Chapter Eight #2
I didn’t have to see him until that afternoon when we had a meeting with our account managers.
About an hour before the meeting, I heard a knock on the adjoining door.
I looked up and grinned as I saw the doorknob twist, and twist some more.
It made my day for at least a minute or two.
It didn’t take too long, though, before there was a knock on my other door.
I sighed. I knew who it was, but I had no choice but to say, “Come on in.”
He stepped in. “Ms. Bryant, there seems to be something wrong with the door. It wouldn’t . . .” He looked over.
“Looks good to me,” I said cheerily.
He turned back toward me, and before he could say a word, I cut him off at the pass. “I did some rearranging today, do you like it?”
“Not particularly.” He frowned.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess you can add it to the ever-growing list of things you don’t like about me or how I do things. Anyway, what can I help you with, Mr. Greyson?”
“Kel— Ms. Bryant, I don’t have time to address that comment at this moment, but believe me I will. Right now, we need to go over the agenda for the managers meeting, and I need to get some sales numbers from you.”
I motioned for him to have a seat, and we discussed the agenda.
We only disagreed on a few points. He kept pinching the bridge of his nose.
Apparently, I gave him a headache like he gave me one.
I almost offered him some Tylenol, but then I thought he deserved to suffer.
When we went over sales numbers and goals it got a little contentious as we haggled about where those numbers should be, but we eventually ended up on the same page as we each gave in a little.
“It’s important we show a united front and convey we’re a team, Ms. Bryant.” He stood ready to leave for the meeting.
“I guess you want to be team captain.”
He offered me a sincere smile. “That’s what I’ve been hired to do.”
“I suppose so.”
On that note, we walked down together to face the troops.
He stopped me on the landing. “I couldn’t have asked for a better co-captain, Ms. Bryant.”
“I don’t know whether to believe you or not but thank you.”
He tilted his head. “I’ve never lied to you.”
“Hmm.” Maybe he hadn’t ever really lied to me, but when you tell someone daily how much you’re crazy for her and then all of a sudden you stop for no real reason, it kind of seems like a lie. But that was ancient history, right?
“What?” He seemed confused.
I sighed. “Nothing, let’s just get this meeting over with.”
He took a moment to peer into my eyes as if he were desperate to know all my thoughts. I refused to allow him access. I turned with a loud exhale and walked down the stairs.
The meeting went better than I expected.
I tried my best to soften Mr. Greyson’s rigid, no-nonsense way of putting things.
I was proud that I did it without once contradicting him.
Instead, I used humor and charm to get our point across.
Honestly, I agreed with a lot of his ideas and plans, I only hated his delivery.
His brilliance was masked by his seriousness.
I kept hoping he would lighten up just a little, but that thought made me sad because I used to make it my job to get him to do just that.
I was exhausted by the time I got home. I had a hunch I would be feeling that way a lot now. Working with Mr. Greyson was emotionally taxing, and if I had to keep moving furniture, it was going to be physically taxing as well. I laughed to myself thinking about him trying to open that door.
But no matter how tired I was, I was going to belly dancing class.
I needed some happy endorphins. It worked marvelously too.
I loved our little instructor, Roslyn, from Panama.
Her favorite phrases were, “Sexy ladies, show your body who is boss,” “Pop that booty,” and my favorite, “Check those inhibitions at the door.” I loved that for an hour I could pretend that I was some exotic, graceful dancer, all while burning calories. It was a win-win situation.
Just as I was feeling fabulous from the full effects of the endorphins, I was reminded why I had so desperately needed them.
As I was walking out of the Y, he was walking in.
Of course he is. He had already invaded every other place in my life, why not here, my happy endorphin place?
We both stopped on the sidewalk near the entrance.
He was smiling mischievously as his eyes roved over my form fitting tank top and exercise pants.
Not something I really wanted him to see me in, but oh well.
At least he couldn’t tell me it was unbecoming of an executive.
“Mr. Greyson, let me guess, you have a membership at the Y, too.”
“I have to work out somewhere.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, enjoy your workout.”
I walked away without another word but turned back to catch another glimpse of him in his tight-fitting tee and shorts. Was he ever easy on the eyes, but unfortunately, he was watching me. He smirked at me, and I quickly turned around and hurried my pace. Stupid man.
When I walked in my apartment door, Charlie looked up at me lazily as if to say, You silly woman.
I walked over and scratched his head. “You’re right Charlie, I am a silly woman.
” He purred in agreement. I showered quickly, threw on some sweatpants and a tee.
I sat cross-legged on my couch, turned on some mindless television, and enjoyed some warmed-up stew from the night before.
My sister called and we chatted about my fun day.
I had a feeling she was only calling me now for pure entertainment purposes, and honestly, as I recounted my day to her, I sounded ridiculous, moving furniture to block doors. What was I thinking?
