Chapter 20 #2
“Our lives were chaos, darling. Six children is madness. And Lanie was supposed to be our last baby, but… fate had other plans. David never complained—not once—when they had nowhere to go. They’d wind up there after school.
Davey and Daphne were common sights in that building.
Their school wasn’t far off. The man had the patience of a saint.
The joke was he closed more deals with a baby on his knee than any other man in the business. ”
“That’s so adorable. Everyone says the sweetest things about him.”
“He wasn’t perfect, but he was ours—all ours.
He’d do anything to protect us. It has been difficult on all the kids.
They lost their biggest champion. And Davey…
” Danna shook her head. “Well, he’s struggled the most. He lacks direction.
Daphne struggled through a divorce, but she is so ambitious.
Davey is… cocky, but projects because he’s insecure.
The others didn’t rely as much on their father.
They never wanted to work for the business. ”
I snickered at that assessment. “I’m sorry, but you just confirmed something for me.”
Danna set the picture down, turning back. “Why my son?”
Once more, words failed. “I… I…”
“You do not have to tell me. I realized something was going on the day before yesterday. Davey was… preoccupied with you. He got defensive at dinner. He doesn’t do that unless he’s invested.”
“It’s complicated,” I said.
“Everything with you young people is complicated! There is very little in common between you two.”
“Well, perhaps, Lady Danna, it’s better to ask your son why he has come onto me?”
I recognized that face from when Daphne would put someone in their place.
She set her jaw. “Darling, you take offense, but you shouldn’t. You’re ambitious and clever. He likes pretty girls, yes, but you’re not his average date. You’re too bright.”
“Davey isn’t my type, either,” I said. “When I met him, I had no idea who he was. Daphne and I are friends, but I never met any of the rest of you. We just met at a bar and… that’s how it started. I didn’t intend to throw myself at him or anything. Dating the boss isn’t my thing.”
“What is your type?”
I grimaced. She was the overly involved mother who would doubt a woman who didn’t find her precious son attractive.
“What? It cannot be that embarrassing!”
I opened my mouth but stopped as the door opened. I was saved by Davey’s arrival.
“Mother, I need to speak to Eva.”
“Well, I must speak with you,” Danna said.
“No. Not until I speak with Eva and leadership. Then, you can let me have it,” Davey said.
They exchanged the steeliest of glances before she reluctantly disappeared, closing the door. Davey approached, rubbing my shoulders.
“Eva, I am sorry if she said something—”
“We were talking about happy old memories,” I said. “It’s okay. She wasn’t rude.”
Davey kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry. For all of this, let me just apologize.”
“What is happening?”
“I am about to beg for mercy in front of everyone,” Davey said. “And I wanted to explain to you what will happen. It will affect you.”
“Okay, so how?”
“I have to make up a story about how much I’m in love with you. It needs to look much more innocent than it began.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well, I’m sorry you have to pretend to like me.”
“Eva, I don’t have to pretend to like you.
I do. I like you a lot. I adore you.” Davey pulled my chin towards his gaze.
“It won’t be hard to make it believable, but, I don’t want to freak you out.
I will smooth everything over on your behalf.
I am taking all of this on the chin. Don’t panic. Focus on you.”
“This is a disaster. Claire is—”
“If Claire says boo, I will fire her,” Davey said. “But she won’t. She likes you more than she likes me.”
I snickered.
“Are you okay with the ruse?”
I shrugged. “It probably would make the medicine go down better. Whatever we must do.”
Davey
“So, given the events of today, I must explain my situation,” Davey said. “This matter that will be… uncomfortable. All I ask is that you consider that it involves someone else in this room.”
How did anyone say with credibility that they knocked up their sister’s direct report but didn’t know who she was? On top of that, I had to lie that I was in love with her all while I felt her internal cringe from across the room.
“Miss Pavlak was rushed off this morning for her wrist but also out of an abundance of caution for her well-being,” I explained. “And I’ve had some questions about why I went with her and rescheduled the strategy session. Well, I am going to answer all of that.”
“Obviously, you two are in a relationship,” Norm said. “I knew that from when you brought her to dinner.”
“Wait, how?” I asked.
“You left with her,” Norm said.
“I… I brought her home. I can assure you that was all very innocent.”
Norm crossed his arms.
“Are you in a relationship with my direct report, David?” Claire demanded with a frightening glare.
“Yes, but it wasn’t my intent to date your direct report. See, a funny thing happened.”
“Funny?” Our head general counsel wanted to kill me.
“He didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know he was Daphne’s brother.” Eva valiantly bailed me out. “He was a guy I met while out with friends. It was all very Shakespearean and innocent like he said.”
Innocent. Was a broken condom and a resulting couple of kids innocent? Was making a strange woman cum on your hand in a men’s room quaint?
Under her expectant gaze, I cleared my throat. “So, when she appeared on day one, neither of us was sure how to act.”
“Is that why you’ve been so cold to her?” Claire asked.
No, I’ve just been an asshole, and she barely tolerates me.
“Yes,” I said. “I actually love Eva, so that is difficult.”
The words rolled off my tongue effortlessly. This conversation pained me, but the words didn’t. I tested the waters.
“We figured we’d just ignore it. And given that I’ve been very clear with Daphne about Eva reporting to Daphne and you, Claire, I have stayed out of it. I intend to do the same. We will remain professional.”
Eva nodded.
“So, why did you feel the need to tell us?” Norm wondered. “Bosses date their employees all the time, Davey.”
“Yes, well, there’s more,” I moved uneasily on the balls of my feet. “Eva is pregnant. And while that is a bit of a surprise, it’s… well, it’s happening so, when she fell—”
“Oh my God,” Bob said. “Eva, I am even more aggrieved. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Eva smiled. “Everything is good—minus the sprain.”
I wanted to rush through the rest, crawl into a hole, and die. “I know there will be some logistics to clear up. I will take leave shortly after Daphne returns. We will work everything out in the coming months.”
“There will be continuity,” Daphne insisted. “I will step up to fill the role of CEO in the interim.”
“Correct,” I agreed.
She said it with such pride, even my heart swelled.
Claire did the math. “Eva, you’re sixteen weeks pregnant or thereabouts?”
“I’m almost thirteen,” Eva said. “We weren’t planning on telling anyone.”
“But why so soon?”
“I’m having twins,” Eva answered. “Which is why, returning from the hospital, we needed a moment. They didn’t see the second baby until they were checking me for any issues. Thankfully, both are fine. But they are going to deliver me by thirty-six weeks.”
“Three babies in a few months,” Norm said. “The office will be busy. Your father would approve.”
I smiled. It was bittersweet because I knew there was nothing more Dad would have wanted than to be surrounded by a bevy of rambunctious grandkids.
My only regret in that moment was that Dad would never meet our children—he’d never know them.
It wasn’t how they came to be. It wasn’t the complication.
It was how much I missed him. In truth, he would have loved Eva.
She’d have charmed him with her dry sense of humor but would never meet him. Grief hit.
Daphne saw it, probably felt it, too. “It’s hard. Sometimes, I feel like he’s still around. And while life is wild, we’re a family company—we’re not a public company. So, in situations like this—unexpected, wonderful ones—we pull together, right?”
“Right,” I agreed. “You cannot keep a Delphine down.”