19. Holden
19
HOLDEN
W hile I was gone in the days following Leni’s surgery, somehow, the news of our relationship spread through E last year, we doubled our profits from the previous year, and we are officially out of physical space for staff. On top of that practical concern, a few of our senior architects are ready and very much deserve to become junior partners. If we don’t make room for them to start managing teams of their own, they’re bound to do what Bram and I did all those years ago—leave and become competitors. A business expansion of this size is a proactive, much-needed step, but a lot has changed since we began putting things into motion last summer.
Financially, I’ll be fine. On paper, anyway, I could retire tomorrow and take care of myself, and Leni, for that matter, for the rest of our lives. E&V is my life’s work, though, and I hate the idea of its progress faltering.
There’s nothing I can do about it right now, though, and I refuse to overlook how happy my girlfriend makes me because her father isn’t happy about it. So, when the end of the work week finally crawls to a close, and my staff is busy arguing over who will be taking Cross Beam home for the weekend—because god forbid a rodent be left alone in an enormous, temperature controlled environment for two whole days—I feel my heart lift as Leni hobbles into my office.
“So, I know I said I wasn’t going to use dating the boss to my advantage,” she begins.
I chuckle, standing with a stretch. “Yes, I believe there was an HR form or fifteen that you signed to that effect.”
This statement is ignored. “ Please , can I use your bathroom? Because I’m very sad and my leg really hurts, and I don’t want to go all the way down the hall to the bathroom that doesn’t have the backlit mirror and the nice toilet paper.”
“I’m beginning to suspect you’re using your surgically repaired leg as a means to manipulate me, Miss Vogel.”
Leni doesn’t miss a beat, nodding, her expression grave. “I definitely am. Is it working?”
“No, but I do love you. So, I’m inclined to grant your bathroom request on that alone.” I open the door for her.
“Damn, being in love rocks.” Leni beams as she shuffles past on her crutches, pausing only to kiss my cheek before slipping inside and closing the door behind her.
Grinning to myself, I start packing up my laptop and various chargers as out in the office, people begin leaving for the weekend. I’m determined to set aside my concerns about work for a few days, as nothing is going to be resolved now.
Or so I thought.
The last thing I’m expecting is for a cool voice to sound from behind me as I’m searching through a pile of paperwork for the contracts I wanted to look over this weekend.
“She’s been happy lately.”
I start, whipping around to find Bram Vogel standing in the doorway. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets, and his gaze is appraising. Slowly, recovering myself, I nod. “Yes. She has.”
Bram moves further into my office, his eyes surveying the nearly empty workspace beyond the glass walls. Almost everyone has gone home for the night. “For months I’ve been trying to shove her into therapy and college, but she starts working for you, and suddenly she’s smiling again.”
I stare at him, searching for the correct response to this. Bram doesn’t seem to need one, however. He shakes his head, grimacing. “I recognize I didn’t exactly put myself in a position of moral authority, here. Surely you can see why I wouldn’t approve, though.”
Years of fucking around, side by side, hang heavily in the air between us.
I nod. “Yeah. I do. Would anyone’s disapproval have kept you from Sophie, though?”
We both know the answer to that. Bram’s jaw tightens. “Lenora and Sophie are at very different places in their lives. Len is delicate right now?—”
I snort. “Delicate? Have you met your daughter?” Bram glowers at me, but I ignore him as I continue. “She got knocked down, hard , and it’s taken her a while to get back up, but that doesn’t make her delicate. Did it ever occur to you that maybe tiptoeing around and treating her like she’s broken might not be helping?”
There’s no way that arguing with him is going to do me any favors, but surprisingly, Bram doesn’t bite back. My old friend just stares at me, grave-faced. “If you do anything to hurt her, I will make your life a living hell. I mean it, you absolute fuck.”
Recognizing this is as close to Bram’s blessing as I’m going to get, I don’t hesitate to take it. “Fine,” I agree. “If anyone’s in danger here, though, it’s me.”
Bram’s answering look is withering. “Lenora hasn’t quit a single thing in her life. I doubt she’s going to start now.” And, without another word, he turns, walking out of my office and out of sight.
A few seconds later, the bathroom door behind me snicks open. “Wow,” Leni offers as she appears at my side. “Who knew Bram Cracker had it in him to be so benevolent.”
I snort, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the crown of her hair. “We should get out of here before he changes his mind. Any chance you’ll let me carry you down the stairs?”
“That’s a hard pass.”
“I figured.” I kiss her hair again, my chest full to bursting. “Let’s go home?”
“Yeah,” Leni agrees, her smile soft as she tilts her head back to meet my eyes. “Let’s go home.”