by Judy Angelo
Instead of a face cloudy with anger at her presumptuous question what she saw was a look so wistful and forlorn that her heart went out to the woman she’d grown to know and love. Immediately she got up and went to her.
Taking Claire’s hand she looked straight into the sharp gray eyes. It was time to put an end to this mystery. “What happened, Claire? Tell me.” She squeezed the woman’s hands. “Tell me so I can help make things right.”
Claire shook her head then she sighed. “It’s too late, child. There’s nothing you or anyone can do.”
“But it can’t be.” Golden leaned closer, her voice urgent. “It’s never too late, not where love is concerned. This is family. You have to try.”
Her earnest declaration was greeted with silence but Golden did not back off. This was too important. “Tell me what happened,” she pressed. “Make me understand.”
Claire’s face crinkled and she shook her head like she couldn’t bear to speak but then her voice came out, trembling and low. “She’s my only child, my one daughter, but she...betrayed me. She trampled all over my love for her.”
“But...how?”
Claire pulled her hand from Golden’s and reached up to pull the scarf tighter around her shoulders. “Her father and I, we’d gone through a bitter divorce. He was a wicked, wicked man. Abusive.” She shook her head again and this time when she spoke it was through gritted teeth. “She saw what he did to me. It wasn’t just emotional and verbal abuse. There were times when he got...physical.” Her body shuddered and she looked away. “I still have the scars to prove it.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” Golden whispered the words but she wanted to do more. She wanted to reach out and pull Claire to her but instinctively she knew that now was not the time. Right now what Claire needed was space, the freedom to speak out and tell her story. Golden dared not embrace her and stifle the cleansing flow of her words.
“And she knew this.” Claire pressed an embroidered handkerchief to her lips. “Marjorie knew this and still she sided with him. Can you imagine,” she fixed glistening eyes on Golden, “after seeing me go through so much suffering at that man’s hands she turned around and forgave him? Forgave him,” she spat, “and when he found himself a woman she went to the wedding.” She clenched her fists as she spoke. “Now that was the last straw.”
“But Claire-”
“But Claire nothing.” She glared at Golden. “I know what that meant. It meant that no matter that Edmund was a worthless husband and a terrible father she loved him more than she did me. Well, she can have him.”
“Now, Claire, I’m sure your daughter loves you. Just because she still loves her father it doesn’t mean she stopped loving you.”
“She can’t love both of us,” Claire said grumpily and folded her arms across her chest. “Not after what he did to me. I’ll never forgive him.” Then her mouth tightened. “Or her.”
For a long while there were no more words, just mutinous silence from Claire as Golden stared at her in disbelief. This was crazy. Because of her intense jealousy for the love her daughter still had for her father Claire had denied them both the affection they’d once shared – six years worth of it.
When Golden spoke again her voice was quiet but firm. “No-one’s asking you to forget,” she said softly, “but you have to forgive. That’s the only way you’ll be able to get your life back.”
“I don’t want-”
“Oh, stop being an ass, Claire.” Golden’s voice came out so sharp she shocked even herself. But she was not taking it back. If this was what it took to drive some sense into the stubborn mule staring back at her then so be it. “Do you want to go to your grave knowing you’ll never see your daughter again? And her children, if she has any?” When all she got from Claire was stunned silence Golden nodded. “I thought so. Life is too short to play these games. You have to get back to what’s most important. That’s love...and family.”
Claire remained silent but Golden could see that her words were sinking in. The defiance had left the woman’s eyes and in its place was the sadness that Golden had seen creep in before. Claire was obviously thinking about all she’d lost. And it was a good thing she was because, at her age, time was running out.
“Why don’t you give her a call?” she asked but Claire shook her head, a look of uncertainty creeping into her eyes. “What about writing her a letter?”
This time Claire didn’t shake her head but she lowered her eyes, making it clear to Golden that despite her tough exterior she, like any other person, feared rejection. She knew that if she approached her daughter now she’d be setting herself up for that possibility. The question was, could she handle it?
“Her name is Marjorie? Marjorie Bertlamb?”
When Claire nodded, almost in a daze, Golden decided to take advantage of her submissive state. An idea was beginning to form in her mind and she needed to gather as much information as she could while she had the upper hand. “From your home town? Cudham?” When Claire nodded again Golden almost smiled in relief. This was working out easier than she’d expected. “Do you think she’d still be living there?”
Again, Claire nodded. “She still teaches at the primary school on Otford Lane. Hazel, my friend, told me so.”
Now Golden did smile. This was good news. Claire had been keeping tabs on her daughter all these years. Her neighborhood friends probably fed her bits of news from time to time. There was no denying it. Deep down, she really cared.
“Did she ever get married?” It must have been the eagerness in her tone, Golden wasn’t sure why, but suddenly a look of suspicion crept into Claire’s eyes.
“Why are you asking all these questions? What are you up to?”
