Haze(59)

"That's good?" I ask cautiously. "It's good, right?"

"He's a secretary, Isla," she hisses. "He works for Alec Hughes as his secretary."

If I knew who Alec Hughes is that might make this easier to understand. I'll take a random shot in the dark. The only Hughes I've ever heard of is the man who owns the company that Cassia is interning at. "Hughes Enterprises? Lance works there?"

"Don't sound so impressed."

"I'm not."

Her head bolts up. "So you agree with me? You wouldn’t date a man who is a secretary either, would you?"

"I once dated a guy who cleaned windshields at red lights for tips, Cicely. I'm not the best judge."

She smiles. She actually smiles. "My parents think it's ridiculous. They want me to be with someone like Mr. Foster."

He's taken. Hands-off.

"Why do you give a f*ck what your parents think? They're not dating him."

"They have a reputation. They don't want it sullied by someone like Lance," she says every single one of those words with a straight face.

"Sullied? Do your parents live in this century, Cicely?"

Another smile, this one brighter. "I don't want to disappoint them, Isla."

I tap her on the chest. "This is what you worry about. It's your heart, Cicely. You love this guy, don't you?"

"I love him more than anything."

"Don’t lose him. Sully whatever you need to in order to keep him."

She nods, straightening the legs of her orange pantsuit. "I'll take your advice but I'm still not going to miss you."

"I won't miss you either." I pull her into a tight hug. "I won't miss you at all."

***

"You decided to go ahead and settle with your mother?" Gabriel cocks a dark winged brow. "You feel confident that's the best decision for you."

"I do." I'd gone to Garrett's office after work today. As much as I had wanted to quit on the spot yesterday, I did give Cicely a full two weeks' notice. I don’t want to leave her in a bind and I won't start working at the music school until a week after that.

My plan now is to polish my craft so that when I do land an audition with Julliard, I'll be prepared and I'll have the funds in place to pay for my own tuition.

"I'm happy for you then, Isla."

I don't push him on whether he believes it's the best decision because it's not his life. It's mine and putting the drama with my mother behind me will give me the emotional freedom I need to finally move forward without all this weighing me down.

"I need a financial advisor." I look across the table at him. "Can you offer any suggestions?"

A grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. "I have several I'd highly recommend. I'll put you in touch with them and then you can decide the right fit for your needs."

"That's very helpful."

He brings the glass of ice water to his lips. He drinks it slowly, all the while watching me over the rim. "I will help you in any way I can. You need only ask and I'll be right there. I'm always available for you."

"Can we talk about the other night?"

He shifts slightly in his chair, his eyes darting around the almost empty restaurant. "Yes, of course. What would you like to talk about?"

"You seem uncomfortable." I look towards the door. "We can go to another place if you prefer."

He shakes his head slightly from side-to-side. "This is fine. I've never been here. I don't generally wander into this part of the city."

"I don't either," I confess. "A customer who lives in the neighborhood said this place was fantastic."

He moves again. This time his hand scoops up his smartphone from the table. He scans the screen before he places it back down. It's not an act of curiosity. He's nervous, really, really nervous.

"Haze."

That brings another smile to his lips. A soft one. "You use your safeword at the most interesting times, Isla. What's going on?"

"Did I take you away from something important when I asked you to meet me here?"

"No," he answers quickly. "Not at all."

I don't know where to take the conversation from here. I can't push if I have no idea what's troubling him. He runs a huge fashion conglomerate. I imagine that he has a mountain of problems weighing him down on any given day.

"Tell me where haze comes from?" He motions to the server. "I'm going to need a drink after all."

I sit quietly while he orders a glass of red wine. I don't say anything while he types a message on his phone until the drink arrives.

"It came from you."

"What came from me?" he asks quietly. "Haze came from me?"

I reach forward to pull the wine glass towards me. I tip it back, swallowing a mouthful of the rich, red liquid. "Yes, it came from you."

He looks at me intently, his eyes studying every curve of my lips before they move to my eyes. "Explain, Isla."

"It's silly." I sip more of the wine, enjoying the warmth it provides in not only my throat but my entire body. "It's going to sound so stupid."