Better Together

by Annalisa Carr

  “Will you stay with me?” He rested his head against the back of his seat in the taxi.

  “Of course I will.” Tallulah wasn’t going to leave him alone.

  “We’re not going back to work?”

  “No.”

  Aiden must have been feeling awful because he didn’t argue, and when they got back to the flat, he stretched out on the sofa with a groan. “My head’s killing me.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Tallulah went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water from the tap. She dug out the painkillers the doctor had prescribed and tipped two of them into Aiden’s hand.

  “I don’t like drugs.”

  “It’s either these or put up with the headache.” Tallulah took the glass back after he swallowed the pills. “Why don’t you rest? I’ve got to keep waking you anyway.”

  She carried the glass into the kitchen and rinsed it. When she came back, Aiden’s eyes were closed. She bent over him, worried, but he was breathing regularly. She resisted the urge to poke him just to see if he’d wake up.

  What was Malcolm Riordon thinking of? Successful businessmen didn’t assault each other. At least not in her experience.

  Pacing to the window, she peered out at the street, paced back, and checked on Aiden again. She picked up her phone and called the office. Someone from Aiden’s family ought to know about what had happened. “I’d like to speak to Francesca Marlowe. This is Aiden Marlowe’s assistant.”

  “Miss Marlowe has taken a few days leave,” she was told when she was put through to her secretary. “Can I take a message?”

  “Thanks,” Tallulah said. “I’ll pass that to Mr Marlowe. He’ll know how to get hold of her.”

  Aiden was still sleeping, so Tallulah prowled around the flat looking for something to do. There were a couple of books in one of the bedrooms, but nothing she wanted to read. She picked one up and flipped through it until it was time to wake Aiden. He looked grumpy but coherent, so she asked him if he wanted to call his family.

  “No.” He lay back down on the sofa after drinking a glass of water.

  “Why don’t you go to bed,” she said. “You’ll be more comfortable.”

  He rubbed his head. “I’m not an invalid. I’ve just had a bang on the head.”

  “Are the painkillers working?”

  “I suppose.” He grimaced. “It’s a dull ache rather than a throbbing pain. Bloody Malcolm. Did you call the police?”

  “Yes. They said they’d come and talk to you.” In her opinion, Malcolm Riordon should be locked up for the rest of his unnatural life.

  “This is going to kill my father. Malcolm’s been with him for years.” Aiden pulled himself into a sitting position. “I bet he’ll wish he hadn’t stirred things up.”

  “You couldn’t have just let it go,” Tallulah said. “It’s a betrayal as well as a crime.”

  Aiden raised a hand to his head again. “I probably won’t press charges for the assault. I don’t think he meant to hit me so hard. He probably didn’t mean to hit me at all, but he always had a bit of a temper.”

  “He should have been taught to control it as a child,” Tallulah said. “It’s outrageous that a grown man would behave like that.”

  “Come and sit next to me?” Aiden patted the sofa at his side. “I need comfort.”

  Tallulah raised her eyebrows but sat next to him on the sofa.

  He pulled her against his side. “I’ll be glad to get back to my life in New York. No one in my company throws things at the CEO.” He leaned his head against the back of the sofa. “I wonder if Father will agree to Francesca taking over, once the problem’s sorted.”

  Tallulah squeezed her eyes closed. Of course she’d realised he would be going back to New York, but she hadn’t realised it would be so soon. What will I do when he’s gone? It was going to be painful.

  “London’s full of bloody maniacs. Look at Sasha.”

  “She came from New York,” Tallulah protested.

  “She was normal until she got here.”

  “Right.” Sasha sounded like she’d been completely mental for a while. Of course Tallulah didn’t know her, except from Aiden’s description.

  “It hasn’t been all bad here,” he said. “I met you.”

  “Yes.”

  “Tallulah?”

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t want to lose you. Would you come back to New York with me?”

  “No.” The words jumped from Tallulah’s mouth before she thought.

  “That’s right. Let me down lightly.”

  “You aren’t thinking straight.” She didn’t want to upset him. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, when your head’s not hurting so much. We’ll work something out.”

  “You think I’m befuddled?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Tallulah forced patience into her voice. “Don’t think about anything. You’re supposed to rest, remember.”

  “Hmm.”

  Move to New York?

  The idea circled round her mind, but it was such a big step. What will I do there? Follow Aiden about? Give up my own dreams? And suppose it didn’t last? She lay awake most of the night thinking about it. There had to be a way.

  Aiden was much better the next morning, although he had a huge multi-coloured bruise spreading across his face. It didn’t affect his energy.

  “It throbs,” he said, “but not like it did yesterday. How am I supposed to explain it though?”

  “I think you should take the day off.”

  “I’d love to. I can’t. I need to get things sorted out. I’m meeting with the auditors this morning. Come on, Tallulah. Hurry up.”

  Tallulah scowled. Lack of sleep made her seriously grumpy. She was wearing the clothes from the day before and felt grubby and tired. “Can I go home to change?”

