Lifting her hand up, she smoothed her hair back, squaring her shoulders as the elevator approached her floor. She could do this – could be the professional she always had been. He might have been the most handsome man she’d laid eyes on, but she was better than that. And so was her professional reputation.
The elevator pinged, and she walked out onto her floor, pulling her room card out of her case and sliding it into the lock. And as she stepped inside, pulling off her shoes and carefully placing them into the closet, she felt a sense of relief wash over her.
A good night’s sleep would do her the world of good. Then she’d fly back home, and get back to her work, leaving Lachlan MacLeish thousands of miles away.
Life would go on, just the way she liked it, and that would be the end of that.
4
As they say, ‘When the age is in, the wit is out’
– Much Ado About Nothing
‘You missed a few calls. The list is on your desk,’ Lachlan’s assistant, Grant, said, following Lachlan into his office. He leaned down, pulling open the small refrigerator beside the bookcase, and took out a bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap, he filled up a long glass and put it on Lachlan’s desk. ‘How was your workout?’
Lachlan grabbed a fresh towel from the cupboard hidden in the far wall of the room. His office had a small bathroom attached, perfect for cleaning up after his lunchtime training. ‘Hard. That’s what happens when you miss a few weeks.’
Grant Tanaka was a year younger than Lachlan, but had been by his side since the day he’d set up in business, the same way they’d been for most of their lives. They’d grown up in next-door apartments – Grant was the child of Japanese-American parents who had practically adopted Lachlan as one of their own. With Lachlan’s mom working all the hours God sent, the Tanakas had made sure he was fed, did his homework, and didn’t get into trouble.
Well, not too much trouble, anyway.
‘I forgot to ask you, how was Miami?’ Grant asked him.
‘Warmer than this place, that’s for sure.’ Through the plate-glass window of his office, Lachlan could see the New York skyline. Grey, overcast, barely acknowledging the fact that spring was supposed to have arrived. ‘It was worth it just to meet the Scottish attorney. Hopefully we managed to strategise the Glencarraig case.’
Grant cocked an eyebrow. ‘You’re still stuck on this Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod thing?’
‘Hey, don’t knock it. According to this attorney, I get to intervene in clan disputes.’
‘There can be only one.’
‘Are you going to quote Highlander to me all day, or can I go grab a shower before my next meeting?’
‘Yeah, you really should do that.’ Grant screwed his nose up. ‘You stink. Go.’
‘Thanks, man.’
‘Oh, and Jenn wants to know if you can make dinner a week on Friday. She’s making sushi.’
Lachlan looked back over his shoulder at Grant. ‘In that case, it’s a date. A gorgeous woman and gorgeous food are too good to turn down.’
Grant lifted his hands up. ‘Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about. I’ll be there too.’
Lachlan winked. ‘I know, I know. But when she makes sushi, I don’t have eyes for anybody else.’
‘Yeah, well keep your eyes to yourself,’ Grant warned, still grinning. ‘That girl is mine.’ He glanced at his watch then back at Lachlan. ‘Best hurry, your next meeting’s in ten minutes.’ Suddenly, they were back to being boss and assistant.
‘I’m on it.’
‘You want me to bring you in a coffee?’ Grant asked, turning to leave the room.
‘Sure thing.’
Lachlan watched as Grant walked out of his office, pulling the door softly closed behind him. Not for the first time he felt a strange combination of envy and confusion when it came to his friend. In the years since they’d been working together he’d tried to promote him countless times, knowing Grant would make an excellent director. But Grant refused, telling Lachlan he preferred to have a work–life balance that allowed him to spend time with his wife.
He was a great assistant, and Lachlan’s oldest friend. Some would say his only friend. Either way, Lachlan was glad to keep him around, even if it meant being constantly nagged.
The lights in the outer office were dimmed, Grant having long since gone home. The rest of the floor was silent too, save for the occasional ring of a phone that wasn’t answered, and the stealthy footsteps of the cleaning crew as they gave the desks the once-over, emptying trash cans and filling up the water coolers before they wheeled their trollies away.