Chapter 21 Donovan
Donovan
As Shelley delivers her monthly financial analysis to the executive group, my mind is elsewhere.
I look over the gray skyline today, the weather a complete contrast to my mood.
The days are getting shorter, colder, and Thanksgiving is around the corner, and for the first time in many years, I won’t be by myself.
I can’t remember ever being this happy. I work hard, network harder, am always busy to the point I don’t even realize how I’ve been moving through the motions of life, not stopping to smell the roses.
Until Jessica.
“Looks great, Shelley,” one of my team says, and I glance up, seeing her presentation is now over. I don’t know her well, but she’s good friends with Jessica, and I appreciate her findings and reports each month. She’s very thorough.
“Thank you, Shelley. Let’s take a quick ten-minute break and reconvene after that,” I tell the group, and everyone stands and stretches, then goes to refill their coffees and answer a few emails before the executive meeting resumes, taking up the remainder of the day.
“Mr. York. Do you have a minute?” Shelley’s tone is professional, and I give her my full attention after looking around the room. Ashley is the only other person remaining.
“Ashley, give us a moment, please.”
“But Mr. York, you need to return the call to Asia…” Her lips purse, clearly not happy, but she can readjust my schedule; that’s her job, after all.
“Reschedule it.”
Both Shelley and I look at Ashley, waiting for her to leave, which she does, albeit with hesitance.
Once the door closes, I once again give Shelley my full attention.
“What can I help you with?”
“I know you’re my boss, and I love my job here and don’t want to jeopardize it…” she starts tentatively.
“Go on.” I nod, brow pinched, wondering what’s going on.
“Jay Jay is a very good friend of mine.”
My shoulders relax a little, the grin coming to my face almost instantly as I hear her name. Shelley’s gaze is serious, though, and now I see what this is.
“You want to give me a warning?” I shouldn’t smirk, but I do.
“Oh no… A promise.”
“A promise?” I frown in confusion.
“I know the two of you are together. I know she’s been spending time at your place. I know that she really likes you. But if you hurt her. If you cheat on her, treat her poorly, if you do anything that could hurt her… I promise…”
I blink, my smirk slipping. “Are you threatening me?”
She doesn’t flinch. “I’m telling you how far I’d go for her. She’s a good person. The most genuine person I’ve ever known.” There’s no heat in her tone, just conviction. It’s not drama. It’s devotion.
“She’s been through enough. Her parents, they’re assholes,” Shelley adds, eyes locked on mine. “So if you’re serious about her, then great. If you’re not, you need to walk away now.”
I’m stunned for a moment and equal parts impressed that Jessica has someone like this in her corner. I could fire Shelley in an instant. I could end her career. Something she knows too well. The fact that she still approached me like this just goes to show how amazing Jessica is.
“I can assure you that I’m all in with Jessica. I have no plans to hurt her, no desire to. All I want to do is make her happy. See her smile.”
Shelley smiles. “Good.”
“So… she really likes me, huh?” I ask in good humor, wanting to break the tension.
“Yeah, well… you didn’t hear it from me…” She chuckles.
“I’ll look after her, Shelley. You have my word.”
“Good. Then if that’s the case, looks like you and me will become firm friends.”
“I’d like that.” I nod, and just like that, Shelley and I shift, no longer just colleagues, but something sturdier. A quiet alliance. A shared promise to look after the woman we both adore.
She gives me a small smile, the kind that says I’m watching you, but I’m rooting for you too. Then she grabs her files and walks out the door, and my heart feels full.
I head down to the foyer at the end of my day, exhausted from the all-day meeting and hungry to see my girl. The elevator doors open to the foyer, and like the universe heard my thoughts, she’s right there, standing at the guard desk.
“Hey, you.” She grins wide, looking up at me, and in an instant, all my stress leaves my body.
“Hey, you’re still here?” I look around, seeing the lobby now almost empty, night having fallen and not many others around.
“Yeah, just finished up. Was just chatting with Frank here.”
I force my eyes to move from her and look at the security man behind the desk.
“Frank,” I say and stretch out my hand to shake his.
“Sir.” His response is wooden, and I see Jessica grin out of my peripheral.
“Please, call me Donovan.”
“Thank you for the new kitchenette and the meals. They come in handy at two in the morning when my lunchtime rolls around. Not many cafés are open at that hour.” He grins, and it’s then I think about it.