Golden knew when to shut up. This was the perfect time to change the subject. “Oh, nothing. Just curious. By the way, did I tell you my second week on the job was great? I’m learning a lot and the best part of it is, I’ve got a dreamboat for a boss.”
Just like she’d known it would, that made Claire’s eyes light up with interest. “A dreamboat, is it? Come on, girl. Tell me all.”
Golden hadn’t really meant to call Reed a dreamboat even though that was exactly what she thought of him. That was something she’d much rather keep to herself. Still, she’d had to come up with something to distract Claire and she’d grabbed at that, thinking it was the perfect solution.
It seemed that it was, because Claire was practically chomping at the bit, awaiting the juicy details. “He’s very nice,” she said, feeding her friend’s curiosity, “and so young, too. He doesn’t look much older than I am but he’s the CEO of the corporation.” Then she frowned. “I have no idea how he manages that.”
Claire shrugged. “Probably a family business. He must have inherited it. But enough about that. What does he look like, this boss of yours?”
“Reed is...very handsome. He’s tall, but not too tall. Around five eleven, I think. And he’s got wavy brown hair and the bluest eyes you ever saw. His eyes remind me of...” She paused, thinking. “You know, his eyes are as blue as Sir Richard Branson’s.”
“The chap who owns all those Virgin companies?”
“Yes, I saw his face on the cover of Inc. Magazine and his eyes were so blue, like Reed’s.” Then she laughed. “They actually have more in common than just the color of their eyes. They’re both ambitious men. Billionaires.”
“And this is the man you’ve got your eye on?” Claire’s laugh was almost a cackle. “Talk about ambitious. That’s exactly what you are, luv. Good for you.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“Well, you just said you liked the man.”
“No, not like that. I only meant he’s a nice...employer. I didn’t mean...” Golden’s voice trailed off. From the expression on Claire’s face she could see the woman was buying none of what she was selling. And who could blame her? Golden was convincing no-one, not even herself. “I just work for him, Claire,” she said finally. “That’s all.”
&nb
sp; Claire only chuckled and gave her a knowing look.
But Golden knew a lot more than Claire did and what she knew, without a doubt, was that any interest she might have in Reed Davidoff was hopeless. Outside of the fact that, compared to her the man was royalty, there was also that dreadful stipulation in her father’s will.
As much as she despised the thought, for the sake of her mother she knew she would eventually give in.
And Reed Davidoff would fit nowhere in that picture.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Had it been a month already? That Monday when Sharon came in to remind him that Friday would be her last day Reed almost did a double-take. It seemed like Golden had only been there a couple of weeks but no, Sharon had promised she would be there for a month to train her and a glance at the calendar told him she’d been true to her word. But where had the time gone so fast?
And now it was Friday and time to see Sharon off. “You tell that husband of yours to take good care of you and the little one or he’ll have to answer to me.” Reed gave Sharon a broad smile as she shrugged into her sweater. Employee or not he would have given her a hug if he’d been brave enough but by now she was so huge he was afraid his hug would send her into premature labor.
Sharon laughed. “I’ll give him your message. He’ll be shaking in his boots.”
Reed gave her a mock scowl. “Are you saying he’s not afraid of me? Is there anybody who is?” He looked around and, the only person in the room being Golden, his gaze alighted on her. She rewarded him with a soft blush. “Might you, per chance, be afraid of me?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“Say yes,” Sharon said, still chuckling. “Make him feel good.”
“Yes,” the girl said, following the instruction of her mentor. “I am.”
Somehow, he couldn’t believe her. Not when, in spite of her shy blush, her pink lips were curled in a smile. And, of course, despite his play at being an ogre he was more than pleased to know that Golden was finally growing comfortable with him. She had better be, because from here on she would fill Sharon’s role as his right-hand person.
“Now you take good care of Golden while I’m gone.” Sharon gave Reed a stern look. “Do not overwork her.”
“Would I ever?” he asked with a wounded look.
“Now come here, hon. Give us a hug.” She opened her arms wide to Golden and the girl stepped into her embrace. “Just ring me if you need me,” she whispered.
“You know I won’t,” Golden whispered back. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
But even after Sharon had gone through the door she stood there, staring wistfully after her friend and guide, a hint of apprehension in her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t quite as confident as she’d pretended to be.
That evening when it was time for Golden to leave she gave a soft knock and stepped into his office. “I’m off,” she said, a forced air of cheeriness in her voice. “Have a great weekend.”
“You, too,” he said as he leaned back in his chair and regarded her through narrowed eyes. The slight droop at the corners of her mouth belied her cheery farewell. “Missing her already?”
She smiled. “How did you know?”
“It will be all right,” he said by way of reassurance. “Enjoy your weekend.”
Demurely she nodded then went out, pulling the door shut behind her.
Long after she’d gone Reed sat staring at the door. Now he would have Golden Browne all to himself and the good thing was, she seemed as intrigued about him as he was about her.
He had to be careful, though. Interested or not, he was still her employer. There was a line that could not be crossed...unless, of course, she wanted it crossed.
