by Ella Jade
“You seem pretty put together.” She wished she knew which direction she was going in. “I thought when I got the job at your company my life was finally heading in the right direction. I didn’t plan to have a baby so soon.” She didn’t envision Carson as the father of her child either. “I definitely didn’t plan on doing it all by myself.”
“You said the father doesn’t want anything to do with you or the child?”
That reality still stung. She didn’t have time to adjust to being pregnant before Carson dropped that bomb on her. “He even went as far as to pay me to leave him alone.”
“What?”
“When I told him about the baby, he wrote me a check.” She got up and went to the accumulating pile of mail and junk papers tucked in a basket on the counter. “I didn’t cash it.” She tossed it on the table. “But he said if I did, that would be his contribution to our child. He doesn’t want any rights and asked that I leave him off the birth certificate. If I cash the check I agree that he’s not responsible for anything else.”
“No child support.”
“No.”
“He thinks that five grand is supposed to cover eighteen years?”
“He thinks that if I take the money he’s off the hook.” She slid the check in front of her, not even sure why she was sharing this story with Gavin. What kind of person would he think she was for getting involved with a guy who would sell his kid for five grand? “The thing is I don’t want him or his money. I’m tempted to take the deal because that would guarantee he’d be out of my life.”
“Not necessarily.” He leaned back in his chair. “Giving up one’s rights to a child is a complicated matter. People change their minds. Him giving you this money doesn’t protect you or guarantee you anything.”
“I know.”
“Brody is an attorney. You could talk to him and get some advice.”
“Your brother runs a billion dollar company. I’m sure he doesn’t specialize in custody issues.”
“He’s a smart guy.”
“I don’t doubt that but I’d rather not share my story with too many people.” It was embarrassing enough. She didn’t need her whole work place knowing the situation she was in.
“That’s understandable. It’s your business but if you change your mind I’m sure he’d be happy to help you.”
“That’s very kind of you to offer.” Why was he being so nice to her? She’d been honest from the get go. Why would he pursue her knowing her situation?
“Why did you share your business with me?” he asked.
“I guess I just needed to say it out loud. Maybe get another opinion. An impartial one.”
“I didn’t help much.”
“You listened to me today and the other day.” It was comforting having him to talk to. “You showed up here without even knowing I could use a friend.”
“A friend.” Gavin looked as if he pondered the word for a moment, trying to fit it into his vocabulary.
“Well, I know you’re my boss and all but I think it’s okay for us to be friends.”
“Technically, I’m your bosses’ boss and I don’t really deal with personnel.” He leaned closer to her and swirled his finger over the silver bracelet on her wrist. “I think we can be friends too.”
“Okay.” Her heart rate increased when he stared into her eyes. “What’s happening here?”
“I’m not sure.” He pushed his chair back, creating some space between them. “I’ve been alone for a while. It was a conscious decision to step away from the dating scene after my last girlfriend.”
“A bad breakup?”
“You could say that.” He rested his hands on his thighs. “It was my fault. I made mistakes that I regret.”
“We all do but we learn from them.” Was he still stuck on his ex? Was it any of her business? She had far too much baggage for her to think he would consider being anything more than her friend.
“I should probably get going.” When he stood a sensation of dread came over her. Would this be a fleeting moment between them? “I have some contracts to go over when I get home.”
“We held you hostage long enough.”
“I enjoyed watching the game with your dad.”
“You totally shocked him with your offer to take him to a game.”
“We have a box, so whenever he’d like I can take him.”
“He hasn’t been to a game in so long.”
“I haven’t either, come to think of it.”
“I have a feeling you work most of your weekends.” She handed him his jacket she’d taken from the hall closet. “I’m glad you took the time to visit me. It was a lovely surprise.” She leaned against the wall, taking in his masculine jawline and full lips. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I have meetings most of the day offsite.” After slipping on his jacket, he stepped closer to her. “Tuesday too.”
“Oh.” The thought of not catching a glimpse of him as he came through the lobby doors was disappointing. “Have a good start to your week.”
“You too.” He shoved one hand into his pocket as he cupped the side of her face in a delicate gesture.
A charge seized her reflexes as his gaze dropped to her lips. The scent of his fine leather jacket mixed with the remnants of his aftershave swirled between them. She’d commit this moment to memory for as long as she lived. She was certain of it.
Her knees buckled when he gently swiped his thumb along her lips before pressing his to them. The connection was soft and quick but there was intensity to it. Like there was more to come. A beginning of sorts. Could that be? Did she have any right to expect such a beginning?
“Good night, Justine.” He bit his bottom lip, smiling as he pulled away from her. It was cocky almost like he knew the affect he had on her.
The heat of his touch lingered on her flesh as he left without another word. How could one seemingly ordinary kiss turn into the most extraordinary moment she’d ever experienced? If that was his idea of friendship, she’d gladly take it.