How the facilities I had in place before were subpar, and I wonder what else around here isn’t up to a standard that I thought.
“Something we should’ve rectified for you and your team sooner.”
“We all appreciate it. Well, except for my waistline… My wife tells me I need to watch my cholesterol…” Frank pats his stomach and I grin. I like this old guy. Genuine. Honest. Humorous.
“She sounds like a smart woman.” I nod at him and his eyes light up. Like the mere thought of his wife makes him the happiest man on earth, a feeling I’m starting to understand.
“We should go. Gordon is out front,” Jessica tells me.
“Have a good night you two…” Frank nods to us both.
“Thanks, Frank, see you in the morning.” Jessica gives him a warm smile, and I see him bask in it. I know, Frank… I know… “You want me to cook up some pasta again? Or we can get takeout?”
I grin at her as we step outside, this domesticated situation one that I’ve wanted for far too long.
“Anything you want…”
Donovan, is it true that you’re sleeping with your employees now?
Donovan, would your father have approved…
Donovan, is this serious?
I stop short, the media unexpected, especially with such intrusive questions. Jessica stumbles a little, the media pack getting too close.
“Donovan?” Jessica’s voice is unsure, slightly panicked as I see a group of men with cameras merge around her, cutting us off from each other.
“Back off.” I’m pissed now, no doubt the image of me splashed around tomorrow will clearly show a face full of anger.
“Step back. Everybody, step back.” A loud voice breaks through, and I see Frank stepping out and pushing people away from Jessica. I reach out and grab her as Frank helps us get to the car, where Gordon rushes to get us safely inside.
Frank closes our door, and we pull away from the curb quickly, the camera flashes following our car until we’re out of sight.
“You alright, sir?” Gordon looks back in distress.
“Jessica?” I’m panicked as my hands roam over her, her hair wild, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
That pack was fucking crazy. I’ve never had a mob like that before, not even at Fashion Week and certainly never at the entrance to my own fucking building.
“I’m okay… I’m okay…” she pants out, almost like she’s trying to assure herself.
“Did they touch you?” My jaw is locked tight. I have no idea who they all were, but if the photos are published tomorrow, I’ll know exactly what media outlet to go after.
“A little, but I’m okay.” She pulls off her coat, and I notice a red welt covering her upper arm where someone physically grabbed her. I seethe at the sight.
“Are you okay? Are the usually like that after a board meeting?” She looks up at me, concern in her eyes, but I’m pissed.
“Never. Never had that before. They came out of nowhere, like they were all lying in wait for us.” I run my hands over her hair, still ensuring she’s in one piece.
“I have no idea how they would know we were leaving together or what time we were exiting…” She frowns, thinking about it.
“It must be a very fucking slow news day. But don’t worry. I’ll fix it. It won’t happen again.” I’m adamant as I pull out my phone and send a text to the head of security.
“Thank God for Frank,” she says on a heavy breath, and I pause.
“He’ll be getting one very large raise, I can assure you.” I nod, knowing if it wasn’t for him barging through the throes of the media, we would probably still be stuck back there. Either that, or I would’ve gone apeshit.
“I don’t want you leaving the office on your own. From now on, Frank or one of the other security guys needs to walk you out.”
“Donovan…” Her words are soft but laced with warning.
“I mean it. I have no idea why they seem so set on my relationships. If this is what we are to expect, then I need you to be safe.”
“Donovan, please don’t worry. I’m fine.”
I cup her cheeks and force her eyes to mine.
“I know… you are… but if there’s a next time when I’m not with you, I need to ensure that someone is.
You’re worth protecting, Jessica. You’re worth the world to me.
” I’m dead serious, and I know she can see it in my gaze.
She may not have had many people in her life who made her feel worth it. But to me, she is.
“Okay…” she relents, and my shoulders lower as she gives me a small smile and I breathe out my stress.
“Besides, Shelley threatened to end me today if I so much as hurt a hair on your beautiful head.”
“She did?” She looks stricken, but I grin.
“Yeah, but I told her she has nothing to worry about.”
“Good, because she has one hell of a right hook.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”
“Yeah, she gave a kid in college a black eye once for looking at her ass. She laid him out flat.”
“Good to know.” I nod, and her grin widens. I match it just as Gordon drives down into my private garage and we both release sighs of relief.
We’re home.