When she returned to work on Monday it would be business as usual. That’s the way she wanted it and that’s the way she intended it to be.
Chapter 14
“Welcome back, Vanessa.”
Vanessa glanced up to find her four cousins standing in the doorway to her office. She smiled. “Thanks, guys. It’s good to be back.”
“And you really want us to believe that you prefer being here over Jamaica?” Donovan, the youngest of the Steele brothers, asked.
She chuckled. “Hey, I didn’t admit that but you know what they say. There’s no place like home.”
Referring to that quote from The Wizard of Oz made her think of Cameron and the night they had watched that particular movie together.
“Vanessa?”
She was jerked from her thoughts. She glanced over at Chance. “Yes?”
“I asked if you wanted to come to dinner on Sunday. We’re having a small dinner party to celebrate the baby’s arrival.”
She smiled. “I’d love to come.” She wondered if Cameron had been invited, as well, but decided not to ask.
“And mark your calendar for Friday night, two weeks from now,” Morgan said.
She raised a brow while grabbing the calendar on her desk. “What’s going on that night?”
“I’m hosting a party to officially kick off my campaign. The election is in three months.”
Vanessa nodded. She didn’t have to wonder if Cameron would be attending that event. He was committed to Morgan’s campaign. She sighed deeply and after penciling in the date on her calendar she smiled up at Morgan. “Consider it done. Do you need me to do anything?”
“Ask my campaign manager,” he said, nodding over at Donovan. “Or I could send you to Cameron since he’s the second in command.”
Vanessa frowned at Morgan. “No, that’s okay. I’m sure Donovan can tell me anything I need to know.”
She saw the quirking of Morgan’s lips and knew it was business as usual between them. He was still trying to shove Cameron down her throat. Well, little did he know, Cameron had already been there. She flushed at the memory.
“Vanessa, are you okay?”
She drew a deep breath and glanced over at Sebastian. “Yes, Bas, why do you ask?”
“You seem preoccupied about something.”
If only you knew. “I’m not preoccupied, just a little overwhelmed with the amount of work piled high on my desk.”
“Well, bring your thoughts off Jamaica. We have a lot of work to do this week. We need to call a press conference later today.”
Vanessa raised a brow. “Why?”
With irritation in his voice, Chance informed her, “An article appeared in this morning’s paper that we would be laying off over two hundred employees due to outsourcing.”
Vanessa shook her head. “I can’t believe someone has started that rumor again.”
“Well, they have, and now we need to work on damage control both with our employees and the community. Although I do find it really strange it’s started up again only since Morgan is seeking public office. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone is trying to play dirty politics.”
Vanessa nodded. She thought the same thing. It was her job to make sure the Steele Corporation maintained a positive image, and the sooner she got back into her job, the less time she would have to think about Cameron.
“What time is the press conference?” she asked Chance.
“At noon.”
“All right, how about if we meet in an hour so you can go over some things with me?”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll leave so you can get settled.”
“Thanks.”
When her cousins walked out of her office, closing the door behind them, she leaned back in her chair, grateful she had plenty to do to keep her mind occupied. The last thing she needed was to dwell on the memories of the past two weeks.
“I saw the press conference on television the other day. I think it went well, Vanessa,” Sienna said as she sat across from her best friend at lunch.
“Thanks, I can’t believe we’re still tackling that issue but all it takes is a rumor to make people panic when it comes to their livelihood,” Vanessa responded. The two women were grabbing a quick bite at the Racetrack Café, a popular restaurant in town and one they frequented often.