“Are you trying to save our friendship, McCartney? Because I think it’s been clear for a while that we’ve been drifting.”
“Mate, I said things…but I was trying to get you there, get you fired up and out of your rut.”
“Or you’ve enjoyed me being distracted earlier at work and swooping in to pick off my best deals. I’m sure you’ve also needed someone to go along with you on your outings or whatever.” I slung my jacket on and then let my hands lie at my sides. The temptation to ball them up into fists and settle this in a more immediate way was overwhelming. “I’m done with that.”
“So, you’re willing to trash over thirty years of friendship? I mean, who else was there for you when you were new and picked on at boarding school? Who was in your wedding party? Who helped give the COO advice when you took off after Priscilla’s death?”
“Who is insulting me at every turn and seems to be stuck as a permanent manwhore and adolescent?”
Seamus clenched his jaw before relaxing it again. “You used to love what we got up to together.”
“And a week ago, you were rubbing my face in the Donelson deal and warning me to watch my back. What do you really want?”
Seamus rubbed at the back of his head. “Fine. I wanted to make sure I had the ball invite still.”
“Why on earth would I do that? I think you know we’re done here.”
“Because it’s the event of the Dublin social scene? I’ll look like a right fool and total arsehole if I’m not there.”
I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest. “I think you know by now that you
’re both of those things. Get out, Seamus, and stop groveling. It’s not an image that looks good on you. In fact, it’s downright pathetic, but you’d know a lot about that. Wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t want to be embarrassed, mate. You need to think about who you want to make an enemy of.”
“Oh, you started that once you went that step farther and snuck up on me like some punk at my own apartment. Why—”
“Hey,” Iris said, walking in through the door. “Mrs. McCabe has about ten more sheaves of paper for you to sign for that big event coming up. And you, Cal, owe me a good time this weekend after so much schlepping and oh.” Iris finally focused on where Seamus was looming in the corner of the room. Blushing, she hurried to my desk and set the papers on it. “I…Mr. O’Brien, I’ll just get those signatures later. I had no idea that you were in a meeting.”
Giving her a curt nod, I replied, “That’s fine, Ms. Kilshimer. Please leave us.”
She didn’t say another word as she scurried out the door.
“Now it all becomes clear, doesn’t it?” Seamus grinned. “I see what your revelation was, and it’s bloody cradle robbing.”
I straightened my tie. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Seamus snorted and started to pace. “The casual names, the talking about a great weekend? I’m not second in the city in this business cause I’m an idiot.”
“You’re second because you can be an aggressive, impatient arse,” I said. “That’s my newest secretarial assistant. She’s not anything more than that.”
“Right, and that’s Seth Kilshimer’s girl. I recognized her from their last holiday card. They always send one early in December and take a yearly family photo. It was from over the summer because they mentioned it was her only time home from Europe. I didn’t realize she was in town. Wonder what your best man would say about you having an affair with his daughter?”
“There’s nothing to say.”
Seamus yanked out his phone and started to dial. “Then I’ll just run it by Seth just to be sure.”
I walked back around my desk and slammed my fists on it. The thud rang out between us in the room. “Damn it! What do you want?”
“A ticket to the ball. I want to save face, and you want to save yours, as well as a few other appendages should the girl’s father ever find out.”
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. You get one ticket, no date, and if you get within a hundred meters of her, I’ll have you castrated myself.”
“Then you’re getting inspiration from the bare minimum old Seth will do to you. Jesus, mate, never known you to take a chance that stupid.” Seamus chuckled to himself as he headed to the door. “But it’s better for me that way. Definitely need to keep everything up to par; besides, what’s a party without your old mate Seamus?”
“Bearable.”
Chapter Eleven