The woman still sitting across from Alex’s desk began furiously scribbling in her notebook. “Ms. Snatters?”
“Hmmm?” the woman said without looking up.
“Can you please leave this off the record?” He glared at Mark and Jamie again. “Ms. Connors, have Mark leave or not only will I have security escort him out, you’ll be going with him.”
Mark sighed and turned to Jamie. “I won’t have you lose your job over me.” He moved back into Jamie’s office.
Jamie followed, unsure of what to say and shocked at how angry Alex’s face had looked.
"Give this to him, if you can." Mark set a small, white, sealed envelope on her desk.
Jamie nodded, unable to respond. Mark left without another word, leaving Jamie staring at the envelope for a full minute before Alex opened their door and summoned Jamie in. She grabbed the envelope with a shaking hand, feeling the thick folded up papers inside it burn into her hand. She would have given anything to know the contents of the envelope but she knew she would cross a line she could never cross back if she opened it up. She wouldn’t ever do it. However, it didn’t stop her from being curious.
Alex slammed the door behind Jamie and breathed a sigh of relief. Or a breath to stall enough to keep his temper in check. Ms. Snatters was no longer in his office. "If he ever comes in here again, call security," he said. "I don't want my brother or anyone else from my family in here again, understand?"
Jamie bit her lip and then nodded. "He asked me to give you this." Jamie handed him the envelope.
Alex tossed the envelope on his desk.
"What happened between you and your family?" She covered her mouth, shocked she’d even said the words out loud.
"That's none of your concern." He stared out his large windows at the city life below. "It's ancient history."
"Mark seems… nice." She couldn’t understand Alex’s outburst. She was embarrassed for him. She had a nut-house family and she still loved them. “Maybe you should try talking to him. It might help.”
"No one can help," he snapped. "Not for moving past and certainly not for reconciliation, because that’s impossible. Make sure none of my family ever come here.” He spun around. “If you ever mention anything about my family again, you can find yourself a new place to live and a new job. Am I clear, Ms. Connors?" He glared at her, his eyes blazing with anger.
Jamie wanted to scowl back at him, but finally nodded. "Yes, Mr. Reid," she said automatically before she turned around and went back to her desk. She hid behind her computer screen, pretending to look busy but really trying to keep anyone from seeing how frustrated and rattled she was from the confrontation.
Chapter 4
Alex wasn't in the office the next day. When Jamie checked the office’s messages, he left an abrupt one to say he wouldn’t be in and to take care of things while he was gone. No explanation. No details on how long. No contact information. Nothing.
She managed the day, but there was no news from him the next day or the next.
Jamie spent most of her time at work cancelling appointments and fielding calls to cover for him. He was losing money, clients and deals. Not that it probably mattered with his billion-dollar company but still, it didn’t look good. And judging from the worried looks from Gina, this wasn't normal.
He wasn’t at his house either. She didn’t notice his car, or him, at the house. When she knocked on his door no one answered either. She had a key to his house but didn’t dare use it. She bumped into Murray one morning as she left for work and he mentioned that Alex had asked him to keep making her meals but to wait until he contacted him when he would need more.
Friday at lunch, Jamie talked to Gina. She tried to sound nonchalant, "Has Mr. Reid contacted you?”
Gina shook her head. "He's not answering his phone either. I haven't heard anything from him at all. What's going on? Did he say anything to you?”
“Just to say he would be out.” She stared down at her sandwich, refusing to mention anything about Alex’s brother coming in or the unprofessional comments she’d made to him. She was an idiot to try and make suggestions about him and his family. It was none of her business.
“It’s incredibly weird.” Gina crumpled her napkin. “Work’s everything to him! He hasn't missed a day in all the years I've been here. Hell, he's come in when he's been throwing up."
“I don’t know when he’ll be back. He hasn’t said anything except to hold calls and cancel meetings.” Jamie shrugged and played with her salad.
"I think something’s going on with his family." Gina leaned closer to her. "I mean, Mark was in the office the other day and then Alex disappears?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Jamie’s phone dinged with a reminder. She checked it and swallowed. “Whatever it is, I hope he’s at the office when we get back,” she said. “He scheduled a meeting with a new firm of big-time investors like two months ago and it’s this afternoon. He’ll lose over a million dollars if he doesn’t make it.”
Gina paled as her eyes grew big. “Shit! There’s no way Alex won’t show up for that,” she said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself along with Jamie. “He lives to make money. Nothing would keep him from losing a deal like that.”
They picked at their food a little longer in silence. “I think I’ll head back to the office.” Jamie dumped her half uneaten salad into the trash.
“Maybe you should call him,” Gina said. “Just to make sure.”