That had both of his friends sitting straighter in their chairs. Jeffrey took a sip of the iced water sitting in front of him. The noise of the restaurant faded into the background as he started to speak.
‘Luc knows the bare basics. I told him I was hurt in a skiing accident. It was a little more than that. I was caught in an avalanche. My girlfriend at the time was wrenched from my grasp and swept away by the snow.’ He paused. He never liked talking about the avalanche. He didn’t need to be reminded how he failed Kelly. But he needed to tell them. They needed to know everything. He tapped the side of his glass and continued. ‘They never found her. In the meantime, a tree and I got very well acquainted. If I’d collided with it a few inches higher I wouldn’t be here with you both today. As it was, I suffered pretty severe injuries. For a while there they didn’t know if I would be able to walk again.’
As he reflexively rubbed his leg, Jeffrey looked at Luc and Nick. He appreciated neither man had a look of sympathy on his face. Instead, shock and a touch of anger was etched on their features. Perhaps sympathy would’ve been better.
‘Shit, Jeff, why didn’t you tell us?’ This came from Nick. Luc sat quietly, drumming his fingers on the table.
‘What was I supposed to do? Ring you and tell you what had happened?’
‘Yes,’ Luc bit the word out. ‘Or you could’ve told me when I finally found out where you were and came to see you. When I came and visited you, how long after the accident was it?’
‘Over a year.’
Luc drummed his fingers a little louder. ‘So the half a dozen times I phoned, thinking you were in Europe, you were actually at your house in Broome?’
‘Yes.’ He’d had his European phone number directed to his Broome home number. For a year the bills had been huge. But he’d wanted to be alone. The cash outlay to get that was totally worth it.
Jeffrey held up his hand as Luc started to speak again. ‘Look, Luc, I know I should’ve told you one of the times you called. But you and Nick were busy with the Morelli Corporation. Neither of you couldn’t have done anything for me anyway. It was something I needed to do. Alone.’
He’d needed to be alone to deal with the possibility of not being able to walk without having an aid of some sort to help. He needed to be alone to work through his rehabilitation and the frustration with the slowness of it all. He needed to be alone to deal with the guilt he’d felt at causing Kelly’s death.
‘What has all this, telling us about your past, got to do with you being here? Now?’ Luc asked curtly. Jeffrey knew he’d let Luc down by keeping so much from him. About the seriousness of his injuries. About him almost losing his life.
‘Because for the first time in years, I’ve realised that living in the shadows is unhealthy. I want to stop and yes, Greta is a big reason for it.’
‘Tell us more.’ This came from Nick.
How much more did he tell them? Did he mention the baby? He’d promised Greta he wouldn’t. But these were his friends. Surely she wouldn’t mind him telling his friends. He could let them know it wasn’t public knowledge and to keep it quiet until they announced it publicly.
He was torn. He wanted to keep his promise to Greta. But these were his best friends. He’d kept so much from them that something this big, this life changing, needed to be shared with them.
‘Greta’s pregnant.’ The moment the words left his mouth, he felt the smile break out. ‘We’re keeping it quiet, so it’s just between us. But I’m going to be a dad. Something I never thought possible.’
‘Congratulations, man. And mum’s the word,’ Nick lightly punched his arm. ‘You’re a fast mover, didn’t you only meet less than a month ago?’
‘Yes, Jeffrey, that is fast,’ Luc tilted his head as he looked at Jeffrey. ‘Very fast. I’m thinking there’s more to the story than you’re telling us. Again.’
It wasn’t anything he didn’t expect from Luc. ‘I met Greta up at Fierro’s a month before we met again, at her presentation in your office.’
‘And you knew who she was when you met her at Fierro’s?’ Nick asked.
‘No. She had no idea who I was and I had no idea who she was. But the attraction was immediate and well, one thing led to another.’
Jeffrey looked away in embarrassment, as if he was sitting in the principal’s office and not at lunch with his friends.
‘You’re a fast mover, Jeff. Didn’t know you had it in you,’ Nick responded with a laugh. ‘So what happened when you saw her in the boardroom at her presentation?’
‘Nothing, you were there.’ Jeffrey turned to look at Luc. ‘Besides, you know what happened. You know she had the best campaign out of all the ones we’d seen.’
‘True. But you were pretty insistent we go with her and not anyone else.’
Part of Jeffrey wished he hadn’t embarked on this conversation. Luc wasn’t going to let it go. He didn’t want Greta to get any backlash from Luc. The unveiling of his collection was only a few weeks away. Everything was pretty much finalised so there wasn’t anything Luc could do now. He hoped, anyway.
‘Luc, Jeff’s right,’ Nick injected into the conversation. ‘You told me yourself how all the other campaigns didn’t hit the mark. Greta’s ideas were innovative and risky. At the time I thought her ideas wouldn’t work; now I know it’s going to be unbelievable and the best thing for the hotel and Jeff’s collection.’
Luc didn’t look convinced. Jeffrey knew he needed to give away another secret. ‘She inspired my collection, Luc. Every piece I made, I pictured Greta wearing it. It’s basically her collection.’
