“I won’t be in for an hour, an hour and a half. Why don’t you two get together for the meeting and go over it? I trust Dom with everything on this,” James said.
“Gotcha. Just wanted to keep you in the loop. I’ll see you later,” Dom said.
“Later.” James closed the call on his end. Looks like things just got a bit harder. James looked at the slow-moving traffic all around him.
***
“Don’t worry—we expected them to do this,” Daphne said to Dom as they read over the information given to them by the court.
“They’re clearly looking to push us back and settle,” Dom said. “I had the people in the class action call me, telling me that the Mera Corporation told them that they would pay them twenty thousand dollars to drop the case.”
“We need to check if that was recorded, if it was official or if it was an unofficial source,” Daphne said. “If it’s official, then we can bring pressure on them. Otherwise, it’s not confirmed—it’s not connected to the corporation and they can deny it all the time, saying that we’re lying to the court.”
“I thought that they had to say the truth if they were questioned?” Dom asked.
“They are telling the truth if they hinted at this to some people that they knew. It’s not their fault they took it as a request. All miscommunication.” Daphne shrugged.
“Snakes,” Dom said.
Daphne nodded and looked up. She saw James walk in as he met with a group of people waiting outside his door.
His secretary was a bull terrier. A single whistle from her calmed everyone as she started organizing people based on those who were being too pushy.
James went into his office, accepting the first one who passed his secretary’s position.
Dom followed her eyes to James. “He works himself to the bone but he still takes the time to talk to people who are looking to take a step up, or they need help, like these people.” Dom waved to the documents on the meeting table.
Daphne looked over at him. He was so far away and she didn’t know what to say to him.
“So, what is our course of action?” Dom asked.
“We wait them out. I have it on good authority that there are certain people in government who want this to be dealt with quickly—to make some good headlines, if possible,” Daphne said.
“Wait, the justice system is actually working for once?” Dom looked shocked.
Daphne shook her head and smiled. “Yes, for once.”
***
Lucy shut the door behind her as James looked up from his computer. Lucy had been with him through thick and thin. She was a loyal supporter, something akin to Julia’s aunty, his receptionist and one of his closest confidants.
“What is it?” James could tell she wasn’t here for work reasons.
“That’s what” Lucy glanced over to where Daphne and Dom were talking and working. “We both know that you should be in there, but you got me to switch it around so Dom took it.”
James let out a sigh. “She’s Daphne.”
“Daphne Thomas, right.”
“No, she’s Daphne,” James emphasized.
“Ohhh.” Lucy looked over at Daphne now with new eyes. Her expression started to cloud over a bit. “I should give her a piece of my mind.”
“Calm it, Luc.”
“You pulled her in to be our lead on the case against the Mera Corporation? I don’t know if I’m the first person to say this, but if you screw a girl while on vacation and get feelings for her, almost have her meet Julia…it’s not the best idea to bring her on as staff!” Lucy said.
James sat back in his chair and waved his hand. “She’s got the qualifications. She’s the best one for the job. I can’t just let her go. Those people are hurting and I want to win this case for them.”
“Damn knight in shining armor, complete with the low IQ from being hit in the head too many times!” Lucy said. But the fire in her voice faded. “So, other than the work stuff, is there anything more?”
“I don’t know.” James sounded confused even to himself as his mind started thinking up possibilities and having hope.
“You haven’t talked to her yet?” Lucy asked, getting to the point.
“What am I going to say? ‘Hello, I really liked you at my cousin’s cabin. Would you like to get a drink and talk about how you ran away when I brought my daughter home?’” James asked.
Lucy just looked at James as he let out an annoyed noise.
“What’s your plan?” James sounded defeated.
“The gala,” Lucy said. “I’ll give her an invite, get her to go. Either you talk to her there and clear things or get some damn closure, James. I’ll force you otherwise.”
James didn’t say anything but he knew that it was a plan, better than the nonexistent one he had come up with.
“Now you say ‘thank you, Lucy,’” Lucy said.
“Thanks, Lucy.”
“Also, I’m taking Julia ice skating this weekend.” Lucy turned to leave.
“Thanks, Lucy.” James smiled as she left his office.
Chapter Wilderness Outreach Gala
Daphne checked her appearance once again. She wore a sleek black dress that was geared more toward business neutral than flirty. She still filled it out in all the right places.
She grabbed her coat and checked her clutch. Her eyes caught herself in the mirror. Her nerves turned over in her stomach. Seeing James, finding out who he really was, being hired on for their high-profile case…
She didn’t know whether he had hired her because it was her, or whether it was because he wanted her skills.
Even so, she didn’t know what was between them or what he was thinking. Obviously he couldn’t have had a talk with her when they were in a meeting.
She just didn’t know what to expect.
Her phone beeped at her, telling her that her ride was there.
She quickly left her apartment and walked down to meet the cab. She jumped in and let it take her through the city. The glow of lights filled her vision: red brake lights, the whites that lit up the skyscrapers, and the green and yellows of the stoplights.
