surprise.”
“I didn’t want you to go through this alone.”
He placed his forehead on mine. “You know…I really wanted you here. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure if it would make you uncomfortable. I didn’t want to pressure you, but I’m so glad you came.”
“Well, I have a feeling I’m going to need to practice dealing with discomfort.”
He cupped my cheeks. “Let’s just take one day at a time. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding against his hands, I said, “I’ll try.”
We sat together eating our bagels for the next half-hour. Graham had his feet up on his desk and looked more relaxed than I anticipated. Through his office windows, the sun was shining, reflecting into his eyes that were glowing as he watched me eat. He seemed to be doing very well considering.
“You seem okay. You’re not scared to get the call?”
“You know what? I was honestly feeling sick to my stomach until you got here. Knowing that you’re here for me no matter what truly makes all the difference.”
“I’m glad I could make it better.”
“You make everything in my life better, baby. Everything.”
He reached across the desk and grabbed my hand, gently placing a kiss on my knuckles. The sound of his intercom interrupted our moment.
“Mr. Morgan? Ms. Moreau is here. She didn’t have an appointment but is insisting that I let you know she’s here anyway. She says you’ll know what it’s in regards to.”
My stomach felt unsettled as I withdrew my hand from his. “Genevieve is here?”
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in frustration. “Fuck. I told her I didn’t want her to come for the results. I should’ve known that she wouldn’t listen.”
“Well, you can’t exactly kick her out.”
“Sure, I can.”
“Believe me, I would love it if you kicked her to the curb right now, but how is that going to make things any easier if you find out Chloe is yours? You’re going to have to deal with her whether you like it or not. The sooner you learn how, the better.”
Deep in thought, he nodded to himself for a while. “You’re right.” Pressing the button, he said, “Send her in.”
Our relaxing breakfast was officially over.
I threw away our food wrappers to distract myself from the jitters creeping in.
The door opened, and Genevieve entered the office, quietly closing the door behind her. She was dressed conservatively, wearing a gray pencil skirt and a cream-colored, sleeveless blouse that showed off her toned arms. Her scent was familiar—Chanel No. 5. It dawned on me that she was built a lot like the television host, Kelly Ripa—petite and svelte. She actually resembled her a bit.
Graham didn’t even look over at her. He stayed silent, fidgeting with his watch, a nervous habit that until now, I almost thought he’d completely done away with.
Genevieve made eye contact with me first. “Soreena, I didn’t realize you would be here.”
“It’s Soraya. And, yes, I’m here to support Graham when the results come in.”
She took a seat. “So…you know everything.”
“Yes. He and I don’t keep anything from each other.”
“Well, that’s nice of you to be here for him.”
Graham finally spoke to her. “I thought we discussed the fact that I preferred you not come here today.”
“I need to be here, Graham. I’m sure you’ve given Syreeta an earful about what a bad person I am, but I’m here today to support you, too.”
Graham’s tone was stern. “It’s Soraya. Not Soreena. Not Syreeta. So-RAH-ya. What is so hard about that?”
“Soraya….Soraya…sorry…I’m a bit nervous myself, okay? I didn’t come here to make trouble. I’m just trying to be supportive as well. I realize that this whole situation is all my fault. I’m not denying that, but I can’t change the past. I’m just trying to make things right moving forward. If I have to spend the rest of my life making up for it, I will.” She looked like she was about to cry. Either she was truly upset, or she deserved an Academy Award. Graham remained unaffected by her mini breakdown.
Several minutes of awkward silence ensued as Graham went from fiddling with his watch to twirling the ends of a pen between his two index fingers.
He tossed it across the room and grumbled, “What the hell is taking them so long?”
Genevieve was trying her best to lighten the mood and looked down at my feet. “I like your shoes. What brand are they?”
“Michael Kors. They’re not Louboutins or anything, but I like them. They’re comfortable for wedges.”
She smiled. “I like