face was unreadable. She couldn’t tell if he was shocked or put off. “Congratulations?”
“Umm, thanks.” He was the first person to say that to her. “It hasn’t really become a total reality for me yet. I’ve only known for a few weeks.”
“It was unplanned?”
“Oh, yeah, you could say that.” Carson had always used protection. There was no way she planned to have a baby with him. “I was more than shocked.”
“And the, ah...”
“Father?”
“You’re not together?”
“No, we broke up before I found out I was pregnant. It wasn’t meant to be.”
“Does he know?”
She nodded.
“What did he say?”
“Are you really that interested?” She’d just told a practical stranger she was pregnant. Did she really want to share the details of her poor choice in a sperm donor? “He’s not interested in being a father. He doesn’t want to be involved.”
“At all?”
“I know.” She finished her cracker. “Total jerk, right? I mean, who ditches their kid? I can see if he doesn’t want to be with me but a baby? What kind of man does that?”
“People have reasons.” He shrugged, acting as if it was no big deal. “Some men do, I guess.”
