The Deal

"We sort of did, but I am so annoyed with him! I went in there expecting to go over the contract, the final step. Instead he's negotiating "terms" between me and his ex in case our paths cross in the future."

A muffled laugh emitted from the other end of the phone.

Naomi pursed her mouth, jostling with passers-by to maintain her spot as the line moved to climb aboard a bus. "What's funny?"

"He obviously wants you in his life permanently to go to such lengths."

Naomi harrumphed. "I don’t know, he didn’t say that exactly." As soon as she said it, she remembered he had said that, right at the beginning. Was she judging him too harshly? "I didn’t hang around long."

"So, what you're telling me is that once again you walked out on the contract."

Her stomach turned. "Oh...bloody hell! I suppose I did." One hand against her forehead, the other gripping the phone tightly, she turned back toward the Eaglestone offices. "What the hell have I done?"

"You've been out for a breath of air." Megan spoke soothingly. "Chances are he'll just be sitting there waiting for you to return. But why did it upset you so much, sweetheart? You like the man don’t you?"

"A lot." More than anything in this world.

"Is the ex-wife vile?"

"Well, not vile exactly. Let's just say she's not best buddy material." When she pictured Clara it was her sniveling into a tissue. Guilt swamped her.

"That'd be too weird. Look you're struggling because you've never been out with a guy who's got a child to think of. He didn't want to upset you. Look at it from his perspective. He's trying to make it work for everyone."

"What would I do without you Megan?"

"You'd get there in the end." Megan chuckled. "Now hang up and go back."

"I will. Thank you." She pushed her phone into her bag. As she did, she caught sight of herself reflected in a nearby window. She was a mess, her hair awry and her eyes panic stricken. She couldn't go back there like that.

Glancing around, she spotted a coffee house and headed inside.

By the time she'd secured a table tucked away in a secluded corner, she knew what she had to do. She pulled a pen out of her bag.

"What can I get you?" asked the waitress.

"A large Americano and a piece of notepaper, please."

The waitress smiled. "You got it."

Chapter Nine

Lucas turned his swivel chair to face the view from his office window. Staring out across the myriad buildings and rooftops of the London skyline, he wondered where Naomi had gone. He'd taken a risk. Too big a risk. She'd walked out. He tried her mobile phone again. It went straight to voicemail. He'd already left a message.

Willing her to come back, he scoured the city landscape. The view of London had always been a trigger for big ideas for him. Ambitious projects, desires and dreams. Purpose was critical to him, and never before had he had such purpose. Naomi had made everything worthwhile, he knew that now.

He wasn’t sure how long he stared out the window, seeing only his favorite images of her, but when there was a knock at the door it took him by surprise.

"Enter."

Naomi sashayed over as he swiveled his chair back to face the desk.

Lucas studied her, intrigued.

She looked calm, determined. It wasn’t what he was expecting.

He rose to his feet. "Thank you for returning."

"I came back because of my contract."