A Friendly Engagement

by Christine Warner

  Omar stood statue still as he gave her his full attention.

  “My mom didn’t share a lot of deets with Grandma. I don’t even know this Billy guy’s last name, when they met, where… Pretty much nothing. Anyway, all Grandma knows is that he’s my father. My mom refused all offers my grandma made in trying to contact him as my mom’s due date grew near. Mom said he didn’t want any part of us, so she wasn’t going to burden him with any news.” Devi’s shoulders sagged with each word she revealed. She’d never gotten this far into her story without shedding a few tears. That’d become the main reason she didn’t talk much about her past. Besides Cass and Trev, not many people knew the full story. Somehow, sharing everything with Omar wasn’t as difficult as expected, even though she still fought tears.

  He studied her face and nodded. She could almost see the wheels spinning.

  “Is that why you agreed to help me after I mentioned the raise? You’re using the money to find your father?”

  She nodded. Give it to Omar to put the puzzle pieces together. “I have no clue where to start on my own, so hiring a P.I. will be the best bet.”

  “You didn’t have to wait for a raise, Devi. I thought you considered me a friend, not just a boss. I can see how important this is to you, and I’d have helped if you’d asked.”

  “I appreciate that. But there are already too many people who take advantage of your friendship and your bank book. I didn’t want to be one of them.” If he didn’t stop being so concerned—and looking at her with such soft eyes—she’d end up crying for sure.

  “Next time you’ll know better. I’m always here to help. I want to help. Especially you.”

  “Thanks.” Her heart expanded at the emotion behind his words. She had some amazing friends, Omar included.

  “Anyway, back to your story. Your mom becomes pregnant. Doesn’t she tell this Billy, or does he reject her?” Omar’s voice caught on the last sentence, and Devi could’ve hugged him and cried at the same time. He might be a powerful businessman, but he had a caring heart.

  Devi peeled her palms from her purse strap and wiggled her fingers, letting some cool air dry her damp skin. “From what Grandma told me, Billy didn’t want a wife and kid. He took off. From there my mom started missing classes and she lost her scholarships, then her job, and finally her sorority had no choice but to boot her out. She ended up going to the women’s shelter. After a few weeks, one of the counselors convinced her to call home.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too. She was only twenty. Way too young to go through all that alone. Grandma sent her money for a bus ticket home to San Diego, but Mom was never the same. She closed herself off. I guess the only time she perked up was when she talked about me.”

  “Do you remember much about her?”

  A weight squeezed down on Devi’s chest. She swallowed against the tears forcing their way up her throat. “She died right after delivering me. Hemorrhage.” Devi lowered her head. She didn’t like people to see her at her most vulnerable. She sniffed, then hiccupped, managing to hold back the faucet of tears right below the surface.

  “Sorry, O,” she choked out and turned away as one teardrop slid down her cheek.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about.” He lifted her chin and turned her face back toward him. With the rough pad of his thumb he wiped away her tear. His warm, gentle touch only forced other tears to push past her eyelids.

  Damn it.

  They rolled down her cheeks even though she blinked several times in an attempt to stop them. Omar’s image became a watery blur. “I-I want to find him. T-talk to him. Hear his side of things.”

  She couldn’t stop yammering. As if the faster and louder she talked, the sooner her tears would dry up.

  “Are you sure you want to take the chance? What if he’s a total ass?” Omar’s jaw tightened as he dabbed away more tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

  Her stomach quivered as she released a shaky breath. She wiped at the mascara staining his cuff. “What if he isn’t?”

  “I don’t want to see you get hurt.” He palmed each side of her face, and she had no choice but to meet his eyes. The warmth of his hands gave her a moment of comfort, but the concern in his eyes made a new batch of tears cloud her vision.

  She hated crying in front of anyone. Especially in front of him. At least she could be thankful she hadn’t gone into the full-blown ugly cry. The one that required tissues and nose blowing and thoughts of relocation.