Nick let out a low whistle. ‘Man, after meeting her once. You’re telling us she inspired the best collection you’ve ever created?’
Jeffrey shrugged. ‘Yeah.’
Silence descended over the table as his friends took in all he’d told them. He’d shared things he’d never thought he would.
Luc nodded as if he’d come to a decision. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. It was his collection. If Luc was planning to remove Greta and her agency from the account, then he’d take the whole collection and go back to Broome. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Greta.
‘I’m not going to say I’m pleased that you slept with a representative from the agency in charge of the account,’ Luc paused. ‘But I can’t deny the collection is breathtaking. If Greta is responsible for that, then who am I to argue.’ He lifted his glass of wine and held it out. ‘To you and Greta and your baby. May you find the same happiness that we have found with Jasmine and Pam.’
Jeffrey tapped his glass with his friends’. He hoped word wouldn’t get back to Greta he’d shared their baby news when he’d promised her he wouldn’t. Even though they were in a restaurant, their table was tucked away into a corner. He hadn’t noticed anyone nearby when he spilled the beans. But the sooner they broke the news, the better for everyone.
Greta rubbed her eyes. Tiredness pervaded every inch of her. A small smile played across her lips as she recalled the previous night. Jeff’s surprise visit was wonderful. They seemed closer now than when she’d left Broome. It had been so hard to keep from telling him she loved him. But she didn’t want to scare him off. There was still a part of him she felt he was keeping from her.
After his past experience of being cheated on, she could understand his hesitation in getting involved with her.
As she looked around her office, she pondered how far her life had gone from where it had been over two months ago. At that time she’d been focused on winning the vice president’s role. Proving to her father she had what it took to run the agency.
Now she was pregnant. Involved with a man who had kept himself hidden away for years. He claimed he wanted to step out of the shadows, but would he? If he wouldn’t, was she prepared to give up everything she’d worked her whole life for, for a man who was more comfortable in darkness than in light? Or was she enough for him to take that step? Was he saying he could take the step because she was having his baby?
<
br /> Her door slammed open. She shrieked in surprise and looked up to see her father standing there. Thunder in his eyes.
‘Dad? What’s wrong? What’s happened?’
‘My office, now, Greta Renee.’ He turned on his heel and walked away.
Greta Renee?
Her father only ever called her that when he was extremely angry. A feeling of dread pooled low in her stomach.
He knew. Oh God, he knew she was pregnant.
There was no other reason for his anger.
Pushing back from her desk, she took a couple of deep breaths. Her hand started toward her stomach but she pulled it back. Maybe her father only knew about her involvement with Jeffrey. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he didn’t know about the baby.
She could hope that was all it was, but somehow she knew it wasn’t.
Greta stepped out of her office. The walk down to her father’s office seemed endless. It was only fifty metres at most. The way her father had thundered her name, she expected everyone in the office to be looking over their small partitioned cubicles, watching her. Wondering what was going on. But no, everyone was working and the noise of the phones ringing and fingers clattering on computer keyboards reached out to her ears. Even laughter floated around her. She’d been in a bubble since her father had walked into her office. Now the bubble had burst. Like her life was about to do.
The closer she got to her father’s office, the slower her steps. Movement registered in the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw Graham leaning against his doorframe. He had the office next door to her father. The office that rightfully should’ve been hers.
The slimy smile was back. ‘Someone’s in trouble.’
‘Shut up, Graham.’
‘I’ll look forward to taking over the campaign.’
The numbness that had been her friend since her father demanded her presence was replaced by anger. She welcomed the emotion. Anger would be a good way to deal with everything. ‘In your dreams. Everything is set in stone on the campaign, Graham. You can’t touch it.’
‘That’s what you think.’
He didn’t warrant another response, so she walked the final few feet into her father’s office and closed the door. Whatever the outcome, she knew everything would be all right.
Her fingers lightly touched her belly. Yes, she and her baby would be all right. She would make sure of it.
‘I’m here, Dad. What’s going on?’
‘What the hell are you playing at, Greta? What were you thinking?’ Greta jumped and her heart leaped to her throat as he slammed his fist on his desk. An action way out of character for him. She’d never seen him so angry.
‘What do you mean?’ The words whispered out of her.
‘Did you think you could sleep your way to the top of this industry? I thought I’d taught you better than that. If you weren’t my daughter I’d fire you so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you.’
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could withstand whatever he had to say. Imagining Jeff was standing behind her, silently supporting her, she asked her question again. This time her voice stronger than before. ‘What do you mean, Dad? What are you talking about?’
‘Don’t act like you don’t know anything. I know that not only did you sleep with Jeffrey Courteux while you were up in Broome when you were supposed to be gathering ideas for your initial presentation, you’re now pregnant with his child.’
Greta sank down into a chair. It was worse than she’d thought. ‘Where did you hear this?’
‘From a reliable source who heard it from the man himself. Seemed Mr Courteux was quite happy blabbing about you and him and your exploits in the middle of a restaurant to his friends.’