She looked at Toronto, but she didn’t see it, her mind filled with other things.
It wasn’t long until they arrived at Casa Loma. She was caught in the traffic of fancy cars as they waited for dressed-up people in their formal suits and dresses who had come out for the late winter gala.
A man opened the door of her car and she stepped out, catching eyes as she walked up the main entrance and into Casa Loma. A wave of heat rushed over her. She was greeted by a coat check; she left her coat behind and walked into the party.
She saw Reggie was already mingling and waved to him. He waved back but he was having a deep conversation with a gentleman, playing with a toothpick.
She smiled. It was clear Reggie was otherwise engaged. She entered the venue, getting a glass of prosecco. Here was the wealth of Toronto: millionaires dotted the floor, with people talking to a few start-ups that were looking promising or talking about different deals they had made.
“Daphne,” Lucy called out, tapping her arm from the side.
“Sorry, I missed you.” Daphne leaned forward for a brief hug.
“No worries. This place is packed and my heels aren’t tall enough to see over all of this.” Lucy smiled and grabbed a glass of prosecco from a wandering waiter, as well as a few snacks. “Can’t go wrong—it’s all empty carbs when you drink, right?” Lucy smiled.
Daphne laughed lightly. She found Lucy to be a nice woman to be around and although she was a bit of a terrier when it came to James’s schedule, she had a heart of gold.
Daphne looked around and saw James talking to a group of other people in suits and dresses. His easy smile and his manners seemed to turn him into a magnet as he controlled the room.
“Lucy, who is this fine creature beside you?” A man moved to hug Lucy from the side.
“Easy, Dave. This is Daphne,” Lucy admonis
hed as she smiled playfully at Dave.
Dave let out a laugh. He had blond hair and blue eyes and wore a deep-blue suit that contrasted against him well.
“My apologies, Daphne.” Dave held Daphne’s hand and kissed it.
Daphne smiled. “It’s no worry at all, Dave.”
“So what are you doing here?” Dave asked.
“I work for the Wilderness Outreach Incubator. I’m part of their legal team,” Daphne said.
“Where have they been hiding you? My dear Lucy, is this any way to treat an old friend?” Dave asked.
“Dave,” Lucy said with a note of warning.
“It’s all okay.” Dave waved his hands to the side. One of them rested on Daphne’s back.
She smiled, feeling slightly awkward. But she had been in these situations all too often; she knew how to rescue herself if she needed to. Though, this time she felt that something was wrong. Unconsciously, she turned her head. There didn’t seem to be anyone in her vision’s way as her eyes found James’s.
Her heart dropped as her temperature soared.
James seemed to look through her, Dave’s hand clearly on her back. He turned away from Daphne, his eyes cold and empty. He returned to his conversation with the group he had been talking to.
They laughed at his words as he toasted them with his glass. He left the conversation and then downed the glass in one shot, putting it down and grabbing another as he left the room.
“Shit.” Lucy looked to Dave and then Daphne before she looked to leave.
“Excuse me, I need to see a friend,” Daphne said, with a smile to Dave before she turned out of his hand and moved to follow James. She needed to clear this up.
She had come to know more about him from the people around him.
She had been over at the Wilderness Outreach offices so many times, seeing him as he worked tirelessly or rushed out to go and see his daughter. She didn’t know what was between them anymore, but she knew that she didn’t want whatever they had to be stained by this.
She found him as he moved to a closed-off door. She followed right after him.
He looked back and saw her there. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice containing some heat.
“James, I…” She didn’t know what to say.
“I didn’t know that you and Dave were that close, Miss Thomas.”
Hearing Miss Thomas from his lips was like a stab in the heart. “James, I didn’t mean for things to happen this way.”
“For you to be working for me, or for you to run off?” James laughed but it had no humor to it. “Did you know that Lucy invited you and Reggie here, because she thought it would give us the opportunity to talk, to clear the air? My idiot ass even had the hope that we might still have something.”
Daphne’s heart jumped and then plummeted even farther. Still have something?
“I like you, James, all right? I did when we were at the camp and I do now!” Daphne’s words were cut off as they heard people talking outside of the room.
Daphne moved past James, grabbing his hand and dragging him to a close bathroom. She stood next to the counter as he locked the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted.
“I like you. I still do. I just don’t know what we are. I can’t sleep right at night because of that!” she said, finally revealing everything. She held her arm, feeling vulnerable.
“Then why did you run away?” James yelled, unable to hold it back.
Seeing that look of pain, that loss in his eyes, hurt more than any words. “Because I was scared!” she yelled, confused by her own emotions, knowing the other side of him, the business leader who raised his daughter by himself. It was too much. The pit in her stomach deepened and she couldn’t look at his face.
He didn’t say anything, waiting for her to speak.
She gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to run into his embrace, to cry and let everything go back to that time in the camper, that escape on the paddleboards. “I was scared I might fall for you.” She looked up at him with watery eyes.
She could see that James was fighting himself, thinking about walking over, but holding back.
“You’re…” She waved her hand and let it drop to the side as she leaned against the counter. She didn’t know what to say, how to say it.
They stood just a few feet from each other, but it felt as though they were worlds apart.
James took a deep breath and looked at Daphne. “So what do you want to do?”
Daphne’s heart begged her to run to him, but her mind kept her back. She didn’t know what to say.
“If you want, we can just think of it as some fling, or…” James took a breath, bracing himself. “Or, we can see where this goes.”
Daphne opened her mouth but James held up a finger. Few people could stop her from speaking but she immediately closed her mouth.
“If you want to make this a thing, you’re going to have to regain my trust. I’m not going to lie—seeing you run tore me up on the inside. Not only for me. I thought that Julia scared you. I would give anything for Julia. While I didn’t tell her anything about you, intending for it to be a surprise, it tore me up seeing you run. I thought you ran because you were scared of her, that you thought less of her.” James’s eyes weren’t soft but hard now.
Daphne could see the protective side of James. A touch of hardness that entered his body made her look away as she closed her eyes.
“It’s not just me—there’s Julia as well. I need to know that you’re not just going to run away. That takes time, and I don’t want you to betray Julia’s emotions.”
Daphne gathered herself and looked at James. He seemed like a stone block, his face steeled, ready for whatever was to come.
“I have a few things to say, so listen,” Daphne said, seeing James grit his teeth, and let out a breath. “I want to date you, if you’ll let me, and meet Julia,” Daphne said in a rush. “But”— James winced at that simple word—“right now, if I represent you on this high-profile case, if I become involved with you—then what will other people think?”
Daphne was a powerful female lawyer in a predominantly male-dominated field. She had to think about the ramifications of her relationships. It was a harsh and stupid reality.
James relaxed slightly. “What do you propose?” he asked, hope in his voice.
Daphne bit her lip. It was hard for her to say these words but she knew that he had bucked up to it; she could too.
“We date in secret. We see where this goes. I wasn’t afraid of Julia. I was afraid of getting so attached that I couldn’t leave. Setting up everything—the company, the different clients—I didn’t know that I could do it and I didn’t want to ruin any relationship we had. It was better to leave with the good memories we had instead of destroying it. Every day or every other day, I think of the what-ifs. I’ve tried saying that it would be impossible, even more so with a kid in the mix. Seeing you…” Daphne looked up at James, a sad smile on her face. “I don’t want to let you go.”
It was a rare sight as her bottom lip curled and the tears she had been holding back fell down.
James moved forward and pulled her into a hug. That familiar smell, that body… She held onto him, realizing how much she had missed him. Her heart ached and her nerves were a wreck. It took her a few minutes before she was able to get control of herself.
James kept one arm around her, using the handkerchief in his suit to wipe away her tears.
“Who knows, dating in secret might be even more fun,” James said with that familiar smile.
Daphne laughed and let out some more tears, stepping back and wiping her eyes.
“We’re both busy, but we’ll make it work,” James said.
Daphne nodded. Being around him made it feel as if every moment was better.
James gave her a quick kiss, stunning her.
“I have mascara everywhere!” she complained, looking in the mirror.
“One sexy raccoon,” James teased.
James pulled her to him and kissed her one more time.
Daphne couldn’t figure out the emotions in his eyes as he smiled and turned for the door, unlocking it.
“See you later, secret lover.” James winked.
Daphne’s heart jumped as she gave him a smile.
He left, closing the door behind him. Daphne felt emotionally exhausted but her heart was soaring.
Chapter Come Back to Mine
The next day, Daphne woke to a text message from James.
Dinner?
She didn’t reply immediately. It was Friday but she didn’t have anything planned. It was coming up on Christmas, only five days away.
She thought about how she’d run away the last time. She owed it to him, and although she was nervous, she didn’t have any good reason to say no.
Sure, when and where?
Fifth pubhouse at five?
She quickly checked out where the Fifth Pubhouse was.
See you then!
She put her phone down, tapping it as she wondered what he was thinking or doing.
“Well, he was good at waking me up early,” Daphne said, realizing that she wouldn’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon. She got out of bed. It was time to wrap those presents she had been putting off.
The day passed slowly as she tried to think of ways to spark a conversation, or things to say to get him to text to her more. But she didn’t come up with anything. She looked at the pubhouse, trying to gauge what she needed to wear. Finally she settled on jeans and a long-sleeve shirt and sweater.
She wasted an hour on her clothes and then more just flicking through her phone.
Finally the waiting came to an end. She left her apartment and headed down to the street. She pulled on her warm hat and scarf, tucking up against the wind. The Toronto winter was in full force—snow and slush covered the streets. She quickly made her way to the subway system.
Wilderness Borne Page 7