Always With You (The Connor Family 6)

“Pity.”

“You’re interrupting my lunch, and I don’t really care about the point you’re trying to make. Feel free to remove yourself from my table,” I said dryly. If she stayed here any longer, I would lose my composure completely.

She jerked her head back, then waved at the waiter again, and when he approached, she said, “I’m ready to go to my table now.”

After Marion left, I stewed on her words for a few minutes. I was pissed off. With her, for being in the class of people I despised most: the kind who didn’t care who they hurt as long as they got what they wanted. And I was pissed off at myself too, because I was usually at the top of my game even when taken by surprise, but I hadn’t handled this well at all. I’d revealed too much, been too aggressive. So much for my plan not to antagonize her.

Chapter Fifteen

Reid

“Your mind isn’t on the deal,” Deborah said. She’d brought me some documents at the gym, where I was doing my fifteen-minute cycling session.

“You’re right. I want to read the contract again carefully before I sign it.”

“They’re urgent.”

“I know.”

But so was my cycling. It helped me refocus. I came down to the gym every day in between meetings.

“I’ll read it later in my office on the computer and sign the printed version.” It took me longer than your average person to read, but for some documents, I preferred slaving over them until I understood every word versus text-to-speech. And I did have software on my computer that sped up the reading and comprehension process.

“Very well.” Deborah gave a strange smile before leaving the gym.

An hour later, when I placed the signed deal on her desk, she asked, “So, where’s your mind? On that pretty PR girl you’ve been spending time with?”

I looked around, but everyone else was gone. I really was overworking Deborah.

“What? Thought I wouldn’t notice?” She leaned her chin in her palm, smiling from ear to ear.

“How did you notice?”

She straightened, pointing a finger at me. “Young man, don’t distract me. I asked you a question.”

I laughed. Others didn’t understand my dynamic with Deborah, but I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that I wouldn’t be here today without her. Hell, the name on the hotels probably wouldn’t be Davenport anymore. She was the office manager, but honestly, she’d been my mentor.

“Yes, Hailey has been on my mind a lot.”

That was an understatement. I found myself thinking about Hailey all the time.

“I’m so proud of you, considering you almost had smoke coming out of your ears after her first visit to the office.”

“That was because you blindsided me.”

“And didn’t that do you good?”

“Deborah, stop giving me shit.”

“How is this giving you shit? I just want to know what’s going on in your life.”

“Now you do. Anything else you need from me before the meeting with the developer starts?”

“Yes. Your parents called about Bianca’s preprom party. They want to know what’s going on and if they can help.”

“No way in hell. Just tell them I have it all under control.”

“But you don’t,” Deborah pointed out. “I’ve received no instructions, so no one’s organizing it. Unless you have another assistant I don’t know about.”