to be more patient. I thought I could find a silver lining in the proposal. I couldn’t. It was a steaming pile of shit and there was nothing exciting about it. It would not make me money.
I heard the intercom beep. “Nash, there’s a call for you.”
“Who?”
“Saige Conway.”
“Put her through,” I said.
There had been a very obvious strain on our relationship this week. And I meant professional relationship. I wasn’t sure what else to call us. The whole Jace thing was still weighing heavy on me. I had purposely avoided seeing her this week. We talked on the phone a few times, but I kept it about the business. I knew she was picking up on the tension. I couldn’t do anything about that. I was still trying to get my head around what was going on.
I didn’t know what I believed, and I was too much of a coward to come right out and ask the question. Instead, I was sitting and stewing on it like it would make it better or resolve itself. It wasn’t the most mature option, but it was all I could think to do.
The phone rang. “Hey,” I answered.
“Hey, yourself,” she said.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“It’s the end of the day and I’m still here,” she complained.
“Why?”
“Because we had an account fall apart. I’m trying to save it. Apparently, the IRS is breathing down their neck and they blame us. It’s not something I can just assign to someone else.”
“Is that bad?” I asked. “Are they going to leave?”
“I’m working on it to make sure they don’t,” she said. “I’ve got a late night ahead of me.”
“Where’s Jace?” I asked. It was probably none of my business.
“He’s with Joss and Caitlyn,” she answered. “What are you doing right now?”
“I just got done with a meeting.”
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“I thought you said you were going to be working late?”
She laughed. “I am. I was hoping you would offer to bring me dinner.”
“Ah, I see. You had an ulterior motive. You don’t really want to talk to me.”
“Sure, I do, but I’m also hungry and I know you’re probably hungry. It just makes sense we would eat together.”
I was going to have to talk to her eventually. “All right, give me an hour. Will you fade away before then?”
“I think I’ll manage to survive, but don’t be late,” she said. “I’ll see you soon.”
I ended the call. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew it was dinner with a side of sex she was proposing. I wasn’t going to turn that down. I missed her, which was very disturbing. I didn’t miss anyone, but I missed her.
I had to force myself to stay away. I wanted her too much, and if I wasn’t careful, I was going to say something about Jace. Every five minutes, I changed my opinion on the matter. Half the time, I was convinced he was mine, and the other half, I thought I was crazy to even suspect it.
I pulled out my cellphone and scanned through my usual takeout places. I decided to keep it simple and went with burgers from one of the upscale restaurants that was close to the tax firm. I finished up for the day and left the office. I had told Davin I would be in for a drink, but he’d understand.
I carried the bag of food into the elevator. I was actually a little nervous. I didn’t know why. Yes, I did. It was the Jace thing. I walked into the office and wasn’t surprised to see it was dark and empty. That was why I was invited. I was here for one reason and one reason only.
“Delivery,” I said as I walked toward her office.
“Oh my gosh, it smells amazing,” she said. “I’m so hungry.”
I put the bag on her desk and unpacked the Styrofoam containers. “I grabbed burgers,” I said. “I wanted to keep it simple.”
“Works for me,” she said and grabbed her burger. She took a healthy bite. “I’m sorry. I had to skip lunch.”
“Why?”
She gestured to the paperwork spread out over her desk. “This. It’s a mess. I’m trying to get it straightened out. I hate to say this, and you have to promise not to say you told me so, but this was Arthur’s account.”
I groaned and shook my head. “Great. I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but it would be a good idea to dig into his other accounts.”
She nodded, quickly chewing. “I know. I plan on doing