***
It had been three days since Gavin had spoken to Justine. He’d been inundated with work. He could use that as an excuse but that was all it would be. He’d gone over the circumstances in his head. She was a beautiful woman with a dazzling smile and a fresh personality. He liked her honesty and unassuming demeanor. There were several pros when it came to pursuing a relationship with her, but there was one massive con. One he couldn’t avoid. She was pregnant, and with that came a whole set of issues she dealt with that he didn’t have any right to be involved in. He wasn’t against dating a woman who was pregnant. It wasn’t that at all.
He had some problems to work through and this situation hit a little too close to home. But instead of taking Brody’s private elevator down to the street, he found himself on the main elevator that would lead him right to the one woman he promised he’d leave alone. He was supposed to drop off the flowers, apologize for their awkward lunch, and go home. Instead he ended up watching football with her dad, eating dinner with them, and kissing her.
“Mr. Callahan.” Jackie approached him when he came through the elevator doors.
“Ms. Flint.” He hadn’t encountered her since the incident in his office last week.
“I’m glad we ran into one another.”
“Are you?” He moved into the lobby, briefly making eye contact with Justine before he brought his focus back to Jackie. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I wanted to apologize for getting off on the wrong foot last week.”
“It’s forgotten.”
“I didn’t mean to appear out of line. I take a great deal of pride in my job and I consider myself very fortunate to work for Callahan Industries. It’s my job to handle what you and your brother are too busy to deal with. I meant no disrespect.”
“I appreciate your apology but it isn’t necessary. It was a misunderstanding. One I’m willing to forget.” Ms. Flint didn’t hold his attention long. He was too fa
scinated with the beauty at the front desk directing people to where they wanted to go.
“Thank you, Mr. Callahan.” Her gaze followed his. “I won’t keep you.”
“Please call me Gavin,” he offered as a sign of good will. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing one another often.”
“Okay, Gavin.” She smiled, dropping her tough exterior. She wasn’t a bad looking woman but her attitude was a major turn off. “A few of us are meeting for drinks on Friday after work if you’d like to join us.”
Seriously?
“We do it twice a month over at Duke’s Lounge.” She tossed her curly, raven hair over her shoulder, appearing a bit softer. “I noticed you’re usually here late but if you want to go that’s where we’ll be.”
“Thank you.” He glanced at his watch, noting it was nearing noon. He had a lunch proposal to make. “Perhaps one of these days I’ll meet you there. It might be good to mingle and meet some of the staff.”
“Great.” She touched the cuff of his sleeve. “I look forward to it.”
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Justine.” Gavin nodded in her direction.
“Of course,” she said. “I hope everything is okay with her.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“No reason. She seems to be dealing with a lot. I’m not really sure she’ll last long here.”
“Why?” He’d love for her to enlighten him.
“Just a feeling.” She pressed the elevator button. “I need to go upstairs and check on an issue.”
“Before you do that I need a favor.” He’d probably regret this on so many levels but impulse was a habit he couldn’t seem to break. “I need to go across town for something and I’d like Justine to come with me. It’s her lunch break now but I probably won’t get her back in an hour. She’ll be a little late. I trust that won’t be a problem.”
“I guess she told you about Monday and that’s why you’re letting me know she’ll be late getting back.”
“Monday?”
“She was a few minutes late for work so I had to write her up.”
“How many is a few?” There was a reason he didn’t like this woman.
“Four or five.” She stepped onto the elevator. “I run a tight ship but I’ll make sure someone covers the desk until you can get her back to us. I can’t really argue if she’s out with you. Can I?”
“Thank you.” When the doors closed he made a mental note to look into Jackie’s record with the other employees. He could run a tight ship too. For now, he’d let it go.
“Hi.” Justine’s melodic voice greeted him.
“I was just coming to see you.” He leaned against the front desk. “How are you?”
“Better today.”
“You weren’t feeling well?”
“Just some morning sickness that likes to linger. It slows me down but today I didn’t experience any so I’ll take that as a win.”
That was why she must have been late getting to work on Monday. He’d make sure that written warning disappeared. “I’m glad you’re not sick today.”
“Me too.” When she smiled, a person would have no idea just how much she was dealing with. He might not be able to fix all her problems but he would make sure Jackie wasn’t one of them. “You were coming to see me?”
“Dominick will be here any moment to take me downtown. I have an errand to run. I thought you could join me for a quick lunch. We could go see the tree and watch some of the ice skaters in Rockefeller Center.”
“I’d love to but with the traffic I’d never make it back here in an hour. Not even with your amazing driver.”
“You don’t have to be back in an hour.” He retrieved her jacket from behind her chair. “I’m kind of in charge so...”
“I really want to but I don’t think Jackie will understand me being late not even if I was with you. That might make things worse.”
“I’ve already spoken to her.” He helped her into her coat. “I won’t keep you long. I’d like the company.”
