Page 16 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend
When we adjourned the meeting, I stood up to shake hands with the investors. Gradually, the room cleared, and then it was just the two of us again. Only this time, I didn’t see the slim girl of nineteen who’d run away in the night. I saw the competent, calm woman who’d appeared at my door less than a week ago.
“That was…” I hesitated. Laura looked up, and I could see her getting ready for another round of criticism.
“…Impressively done,” I admitted. She cocked her head.
“Was that a compliment you just gave me?” she said.
“Maybe yes. Maybe not,” I replied tersely, before pulling my jacket from where it had been resting from her chair.
“Well, we’re not out of the woods yet,” she said.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“Well, you’re still meeting Tim Berry for that analytics meeting at 3 pm. And don’t forget, there are four more clients you wanted to speak to in New York today. I’ve arranged the calls in succession at 4 pm. And Bryan Adams asked if you wanted to come for drinks and dinner at the Ivy later?”
I nodded. “Push back the calls to 4.30 pm and see if you can bring Tim forward. I think it’s going to take more than an hour to talk about those figures. But I think I’m going to let Bryan down.”
“Oh no,” said Laura. “You got something else planned?”
“Well, it’s been a long day and it’s not getting any shorter. Besides, I should take you for dinner. A little thank you for organizing these meetings and coming out here on your ‘day off’.”
Laura stared at me. She had a puzzled expression on her face.
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t understand.”
“What part of dinner don’t you understand?” I replied gruffly, and my eyes looked away from her and stared intently at the blue carpet in the meeting room. “You know? Last meal of the day?”
“With…me?”
“Sure,” I said. “Why not?”
*
“Why not,” I murmured mocking to myself, in the cab on the way to the hotel later. “Why not?” I’d been pondering that choice of words all afternoon.
“Why not?” I repeated to myself, in the elevator up to my penthouse suite. I’d sent Laura here ahead of time to get some other work done while I did the meeting.
In my suite, among the plush furniture, I stared at the setting sun. It cast crimson beams of light on the sea as I clenched and unclenched my fists.
“Stupid,” I said. “This is stupid. What a stupid idea.”
And it was. There had been a million reasons why inviting Laura out for dinner that night was a bad idea. There was nothing weird about it. After all, it wasn’t as though I liked her. Not after what she’d done all those years ago.
But then again, she deserved it, as an employee. And after all, Laura had outdone herself this week. I’d never met someone who was so easily able to keep pace with my constant demands, and last-minute changes to my plans. It was like she was in sync with me in a way I didn’t understand. I wanted to reward her dedication. The truth was that she was the best PA I’d ever had.
It was stupid nevertheless. After all, spending more time with her only increased the chance of her discovering who I really was. I’d been keeping her at a distance this whole time. Not just because it hurt to look at her, hurt to see her, beautiful and happy, smiling in sharp contrast to my gloomy personality. But because I couldn’t risk it now.
She was supposed to have left. And I was supposed to have gotten rid of her by now. But seeing her in the helicopter had changed something in me. I’d let my guard down. Something I’d never done.
Going for dinner? Joking around? Laughing with Laura Solomon? That was Conor. That wasn’t me.
I wasn’t him anymore.
But then, if I wasn’t him, why did the memory of her betrayal still sting?
I took a shower and got dressed into my backup suit. It was a royal blue, but I didn’t put on a tie. I didn’t want to look like I’d dressed up too much for her.
I made a promise to myself. I was going to stay for dinner, and then say goodnight.