Chapter 6
In the weeks after Aiden decided that we could go home early, things had gone from that brief glimmer of good, to downright unbearable.
He'd been living up to this reputation as best he could, and yet, every once in a while, I found him looking at me in a way that can only be considered predatory, like I was something he really wanted.
Those moments passed as quickly as they arrived, and afterwards, he dialled up the complete arsehole routine.
When Tim died, he had left us well taken care of.
His life assurance policy had paid off the mortgage on our house and had made sure that university fees would never be a worry for Addison.
It would never replace my husband, but it comforted me to think he had thought about how to take care of us, even when he wasn't here anymore, long before he knew he was even sick.
I knocked on Aiden's door and entered. I smiled, set his routine coffee and muffin on his desk, and waited with my tablet to go over his diary as usual.
"Thanks, Ellis. I needed this!" He smiled and took a mouthful of coffee.
"Hit me with today's schedule." He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes, and looking like he hadn't slept at all.
"Rough night?" I was being a little nosy, and more informal than usual, but he seemed like an ear was just what he needed right now.
"I just spent far too long looking at the surveys that have come back on the forty-three JLC Holdings properties."
"Anything I need to follow up on?" I knew if he had found anything, he would want me to chase up on estimates for repairs, potential problems that might occur, and any other factors that might arise.
"Not that I’ve found so far. I still have fourteen to look over, but at the minute, there's nothing that really puts me off.
I have a report for you. It's mostly just maintenance work rather than anything major, so if you can get prices from the usual people.
Also, we're going to need to start looking for three new property managers.
We still haven't found anyone for Jim's properties and there have been grumbles about being overstretched from the other three managers who are sharing the responsibility for his area. "
I took notes on everything he mentioned. I would start chasing this up the second I left his office.
"When is the next meeting with JLC anyway?" he asked.
"Thursday morning at ten."
He nodded and drank more coffee.
"Who is sitting in on that one?"
I tapped the calendar app. "This is the one with Alan Jenkins and Everett Lowell themselves."
He groaned. "Good old J and L themselves.
Fabulous ." Sarcasm dripped off the last word.
I smirked. The owners of JLC had a reputation themselves.
They hated each other but made far too much money together to ever part ways, so meetings with them were usually unproductive and infuriating.
"I think that's one of the days we should have nothing else scheduled after it. I think we’ll need a drink afterwards. Book a table somewhere for lunch for both of us. We’ll call it a reward for surviving Jenkins and Lowell. "
I was caught a little by surprise. "Both of us?"
He looked at me with an intense stare. "Yes. I would like to reward my assistant for doing a good job. Is that okay with you?"
There it was again, that predatory look. Fuck, I wanted to be his prey. I held his stare. "That's more than okay with me."
“Well, I think that will do the both of us for now. See what you can do.” He nodded, and I knew that was my cue to turn and leave. “Oh, Aiden?” I turned to look at him. “Thank you for calling Liz and asking her to pay me what you have. I really appreciate it.”
He smiled at me. A beautiful, full, beaming grin. “You’re very welcome.” I nodded and headed back to my desk, in awe of the beauty of his smile when it reached his eyes.