Legally Addicted - By Lena Dowling Page 0,64
worthy cause. All I did was ask for his help. He acted like I’d asked him to advance me a personal loan or something. It was really important to me. No, make that the most important thing, now that I’ve made partner. He knew that, and yet he refused to help. He’s the one with the problem.’
Georgia picked up the disposable wooden chopsticks that came with the sushi, breaking them in half at the small join at the top, not because she needed to use the chopsticks — she had already eaten most of the sushi with her fingers — but because she wanted to hear the satisfying snap as she wrenched the two implements apart.
‘Really, Georgia? Seriously? You fell for a guy and then failed to get something really significant about him, what’s important to him and what makes him tick, and you think that’s not your fault? To love someone you have to “get” them and for whatever reason, Brad doesn’t like being asked for money. You need to ask yourself exactly what is so bad about having money that he doesn’t like being asked for it, and if that reason is less important than your obsession with this addiction centre.’
‘Obsession?’
‘Obsession.’
An explosion of wasabi blowing through her mouth and out her nose was only partially responsible for her cough, as what Miriam was saying registered, and she finally got it.
Scratch that.
She finally got Brad.
If anyone could understand what could possibly be bad about having money it was her.
Brad sat in his office trying to concentrate but the re-runs of Georgia in action with the Bucklands kept playing through his mind. She was good. She had achieved what he never had — she had gotten Cherie to leave that useless husband of hers and find someone she deserved.
He doubted a post-nup with a sliding scale of asset redistribution based on marital fidelity would hold up either, but that hadn’t been the point. Forcing Cherie to face the truth about Pete’s behaviour had been Georgia’s goal and she had succeeded beautifully. She still had some to learn about dealing with celebrity clients, but she showed every sign of picking it up quickly.
He had also arrived in time to see Georgia’s reactions to the pile of suitcases in the corner and Cherie’s situation, stranded at their office. She was glassy eyed and clearly affected by the scene and it brought home to him what she must have been through. But there was no point raking up over old ground. He had given Georgia a choice that night on the roof of his penthouse. Stay and try to work things out or leave permanently. She had been the one to choose the latter. She had run out on him too many times to let her get away with it again.
It was a pity, because what Jeffrey had said after the fundraiser did have a ring of truth. On reflection, he had been able to draw a distinction between Georgia’s request for help for the shelter and every other wheedling plea he had ever gotten from a girlfriend for a new dress, a pair of earrings, or designer shoes.
Georgia hadn’t asked for anything for herself, not once. She had even paid half of that huge restaurant bill at Café Macquarie after she physically baulked at the cost. Without exception, no other woman he had taken out had ever offered to pay for anything.
‘Brad. We need to talk.’
Georgia was standing in the doorway of Brad’s office determined not to leave until she had said what was on her mind — what Miriam had finally made her see.
‘There’s a problem with the Buckland agreement? I thought that was all squared away.’
Brad was surprised. He had thought Georgia had that done and dusted.
‘It was. It’s not that. It’s about us. I’m sorry to do this at work, but I don’t know when else I’d get to see you.’
Brad, who had been leaning against his desk reviewing a file note, put the document down and folded his arms.
‘I think we’ve said all we need to.’
‘You might have, but I haven’t, and I’m not leaving this office until I’ve said what I’ve come to say.’
She walked a few paces into his office, but didn’t sit down, her hands clasped in front of her, her blue eyes blazing.
He nodded.
‘Okay, I’m listening.’
‘Until now I didn’t really get you. I didn’t understand that you need to be accepted for who you are and not be judged on your background, or used