he hadn’t messaged me after. I’d kind of expected him to, even though I’d made it clear I wanted nothing more than what we’d already shared. But I had it all figured out in case he’d get in touch, and put operation “act like it didn’t happen” into action. I wavered between relief and disappointment that I’d clearly been a one-night stand. Or a two-night stand as it happened.
“I guess the file can wait until Declan returns.”
But wait. Didn’t she say it was on its way?
“No need for that, sir. Declan explained he’d ask his son-in-law to drop the file off.”
Son-in-law. Declan had actually said son-in-law? My stomach dipped and swirled uneasily.
“August is coming here.” I didn’t mean to say it aloud, but it didn’t sound real in my mind.
“He should be here any minute now,” she said. “I’ll send him right up with the file. I know how urgent it is.”
“I’m sure he’s busy.” Pretty sure I was trying to cop out of seeing August here. “Declan shouldn’t have put him through all that trouble. Please collect the file when he gets here, Faith.”
“Sure thing, sir. Anything else I can do?”
“Yes, Mrs. Moore is supposed to get here around one. Can you please buzz me to let me know when she arrives?”
“Of course, sir.”
“That is all. Thanks, Faith.”
“Oh, I’m being nice because I expect roses next week for my anniversary.”
I laughed at her cheekiness. The one place I didn’t flirt or find lovers was at the office, but she was an exception because she was harmless. She was approaching her midfifties and happily married, as she liked to tell anyone who commented on the photos on her desk.
I had no desire to mix business with pleasure. As if I didn’t already know not to cross that line, Declan had “warned” me about fraternizing with employees. Sometimes I was tempted to remind him who was the father in this relationship, but I usually thought better of it. That might not go down so well with him, given how I’d been absent from his life for a long time.
I returned to work to forget everything around me. I kept my ass planted on my chair instead of giving in to the urge to use my log in to the security system to check the entrance of the building for August’s arrival. That wasn’t the behavior of a man who only wanted a one-night stand.
My ass no longer felt the impact from last night, but our “encounter” had left marks on me in other ways. The impact on my brain was extensive.
At least I was sensible enough not to make more of the nights we’d spent together. It was natural to think so much about the man who had made me confront what had been inside me all this time but I’d ignored.
I wasn’t straight. I liked sex with men and women. I didn’t panic over the realization as I’d just wanted to know once and for all.
One by one, I peeled off the sticky notes that Faith had left for me on my desk. I returned calls that were urgent and kept watching the time on the computer. For Poppy’s arrival of course. What else?
I grimaced at the note that was next, then dialed the number and waited. It rang a few times.
“Hello,” came a grumbled voice.
“Leland, this is Charles Moore.”
He groaned. “Charles, look, I’m on vacation—”
“And ordinarily I don’t call my employees who are on vacation, Leland, but you and I know this is a special circumstance.”
“I see you got my resignation letter from HR.”
“It filtered its way to my desk yesterday. Why on earth would you want to leave the company?”
He’d been working here for close to twenty years for which he’d been well paid as a Facilities Manager. He ensured the day to day operations of the physical structure of our building were carried out well. Whenever mishaps occurred, he was swift to manage it.
“I became a grandfather over the summer, Charles. And my kids live all the way in Florida. I want to see them more often, and this will give me the opportunity to visit them.”
“There’s no way you’re going to be satisfied not being involved in the company.”
“Truth is I haven’t been feeling the passion I used to in a while, so I think it’s time to give up while I’m ahead, you know.”
“We can’t ever replace you, Leland.”
“I know.” The cocky bastard laughed. “But you’ll have to try, even if it’s just for the