  “If you must. Why don’t you just buy something? There are shops around the corner. I’ll pay, or the company will.”

  She couldn’t understand why Aiden wasn’t as wrecked as she was. He was wounded as well as sleep-deprived. It’s not fair. “Okay.” The shops would be open by nine, and she could have another shower at work.

  Aiden left work at lunchtime to go down to Surrey to see his father. He obviously had a plan which he hadn’t bothered to share with Tallulah.

  Malcolm Riordon hadn’t come in to work, and there was no sign of Gareth or Francesca. Aiden had all but Francesca’s passes cancelled before he left and told Tallulah she should take the afternoon off. She heaved a sigh of relief, so tired she felt other worldly.

  She spent the afternoon walking in the park in an effort to stay awake and went straight to bed as soon as she got home. She was woken by the intercom from the front door and pushed herself groggily to her feet, staggering over to the answer machine.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s Aiden. Can I come up?”

  She tightened the belt on her robe as she pushed the door release. “Come on.”

  There was no sign of Kyle. Tallulah glanced at her watch. It was eleven o’clock. She’d had five hours sleep. That wasn’t bad.

  There was a rap on her door, and she opened it to find Aiden there, still dressed in his business suit. “I thought you meant to stay down in Surrey.”

  “I’d had enough.” He pushed a streak of hair out of his eyes. “Dad was pretty upset, but he went to bed. Francesca was there as well. She’s avoiding Gareth. I don’t think she’s decided what she’s going to do about him. She isn’t speaking to me though.”

  “Where is he?”

  “At home, as far as I know. I wasn’t going to interrogate Fran.” He sank onto the sofa, pulling her down with him. His eyes were weary.

  “She’ll get over it,” Tallulah said. “She must know you had no choice
.”

  “Let’s not talk about it. It was horrible.” He pulled her to him and slid one hand into the opening of her robe, his hand absently caressing her skin. His head sank back against the sofa.

  “Are you staying the night?”

  “If that’s okay.”

  “Come on then.” She removed his hand from her breast where it was giving her ideas and stood up, tugging on his arm. “You need to sleep.”

  “You’re always telling me to sleep.” He pushed himself up and followed her to the sleeping area. “Are you going to take that robe off?”

  “Once you’ve stripped.” She folded her arms and tapped her bare foot on the floor.

  He started to unbutton his shirt. “The auditors are due to start on Monday.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m going down to Surrey on Friday for a meeting with my father and some of the other senior management. Come with me?”

  “Just for the day?”

  “Hell, yes. We might have to stay for dinner, but I’m not staying overnight.”

  “Okay.” It’s work, Tallulah thought. I can put up with the Frigidaire queen for one day.

  Chapter 24

  On Friday morning Aiden drove from King’s Cross to his apartment, to change before they left for Surrey. Tallulah had dressed relatively soberly, in an ankle-length navy linen shift dress. It was absolutely plain, and instead of looking like a fairy, she resembled a renaissance angel. At least in Aiden’s opinion. Her pale hair was piled on her head like a halo. She’s so beautiful. And I’m screwed if she won’t have me.

  In deference to his father and the serious nature of the meeting, Aiden wore a conventional, if beautifully cut, grey business suit, with a blue and white striped shirt. He fastened his seatbelt and tugged at his grey tie. “I’m not looking forward to this.”

  Tallulah rested one hand on his knee. “You look great.”

  “I thought you didn’t like—”

  “That tie’s giving me bondage fantasies.”

  He turned his head slowly and looked at her. The corner of his mouth tilted. “Hold the thought. We can explore it later.” He started the car. “Thanks.”

  They arrived a few minutes before the nine-thirty meeting. Francesca met them in the hall and led them silently to the dining room, where the management team, minus Malcolm Riordon, already waited. Tallulah made a beeline for the coffee pot and poured herself a cup, picking up one for him and carrying it over to the table.

  “Thanks.”

  She sat next to him, opening her laptop and leaning closer. “Do they all know?” Her words tickled his earlobe.

  He gave her a small nod before addressing the group. “Tallulah’s going to take minutes, and she’ll have a copy sent to everyone by Monday.”

  William leaned forward, from the head of the table. “I want you to chair this meeting, Aiden. You called it.”

  He nodded, although it hadn’t been his idea to meet at his parent’s house, and it certainly hadn’t been his idea to include his father. Hopefully the old man would have remembered his anti-anxiety medication. “Okay. As you all know by now, our CFO and our financial director have left the company and are under investigation.”

  Francesca’s stillness filled the room. Her eyes were fixed to the table top.

  Aiden continued. “The auditors will be working with us from Monday, to document exactly what has happened and how we’ve been affected.”

  “Will you be pressing charges?” the chief business officer asked.

  “That’s up to my father,” Aiden said.

