Chapter 6
Julia offered Grant a polite smile as he pushed her chair in as they sat down for dinner. They’d been through the onslaught of introductions including being introduced to the late arrival of Christopher Metcalfe. She studied the man next to Sierra at the far end of the table. Something about him seemed off, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
She tore her eyes away as Thomas Whitfield said, “I’m fascinated to meet an author. I cannot imagine what it takes to create an entire world from nothing.”
“Oh well, it’s not really from nothing. There really is plenty to draw from everywhere you look.”
Thomas held his wine ready to drink but could not take his eyes off Julia. “Fascinating. Tell me, what do you draw from?”
Julia lifted a shoulder. “Oh, anything, everything. A song, a lyric, the way a certain color catches the light, a picture, anything can inspire a story.”
“Unbelievable. I really must pick up one of your books and read it before we meet again.”
“Well, I would love for you to try one and hear what you think.”
“What would you recommend?”
Julia gave it some thought before passing along a recommendation with a smile. Grant eyed her with a sparkle in his eyes that may have come from the low lighting or something else. She offered him a tiny nod, trying to reassure him that whatever happened early was not affecting her performance at the dinner party.
The first course was delivered by the staff, and conversation slowed until Carolina Foster addressed the table at large. “So, how did you two meet?”
The dark-haired Veronica, who from her attitude Julia had gathered was not a friend of Grant’s on the board, chimed in as she picked up her wine glass. “Yes, I’ve been wondering the same. It all seemed…such a whirlwind.”
Julia’s heart skipped a beat at the question. Despite being a fiction writer, her mind went completely blank. They couldn’t possibly admit to how they’d met. She imagined their guests’ reaction as she said they met in a nightclub at an interview for his new wife.
Julia licked her lips, her eyes immediately moving down the table to find Grant’s. He grinned at her, a quick wiggle of his eyebrows. She arched an eyebrow as he launched into the tale.
“That’s actually quite an entertaining tale. It was by accident. I was…consulting with Sierra on a few things, and she had a meeting scheduled with an author who turned out to be Julia.”
“Who is one of our best, of course,” Sierra added to the tale.
Eyes flicked toward her as chuckles sounded over Sierra’s added information.
She offered a polite smile as she adjusted a lock of her hair. When she glanced up again, she found Grant’s gaze fixed on her.
“When she walked in, I was…enamored.”
The way he said it almost made her believe it. He certainly knew how to turn on the charm and win over a crowd. No wonder he’d had four wives.
Veronica sipped her wine. “And you asked her on a date?”
Grant held Julia’s gaze a moment longer, a silent signal from his eyes of some kind, but she couldn’t read it. He finally slid his gaze to Veronica. “Actually, no, she forgot her purse. I tracked her down, took her to dinner, and the rest is history.”
“Aw, how lovely,” Greg’s girlfriend said as she clamped a hand on Greg’s arm and shot him a pointed glance that Julia read as a silent signal for a proposal.
“Cheers to the beautiful couple,” Sierra said, raising her glass. “I’m certain we can all agree they’re just perfect together.”
“Well, they must be,” Veronica said with a chuckle after a sip of her wine. She flicked a pointed gaze at Julia. “Forgive me for seeming to pry, but you do understand with Grant’s position, it is up to the board to…protect Harrington Global.”
Julia swallowed hard as she glanced at Grant. The tension in his jaw belied his upset over the woman’s comment.
Julia tried to diffuse the situation with a polite smile at the woman, but she did not let it go, adding to the tense situation. “Which is why I found it so curious when I did my due diligence that I did not find a prenuptial agreement between the two of you.”
Julia arched an eyebrow. It was a detail she hadn’t considered either. Obviously, she had no claim on the company or any of his assets because of the contract she’d signed, but she couldn’t admit that.
Veronica set her wine glass down and continued, “Understandably, I became concerned. If you should leave Grant…well, the effect on the company could be detrimental.”
Grant’s hand thudded against the table, tension edging his voice. “That’s out of line, Veronica.”
“I don’t think it is, Grant,” Veronica shot back. “Given your track record, I think it’s a very material concern.”
Julia bit her lower lip as the woman spoke. Veronica was not letting this go.
“My private life is–” Grant began when Veronica cut him off.
“Very public as CEO of this company. And I have every right to be concerned about a new marriage that seems to have come out of nowhere.”
Grant’s hand clenched into a fist, his jaw even tighter than it had been. The situation was spiraling out of control, and she was not certain Grant could diffuse it. In fact, she wasn’t certain anyone could but her.
“If you are implying that Julia is–” he began.
