The Contract (The Contract 1)

“She didn’t.”

“So you came on board. What was your plan?”

Putting my head down, I clasped my hands behind my head, pulling my neck. I felt tight and anxious, as if I would jump out of my skin any second.

“Richard, you need to calm down. Try to relax.”

With a huge exhale, I released my neck and looked up at him. “I don’t know where my wife is, Graham. I can’t relax. My life is in turmoil, and the one person who can make it better is out there somewhere”—I waved my hand toward the window—“thinking I don’t care.”

“When did you fall in love with her?”

“I have no idea. It was supposed to be an act. I needed her to make me more likable. I thought if I could get my foot in the door, prove my worth to you and your company, show you what I could offer to your campaigns, maybe my personal life wouldn’t matter as much. Eventually, I would divorce her, and we’d go our separate ways. I’d keep working; she’d be in a far better place financially than she had been. No one would be any the wiser.”

“But?” His question hung in the air, simple and heavy.

“Things changed. I changed. What was supposed to be an act became real. We became friends. Allies. Then we became more. I never saw it, though. I never saw how important she was becoming to me. I never thought I was capable of having feelings like that for anyone.”

“Where does Penny fit into this situation? I think she was a huge part of it all.”

“Katharine never wanted me to meet her or have anything to do with her life. She didn’t want to confuse Penny’s already muddled mind. The night you had the get-together when I joined the firm, and I had too much to drink—we argued. Or rather, I was an ass and I pushed her. She told me about her parents’ accident and how Penny came into her life. She informed me, in no uncertain terms, exactly what she thought of me.” Even with my worry and the seriousness of the conversation, my lips curled into a smile. “I saw a side of Katharine that night I never imagined she possessed. She wasn’t an insignificant weakling as I’d originally thought. She was, is, fierce and strong. Loyal.” My smile fell. “And she opened my eyes to what a bastard I truly was—to her, to everyone around me. The next day, I went and met Penny.”

“I assumed she impressed you?”

“She reminded me of someone from my past. One of the few good people I had in my younger life.” I tugged at my cowlick and stopped talking, knowing I had to regroup my thoughts. I didn’t want to dig that far into my past with Graham. “Despite everything, Katharine married me that day because we had a deal and she kept her word.”

“And you fell in love with your wife.”

“Yes, I did. But it was too late.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She left me. She left everything I gave her behind. Her phone, the money, even the car. I have no idea how to find her or where she might have gone.”

“What about Penny’s things? Did she take them?”

“No, those are at the condo, along with a few of her personal things. I assume she’ll contact me as to where to send them.”

“You don’t want to wait until then.”

I stood up, going back to the window. “I don’t think there is anything to wait for, but no, I need to find her.”

“Are you willing to fight to change that—do you want to fight, Richard?”

I spun around. “Yes. I want to fight for all of it. Her. My job. Everything.”

He stood up, crossing his arms. “I suspected you were lying the first time I met you.”

I gaped at him. “What?”

“I was fairly certain. I found your thought process intriguing, though. You intrigued me. Talking to you, I had a sense there was more to you than you allowed people to see. There was a spark, for lack of a better word, I could see. For the first time ever, I wanted to hire someone I wasn’t entirely sure about. Laura felt the same way about you—even stronger, to be honest. She felt you needed to be given a chance.”

“You said as much one other time.”

He nodded. “Katy—she was the deciding factor. She was open and real. Whether you realized it or not, you were different with her.” He smiled. “It was actually enjoyable watching you fall in love, Richard. We could both see it. We saw the changes in you.” He studied me, his head cocked to the side. “At the office, you were a wonder to behold. The way your mind works, spinning ideas, concepts. Your enthusiasm even got me going again. It was quite the spectacle to witness.”