“Put that way it sounds completely absurd. Dating her is clearly the wrong thing. Thanks for putting it in perspective for me.”
“I’m confused. How is dating her the wrong thing?”
“There is a workplace policy in effect.”
“You’re like King Nebuchadnezzar. Did somebody make you sign a document that said, ‘not even you, O king, can change the law?’”
“You’re funny. It’s a policy based on best practice.”
“Do you think you’re the first guy to fall in love with his secretary?”
“Legal assistant.”
“Blake Carrington did it. So did …”
“And who said I’m in love with her?”
“Are you denying it? Don’t make me get a Bible and make you swear on it.”
David didn’t answer. He hid behind his mug.
“So as I was saying…” Kirt said as he reached for a tall glass and filled it to the top with the green potion. He set it before David. “…don’t act like the world will fall off its axis because you’ve fallen for your personal assistant.”
“Legal assistant.”
Kirt poured a glass of green juice for himself.
“The trouble with you is that you’re still trying to please your father.”
“He’s the last person in the world I care about pleasing.”
“It’s so bad you don’t even see it.”
David stayed silent.
“You’re a man who likes to see the evidence, so here it is. Exhibit A: Linette Laney.”
“What’s wrong with Linette?”
“I met the lady, okay? I told you this before. I said ‘David she’s a beautiful woman, but she’s all wrong for you.’ You said, ‘No, she’s fine. Give it time.’ A year later you’re exactly the same place you were with her when you started. It’s like watching a race between two tortoises.”
“Slow and steady…”
“No. Slow and slower is more like it. Watching you two date is like watching paint dry. Instead of sparks flying you actually see embers forming.”
David couldn’t deny this fact. He chuckled.
“Why do you think that is?”
“You’re too much alike.”
“Should I be insulted?”
“There is just no chemistry between the two of you. But she’s precisely the type of woman your father would want you to date, the type of woman you’ve dated ever since I met you. So that’s why you keep her hanging around.”
Frowning, David slid the green juice a few inches away from him.
“Keep her hanging around? That’s a terrible thing to say.”
“You cannot live your life to please people, David. Live your life to please God. Look at me. There was a time in my life when my focus was gaining acceptance from the boys in my ‘hood. Then I met God, and His acceptance was what mattered. I traded a criminal life for an amazing wife, kids, and a great career. All I’m saying, David, is that you need to take some time and think about what God wants for you. Don’t simply march along to someone else’s beat.”
David stared into the bottom of his now empty mug and pondered Kirt’s advice.
“I’ve got to go. The love of my life wants us to go pick out furniture for the new baby. Like a baby need’s new furniture. The crib the boys had and the pram are apparently too old and too blue for a baby girl. Have you ever heard anything so irrational? Women. What can you do but love ‘em? Drink your juice,” he said as he leaned down to grasp his gym bag from off the floor.
David took a sip of the juice with skepticism. It wasn’t as bad as it looked.
~*~*~*~
Following his conversation with Kirt, David made a decision to make some changes in his life, beginning with informing Linette that he would never be interested in her as anything more than a friend. He had invited her to dine with him at a French restaurant not too far from his office.
After they had completed the meal, he took a deep breath and said, “Linette, I need to tell you something.”
She looked down at her food.
“I need to tell you something too, David. Can I go first?”
He paused. “Sure, okay.”
“For a while now you’ve been too busy to spend time with me. It always seems like there is something on your plate that takes precedence. Work, congressional office duties, church, your pro bono work, the university. Something.”
Guilt gnawed at David. It hadn’t been busyness so much as avoidance.
“Just after Thanksgiving, Lindon invited me out, and I went. In fact, we’ve been spending more and more time together these last couple of weeks. What I’m trying to say is things have developed between us. We used to date in college. He’s been offered a position here and says he’ll take it if I agree to give things a try again. David, you and I…we’re just drifting along. You’re really not that into me. I was hoping that would change over time. It hasn’t. What I’m trying to say is I finally took the hint and moved on. I’m sorry.”
David reached across the table and covered her hands with his.
“Don’t be sorry. You were right to move on with someone else. I wish you and Lindon the best, Linette. I really do. And I hope we can remain friends.”
~*~*~*~
“Have you picked out your outfit for the Christmas party?” Anne asked as she and Ronnie were leaving work together that day. Anne’s Ford Focus was in the shop, and Ronnie was giving her a ride home.
“I’m not sure I’m going.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not in a party mood.”
Ronnie’s heart had begun to hope again after that amazing Thanksgiving she had spent with David. She had gone to work the next day expecting him to make a move, only to be told by Michael Jones that he would be out of office for the remainder of the week attending to matters at his congressional office. Ronnie had felt her heart sink. Why hadn’t David told her that himself? She had been tempted to call him that instant and tell him off, but she had resisted the urge. She had her pride, and there was no way she was going to make him feel he meant more to her than she clearly did to him.
