Chapter 16
16
ZARA
Monday morning, I sit in the café opposite the offices and wait for Piper to arrive.
Jobe and I spent the entire weekend in his penthouse. We fucked in every room. No furniture piece was safe. Even now, there’s a gentle throbbing between my legs from shower sex before he left for work.
Piper bounces toward me, wearing a lady’s black pantsuit with a hot pink shirt underneath her blazer. The colors accentuate her blonde hair, bright like the sun, her broad smile lighting up her face. She leans in and hugs me, then places a small box on the table. “We missed you yesterday.”
Oh shit. She messaged me about meeting up to watch the game. “Sorry. I was flat out.” Literally. “Time got away from me.”
“Is your boyfriend here?”
I smile at her. “He is. ”
“Then you’re forgiven. We can catch up next weekend.”
“Sure. I don’t have anything else on.” It hits me how I’ll miss him the weeks he’ll be gone.
She orders us both a coffee and then slides the box closer to me. “Have you been to York?”
“Not yet.” I open the box. “Yum. What flavor do we have today?”
“Blueberry and apricot.” She beams her smile at me. “Shall we plan a weekend for you to visit? It’s such a fun and interesting city, yeah?”
I smile. “Yes, let’s do it. I don’t want to stay in London every weekend because there is so much I haven’t seen.”
“Right. On the next holiday weekend, we’ll visit Scotland.”
“That would be awesome.” I take a bite of my muffin and groan when the flavor hits my tongue. “These are good,” I say with a mouthful.
“What’s awesome?” George asks as he slides into a chair beside Piper.
George’s hair is perfectly styled, and his pastel lime shirt is accessorized with a lemon-striped tie. Being with them both makes me want to revamp my wardrobe.
“York,” I answer. “Piper wants to take me there.”
“Count me in,” he says jovially. “Zara, did you hear anything more about the merger?”
I shake my head.
“By all accounts, the Board is slowing matters up.” She gives George his boxed muffin.
I shrug. “It doesn’t faze me as I’m happy in my current position. I just hope they don’t make me redundant.” I want to share the promotion with my friends, but Tim asked me to keep it quiet. And God knows what might happen. It might not even go ahead .
“Lydia has been promoted.” He lifts the lid of the box and then smiles at Piper and mouths, Thank you .
I stare at him. “Where are you hearing your information?”
“Gretchen. We had drinks Friday night, and she was pissed about something. Since she is going on maternity leave in a matter of weeks, she spilled the beans on a few things like the executive offices have been painted different shades of blue for each office. She also said you might know more.”
“Me?” I say in a high pitch. “Why would she think that?”
He tilts his head in a nod. “No idea. Anyway, we should find out more today. Monday morning meetings are the best.”
“You’re weird,” Piper tells him and sips her coffee. “I won’t be here forever, so I don’t care a bunch.”
The emotional turmoil pulls at me at having to lie until the whole team knows more. My gut twists uncomfortably, torn between loyalty to my friends or to the company and a CEO I have never met. But his words stay in my head, and I mull over his point about the office being painted blue. A reminder of that first night when Jobe spoke about color, and how blue helped to focus, and… what did he say… improves productivity?
Weird.
I smile, thinking how I carried a wounded heart from that same night, and now I’m floating on the clouds. The regret and hurt melted away.