“I wasn’t on time Monday because I couldn’t stop vomiting,” she admitted. “I haven’t told her I’m pregnant but she wasn’t very flexible when I was a few minutes late.”
“She told me.” He took her hand and led her through the lobby. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take care of that write up. You were only a few minutes late and you had a good reason. Callahan Industries is an understanding company.”
“It really only was like four minutes I’ve never been late before. I was embarrassed and I’ve been worried about it since it happened.”
“Why?” She had other things to worry about. Work shouldn’t be one of them.
“I’m still on a probationary period. I like this job. It pays well and I need the benefits. That’s why I took it.”
“You mean working in the lobby of my company wasn’t a dream of yours?” He squeezed her hand. “I’m shocked.”
“Oh, working here is great. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“I’m teasing you,” he whispered as the doorman opened the large, brass door for them. Gavin nodded at him when he addressed him.
“I like when you tease,” she admitted. “I just need to figure out when you’re actually doing it.”
“What is your dream job if not working in my lobby?”
“I went to NYU.”
“Impressive.”
“I was lucky to get accepted and the financial aid worked out.”
“What did you study?”
“I followed my heart and went with a Masters in professional designers of scenery, costumes, and lighting for the stage and production design for film.”
“Wow.”
“My heart might not have been the way to go.” She giggled. “It was a lot of years of school for a very specific profession. It wasn’t a very practical idea.”
“You live minutes from Manhattan. The theatre district of the world.”
“I graduated last year and gave myself a year to find a job. I had a couple breaks on a few shows but once they closed so did the position. I’m new at the whole thing. I took the job here because I needed the steady work. I planned to pick up some side jobs at some local theaters once I was situated here but I guess you could say I hit a bump.”
“In more ways than one.”
“Yeah.” Her melodic laugh made him smile. “I love Broadway. Someday I’ll get back to it.”
“I’m sure you will but for now I’m happy you stumbled onto my company.”
“Me too.”
When she buttoned her jacket, he held her close. The wind had picked up and the city was cooler than the past few days had been. Winter was making an appearance.
“Dominick is around the corner.” He pointed in the direction as they walked. “He wanted to pick me up in the garage but this is faster.”
“You do realize I never agreed to come with you, right?”
“Hmm.” He thought for a moment and realized he never waited for her answer. “You’re just going to have to get used to my pushy side.”
“You seem like a man who gets what he wants.”
God help me, but I want you...
Chapter Five
A week after their visit to Rockefeller Center, Justine found herself spending more time with Gavin. The more she was with him the less stress she seemed to be under. That had to be good for the baby. Her problems were far from over but being with him was a temporary fix for now. It wasn’t fair to think that they could have anything more than what they had now. A few stolen kisses, quick lunches, walks in the city, a football game with she and her dad in an elaborate box, and tonight a quiet dinner in front of the fireplace at his oversized apartment.
“I can’t eat anymore.” She dropped her chopsticks on the tray in front of them. “That was the best Chinese food I’ve ever had.”
“I know the chef. He makes the dishes special for me when I order.”
“Of course he
does.” She finished her glass of sparkling water. “You lead a very glamorous life.”
“Would you like some more water?” He placed his wine glass on the coffee table before moving the dinner tray out of the way. “I have more in the kitchen.”
“I’m good, thank you.” She rested her back against the sofa.
“We don’t have to sit on the floor if you’re uncomfortable.”
“I like sitting here.” She gazed up at the enormous tree that filled the room. It had to be at least twelve feet tall with a thousand lights. “That tree is, um... you didn’t decorate that yourself, did you?”
“My mother had her decorator come here last week to put me in the holiday spirit.”
“Did it work?”
“I’m in the holiday spirit but I think it has more to do with you and less to do with this ostentatious tree.” He moved to sit across from her, taking her hand in his. “Spending time with you has been very relaxing.”
“I know what you mean.” She stretched out her legs, resting them on his. “My dad can’t stop talking about the game.”
“I still can’t believe you came with us.”
“It was an opportunity to see you.” She didn’t pay much attention to the game. Neither did Gavin. They sat in the corner, drinking hot chocolate and continuing to get to know one another. Her father was in heaven watching his team win and drinking expensive, free beer. “You promised it would be warm in the box and there would be food.”
His lips curved into a seductive smirk. “I delivered.”
“I’m finding you always deliver.”
“Do I?” He moved her legs so he could get closer to her. “Can I kiss you?”
“I’ve been waiting all night for you to do just that.”
“Have you?” He took her face between his hands. “Why didn’t you just ask me?”
“I like when you take the lead in such matters.”
“Hmm...” He brushed his lips along her jaw. “We’re going to get along just fine.”
“I’m not going to argue that.”
“You’ve distracted me several times this week.” He trailed his fingers across her throat as he placed soft, slow kisses along her jaw, ending at her mouth. “I try to stay very focused when I’m working but you’ve managed to invade my thoughts many times.”