My PA was involved in a serious car accident. Not that they will care,” I mutter under my breath. I want the deal. I need to fix this. I swipe a hand over my brow. “I’ll fly out there. I’ll meet them in person.” That’s what it will take. An in-person meeting. The friendly touch. Face to face.
“Do you want me to come along?” Neville offers. A rare request, because he tends to want to do the bare minimum. I cock my head at him, assessing the motivation behind this. He’s afraid I’ll mess up. He already thinks I’m losing it. He can’t afford for me to lose my head over too many deals, otherwise this lazy slug of a man will lose out on his fat checks.
I shake my head. “I can handle this alone.”
The intercom buzzes. “Jessica is on line one,” my new PA announces. I hiss out an aggravated breath. Emma would have known to hold all my calls especially when I’m in a meeting. “Stall her.”
“I’ve tried. This is the third time she’s called this morning.”
I know how forceful Jessica can be, and I’m thankful, in a way, for her interruption. At least it will help me to get rid of Neville. “I’ll meet with the people from McGovern next week,” I tell Neville. “You’ll have to excuse me.”
“But what about Greenways?”
“I told you about Greenways. I don’t want it.”
“You need to think very carefully, Brandon—”
“I have a call to take. Please excuse me.”
I wait for him to heave his big body out of the chair and slowly make his way to the door. When he leaves, I slump back in relief and take the call from Jessica. This is timely. Killing two birds with one stone. She’s another problem I no longer want to deal with.
“I barely see you these days, Brandon.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’ve been busy.”
“You’ve always made time for me.”
“You know how it is.”
“Is that little do-gooder keeping you busy?”
The malice in her tone makes me wonder if she suspects something. I effect a dismissive laugh. “I have a new PA, and it’s been challenging, to say the least, getting things done around here.”
She pauses, making me wonder what I have given away. “That’s an evasive answer if ever I heard one.”
“I’m busy, Jessica. Did you call for a reason?” I don’t even care if that is too blunt. I have a lot of things to resolve and Jessica sucking up my time is the last thing I need.
“You don’t have time for me anymore,” she laments, like the spoiled brat that she is. To think that I once considered her as wife material when I used to acquire things because I needed to confirm the man I now was. Because I was so desperate to push the past away.
The problem with my experiment with Kyra and Redhill is that it has put the past firmly in my present. I see it every Wednesday night because Yvette insists on bringing her kids to the food nights.
“I’m hosting a special arts night at the gallery next week. I want you there.”
Next week I have plans to fly to Boston to meet with McGovern Holdings. “I’ll see. I’m busy and I’ll probably be out of state for a few days.”
She scoffs. “You can’t even give me one night?”
“We didn’t have any nights, Jessica.”
“We hadn’t yet, no.”
“And we won’t,” I state, a chill icing my words.
“You have other interests,” she remarks. Cool and offhanded.
“I have many business interests to take care of.”
“Then come to the gallery for one last time. At least give me that,” she begs. The airwaves fall silent as I consider this final request. “It’s going to be pretty amazing. I’ve worked really hard to put it together.”
She leaves me no choice. It’s the least I can do. “When?” She gives me the date and time, and I hastily scribble it down in my diary. I tell her I’ll do my best to be there.
Then I stare at the dates on my calendar. Not only do I need to spend a day or two at most in Boston, I also owe Kyra. I want to make it up to her. She deserves to see a part of the real me while I try to figure out a way to get myself out of this mess.
Chapter Forty-Two
KYRA
“Are you ready?” he asks. We’ve driven over to the Loop. He’s told me nothing so far, and I was surprised when he said