Instead, she had gone home that evening and finally did something she should have done months ago. She checked out vacancies online and applied for all the ones that she qualified for and were as far away from Chicago as possible.
“God, I think I heard you wrong when you said he was the man I was supposed to marry,” she’d prayed. “It’s time for me to move on.”
“I thought you were enjoying your job as project manager for this M&A?” Anne was saying now.
“I am. It’s just that…”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
Ronnie was tempted to confide her feelings for David to Anne, but she couldn’t run the risk of Anne telling anyone else.
“There is this guy at work I like, but he runs hot and cold, Anne. One minute he seems into me and the next he practically ignores me.”
“Who is he?”
“I can’t say.”
“You won’t say. Come on, you can tell me. I won’t tell a living soul.”
“It’s true. You won’t because I’m not telling.”
“Is it Geoffrey Hellman?”
“Who?”
“Guess not. Kyle Corbin….”
“The HR manager? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I don’t know. He’s kinda cute when he smiles.”
“Listen, stop trying to guess. It’s futile.”
“Well, here’s my advice, for what it’s worth. I wouldn’t waste my time staying at home and moping over him. I’d dress up to the nines and show up at the party with a cute guy. Watch him eat his heart out. He’s not the only guy out there. Let him realize that.”
Ronnie nodded thoughtfully as she slowed down behind another car.
“By the way, Zachary is going to accompany me to the party,” Anne said.
“Who?”
“Zachary Buchanan, the boss’ frien
d. We met him the night at the bar, remember?”
“Of course I remember. When did this happen?”
“He stopped by Jones Law a couple times since then to see David and then just happened to drop by my office. I sensed he liked me, but he never came right out and said anything, so I took the initiative and asked him out.”
“How nice for you both,” Ronnie said drily.
“Don’t be a hater. Someday your prince will come too. Even if it’s just to his senses.”
Despite herself, Ronnie had to laugh a little.
“My point is, you should walk in looking like a million dollars in one of those designer gowns on another guy’s arm. If he doesn’t react to that, you’ll know that there’s nothing there and it’s time to move on.”
Ronnie hated to admit it, but the idea was pretty appealing. She remembered how David had reacted when he thought Giorgio was interested. The thought of him jealous because she showed up with someone else struck a chord with her.
As Ronnie checked her side mirror and changed lanes, she thought about a potential candidate to take her to the party. She knew Giorgio would jump at the chance, but she didn’t dare ask him. He might attach more significance to it than he should. She had already had quite the time getting rid of him as it was. She couldn’t run the risk of reigniting his interest.
Then she remembered Bob Gershon. He had been out of town on business for a couple weeks, meeting with his new client in Wyoming. He had texted her just that day to say that David had invited him to the Christmas party and he would come only if she agreed to go with him. Perhaps she should go with him. She would let him know that it was just a friendly evening out and not to take it as more than that.
“Okay. You’ve just convinced me. Let’s head over to the mall and see what we can find.”
~*~*~*~
David knocked on Cheryl Yancey’s open door.
“Hi, Cheryl. Have you got a minute?”
Cheryl glanced up from a document and broke into a smile.
“For my boss? Always. Come on in.”
Once seated, David said, “I need your advice.”
Cheryl carefully placed her pen on the table and folded her arms on the desk. She didn’t respond, just waited for him to go on.
David paused, trying to figure out how to ease into this conversation. The last thing he needed to hear was ‘I told you so.’ Yet there was no way to ease into it. He took a deep breath.
“I’m in love with Ronnie Dickson.”
Cheryl started. After a few agonizing moments, she cleared her throat.
“You could have prepared me for that.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. I honestly didn’t expect that. I expected to hear you were involved with her. I suspected something was going on between you two for a while. But in love? Are you sure?”
David snorted a laugh.
“You say it like I just told you I’m terminally ill.” Then he turned serious. “Cheryl, I’ve tried to fight my feelings for her from day one. I swear. I suddenly feel as if I shouldn’t have to.”
“But?”
“But it goes against who I am to just ignore the consequences of my actions and say let the chips fall where they may.”
“Are you two dating?”
“No, but recent actions have alerted her that I’m interested.”
“When you work so closely with someone, David, there is always the likelihood that you may become infatuated with them.”
“You’re speaking about Justina.”
Cheryl nodded.
“That was different. I never felt the way about Justina that I do about Ronnie, Cheryl. A few months ago when I walked into your office and asked about her working for me, you expressed concern about her looks and my looks and suggested something could develop because of that. Yes, I did fall for her, but my feelings have less to do with her looks than they do with her character. If you got to know her, you’d understand. She’s amazing. She’s so sincere and warm and kind and creative. She’s a photographer. You should see her work. It would blow you away. And she can cook, loves to cook in fact. You should taste her banana walnut muffins. And despite her money, she’s so concerned about others and is not extravagant or over the top…”
Suddenly conscious he was gushing like a school boy, David paused for breath.