  “I haven’t decided yet. It’s a very difficult decision to make. Malcolm’s been with us for years, and Gareth . . .” William’s voice trailed off as he glanced at Francesca.

  “The immediate problem is our lack of senior financial management,” Aiden said. He wanted the meeting over. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”

  “Gareth’s assistant,” Francesca looked up at last but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Is there any evidence that he was involved?”

  “Not at the moment.” Aiden wasn’t going to take anyone on trust. “I’ll look at him closely. Are you proposing him?”

  “He’s very capable,” Francesca said. “I propose that if he’s clean, he’s given the position as a temporary measure. We can see how he manages.”

  “Good idea.” William nodded at his daughter and cleared his throat. “I suggest that Aiden takes on the CEO role as a permanent measure. I’m going to be away for at least four months, and I’m not sure I’ll ever come back full time.”

  “No,” Aiden snapped. “I’ve said before I’m not going to do that. I have my own business to run, and I don’t intend to abandon it.”

  Next to him, Tallulah shifted restlessly. He glanced down, but her expression was unreadable.

  “Can I offer you any incentives?” William said.

  Aiden rested his elbows on the table. “I suggest you consider Francesca. She’s been working in the company since University, and she’s familiar with more than her own department. You’ve all seen that. She’s energetic and committed.”

  Francesca darted a shocked glance at him. Surely she can’t really think I want the company, can she?

  He frowned at his father. “Wasn’t that your succession plan before all this happened?”

  “I’d like you to be involved,” William said. “This is a family business and—”

  “It’s not going to happen,” Aiden said. “I have no interest in building, and I’ve invested a lot in growing my own company. Anyway, this isn’t the place to discuss that.”

  Once the meeting was over, he circled the table to Francesca’s side. “Are you all right?”

  She sighed. “I will be. I know it wasn’t your fault, but it’s hard. Thanks for standing up to Father for me.” She turned and headed for the door.

  On the way back to the office, Tallulah was silent.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Aiden?” She sounded uncertain, unlike herself.

  “Yes?”

  “When do you think you’ll leave?”

  “Sunday morning,” he said. “There’s a board meeting on Wednesday, and I need to be there. I’ve a few suggestions, and I need to do some preparation.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll be back by Friday.”

  “And then?”

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I don’t know. Hopefully Francesca will take control.”

  “But, what about—”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll work something out. I don’t want to lose you.” He had a few ideas but didn’t want to talk about them until he’d had time to think.

  Tallulah relapsed into silence.

  “It’ll be fine.” He took one hand off the steering wheel and patted her leg. I hope she doesn’t want to lose me either, he thought. Maybe I’m taking too much for granted.

  ~ ~ ~

  Aiden left for New York on Sunday morning. After Tallulah had seen him through the departure gate at Heathrow, she caught the Piccadilly Line back into London and met her sister for lunch.

  “You’re very quiet.” Zoe dipped a breadstick in olive oil and lifted it to her mouth.

  “Where’s Michael this weekend?” Tallulah tried to deflect her sister.

  “A friend’s stag weekend,” Zoe said. “Don’t change the subject.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” Tallulah muttered. “I always know what to do. I have a life plan.”

  “Right.” Zoe waited while a waiter filled her wineglass. “Don’t know what to do about what?”

  “Aiden. I think I might be in love with him.”

  Zoe’s eyes brightened. “Really? I thought it was all a mistake. A fling at most.”
>
  “So did I.”

  “And?”

  “He’ll be moving back to New York.” Tallulah picked up her wine glass. “I don’t want him to go. I feel sick when I think about it.”

  “You’ve only known him a few weeks,” Zoe said. “Are you sure—”

  “Of course I’m not sure,” Tallulah snapped. “I’ve never felt like this about a man before. I’m twenty-six. I could just be obsessed. I don’t want it to be over. Maybe I’m stupid, but he talks about going back to the States as if it means nothing. He behaves as if I’m important, though.”

  “Why don’t you take a year out from your degree and do an internship abroad? In the US?” Zoe suggested. “Didn’t you say that there were opportunities pinned up on the notice board at college? Then you’ll have time to see how things work out.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And you’re advancing your career as well. If it doesn’t work out—”

  Tallulah thought about it; there had definitely been a position in some New York gallery. “It’s probably gone by now, but—”

  “Why don’t you look tomorrow?”

  “I will. Although there’s probably only that one in Coventry left by now.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to look.”

  “Suppose Aiden doesn’t want me trailing after him to New York?” Tallulah said. She chewed on the nail of her index finger. “If he did, surely he’d have suggested it?” He was concussed when he brought it up. Why hasn’t he said anything since?

  “He said he didn’t want to lose you, didn’t he? Why don’t you ask him?”

  Tallulah picked up her wine glass. It’s easy for Zoe. She and Michael had been a couple for four years, they were secure, knew what to expect from each other, and had a stable relationship. In some things, Zoe felt like her older sister. “Suppose I’m like our mother? I just jumped into bed with Aiden.”