“I think I can set this to rest very easily,” Julia interrupted him before he said something that would lead to a larger argument.
All eyes turned to her, including Grant’s. He looked uncomfortable and nervous. She felt about the same as she swallowed hard and launched into her explanation that she desperately hoped would help and not hurt.
“Despite what it may seem, neither of us rushed into anything. I know exactly who I married. I took every promise I made very seriously. I have no intention of leaving Grant.”
Grant’s shoulders seemed to relax somewhat.
“While that’s a lovely sentiment, what happens when you find him with another woman?”
Grant scoffed as he tightened one hand over the other.
“If,” Julia corrected her, “that was to happen, I made a promise for better or worse.”
“So, you’d try to work it out, but suppose he doesn’t want to. Do you see where I’m going with this, Julia?”
Julia narrowed her eyes at the woman. She knew exactly what the woman was implying. Grant’s reputation preceded him. He did not have a good track record. “I have no interest in taking something that isn’t mine.”
“And you’d be willing to sign a post-nuptial agreement to that effect?”
“I would be willing to do whatever Grant thinks is best for the company he built.”
The woman’s eyebrow arched high as she studied Julia then flicked her gaze to Grant. “Well, it seems the fifth time may be the charm for you, Grant.”
Julia breathed a silent sigh of relief as the conversation ended and topics turned to something far less contentious. The remainder of the dinner went much smoother, allowing Julia to relax a little more.
The dining room buzzed with the clinking of fine china and the low hum of conversation. The chandelier cast a warm glow over the table, highlighting the shimmering dresses of the ladies and the faces of the guests.
She glanced down the table, trying to read Grant’s posture. It was much looser than it had been. He must have relaxed, too, after the confrontation. Her mind whirled as she continued to make conversation at the high stakes he continuously dealt with.
It may explain why he’d been so short with her earlier.
When the meal concluded, everyone shuffled into the living room for nightcaps before leaving. As Julia finished her conversation with Greg’s girlfriend, Grant squeezed her arm. The woman smiled as she shuffled away, and Julia twisted to face him.
“Excellent job handling Veronica, Juls. She was completely out of line, but you handled that brilliantly.”
She offered him a tight-lipped smile and adjusted his tie. “Thank you. I’m sorry to cut in, but I didn’t think any explanation on your part would have satisfied her.”
“No, you’re right. She views my judgment as flawed, obviously. Though you may have chipped away at that image tonight.”
She smiled up at him as she slipped her arm through his. “I hope it helps. I’ll be right in.”
“Sure. Everything okay?” He offered her a concerned glance as she stepped away from him.
“Yes, just a minute.”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be counting the seconds.”
The comment brought a chuckle to her, though she assured herself it was for the benefit of anyone listening in on their conversation. “I won’t be long, I promise.”
He entered the living room, receiving a clap on the back from Thomas along with a grin. “She’s just lovely, Grant.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he answered before Julia could no longer overhear the specifics of the conversation.
She scurried down the hall to the nearest restroom, ducking inside and locking the door behind her with a sigh of relief at the single solitary moment. She hated to leave the quietness behind after she’d checked her makeup, but she forced herself out of the room.
As she continued down the hall, a shuffling noise called her attention to an open door. Her eyebrows knit as she approached it. Who would be in the private library now?
Perhaps Grant had brought someone down for a private conversation. She considered continuing on without peeking in when her curiosity got the better of her.
She wrapped her fingers around the handle as she peered through the small opening in the door. Her heart stopped at the sight.
Sierra’s business colleague, Christopher Metcalfe, rifled through the desk drawer. Julia shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she considered what, if anything, she should do. A knot of unease formed in her stomach. What was he looking for? Was it tied to Grant’s company?
She had to do something, but cautiously. Her next steps could send more ripples through the pond than she hoped.
She drew the line as he swung open a portrait and stared at the safe behind it, snapping a few pictures of it. Her eyebrow arched up, and as he closed it, she tugged the door open. “Mr. Metcalfe? Have you lost your way from the powder room to the party?”
He slid his phone into his pocket as he grinned at her. “Yes. I was just about to text Sierra for a rescue.”
“Well, I’d be happy to escort you back to the party.”
“Oh, wonderful. We won’t disturb her, then.”
Julia waited for him to join her in the hall before she led him back toward the living room. “So, how did you and Sierra connect again?”
“Oh, uh, I really admire her work with the publishing company. Given my expertise in marketing, I think it would be mutually beneficial for our companies to interface as she reinvents the label.”
Julia crinkled her brow at the string of nonsensical words spilling from his mouth without actually answering her question. “Right. Given Sierra’s branding experience, I’m surprised she’d call in another company.”