Tears welled up at the back of her eyes. How could Jeff betray her that way? What did he have to gain by telling everyone? He’d promised he would keep it quiet. He was for them announcing the news together. When she was ready. How could she have ever thought Jeff would keep his word to her? How many times would it take for her to learn that she could never trust the men in her life? They always let her down.
‘Don’t you have anything else to say? Is it true or is it a lie?’ Her dad’s impatience reached out to her like an octopus’s tentacles.
There was no point in delaying telling Dad the truth. She was going to start showing soon.
‘Yes Dad,’ she sighed out. ‘It’s true. But I—’
‘I can’t believe you, Greta. How could you do something so unethical as to sleep with a prospective client to win an account?’
‘But I didn’t do that, Dad. I didn’t even know it was Jeffrey Courteux when I met him in Broome. He told me his name was Jeff Court. I didn’t know anything until I walked into the boardroom at the Morelli Corporation to do my presentation.’
Her father waved his hand in the air. ‘You really expect me to believe that?’
‘Yes, I do. I’m your daughter, of course you should believe me.’
‘Well, then why didn’t you tell me about this when you got the account? And don’t forget Graham asked you flat out if anything was going on between you and Jeffrey. You sat where you are now and denied it.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t think I can trust you at the moment, Greta.’
The words stung. To lose her father’s trust over something Jeff had said in the middle of a restaurant cut deep.
‘Dad, please. I know I was wrong. I should’ve told you when I returned from giving my presentation. But you’ve got to believe me, I won this account fair and square. My presentation was the best.’
‘It doesn’t matter now. I’ve made up my mind.’
There was something about his tone and Greta knew she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say next.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m pulling you from the Morelli account.’
She stood, the chair falling on its back. ‘You can’t do this. Don’t you remember what Luciano said to you if you interfered with the campaign? Don’t you remember him meeting with you after you pushed Graham’s ideas onto him? That was the reason I was in Broome. To try and salvage one of the most important accounts for the agency.’
He waved his hand around, as if swatting away her words. ‘Everything is finalised with the account, isn’t it? You told me that yesterday when you presented everything to me. You assured me all that needed to be done was to sort out the finer details of the ads. I can do that. I don’t need you here.’
‘But Dad, please, you can’t do this to me. I’ve worked so hard on this account.’
‘I don’t care. It’s decided. I think you should take some time off. I don’t want to see you at the gala either.’
Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Jeff had told their secret when he promised he wouldn’t, and now Dad knew. Jeff’s actions had cost her the most important account of her life, and possibly her job. Her whole life was falling apart and it was all Jeffrey Courteux’s fault.
Damn him.
After all the times he’d supported her. Stood up for her with her father. For him to do this to her hurt more than she thought possible. And this man was going to be the father of her child. How had she been so wrong about him?
When she saw him next, he was going to find out just how unpleasant she could make his life.
Gathering what was left of her dignity, she tossed her head in defiance. ‘This is a big mistake, Dad. A big mistake.’
‘No, it’s not. It’s probably for the best. You’re going to be a mother now. Your focus won’t be on your work.’ He shook his head in disbelief. ‘I can’t believe you were silly enough to get yourself pregnant. This is why women are not meant to hold executive positions. Ultimately the urge to be a mother always takes away their sense.’
‘I can’t believe you’re my father. I thought you’d be excited about becoming a grandfather.’
‘Well, you kept telling me your career was everything. You had no time for marriage or babies. That you wanted th
e vice president’s job badly.’
‘I still do and I don’t think me being pregnant or becoming a mum is going to make much of a difference. Look at what I did for this campaign.’
‘Well, it does in my book.’ Her father checked his watch. ‘I have another meeting. I’ve said all I needed to say to you. I don’t want to see you in the office until after the gala event is over. Then and only then we will discuss what your future holds at this agency.’
As he turned his back on her, Greta knew there was nothing more she could say to him. She couldn’t change his mind. Walking toward the door, she paused but didn’t turn around to look at him. ‘Nothing I ever did was good enough, was it, Dad? I’ve been a disappointment from the moment I was born.’
‘Now you’re just being overly dramatic, Greta.’
With her hand on the doorknob she turned to face her father. ‘No, just finally being honest with myself. But I do know one thing. It won’t matter if I have a boy or a girl. My child will know that it’s loved from the moment it’s born.’
Her father scoffed. ‘You’ve gone soft already.’
Wounded once again by his words, Greta realised her father only thought of one person. Himself.
Well, she was done with it all.
‘You know what, Dad, you’re right. There’s nothing more to say. I won’t be back, ever. Give the vice president’s job to your lackey Graham. Watch everything you worked for fail. I’m done with the agency and,’ she paused and made sure he was listening before she continued. She spoke when her father trained his attention on her, ‘I’m done with you.’
Chapter 23
Anticipation at seeing Greta put a spring in Jeffrey’s step. He couldn’t wait to see her again. He knew he had to let her know he’d spilt his guts to Luc and Nick about the baby. He hoped she’d understand.
He entered her building, nodding to the doorman, and made his way over to the lifts. The wait seemed to take forever but soon he was standing at Greta’s door, key in hand. Jeffrey smiled as he recalled Greta giving it to him earlier that morning.
Bound by Their Love Page 17