After silence had stretched between them for a spell, Cheryl said quietly, “You do love her.”
She sighed. “Apart from the fact that you are the CEO of this company, and that the policy is no relationship with employees, you’re also a political figure. You can do damage control, work with your publicist, but the question is, are you willing to risk the fallout?”
“I can’t imagine life without her, Cheryl,” he said simply.
“She needs to resign then.”
“What if I don’t want her to resign?”
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too, David. One of you has to go and obviously it can’t be you.”
Sighing, David ran a hand over his head.
“She’s project manager for the M&A right now. We’re in the middle of the paperwork. I can’t afford to lose her. It would be too risky asking someone to pick up where she left off.”
“If you date her, and it gets out, it’s going to become a scandal. Are you willing to risk the reputation of this firm? Her reputation?”
David stayed silent and contemplative.
“David, if you’re not willing to lose Ronnie as an employee until after the M&A then maybe you should reconsider dating her until then. You’ve waited this long, right? What are a few more months? Of course, I can’t tell you what to do, but if you do see her these things have a way of getting out. I can only imagine the gossip. It would make you look like a sleazebag, and we both know that’s far from true. I think after the M&A is complete and Ronnie resigns, after a few weeks, you can begin seeing each other. Hold a press conference and introduce her as your girlfriend. Say you met and fell in love and realized it was a conflict of interest, so she resigned. I’m not your PR person, Stein will have to advise you there, but that’s what I would do.”
Chapter 19
Everything had been explained, yet Ronnie was having serious doubts about showing up at the office party with Bob Gershon. Sure, over the phone Bob had said he understood that it was just a friendly date, but from the moment he saw her, his eyes almost popped out of his head.
“Wow! You look amazing!”
Ronnie had bought a beautiful, sleeveless, silk satin, floor-length Valentino dress in white, simply because she always wore clothes in every color of the rainbow and wanted to look a little different on this occasion. She’d also bought a pair of strappy white stilettos to go with it. She had been to the salon, and they had done her hair in a lovely style swept to one side of her head with some of her hair pinned up and the rest hanging over one shoulder.
“You really do look amazing. You didn’t have to get this dressed up for me you know,” Bob teased, as he started the ignition of his BMW.
Ronnie gave him a thin smile. She sincerely hoped he was kidding.
He repeated how beautiful he thought she looked at least three times on their way to the hotel, where the party was being held. She was beginning to lose patience with him.
When they walked in the ballroom, she was greeted by several staff members who exclaimed how great she looked. Several of the men gave her appreciative glances, and she got a few equally nasty ones from ladies like Lei Randall. She ignored them all, and her eyes searched the room for the only one whose opinion mattered.
Eventually, she found him in a corner deep in conversation with his cousin Michael, a glass of champagne to his lips and a hand in his pocket.
David Jones.
He looked so good it almost stole her breath. My, the man looked like he had been born to wear a slim-fit tux. And his hair was gone, so was the beard and thin mustache. He looked like a fresh-faced youth.
“Can I get you a
drink from the bar?” Bob asked.
“Sure,” she said distractedly.
“What do you want?”
“Anything,” she answered, impatient to get over to David.
Ronnie advanced towards David and watched as he laughed at something Michael said. Then he looked around, spotted her and stopped cold, his glass midway to his mouth. His eyes skimmed her form with such intensity she felt hot all over.
Then he blinked, perhaps conscious that they were in public and his reaction was not appropriate. He took a slow sip of his champagne and held her gaze as she made her way to them.
“Ronnie,” he said huskily as he lowered his glass. He cleared his throat. “You look rather fetching tonight.”
“Yes, she does,” Michael Jones agreed with a smile.
“Thank you. You look very nice as well. Both of you. David, this new look suits you. I think you just erased a decade,” she added, smiling.
He laughed. “Are you suggesting I now look like I’m eleven?”
Michael Jones joined the laughter.
Before Ronnie could respond to David, she heard, “Here you go. I hope you like cosmopolitans because I got you one.”
Ronnie saw David’s eyes shift to her right, and his smile instantly dissolve into a frown.
She turned to Bob and took the drink with a soft, “Thank you.”
“Congressman. Michael.” Bob shook David’s hand first then Michael’s.
“Great party,” he said, scanning the room with his gaze before returning it to David. “The band is terrific, and the bar is loaded with premium drinks. I was invited to another party this evening, but I figured the millionaire’s party had to be a lot better. I’m not disappointed.”
“I’m glad you’re having a good time, Bob,” David said. But he didn’t seem particularly glad.
“I’m having a great time. After all, I’m with the most beautiful woman in the room,” Bob said, as he reached out and hugged Ronnie to his side, caressing her bare arm.
Ronnie felt embarrassment wash over her. The way Bob was acting would give anyone the impression they were lovers.
A Case For Love (Royals Series Book 3) Page 22