  “I’ve thought it all out. No matter how much I fear the outcome, I have to take the chance. Maybe he can be in my life. And if not…well, at least I’ll know.”

  He nodded. “I get it. Even though I knew who my mother was, I always regretted that I didn’t have her in my life as a kid. There were times I felt abandoned by her. Or that she preferred my brothers over me.”

  Devi stiffened. Omar’s confession broke her heart further for the little boy he’d been. Under his father’s strict rules he’d lacked any comfort from his mother. She’d never been there for him, instead she’d been off globetrotting the planet. No wonder he’d felt abandoned. He hadn’t even had his brothers. Could that have something to do with why he didn’t let a woman into his life for long? Once there was a chance he might care, he cut them loose?

  Omar dropped his hands to his sides, and she cleared her throat.

  “And can we drop the subject now? I hate crying.” She tried to laugh but squeaked instead.

  Then Omar did something unexpected. He pulled her into his arms and gave her one of the best hugs she’d ever experienced. Not anything resembling the awkward hug he’d given on the sidewalk. She hadn’t felt this safe in any man’s arms since Grandpa Boss.

  But Grandpa Boss gave that keep-your-chin-up kind of protective hug that made you want to stop crying. And Omar’s hug filled her with warm confidence, gave her strength, and soothed her soul. Plus, there was no denying Omar smelled like nature and spice, whereas Gramps had that aura of sweet tobacco he packed in his pipe.

  Devi sank into Omar’s chest and released an unsteady sigh. She wanted to clutch at him as a lifeline, bare her soul further, but stopped herself. Her emotions were raw, and she’d regret it later. So instead, she comforted herself by breathing in his intoxicating scent—the one that only recently started to soothe her like a drug. She hugged him a little tighter.

  “Not only can you give the ring to the shelter, but I want you to write them a company check that matches the value of the ring. And hell, I’ll even throw in a donation from my personal account.” His soft words caressed her ear, and she shivered.

  “Are you sure you aren’t letting Esterly’s good year go to your head?”

  His chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “No. I want to do this.” He rubbed his hand down her back in a soothing gesture. Her breaths stopped coming in short gasps.

  “Thanks, O. You’re the best boss.”

  “And fiancé?”

  “So far, so good. As a matter of fact, I’ve already canceled out any thoughts about a website.” This time her laughter came out normal, but somewhat muffled because one side of her face lay squished against Omar’s chest.

  Omar didn’t laugh, but she could feel him smile with his entire body as he tightened his hold and rocked her back and forth.

  The rise and fall of his chest settled her emotions. “Sometimes it’s scary how well you know me. I don’t let people get that close, you know.”

  “We’re two of a kind there. And thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about your mom.”

  Ditto. “Now that you’ve seen me in tears, it might be time for me to look for a new bossman. I can’t have you knowing my weakness,” she whispered, not meaning one single word. Her attempt at lifting the dreary mood hovering above them sounded flat, even to her own ears.

  He squeezed her hard, and she sighed. “Not in this lifetime, Dev.”

  Omar never called her Dev. He didn’t like informalities.

  He pulled back
and palmed each side of her face again, staring into her eyes with one of the most tender looks she’d ever seen. And then he kissed her forehead. Such a simple gesture, but one that made her heart skip several beats.

  “You’re stuck with me,” he said.

  “I guess there are worse things to be stuck with.” She lowered her lashes as more tears sprang forth. The last few minutes had cemented their friendship on a deeper level. She could feel the difference in the air.

  “Let’s grab some lunch, drink champagne with our team, and live it up, because the rest of the week we’ll be working late. Then we have a man to impress, a father to find, and a shelter to help.” Omar broke their embrace.

  “We sound like a couple of superheroes.” She attempted a watery smile and fidgeted with one of the silver snaps lining the front of her dress.

  “In that case we better stop off and buy a couple of capes before we eat,” he deadpanned as the elevator shifted clumsily downward.

