Chapter 12
It’s Monday and time to deal with the hangover from Friday night.
I pull up an email from Gregory and dial his number.
It’s before nine in the morning and I wonder if he’ll be in the office.
My heart is beating so fast, I feel my blood pulsing in my head.
Not helped by the incredibly annoying hold music.
The weight of my decision draws my hands to my temples, as I wonder for the last time whether I’m about to do the right thing.
His face appears on my screen. ‘Scarlett.’
‘Hi.’
‘I didn’t know if I’d hear from you again.’
I’ve turned myself inside and out for two days and now the moment is here.
‘I need to return my dress.’
His exhale is louder than he probably intends it be through my headphones. ‘It’s yours; keep it. No one else would do it justice. Is that the reason you called?’ There’s disappointment written all over his face: the confirmation I needed. I won’t be another person who lets him down.
‘No. I – I wanted to let you know that I’ll finish my markup of the Sale and Purchase Agreement and send the latest version to you before lunch. If you’re free, we can walk through the changes this afternoon.’
‘You’re going to stick with us?’
‘No. I’m going to stick with you .’
After a silence he says, ‘Thank you, Scarlett.’
Even through the computer, I know he’s looking directly at me, I feel it. I could listen to my name slip from his tongue a thousand times a day and never tire of it. But that’s not the deal I made with myself and after this transaction closes, he won’t be saying my name again.
* * *
The usual receptionist snarls at me and flashes a toothy grin to Jack then leads us, Jack first, keenly following her perfectly formed arse, to the Eclectic boardroom.
Before I have a chance to say hello to Lawrence and Williams, who are already sitting at the table, a hand grabs the bare flesh of my wrist. The sensation ignites my skin, telling me instantly who it is.
My body reacts before my mind. I stagger back against the glass pane of the empty office adjacent to the boardroom.
Everything I felt on Friday night as he held my body to his and moved us around the dance floor is still there, as I stare at his lips.
‘I just want to say thank you.’
His face is close to mine, closer than it ought to be. My mind feels dizzy with his proximity and I think I could break even my own rules. But…
‘Gregory, you should know that I’m here as your lawyer. Only your lawyer. What Pearson did… no child should have to see that. But after this deal, I think you should find another lawyer.’
I press my fingertips to his dark-blue blazer and keep my gaze down, too afraid to look up and be hypnotised.
He holds open the boardroom door for me.
As we step inside, Williams gives Gregory a questioning look, which is no match for the what was that about?
glare I receive from Jack. Gregory takes a seat next to me as we walk through the key provisions of the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
Our eyes meet on numerous occasions and he seems more engaged with the deal than the last time I saw him.
It’s a good thing. He’s my client and this is a corporate transaction. Yet I can’t help feeling bereft.
After an hour or so, a loud snort, followed by Lawrence jerking himself awake in his chair, makes us all turn towards him. He wipes his mouth and looks at the saliva on the back of his hand like someone else must have put it there.
‘Nice one, old man!’ Williams laughs, patting Lawrence’s belly.
‘Terribly sorry, Scarlett,’ Lawrence says to me. He sits up to attention in his chair and feigns excessive interest. ‘Carry on, it’s excellent.’
I will myself not to react but the stress of the last few days gets the better of me.
My laughter bursts from me like helium from a popped balloon.
It’s loud and childlike and feels amazing.
I place the tips of my fingers in front of my mouth but the laughter keeps coming.
I stop when I hear Gregory laughing with me, a soft but baritone sound.
Williams joins, followed by Lawrence and, with the exception of Jack, who seems to have missed the joke, we laugh until my ribs ache.
Gregory shuffles in his chair, regaining composure.
He straightens his trousers and spreads his knees apart.
I inhale sharply when his knee touches mine and glance in his direction, hopelessly wishing it were intentional.
His expression gives nothing away. I should break our contact but my limbs don’t move.
With my knee pressed lightly against his, I continue to trawl through the provisions of the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
* * *
Lawrence calls a break a little after six-thirty and I excuse myself to the ladies’.
Jack’s standing outside, staring at me, when I open the door back into the hallway. I assess the corridor. We’re alone.
‘Jack! You gave me a shock.’
He continues to glare but says nothing. The sound of the lift crossing between floors is the only noise.
I make a move to step around him but he blocks me with his arm, forcing me to back into the cold, metal wall.
The sensor ceiling lights to our right go out.
