Cyrus seemed okay with me being here, so I assumed they’d work it out. I went through the bags, sorting the item, storing some in my desk and others, like reams of paper and extra pens, in a cupboard in the break room.
I was back at the desk, getting things sorted. I realized I wouldn’t be able to have pictures of Maya on my desk, but that was okay.
My cell phone rang with August’s ringtone. I considered not answering but I couldn’t hide from him forever.
“August,” I said by way of answering.
“April. I was wondering if you could meet me for lunch. We need to talk.”
I suppose we did, although I was sure it wouldn’t turn out any better than all the other times we tried to “talk.” Usually he talked but didn’t listen when I talked back. Still, he was my brother and Maya’s uncle, so it would be good to diffuse the situation before we became too estranged.
“Okay. Where?”
He gave me the name of a café that wasn’t too far from here. I realized I didn’t know the day’s schedule so I picked up the phone and called into Cyrus’ office to ask about lunch.
He conferred with Jude, and okayed an hour which I told them I was ready to take now, even though it was just eleven thirty.
I grabbed my purse and headed to the café. My brother was already at a table looking over the menu.
I sat across from him.
He put his menu down. “You’re not at work.”
I rolled my eyes. “I told you I quit. I have a new job.”
He studied me. “You don’t have to do this. You’ve proven your point.”
I leaned forward. “Let me prove it more. At my new job, I negotiated a salary that’s twenty-five percent more than what you were paying me.” I sat back feeling very satisfied with myself, even though I suspected part of my success was Jude’s trying to stick it to August.
“What about the family business?”
“What about it? You don’t really see me as anything more than hired help. Thank God the trust included me in the business, or you probably wouldn’t have even done that.”
“That’s not fair, April.”
He was probably right.
“The point is, August, I’m a smart capable woman, that you don’t value or appreciate.”
“This isn’t just about you and me. What about Maya?” He was a jerk to toss her in my face.
“What about her? You don’t think I can care for her? Support her?”
He huffed out a breath. “Yes. But she needs a stable home. You can’t just be running off to a new job and home simply because you’re pissed at me.”
“I can, August. Because it’s my life and I’m responsible for Maya. Not you.”
His jaw tightened and he turned to look out the window. The waitress brought water, but we weren’t ready to order yet.
He turned back. “I’ve done the best I could for you and Maya, you know that April.”
I nodded, because I knew deep down, he cared. What I didn’t like was how he acted.
“Mom and dad would have wanted me to make sure you and Maya were taken care of.”
I snorted. “If mom heard you say that she’d box your ears. This isn’t the eighteenth century. I don’t need a man to take care of me.”
“August?” a man’s voice interrupted us.