“Well, Sierra has a wonderful eye for branding, but marketing is more than just image.”
Julia offered him a polite smile as they stepped into the living room. He seemed anxious to be away from her, and she was soon swamped with conversation from Caroline and Greg.
With no further incidents, the party wrapped up within ninety minutes. Together, they saw their guests off.
“Really lovely to learn more about you, Julia,” Caroline said as she offered Julia and polite hug. “I hope to see you at a few more events. And don’t forget the meeting on Wednesday afternoon for the board of directors for the ballet. I’m looking forward to having a friend on that.”
“I look forward to it, too.”
“Yes,” Veronica said, arching an eyebrow. “It sounds like we will see you much more given that you plan to stick around, which is more than I can say about the last few. You just may have made your first wise decision in years, Grant.”
“I’d hardly say my first, but this is certainly one of my best,” he answered. The words seemed to roll so easily off his tongue, that she wondered if anyone could tell when he was lying. She wondered if even he could tell.
Sierra saw off her new business contact with a wave and slammed the door shut. She set her discerning gaze on Grant and Julia. “Well, that went well.”
“Yes, Julia was brilliant. With any luck, we’ll turn the tides of this hostile board before the holiday.”
Grant turned to Julia but before he could speak, Sierra cut in. “Let’s have a drink. We need to talk.”
She stomped her way to the living room. Grant grabbed Julia’s hand, tugging her along with him.
Sierra poured herself a brandy and spun to face them. “So, what did you think about Christopher? Pretty great, right?”
“Sierra, let’s talk about this tomorrow,” Grant began.
“I want fresh opinions off the cuff. Come on!” Sierra demanded.
Julia wondered if she should say anything about what she’d witnessed. It wasn’t part of her “job,” but she’d feel awful if somehow this made things worse and she’d not said anything, so she offered her opinion. “I thought there was something off about him.”
Grant glanced at her, his eyebrows raising. Sierra wrinkled her nose. “What?”
“Well, on my way back from the powder room, I found him in the private library, looking through the desk.”
Sierra clicked her tongue. “I don’t buy that.”
“I don’t think Julia would lie,” Grant countered.
“Really? Because she’s been doing a pretty good job of it all night.”
Julia’s cheeks burned at the insinuation.
“That’s not fair,” Grant shot back.
“It is. And besides, who asked her?” Sierra set her angry gaze on Julia. “You’re not paid to think. You’re paid to be a pretty bauble on my Daddy’s arm.”
The words hit her. She’d worked hard to maintain her independence and intellect, but now found it unwelcome. The moment provided a harsh reminder of the delicate balance she was trying to maintain.
“Sierra, that’s enough,” Grant barked. “Apologize.”
Sierra crossed her arms. “No. Now, if you wouldn’t mind running along, Julia. The adults need to talk.”
Julia pulled her chin back, biting her tongue. Sierra was right. She wasn’t being paid to interfere, yet she always managed to stick her nose into places it shouldn’t have been stuck. She wanted to melt into the floor. How had she gone from promising herself not to become involved to being put in her place again?
“Absolutely not, Sierra. Apologize.”
Sierra’s eyes went wide. “No!”
Grant set his jaw, and Sierra slammed her glass down on the table and curled her fingers into fists.
“I’m not going to say this again, Sierra–”
“And I’m not doing it!”
“Okay, whoa, time out,” Julia said, stepping between them.
“Julia–” Grant began, his voice softer.
“I think we just all need to take a step back.”
“You definitely do,” Sierra said to her.
Julia pressed her lips together. She couldn’t argue with her. “Okay, I’m going to let you discuss this privately.”
“Julia, wait,” Grant said as she took a step toward the door.
“I think it’s for the best,” she said, continuing into the hall.
“Wait, we were supposed to talk,” he said.
Julia flicked her gaze back to the living room momentarily. “I think Sierra is more important right now. You should talk to her.”
She took another step when he stopped. “Wait, what she said–”
“Isn’t wrong. I think some lines have gotten blurred, and she’s feeling upset by that. You should stay with her.”
His forehead crinkled as he stared down at her.
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
He bobbed his head up and down, but she wasn’t certain he agreed. “Tomorrow.”
She offered him a slight smile before she glanced back at Sierra who sipped her brandy and paced back and forth. “Good luck.”
He chuckled at her statement. “I’ll need it.”
His hand lingered on hers for a moment before she pulled away and headed for the stairs. She sucked in a breath. Despite her best efforts, the lines had blurred even more. And she had no idea what she was going to do about that. Nor about the fact that an increasingly hostile Sierra had brought a corporate spy into their midst.