He’s been waiting for me for at least five minutes, long enough for the sensors to detect a lack of movement.
‘Excuse me,’ I say, lightly pushing at his chest, trying to move along the wall. He slams his left hand on the wall close to my head, blocking my path.
‘Running off to your boyfriend?’ His voice is hoarse. His breath is hot and stinks of tobacco.
‘Jack, please, you know he’s not my boyfriend. He’s a client, that’s all.’
‘You know what the problem is, Scarlett? You lead everyone on. You make men think that you’re desperate to spread your legs.’
He moves his mouth so close to mine, I can taste his breath.
I turn my head away from him. The lights next to us flash on.
Gregory appears. Tall. Broad. Still. Protective and intimidating all at once.
Jack drops his arm from the wall, opening my escape route.
I want to run to Gregory. Instead, I nod in gratitude as I walk past him.
He doesn’t acknowledge me. He doesn’t even move. His eyes are locked on Jack.
I pause before re-entering the boardroom, waiting for my hands to stop trembling.
It must be five minutes before Gregory returns, maybe longer.
He examines me from afar and I hang my head, shamed and embarrassed.
Gregory lies that Jack was feeling unwell so had to leave.
Williams looks confused but asks no questions.
Not knowing what else to do, I go back to working through the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
From the corner of my eye, I see Gregory take off his silver-grey tie, undo the top button of his white shirt, then rest back against his leather chair.
I briefly glance in his direction and see red, swollen knuckles on his clenched fist. My distraction causes me to pause, giving Gregory time to check his watch and call time on our meeting.
‘Jackson will take you home.’
* * *
Gregory’s hands rest on the frame of the back door to the Mercedes. I look from his red knuckles to his eyes and wonder just how many sides to this man there are.
‘Thank you.’
He watches me. His face constricts. Then he closes the door before having an agitated conversation with Jackson.
Gregory shakes his head then rubs his knuckles.
Jackson gets into the car and we drive away, leaving Gregory watching from the street.
I turn to look at him through the back window as he grows smaller and eventually disappears.
‘Are you okay?’ Jackson asks, addressing me through the rear-view mirror.
I nod. That’s all I can do.
* * *
As I walk the corridor to my office with Amanda, who’s discussing her date last night with Williams through a bite of breakfast bagel, a man from General Office wheels a stack of boxes labelled Jack Jones past us and in the direction of the exit.
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa!’ I place a hand against the tower of boxes until the man stops. ‘Margaret?’ I call towards the secretaries’ station. ‘Margaret, where are these boxes going?’
‘You haven’t heard?’ she says, toddling towards me. ‘Jack resigned from the partnership last night. Well, rumour has it he was pushed.’ She taps her index finger to one side of her nose.
‘What?’
The image of Gregory’s angry, swollen fist comes crashing to my mind and I stomp to my office. Livid, I call him.
‘Ryans.’ It sounds like he’s answering on the move.
‘Tell me this is nothing to do with yesterday.’
‘Pleasure to hear from you, Scarlett. It would be more pleasant if I knew what you’re talking about.’
‘You know exactly what I’m talking about. Jack Jones. You’ve had him fired, haven’t you? Christ, how hard did you hit him?’
‘He’s a sick fuck, Scarlett, and I won’t have him anywhere near you. He’s going to get what’s coming to him.’
My head jerks in shock at his venom first but the adrenalin coursing through my body has nothing to do with that.
‘He didn’t touch me, Gregory.’
‘I’m not taking any chances with your safety and that’s the end of it.’
‘I’m not your responsibility.’
There’s silence on the line and so many emotions are mixing in my head, my body doesn’t know which to react to first. Part of me really wants to be his responsibility.
And the logical part of me remembers that I’m just his lawyer and that’s all I’m ever going to be.
‘I can’t do this without him, Gregory. I’m not qualified enough or good enough to finish this deal alone. ’
‘You are good enough, Scarlett. I trust you and that’s not something I say lightly, believe me.’
With that, he hangs up, leaving me to wallow in my own panic.
So now I have two days to complete the Sale and Purchase Agreement and all the ancillary documents for the takeover. The hostile takeover. Alone.
My client thinks he can trust me but I can’t even trust myself. Thursday can’t come soon enough. I’ll go right back to ordinary Scarlett Heath and I’ll forget all about this man who’s sent my entire world spinning on a new orbit.