6. Trent
TRENT
“Dee! So good to see you!”
I looked up from my computer, hearing my secretary’s voice.
Pam, a middle-aged mother of three with the practiced efficiency of a drill sergeant, tended to treat me like I was one of her sons who she’d caught making mischief.
But, like everyone, she adored Dee, who she’d connected with in my early days as CEO, shortly after I’d taken over from my parents.
I checked my phone, half rising out of my seat. There were no messages from Dee saying she was coming by. At first, I worried something was wrong, but if that was the case, why would Dee have trekked all the way out here? Surely, Sofia would have called me.
My door swung open a moment later, and Dee strode in, fresh-faced and put together.
Her pearls were in place, her hair was curled and coiffed the way she liked it, and there was a fine dusting of blush on her cheeks.
The only indication that Dee wasn’t in peak fighting form was the canister of oxygen she rolled along behind her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, buttoning my jacket as I walked around the end of my desk to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.” She looked at me funny. “I’m here for lunch, of course.”
We used to have a standing weekly lunch date, but she hadn’t felt up to coming into the office recently.
The last big event I’d managed to get her out of the house for had been the opening of the Red Lion—a new bar that was a joint venture between Aiden’s fiancée, Cora; Cora’s best friend, Jenn; and Aiden’s dad.
Since then—and especially since being placed on supplemental oxygen—she’d been mostly housebound.
“That’s great!” I said, thrilled at the exuberance in her voice and the renewed pep in her step. “So…Gallery 45?” The boutique Spanish eatery had her favorite tapas, and it was just down the street from the office. “Are you up for walking? Are you feeling okay?”
She waved off my questions, glancing over her shoulder.
“What are you looking for?”
“Nothing,” she said, turning and heading back into the hall.
I grabbed my wallet and my phone, darting after her. Pam gave me a shrug in answer to my unasked question—What’s with her? I didn’t know what had gotten into Dee today, but if it got her out of the house, I was on board.
She headed for the elevator, and we stepped inside. I hit the button for the lobby, but she reached out and quickly hit floor five.
I frowned at her.
“I just want to pop in and visit the design team,” she said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Hello everyone!” Dee called out when we got to the fifth floor, walking straight into the conference room.
Talia and Javi immediately came out to greet Dee, giving her hugs and gushing over her blouse and her shoes.
My eyes trailed to Natasha’s office. Her door was open just a smidge, and I could hear the click of a keyboard.
I scrolled through a couple quick emails while Dee caught up with the design team for a few minutes. When I looked up again, she was knocking on Natasha’s door. “Just me,” she sang.
“Dee!” Natasha said. I couldn’t see her face, but she sounded pleased. “Sorry, I was just finishing up some orientation things.”
Dee waved her off. “Leave that for now. You must join us for lunch,” she insisted. “I want to hear all about how your first day is going.”
Ah, I thought. So, this was why Nana Dee had come all the way out here. She wanted to check up on Natasha and me.
“Oh, no,” Natasha said. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Impose?” Dee said. “How would you be imposing?”
I stepped into view. Natasha’s eyes met mine over Dee’s head. She gave me a look that said, Help me. I just smirked at the way her expression turned from hopeful to annoyed when she realized I wasn’t going to intervene.
“You wouldn’t say no to an old woman dragging an oxygen tank around with her?” Dee said.
Wow, way to milk it, I thought.
“Um…no, I—” Natasha’s brow arched.
“I’m only joking,” Dee said. “But not about you coming to lunch.”
I could tell Natasha was looking for me to come up with an excuse that would allow her to remain at her desk.
But I didn’t give one. Natasha had agreed to this fake relationship for Dee’s sake, and I wasn’t about to let her squirm out of it.
If it was uncomfortable for her, too bad.
My priority was to keep that smile on Dee’s face, even if it meant sitting through a hundred uncomfortable meals with Natasha.
Natasha closed her laptop, accepting that there was no way to gracefully decline. “Where are we going?” she asked.
Dee clapped her hands. “Just down the street to Gallery 45.”
Natasha’s eyes went wide with alarm. “Isn’t that one of the restaurants inside the Glenhaven Club?” She looked down at herself. “I don’t think I’m dressed nearly nice enough for that, Dee.”
