“You’re not going to kiss me.”
The moment that followed seemed to hang there as if deciding to take the leap off a cliff.
“If I kiss you, I’ll never leave.”
Then he was gone, and I berated myself for not phrasing the question better. I still didn’t have the answer I wanted. I still didn’t know what that meant for us.
Yet tomorrow I was supposed to meet his son.
Thirty-One
The box of clothes Kalen had given me sat propped in the chair he’d vacated last night. I didn’t remember him putting it there. Yet I hadn’t been looking at the chair when he left. Was it a sign?
If I took Kalen’s advice, wouldn’t it be better to confront the CEO or his son in a power outfit?
I dressed for success, including the heels he’d gotten me, feeling better about the coming day than I had been for a very long time.
“You’re wearing it,” Lizzy squealed, up unusually early for her.
“I am.” I couldn’t help smiling back at her. “By the way,” I said on my way out the door. “I’ll be late coming home tonight.”
“The weather people are predicting a major winter storm tonight. You might get snowed in.”
I bit the corner of my lip. I wouldn’t mind spending the night with Kalen. Though I wasn’t sure if that was wise the first time meeting his son.
I smiled and winked at her, debating the prospect. “Maybe,” I said.
She let out a barrage of questions that were muffled when the door closed between us.
Even the chill in the air couldn’t stop the sunshine that lit my path. I glanced at the gray sky and wondered what Kalen would say if we were snowed in. I smiled at Griffin, who cheekily gave me a grin back.
It felt like nothing could go wrong since I had a plan. In fact, I planned on checking out the hobby store next to the building during lunch. I hoped they had something I needed.
When I walked in, Scott was standing by the door.
“You look nice today,” he said, with no hint of anger at my rebuff.
Nor did he look any worse for wear. Kalen must not have confronted him.
“Thanks,” I said and went to my seat.
I worked like the devil was chasing me, hoping to finish at a decent hour. My lunch was a sandwich I picked up from the coffee shop after making a quick shopping trip. By late afternoon, I was ready.
On my way back, Scott caught me in the hall.
“I wanted you to know I got the partner to agree to speak with upper management.”
Relief felt good. “That’s great. When do we meet with them?”
He sighed. “We aren’t meeting them. Raymond and I have a meeting with them in less than ten minutes.”
Since when did he get on a first name basis with one of the partners of our firm? Then again, his father was a partner. It was likely there had been tons of get-togethers between families.
“I want to be there,” I said. My coat and bag felt like unnecessary weight when I was about to fight for my career. “It’s my report.”
He sighed. “How about this?” He dug into his pocket and pulled out something he put in my hand.
I opened it to find the ring. The one I’d worn before Melissa had, and now he was giving it back to me. I looked up in horror.
“Before you speak. This is a good thing. You and I make an excellent team. We were also great together as a couple,” he said.
Astonishment at his gall didn’t cover what I was feeling.
“She’s pregnant.”
“And not with my kid. She’s gone. You can move in,” he said as if that made everything between us good.
“How could you possibly know?”
Of course, there were DNA tests. But why would he do that? Then again, maybe his mother had suggested it.
“She admitted to it.”
“What?” My gaze widened and my mouth hung open.
“She was jealous of you, and during our fight, she admitted that I wasn’t the father.”
Somehow, I didn’t believe him. “Then who is?”
It wasn’t really the time, but maybe placating him would get him to agree to let me in on the meeting.
“It’s my father’s.” He could have sprouted devil horns and I would have been less surprised. “What do you say?”
He was far too cheery for a man who learned his girlfriend was screwing not only him, but his father too.
“I can’t,” I said.
I wanted to say something like, never in a billion years, even if the planet needed repopulating, but that would kill any chances of me going with him to the meeting.
“Why? For that Kalen guy. He’s a fraud, you know.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t know him.”
“Precisely. And neither do you. Mother checked her circles, and no one has heard of a Kalen Brinner.”
“She doesn’t know everyone. This is New York.”