Chapter 14
Aiden’s face appeared around the doorframe of his office.
“I know it’s really short notice, but is there any way you can work tonight?” I looked at him and I knew he could read my expression. “Look, if you can’t tonight it’s fine, but it would mean I need you in at the weekend.”
Damn. The weekend was my time with Addison, and I wasn’t about to give that up. I was away from her enough during the week in this job as it was.
I sighed. “I’ll have to sort some things, but yes, I can be here tonight if you need me to be.”
Aiden smiled, thanked me, and disappeared back into his office. I lifted my phone and called Sylvie’s mobile.
“Hi, it’s me. I have to work tonight. I know you’ve got your date and I don’t want you to miss out on it.”
“Well, then, what do you want me to do?”
“Can you drop her off with me here on the way? Pack her a blanket and some colouring stuff, and that bloody book. I’ll sort something with her.”
Sylvie agreed, and I hung up. Fuck . I didn’t really need to be having Addison in work. Things with Aiden were difficult enough as it was, but I wasn’t going to let Sylvie cancel her first chance at a date in months.
I’ll text you when we’re in the lobby x
I fired back a reply to say that I would meet Sylvie there, and asking what time she expected to arrive.
Aiden walked past. “Cancelling a date for tonight?” He smirked.
“Something like that.” My cryptic reply clouded his expression, and he shot me a filthy side glance as he went back into his office.
Great. Just great.
* * *
“Daddy!” Addison ran towards me and jumped up into my arms. “I’m going to help you in work.”
Sylvie laughed, handed me Addison’s bag, and kissed us both on the cheek. “I can cancel this if you really need me to.”
I shook my head. “No way. She’s my daughter, and I need to take care of her.” I kissed Sylvie’s cheek. “You look amazing, by the way. Isn’t Nanna pretty tonight?” Addison nodded.
“She’s going to meet a handsome prince and kiss him,” Addison whispered.
Sylvie winked at her granddaughter. “Only if he’s very handsome and rich.”
I shook my head with a chuckle. “Come on, monster. Let’s get you upstairs. And you…” I looked at Sylvie with a wink. “…Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
She laughed and started to walk out of the lobby and back onto the London streets. “Don’t wait up!” she called over her shoulder.
Addison squeezed me tighter, and I walked her to the lifts, and up to my floor.
“You have to sit here and behave. And I need you to do some colouring in for me. It’s very important work, and it would help me so much. Do you think you can do that?”
Addison nodded.
I pulled her colouring book and her colouring pencils from her back pack and set her up on the sofa and coffee table to the right of my desk.
Usually, it was for clients waiting on Aiden, but since there was pretty much no one else around, I didn’t think there would be much of an issue with her sitting there.
I sat at my desk and started to review the new reports on the four problem buildings again. JLC had sent in their own surveyors, and I needed to compare the report we commissioned with the report they had sent over.
Addison was as good as gold. She worked away on her colouring like it was the most important task in the universe.
Her little brow creased up and she reminded me so much of Tim.
He got the same look on his face when he had been concentrating on anything.
Conflicting emotions washed over me. Pride in my beautiful little girl, and loss that her other father was no longer with us.
“Monster, I just have to go and get something. You be a very good girl and don’t move from that sofa. Okay?”
Addison nodded her agreement. “Okay, Daddy.”
I got up and headed down the corridor to the main printer/copier room for everything that I had just printed out.
When I got back to my desk five minutes later. Addison was nowhere in sight. Dread filled every part of me. FUCK !