Even after he got home that night Golden Browne was still on Reed’s mind. He’d known the girl less than two months but, as quiet and unassuming as she was, she’d still managed to creep into his mind and dominate his thoughts. She had a strange power, a gentle pull that he could not resist.
As he lounged in front of the television, so distracted by the girl that the latest episode of ‘Allo, Allo’ played unnoticed, he grimaced. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to hire her. At least then he would be unencumbered by the rules of an employer, employee relationship. But firing her would be out of the question. Put the girl out of a job just so he could ask her out on a date? He would not be so callous. There was nothing to be done but to ask her out, regardless of their professional relationship.
Reed was just about to get up to head into the kitchen for some ice cream when he heard a familiar buzzing in his pocket. He fished the phone out and glanced at the screen. When he saw the name that flashed there his face broke into a smile. He hadn’t spoken to Max in a while.
“What’s up, big bro?” he said. “Back from your Brazil trip?”
“Just got in last night,” Max said. “Exhausting trip but it was worth it. I’m not looking forward to doing another product launch very soon. I need to recover from this one.”
“Yeah, I know how that goes. It’s been almost two months since I did mine and I’m still recovering.”
“So what’s new? You’re good?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“No wild parties?”
Reed chuckled. “Haven’t had time.” Truth be told, he hadn’t had the inclination either. During the past year he’d practically been a hermit, shunning female company outside of the fashion models he worked with. He’d resolved to ‘be good’, as his brothers put it...until the day he laid eyes on Golden Browne
Golden. Just the thought of her made him smile.
“Who’s Golden?”
Startled, Reed frowned. Had he said her name out loud?
“Who’s Golden, Reed? One of your new models?”
When Max repeated his question Reed got his confirmation. He’d said her name out loud, triggering this barrage of questions he knew could not go unanswered. Max was the sort who never let things rest, not until he’d got all the answers. Seeing that there was no getting around it he decided to come clean. “No, she’s just...a young woman I hired to cover for Sharon while she’s out on mat leave.”
“And you like her,” Max said drily.
Damn. Why did he have a brother who could read him so easily? Max didn’t even have to see him to know what was on his mind.
“Sort of,” he said, not wanting to commit to a full admission. But then he thought, what the heck. He’d already been busted so he might as well put it all out there. “I’m planning to ask her out.”
“Your employee?”
“Yeah, my employee. She can say no if she doesn’t want to go out with me. I’m not going to force her.”
Max snorted into the phone. “Just the fact that you’re asking her out is pressure. You’re her boss. You think she’s going to say no?”
That made Reed pause. Now how the hell was he going to work around that? He didn’t want to intimidate the girl and he sure as hell didn’t want to get slapped with a charge of harassment but he definitely wanted to see her, and he didn’t mean sitting behind a desk in the office.
“And aren’t you forgetting something?”
Max’s question brought Reed’s thoughts skittering back to the conversation. He frowned. He could tell where this was going and he was in no mood to go down that road. He remained silent.
“Be careful not to hurt this girl you claim to like so much.” Max’s voice was harsh. “Stop running from your past. It’s time for you to deal with it.”
Reed’s frown deepened and his grip on the phone tightened. That was the last thing he wanted to do right now but the problem was, annoying or not, he knew that his big brother was right.
***
Golden had been working for Reed Davidoff for six whole weeks, two of them without Sharon as her chaperone, when she began to feel uncomfortable.
Was it in her mind or was he watching her? It seemed like in the last few days every time she lifted her head he was standing in the doorway, his eyes on her, a dark expression on his
face. Either that or he would leave his office door open, depriving her of the little privacy she used to have in the outer office. Not that she needed privacy to do her work but it was so much less stressful when she didn’t have her boss’s eyes on her the whole time.
And then there were the times when she would hear him in his office and he would give out an unexpected sigh. This had only happened a couple of times but each time she’d found it strange. He must have some serious issues on his mind.
And, to top it all off, this morning he’d come in with his face as grim as the grave and had gone straight to his office, slamming the door behind him. What in heaven’s name was going on? Reed was definitely out of sorts but she had no idea why.
The whole day Golden was on edge, jumping each time Reed called her into his office to give her instructions. There she would be sitting stiffly in the chair, notepad in hand, while he reeled off his assignments, glaring at her the whole time. The worst part was, she could think of nothing she’d done to deserve such abominable treatment.
By five o’clock that evening Golden was at the end of her rope and dying to head home. Although it was not the norm for her, this Wednesday evening as soon as the clock touched the hour, she shut down her computer and reached for her handbag. She was not about to endure a minute more of this torture, not when she was no longer on company time.
She’d slung the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and was getting ready to rise when her tormentor stepped out of his office and stood by the door. As she’d come to expect, he was not looking happy.
Golden froze then sank back into her chair, hoping against hope that he would not ask her to work late. Not tonight, please Lord. I can’t take much more of this.
“Miss Browne,” he said then cleared his throat. “Golden. There’s something I need to ask you.”