14. Talitha #2
“Ummhmm. I’m going back to my office. I’ll be back out right before the kids show up. I got a few calls to make,” I let them know before exiting the gym and trekking down the hall to my office.
“What the hell?” I mumbled when I stepped into my office and noticed a figure sitting behind my desk.
Peeking his head up from the file in his hand, Law muttered, “I’m sorry for intruding. My iMac is doing some kind of update and I needed to hop on this Zoom really quick.”
Folding my arms, I tilted my head and stared at his lying face. “All the computers in this building and this is where you chose to come?”
“Your door was open.” He shrugged.
“Well, I’ll be in the conference room. How about you let me know when it’s safe to return to my office?”
“You don’t have to leave, it just ended.”
“Ummhmm.” Standing there with my arms still folded, I tapped my foot on the floor repeatedly and waited for him to grab his shit and get out.
After shoving papers into his briefcase, he stood and ambled past me, making my eyes roll instantly out of irritation.
Plopping down in the chair Law had just gotten out of, I logged back into my computer and pulled up my emails. My office door being shut had me momentarily peering away from the screen.
“I thought you were leaving?” I asked. Law was standing by the closed door with his briefcase still in his hand.
“I get the feeling that there’s some hostility between us.”
“You get the feeling, huh?”
“Talitha, I’m sorry.”
Tossing my head back, I laughed. “How are you sorry when you don’t even know what the issue is?”
“I don’t have to know in order to realize that I need to apologize.”
“Okay Lawton,” I huffed.
“Is everything okay?”
“Peachy,” I lied, then immediately recanted. “You know what? Everything isn’t okay. You went cold on me for weeks! You promised you would be with me every step of the way yet when I call, you don’t answer. You have your assistant to call me back like she’s the one I’m doing business with.”
“I run multiple business, Talitha. I won’t always be at your disposal.”
“You promised. I told you what my reservations were, and you promised to be here every step of the way.”
“And I have been. Just not physically present.”
“Okay Law,” I retorted. “If you say so.”
“I had some stuff going on. I’ve cleared it up so now I can start back coming around.”
“No need.” I shrugged. “The renovations at the school seem to be going fine. Everything here is on the up and up. Really, your presence wasn’t even missed,” I jabbed.
He had something going on. If that was the case, what was so hard about picking up the damn phone to say that? Instead, he left me out to dry with no answer.
The longer we went without talking, the more I was feeling like I should turn in my letter of resignation.
Surely what had gone down in the limousine was the cause for him to disappear, or at least that’s what I was thinking. Had he communicated with me, just once, I wouldn’t have had to beat myself up about it.
I had a feeling it was either that or what I had shared with him that was too much, and it had him looking at me in a different light.
Whatever it was, I was carrying that guilt on my shoulders so for him to say he had something going on was like a punch to the gut.
“If that were the case, you wouldn’t be so upset right now.”
Stalking toward my desk, Law tossed his briefcase in the chair and stepped up beside me. “I’m only here for a few hours, are we going to spend that time arguing or can we do something productive?”
“I don’t know about you but I’m getting ready to make some calls. I need to handle some business before the kids show up.”
“Today must be the day you’re unveiling the trampoline stuff.”
“What?” My eyes bulged. “How did you know about that?”
“Patton is one of my closest friends. You couldn’t have expected him to do anything without me knowing.” Law smirked.
“Whatever,” I mumbled. “For that, I’ll reach out to somebody else before I ask him for anything. And you make sure you tell him I said that.”
“Oh, believe me I am.” He laughed. “The kids will be happy when they see it.”
“I know they will. It was my idea.”
“I’m aware. Where are we with everything else?”
“Now you want to talk business?”
“I could think of a few other things we can talk about. But I’ll wait for you to start that conversation.”
My thighs clenched together at the sudden decline in his voice. Law knew exactly what he was doing. It’s the reason he was standing beside me with that stupid ass grin on his face.
Not gon’ lie, I was pissed at him when I first walked into my office. Sitting here looking at him now, I could feel my attitude melting. I hated the effect this man was having on me. I wanted to be mad and stay mad. Impossible. That lopsided grin on his face was making my panties moist.
Law knocked his knuckles on the desk. “We gon’ have that conversation or we gon’ get down to business?”
“Business.” I decided. That conversation wouldn’t be had today or the next day. In fact, we would never visit that topic, whatever it was.
“We don’t have enough time. The kids will be here shortly, and I told you I got a few calls to make.”
“Then how about we do it over dinner?” he bargained.
“Can’t. I have a date tonight.”
“Date with who?” He frowned.
“You don’t know him.”
“Try me. I know everybody in the city and if I don’t know them, I have the means to find out who they are.”
“That is none of your business and unless you want me to tell Gema, I suggest you leave my office and let me get back to business.”
“Only because you brought up Gema. I’ll be here bright and early in the morning. Have fun on your lil’ date.” He turned and walked away.
“Big date!” I damn near screamed to his back.
He didn’t need to know where I was going and who I was going with. Just like I had spent time worrying about him, it was time for him to worry. Maybe that’ll teach him to open his mouth and communicate.