Chapter 13
13
JOBE
Days and weeks blur into one as I keep myself busy with work from the moment I wake until I fall into bed at night. I send Zara numerous texts, and her responses are the same, citing she is fine. I should sleep on the long-haul flight to London, but I can’t stop thinking about her and what I’m going to say since we haven’t seen each other for three weeks.
Stay.
I’m sorry.
We have one more event…
It’s after ten Sunday night when I arrive at my penthouse, and the entire place is in darkness. I’m dead on my feet as I head straight to my room and collapse on the bed.
The next thing I know, my alarm is sounding at five thirty. As I do most mornings, I head into my gym and work out for the next thirty minutes. Then, with a towel over my shoulder, I walk into the kitchen, where Zara is sitting at the counter, drinking coffee.
“Morning.” She barely glances my way.
“Morning. Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Yes, thanks.” She stands and grabs her handbag. “I’ll see you later.” She leaves without another word, and the slam of the front door jolts me like a nonverbal fuck you.
She’s still pissed.
Understandably so. I need to reconcile matters between us and send her a text.
Will you have dinner with me tonight?
I don’t expect her to reply immediately. More than likely, I’ll get the cold shoulder until the last minute. I could take her to one of the finest restaurants, though she was impressed by my cooking skills.
I call the concierge.
“Hi, Trent. I’m sending you a list of groceries to have delivered tonight.”
I didn’t think about food again with meetings dragging out to midafternoon. I checked my cell like a teenager waiting for a reply, and yet there was not one word from Zara.
Only messages from my mother.
Byron believes you have a girlfriend in London. Is there any truth to it? Please give me the grace of not being the last to know if you have a love interest. It’s not curiosity, more happiness you have found someone to share your life with. Why didn’t you mention it when you were here?
I let out a long sigh. The reason my mother is the last to know is because she is already assuming I have found someone to share my life with. Byron is deflecting the attention from himself, and I’m not chasing any girl around the world as he did by surprising Giana in Italy…yet in a way, I am.
I walk into the last meeting of the day with the new company Board we are taking over. It is Warburton Investments where Zara works. The asset value of their portfolio fell six months ago, and Franklin and I tracked the risk and capitalization rate before taking steps to acquire the majority stake in the company. Culture at the top level has improved with the recent changes in management. Our strategy is to sell off noncore assets in industrial and commercial portfolios and focus on office accommodation in CBD areas. The business was founded on office real estate, and for the next hour, I’m met with arguments about our new direction with ESG activist investors. Thankfully, we have Penny working for the company with her knowledge of current-day ESG issues. We have it under control and want this damn meeting to end.
The debate stretches out to six o’clock. Acquiring this company is something I have kept from Zara. Since she is an employee, my hands were tied to discuss it with her. Franklin and I don’t discuss business in conversation with anyone outside the company, and yet I trust Zara. The urge to impart the information about the future of the company out of guilt is a foreign emotion. I have to remind myself it won’t affect her, and when decisions are made, we’ll have a quiet conversation.
My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I check it without apology.
I won’t get home until 8 p.m. Sorry .
I tap a reply.
8 p.m. is perfect.
My thoughts shift away from the meeting to something more interesting —planning my night with Zara.