The Man Who Has No Heart - Victoria Quinn Page 0,26
plays? Museums?”
I shook my head. “He’s not really an artistic type of person.”
“Just like you…should have assumed. I’m sure you’ll spend some time at the cabin, right?”
I nodded.
“Will you be taking this time off work?”
I hadn’t thought about it. “I would, but I can’t…”
“That’s okay. You can see him after work. Will your mother be watching him?”
I hadn’t thought of that either. I’d have to get a nanny if Derek did move here. “Um, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind watching him for a couple of days. I could take him to the office during the other times.”
“Alright. I’ll think of other things you can take him to. This is New York, there’re a million options.”
“Thank you.” I knew she would plan everything, arrange for all the transportation, book things privately, make it an experience Derek wouldn’t forget.
“When is he coming?”
“Friday.”
“Alright. I’ll reserve the flights and pick him up.”
I didn’t even have to ask her. “Thanks.” She was the only one there, so I lingered, staring at her in front of me, enjoying the sight of her face after a long day at the office. Talking to Valerie was always a pain in the ass, but it was easy to forget the nightmare when I looked at Cleo, who didn’t have an unkind bone in her body.
“Excited for your mom to leave tomorrow?”
“You have no idea.”
She chuckled. “She can’t be that bad.”
We’d actually had some deep talks, had dinner together, talked about my wine selection. “It’s been nice. She just asks me a lot of questions.”
“That’s how a conversation works.”
“You don’t ask me a lot of questions.”
“Okay… That’s how a conversation with your mother works.”
A slight smile came over my lips. With her, it was effortless. It wasn’t the way it was when I received an award or had to make my mother happy. It didn’t strain my cheeks, didn’t strain my spirit. “Thanks for everything. If you hadn’t found that apartment, she probably would have lived with me for months.”
“Would have destroyed your sex life,” she teased.
“I don’t have a sex life.” I hadn’t realized what I’d said until the words tumbled out, because I didn’t really think about what I would say before I said it—like I did with everyone else. I’d stopped picking up women at bars because the urge never came over me. I was busy with Derek, busy with work, busy with my mother… It just didn’t cross my mind. I was also tired of the stupid conversations, of getting them out of my condo, of ignoring their texts that popped up on my phone for a few days until they got the hint. It was purely physical for me, and there was no other stimulation they offered once the sex was over. They weren’t interesting. They weren’t smart. And most of the time, they were rude, careless, and stuck-up.
Cleo stared at me with her hands still in front of her, her eyes still glued to my face.
I didn’t know why I’d said that. “I’m making my mother dinner tonight, to celebrate her last night.”
“I’m sure she likes your cooking.” Her voice was quiet now, really quiet.
“Yeah. She does.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can get you. More wine. Anything like that.”
“I think we’re okay, but thank you.”
She gave me a smile. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah.” I almost invited her to dinner, but then I realized that would be weird with my mother there since she was so focused on finding me a new wife. I stared a little while longer before I finally turned and walked away.
Eight
Cleo
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into the hallway, carrying the large vase of flowers for the residence. I got the door unlocked, placed them on the entryway table, and then locked up and left.
The elevator headed to the lobby—but stopped at floor seventeen.
Oh no.
Lots of people lived on this floor. Didn’t mean he would be standing outside the doors.
The doors opened…and there he was.
In jeans that hung low on his hips and a shirt tight on his muscular arms, he looked like he was going out for a drink, ditching the suit and dressing casually instead. His eyes were on mine the second the doors opened, and he stared at me for a few seconds before he joined me in the elevator.
Oh god…
The doors closed.
We started to move.
My heart was beating so hard. I was suddenly nauseated. The tension was suffocating.
I just had to chill for thirty seconds…then it would be over.