  …

  Not five hours later, Omar stood beside Devi in the reception area of Esterly Financial. She’d prepared a table with snacks, and there were several bottles of champagne and sparkling cider to toast their announcement. Although Devi didn’t appear nervous, the constant clicking of the pen between her fingers told the true story.

  The rest of his staff filled the room. Some leaned against the back wall avoiding the abstract art pieces, several occupied the art deco chairs placed in small groupings on the geometric patterned rug in the center of the room, and the remaining nonchalantly stood off to the side in small groups. Most talked in hushed tones as they speculated about the impromptu meeting, or what they’d done over the weekend and what they planned for the next one. Omar had expected someone would see the paper on their lunch hour and rumors would be flying over the engagement announcement and picture, but it appeared nobody had seen a thing. Or if they had, they weren’t letting on.

  Omar cleared his throat. “Can I get everyone’s attention, please?”

  Beside him, Devi took a deep breath. Her smile encompassed the room. Most of the group turned toward them. “Does everyone have a glass of bubbly or sparkling cider?”

  Several nods of agreement and positive comments followed.

  “I know Mondays are busy, and I apologize for the short notice, but Devi and I have a couple of announcements we wanted to make sure everyone heard before the day ends,” Omar said.

  The remaining staff who had continued to chat stopped to listen. Vanessa, the newest junior planner to join the team, scooted to the edge of her seat. The excitement over her first meeting evident by the way her left knee bounced in quick succession and her gaze darted around the room.

  “Are the P&Ls out already?” Jim asked. A senior planner, he sat beside Vanessa and would act as her mentor until she was acclimated to her new position.

  Omar held up his hand to quiet the sudden burst of excitement. Since he’d started the profit-sharing program, P&Ls were always a hot topic. “Not yet. They’ll be shared at the end of the quarter as usual. But my first announcement could have a huge impact on future P&Ls. And the second is more personal.”

  Another round of hushed conversations filled the room.

  “This is so exciting.” Vanessa placed her cup on the table beside her and quieted her knee with both her hands.

  “Definitely.” Omar smiled when Vanessa clapped her hands and then ran them down the thigh of her slacks when nobody else followed her lead.

  “You can save your applause for afterward,” Devi teased.

  The room erupted in chuckles and bursts of laughter. Although Vanessa turned a couple shades of red, she had no trouble in sharing the humor. Omar enjoyed the excitement of his staff, but he’d never been applauded at a meeting before. Usually staff treated him formally, but today everyone had an aura of fun about them. They must sense big news was about to be revealed.

  “Good news is always welcome.” Nancy, the receptionist who’d been with the company from day one took a practical stance. She’d become the office mother, bringing in homemade cookies and cakes to celebrate, and always available with a non-judgmental ear and words of encouragement for any staff member having trouble.

  Devi looked at him expectantly.

  “First, Devi and I will be out of the office all next week. We’re meeting with a prospective client, and I hope to return with his business. I won’t go into details, but if we acquire this account it will have a big effect on Esterly Financial’s future.”

  A few rumbles of excitement filled the air.

  Omar held up his hands and the room fell silent. “You can reach us by cell, but only in an emergency. Doug should be able to handle the day to day. Clear?” He surveyed the area and all the nodding heads. He met Doug’s gaze over the sea of faces and acknowledged him with a nod. Even though Doug had only been with the company a handful of years, Omar trusted him almost as much as he did Devi.

  She fidgeted beside him, twisting her pen between her fingers. The soft clicking had increased to an insane tempo.

  “Like I mentioned a minute ago, the next bit of news is on a more personal level. Since everyone was in training classes for the new computer system, you probably haven’t seen the announcement in the press,” Omar said.

  “Just get on with it, Omar.” Devi rolled her eyes and earned a few chuckles.

  He shook his head. Although he didn’t spar with Devi in public often, preferring to keep their teasing private, he threw caution to the wind. “Maybe it isn’t so much a career in basketball you should be after, but taking your comedic act on the road?”

  “Good idea. I could probably book a few dates before you finish up this meeting.” Devi’s bright eyes twinkled with mischief, and she let up on the incessant pen clicking.

