The Predicament of Persians - A.G. Henley Page 0,43

to say is that I cannot work with Joe. Not in a million years. But the words won’t quite form.

Maya waits for me, her expression uncertain.

“Kathleen, please. Take some time and think about her offer—” Joe’s voice is low, his expression imploring again.

My head shakes again. “Thank you very much for the offer, Maya, but I . . . I don’t think I can . . . I have to go now.”

I stand so abruptly I knock my chair over with the backs of my knees. When it smacks something behind me, Joe reaches to right it.

Maya’s eyebrows knit together. “Would you at least like to stay for breakfast and talk over the details a bit more?”

“I can’t stay. I can’t talk right now. I . . . I’ll call you later.”

“Can you at least tell me what’s wrong?” The rep’s eyes are worried.

“He . . .” My eyes fill with tears as I look at Joe, and my lips tremble as I try to speak. His face is pained. “He . . .”

Is thoughtful? Kind? Gorgeous? Wonderful? Sexy?

He was all those things. But now—he can’t be trusted.

I want to rush out before I either scream with rage or wail with sorrow, but as I turn to go, the same woman James hit with his own chair is behind me. Of course.

Her blue eyes blaze. “You people really are incredibly rude.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to her. And I run.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.”

- Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2)

Joe

Maya stares after Kathleen, her mouth actually open.

As I watch Kathleen dart out of the restaurant, I curse myself and my unlucky stars. I fold my napkin and place it on the table. “We have a history, Kathleen and me.”

She stutters. “I . . . thought she said she didn’t know you.”

I squint, trying to decide if there’s any way to succinctly explain our messed-up situation. Nope.

“It’s complicated. Listen, thank you for the sponsorship offer. Please don’t take Kathleen’s response as a rejection. Let me speak to her. And, so you know, I’d planned to turn down the sponsorship if you’d offered it only to me. But when you’d said Kathleen and I could partner, I’d hoped she might agree.”

Maya nods. “I see. Well, it sounds like you two have some things to sort out. I’ll need an answer within a week or two. Is there . . . anything I can do to help?”

“Pray for me,” I say with only a hint of humor.

She smiles back. “This is none of my business, but if there’s one thing I recognize—unfortunately—” she looks away for a moment, “it’s a woman who at least feels betrayed. Make sure you choose your words carefully. We can be dangerous.”

“I will, but even if I fail, this one is worth losing a little blood over.”

She collects up the packets and puts them back in her bag. “Then good luck, Joe. Let me know how it goes.”

I take a long breath, put my hands on the table to center myself, and stand. I have to go after Kathleen, but I’m not sure what I can say that will convince her that I never meant to lie to her or mislead her. Friday night, I sincerely wanted to spend time with her, and once I knew she was a Catulet, I didn’t want to drive her away by telling her who I am. That’s the honest truth, but will she believe it?

I stride into the lobby, searching for the luxurious waterfall of red hair I’ve come to know as well as my own. All right, maybe I don’t know Kathleen that well yet, but I want to. I really want to. It’s all I want now.

I’d happily go back to my cubicle if Kathleen would only come with me. Not to the cube farm, of course, but to Florida. Hell, I’d be happy to find a new cube in Colorado if that’s what she wants. If she’d only tell me she forgives me.

She’s not in the lobby, so I DM her. No response. Time to try her room. I take the elevator upstairs and knock on her door, calling to her. James opens the door in his jockey shorts, looking annoyed.

“I don’t know what you did, but Kathleen is pissed,” he says.

“I know. Is she here?” I try to look past him. The room is dark.

“Nope. She came in crying, grabbed Juliet, and