Scandalizing the CEO

“Remember when Malcolm contacted you about me?” he asked, knowing that she would need all the details before she could make a decision about doing the interview with Ainsley’s magazine.

“Yes. Did that work out?”

“Well, he laid out a challenge for all three of his heirs. We’re all competing to see who can make the most profit in one of the business units and I need your help,” he said.

“I don’t know anything about business,” she said.

“Mum, is it my first day being your son?”

She laughed. “I guess not. What can I do?”

“I’ve arranged for Fashion Quarterly to do a series of articles about the Everest Group. And the editor-in-chief wants her writer to interview each of our mums. As a fashion magazine, they want to talk to the women involved.”

“About Malcolm?” Lynn asked.

“I don’t really know. Maybe about your work.”

“Is this important to you?” she asked.

Steven thought about it. No one had been important to him, but he knew that Ainsley was. He didn’t want to be the reason why her article didn’t fly.

“Yes, she is.”

“She is?”

“I meant it. The articles are important. They will reintroduce the world to a brand that they may think of as passé.”

“Don’t even try it, Steven. You said she. Do you like the writer who is doing the articles?”

“No, Mum. I like the editor-in-chief.”

“What’s she like?” Lynn asked.

“She’s American.”

“Oh. What’s that mean?”

He wanted to laugh. “She’s different. She works in publishing and she’s smart and funny.”

“Sounds perfect for you. Did you take her to meet Aunt Lucy?”

“No. I’m not going to, either. You know how Aunt Lucy can be.”

“I know she loves us,” Lynn said.

“Yes, she does. But she can be pushy. She calls me once a week.”

“Me, too,” his mum said with a laugh. “Poor Lucy, stuck with two workaholics as family.”

“Yeah, poor Lucy,” he said.

“Do you ever resent me for the way your childhood was?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “Why?”

“Roman said that I compartmentalize people. And I thought about when you were little and you wanted to spend time with me but I was always in the lab.”

“You were the best mum you could be.”

She shrugged. “That’s true, but was it enough?”

“I have no idea. You’re the only mum I have.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t want you to feel like I ignored you because I didn’t want you.”

This wasn’t about him at all, but something was bothering his mother. He wondered if being with Roman had made her realize that family was more important to her than she’d acknowledged. “I always knew that your job takes all your attention. And you’re brilliant at what you do, so that’s okay.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Steven.”

“You’re welcome.”

Her watch alarm went off. “I have to get back.”

They walked back to the car and when they got there, Steven asked her, “Will you do the interview?”

“Only if the writer e-mails me the questions.”

“That’s all I ask. Bye, Mum,” he said, wanting to be the one who said goodbye first.

“Steven?”

“Yes?”

“I…I’ve been thinking that maybe I didn’t do a very good job of showing you that life is about more than work.”

He didn’t respond to that. “Why does that matter?”

“If you like this woman, don’t make the mistakes that your father and I did. You might find yourself looking back on life with regrets.”

“What do you regret?”

“Not making more time for you,” she said.

“Why now?” he asked her.

“Roman asked me to marry him. And I…I’ve said yes.”

“Good. Congratulations,” he said. But inside a door was closing. His mum and Roman would have their world together. Their life would be in the lab most of the time and that was something Steven couldn’t be a part of.

“Thanks, sweetheart. I want you to be happy, too, Steven. Don’t wait until it’s almost too late to realize that life is more than work.”

He nodded. He doubted that he could change the way he was. And he wasn’t too sure he’d ever be able to be with a woman like Ainsley. He already knew that she made him react with jealousy and that wasn’t the thing he needed to keep a calm head and stay focused on business.