  Omar liked the approval in her gaze. She always encouraged him to step outside his comfort zone, and he’d just done it by showing some of his humor in front of the rest of the staff.

  They shared a smile, and his mood lightened further.

  He’d forever be indebted to Devi for what she’d done—hell, what she was doing. Even though she seemed fine with their plan now, he knew she’d done some soul-searching. The fib made her uncomfortable, no matter how much reassurance he gave her.

  He glanced around the room, taking in the anxious and excited expressions of his staff. For the first time he understood where her hesitation had come from. His conscience grabbed hold of his neck and squeezed. For a minute he fought to breathe. Even though he was aloof, his employees were close—family-like. He’d never been anything but up-front with them in the past.

  But this contract…

  “Well?” Devi broke into his thoughts.

  He pasted on a tight smile and shook his head. “If you’d give me a minute.”

  “A minute? Any longer and we’ll be celebrating my sixth-year anniversary with Esterly and—”

  “Both of you quit bickering and spill the beans,” Jim teased.

  Omar waited for the room to quiet down again as several laughs and well-meaning jokes erupted. Keep your eye on the prize. No need to get a surge of conscience now. He drew strength from the portrait of his father across the room. His old man would never have second-guessed himself. Omar wouldn’t, either.

  He squared his shoulders. “Well, I’m sure it won’t come as much of a surprise because many of you have already made speculations, but—”

  “We’re engaged!” Devi flung out her hand as a collection of startled gasps broke the stunned silence. She laughed, wiggling her fingers as she leaned close to Omar. “Sorry to steal your thunder, but a bathroom break is in my near future and I didn’t know how much longer you’d stall.”

  “We were moving along fine.”

  “Whatever.” She nudged him playfully in the shoulder.

  An avalanche of well-wishes and excited questions bombarded them both. Several of the women moved forward to inspect the sparkling diamond on Devi’s hand. Her face lit up at the attention.

&n
bsp; “I knew it. I just knew it. Didn’t I tell you last year, Bev?” Nancy gushed as she grinned at Bev, one of two office coordinators.

  The younger woman bobbed her head in agreement. “You sure did, Nance. That’s awesome news. Can’t say I’m too surprised though, but I wish you both oodles of happiness.”

  This time Omar looked at Devi with an I-told-you-so raise of his eyebrow. She’d been so worried about the believability of their engagement, when all along most people already assumed they’d crossed over from working relationship to something more personal a long time ago.

  Several of the staff hugged Devi and offered up well-wishes. Others stiffly shook Omar’s hand or patted him on the back.

  Nancy beamed as she pulled Devi in for a hug, then stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “I’m so happy for you both. Tell us how, when? Give us all the details.”

  “Well, not all of them.” Vanessa winked.

  This time Devi raised her brow as she gave Omar an I-told-you-so look and smiled. “Do you mean you want to hear how Omar proposed?”

  “Yes.” Nancy beamed, and several women circled around them. The older woman plucked Devi’s hand from her side again and eyed the ring. Her eyes brightened with unshed tears and she sniffed. “I feel like my daughter’s gotten engaged. And I don’t even have a daughter.”

  The circle of staff around them chuckled, and Devi’s smile filled her face.

  “Thank you, Nancy.” Devi took the older woman’s hand and squeezed before kissing her on the cheek.

  Over the years the working relationship between the two women had grown into a unique bond. Omar often found them in deep conversation around the coffee pot, or sharing a lunch. Now that he’d heard about Devi’s past, he understood. She may have been raised by her grandmother, but living out here, on her own, Nancy must’ve filled the motherly figure in Devi’s life.

  “Did he get down on one knee?” Vanessa asked.

  Devi’s lips twitched. “He did, after he threw me the box and demanded I put on the ring.”

  Several of the women gasped, and Nancy gave him the stinkeye. He hadn’t believed anyone would really want to hear their engagement story, and by the animated look on Devi’s face, he knew he’d never hear the end of it.