As I was saying good night to my nieces, there was a knock on my door.
I figured it was my neighbor, Faith, who I liked, but she used me as her second pantry.
She probably needed an egg or something.
I finished making kissing sounds and told Court and Sam I loved them before heading for my door.
I opened it to find I should have ignored it.
There stood Mr. Greyson, with a pint of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream along with two spoons, grinning like a fool in well-fitting dark jeans and a handsome button-up shirt.
“Mr. Greyson, do I dare even ask what you are doing here?”
“Kelli, please call me Ian.”
“At the office, too?”
He thought for a moment, a battle raging in his eyes.
“Mr. Greyson it is then.”
He sighed and held up the ice cream, which happened to be my favorite ice cream ever. “I brought a peace offering.”
I bit my lip and carefully weighed my decision on whether I should let him in or not. “How about just the ice cream stays?”
He pulled the ice cream back. “No deal.”
“Fine, come in.” I could use a chocolate binge after the day I had. I motioned toward my couch. “Have a seat, I’ll get some bowls.”
He held up the two spoons. “Bowls aren’t necessary.”
“Are you sure you want to share ice cream with me? That seems a little too unsanitary for you.” He had worried about those types of things when I previously knew him.
He surprised me with a wink. “I’ve already been inoculated against you.”
I felt a little heat in my cheeks. What a thing to say.
Not that it wasn’t true, we had swapped plenty of germs in our day, but that was ages ago.
Sharing food still didn’t bother me, so I joined him on my cocoa-colored chenille couch.
I sat close, but not too close, with my legs cross-legged, facing him.
He handed me a spoon and opened up the carton. “Ladies first, or is it beauty before age?”
I took the spoon and scooped up a large spoonful as I eyed him warily. “Either works,” I responded before I indulged in heaven.
He watched me as I ate the first bite. His sweet and gentle grin had me feeling a little off.
I nervously ran my fingers through my still damp hair. “What?”
“I was just thinking about the last time we had ice cream together. You were in a similar outfit, but we were sitting outside.”
I wished he would quit talking about the past. It both bothered and delighted me that he remembered such details. I decided to ignore the memory part. “Do you have something against this attire too?”
“Not at all.”
“Hmm . . . then maybe I’ll wear something similar to the office tomorrow,” I said with a very wicked grin.
He hung his head. “I didn’t mean to offend you or demoralize you today.”
“Wow, you weren’t even trying. You’re good.”
He let out a deep breath and gave me his what am I going to do with you look. I had seen it before. “Kelli, I just want this company to succeed.”
“You realize we want the same thing then, right?” I took another large bite of ice cream.
He still hadn’t eaten any.
“I do realize that,” he responded.
I pointed with my spoon toward the carton. “I hope you realize too, that I may eat this whole pint.”
He dived right in with his spoon. He’d seen me down an entire container before.
While he was eating, I took advantage of his silence.
“You know, you really need to lighten up. First of all, you’re taking over an already-successful company with good, hardworking people.
Secondly, you’re in the South, and we like friendly people down here.
And lastly, life is too short to be so serious all the time, even at work. ”
He stuck his spoon in the ice cream and scooted closer.
I almost scooted back, but I held firm.
“That sounds like a speech I’ve heard a few times before.”
“And did you listen to it?” I whispered.
“I don’t know, did I, Kelli?”
I nervously ran my fingers through my hair. That was Ian talking, but Mr. Greyson was in front of me. Boy did he look like Ian and boy did I like it. He’s your boss, Kelli, and remember he left you with no thought at all. “Um, well, the question is if you are listening to it now.”
His chest rose and fell dramatically. “Someday Kelli . . . we’re going to talk about the past.”
I shrugged my shoulders and took another large bite of ice cream. That was a dangerous and painful road. I wasn’t sure I was ready to take that road with him, now or ever.
“Kelli, I understand what you’re telling me now, but believe me, it’s not that simple. I had to learn the hard way not to mix my professional life with my personal life.”
“But you ended up with a very successful company,” I countered.
“After lots of mistakes and at great cost.”
I hesitated to ask, but I was so curious. “Is that why you’re divorced?”
He was about to take another bite of ice cream, but he slowly lowered his spoon and placed it back in the carton, gazing into my eyes. I got the feeling he didn’t like me mentioning he was divorced.
“I’m sorry, your personal life is none of my business.”
“Don’t apologize. Let’s just say I married for all the wrong reasons, business being one of them.”
I cocked my head. What an odd reason, but I left it at that. I honestly didn’t like to think of him married. It reminded me that I once hoped to marry him, and he rejected me.
“So . . . Kelli, can we call a truce at the office?”
I tossed my head back and forth as I thought about his request. “I guess so, Mr. Greyson, but I hold out my right to reserve a break in said truce when I feel it necessary.”
His eyes sparkled in all their rich deliciousness. “I would expect nothing less of you.”