Bereft - Jennifer Foor Page 0,23
not interested in.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He downed his first glass of wine. “I suck at small talk.”
“It’s okay,” I replied. “It’s kind of weird being here together, for a business meeting of course. I mean,” I had to correct my statement. “I’m not used to dinners about work.”
He smiled again and traced the edges of his wine while the waiter came over and refilled both of our glasses. “Are you nervous being here with me?”
“No. Of course not.” It was obvious I answered way too fast. He smiled before addressing the waiter with his order. I decided to have the same, and thanked the gentlemen as he took our menus and walked away. “I’m not uncomfortable. If we’re going to be working together we need to discuss things.”
“I get the feeling you can’t stand me.”
“You did barge into my house yesterday. I’ve never been paid a personal visit.”
“I’m not talking about yesterday, Rachel. You’ve never liked me. Be honest. It’s okay. I’ll just have to work harder to convince you I’m not a monster.”
“I never said you were.”
“Ladies love me, Rachel. It’s not a secret. I’m sure you seen them fawning over me. It’s probably for the money, but I’d like to think I have more than my family fortune to offer.”
This was the cocky Chad I knew and loathed. “I think it’s best if we get to business. I have some ideas I want to run by you.”
I sat there drinking my wine and explaining how I wanted to keep the agency open for our clients. I offered to run the whole division, where he wouldn’t have to get his hands into it at all. I even explained how I didn’t have the money to buy him out, but I would work my ass off to make sure it was profitable. Money was money. If he had me running the old company, he could focus on his new project. If he failed, he’d have something to fall back on. His family name would remain intact. He had nothing to lose.
“My grandfather suggested the same thing, but said it would be too much for you to take on.”
“Trust me, it’s not. I can devote one-hundred percent of my time to this job if you give me the chance. It’s a win-win.”
He sat there for a moment thinking to himself. “You want to devote all of your time to this? Have you spoken with your husband? I’m sure he doesn’t want you working that far away at all hours of the night. Granted, it won’t be every night, but still, problems happen.”
“What my husband wants isn’t my problem.” I finished my second glass of wine. Just hearing him being addressed made me want to run out of the restaurant, take a cab home, and drown my sorrows in whatever alcohol I could find. “He’s not staying with me at the moment.”
“Since when? I saw you together at the company picnic.”
“Since a few days ago,” I answered. “Since the day I found out the company was shutting it’s doors.”
Chad adjusted the way he was sitting. “Man, I’m sorry. That explains why you were so upset the other day. You should have said something.”
I watched the waiter come over and immediately fill my glass. I wanted to tell him to stop, but I needed the alcohol, especially now when my life’s drama was out on the table for the little prick to pick at. I took a few fast sips before continuing. “I couldn’t say anything. It hadn’t sunk in yet.”
“Did you kick him out?” He immediately threw up his hands. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business, and it’s certainly not why I asked you to have dinner. I’m bad at that. My mother used to call me Nosey Nelly. That or Tattle Tail. You could say I was a little shit stirrer.”
I smiled, appreciating him being comfortable talking about his own childhood experiences, instead of prying into my life. To be honest, he was the only person I’d been able to talk to since this started happening. It wasn’t like I could call one of mine and Grayson’s mutual friends and tell them what we were going through. I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone important to us to know. I hadn’t even told our daughter. “I caught him with another woman in our house that day.” My confession wasn’t easy to get out, and it was just as difficult watching Chad react to it.
“What the hell? Are you serious?