“Nonsense. You look just fine, dear.” She linked arms with Natasha and guided her back toward the elevator.
I followed them, trailing along as they chattered all the way to the club.
It let me keep an eye on Dee to make sure she stayed steady on her feet…
and I could admire the view of Natasha’s backside.
When we reached the Glenhaven Club, the hostess smiled at us as we came through the door.
“We have a visitor with us today,” Dee announced, happily, and led the way to the elevator.
When we reached Gallery 45, I waved to the girl behind the bar. She’d been serving us for years. We took our regular table by the window. The space doubled as an art gallery, and the pieces displayed on the walls switched out frequently. Dee had bought more than one piece from here over the years.
“This place is amazing,” Natasha said, looking around.
“I’ve had my eye on that one,” Dee said of a large mixed media piece in golds and greys.
“I would love to design some of your pieces around that concept,” Natasha said. “Keep me posted if you do purchase it.”
The waitress came by with menus and a jug of water.
Dee and I always shared a few dishes, so I ordered the usuals, adding extras to accommodate for Natasha.
I half expected her to snap at me for ordering for her, but she was surprisingly gracious about it.
Maybe she was willing to accept that at least when it came to this restaurant, I knew better than she did.
Dee ordered an Earl Grey tea while Natasha and I had our second coffees of the day.
“So tell me,” Dee said, “How are things going so far? How are you liking the office?”
“Good,” Natasha said. “It’s been excellent so far.”
Dee gestured in my direction. “You don’t have to say that just because of the present company.”
I huffed, and Dee patted my arm.
Natasha chuckled politely. “No, really. Things are going well. Everyone’s been lovely. No HR hiccups. I couldn’t have asked for a better first day.”
Dee squeezed her hand. “That’s what I like to hear. Trent’s lucky he stumbled upon someone as capable as she is talented.”
Natasha blushed, her cheeks turning as red as the cherry tablecloth. She tipped her head, her dark curls shading her cheeks. I couldn’t stop myself from noticing how well the color suited her. My fingers itched to touch her skin.
“Dee, is that you?” A woman came across the restaurant, her greying hair pinned back, the bracelets on her arms jangling.
“Sheila!” Dee greeted. “I must have just missed you when I stopped by the office.”
Sheila was the head of marketing. Like half the building, she and Dee were old friends. Sheila had been a bright up-and-comer while Dee was in her last years of running the company, and they’d maintained a close mentee-mentor relationship since then. Sheila leaned over, giving Dee a quick hug.
“Have you met Natasha yet?” Dee asked. “Our new designer?”
“Only in passing,” Sheila admitted. “She came by the marketing floor, but I was on a call. Think I gave you a wave.” She reached her hand out. “Good to meet you officially.”
“You too,” Natasha said, smiling.
“She’s Trent’s girlfriend,” Dee added.
I almost spit my water out. I’d been prepared to fake it for Dee, but it hadn’t occurred to me that she might introduce Natasha as my girlfriend to other people, spreading the lie.
Natasha glared at me, clearly annoyed I was letting this happen.
I glared right back. What, did she think I was thrilled by this?
Sheila smiled at me before shaking her head. “He’s a lucky man,” she said. “We’ll have to make her feel extra special.”
“Oh, no, that’s really not necessary—” Natasha started to say as Dee nodded along.
“In fact…” Sheila paused, drumming her fingers against her lips. “This is quite an interesting setup.”
Why was this interesting? No, don’t ask, I told myself, gritting my teeth. I didn’t want to know what horrible idea had sparked to life in Sheila’s mind.
But Dee asked for me. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, historically,” Sheila said, “the company’s never been stronger than when we’ve had a committed couple at the helm, running things together.”
That was absolutely true of my grandparents when they founded the company and ran it together. And I guess it was true of my parents for a while…until their relationship fell apart. But I was the one in charge now—and was Sheila really saying what I thought she was?
Natasha shot me a hard look, her cheeks flaming, and I didn’t need to wonder what she was thinking.
Fuck.
“So,” my buddy Vincent said as I finished tying my shoelaces. I stood, twisting my squash racket in my hands before shrugging my shoulders, making sure I was loose. “I talked to Nana Dee today.”
“Oh, yeah? She actually swung by the office for lunch,” I said. “Total surprise. But it was good to see her out again.”