RISK(55)

***

"If he were my boyfriend, Bean, I'd be at Normand's right now asking him what the f*ck he's doing."

I fall in step beside Adley. As soon as we left the deli, she set off storming in the direction of Normand's Pub. I stood in place until she realized I wasn't next to her. By the time she walked back toward where I was, I'd made up my mind that I wasn't going anywhere near Normand's.

I told her as much. I appreciate the fact that she was able to get Gretel to tell her where Nolan is without being too obvious, but it doesn't change how I feel.

If I have to sneak around after a man, he's not the man for me. I did it with Tad. It was after we'd already broken up but it taught me that no man is worth that degree of stress. If Nolan chose to have a drink with Shelby tonight, that's his prerogative. Mine is to ask him about it and then end whatever's been going on between us.

He was the one who wanted us to be exclusive. If he can't hold up his end of the deal for more than a few days, I'm done.

"I'm not going to confront him while he's with her." I walk at a steady pace. "I'd rather eat dinner with you, get a good night's sleep and talk about it with him tomorrow."

She sighs. "He's going to tell you that Gretel was seeing things, Bean. He'll come up with a believable excuse. Men do that when they're caught doing messed up shit to a woman."

I stop and face her. "He can come up with any excuse he wants, Ad. That doesn't mean I'll believe him. He ended things with Shelby in front of me in Vegas. He's told me since that she meant nothing to him. If he's on a date with her tonight, I don't want to see him again."

I won't want to see him, but I'll have to. I work for him. This is the main reason why I had reservations about getting involved with him. It'll be uncomfortable and awkward now, just as it was with Tad when our relationship ended. I had to quit my job as security coordinator at his company, Darlux Media, because he made it impossible for me to work. I wasn't given notice of essential meetings. I couldn't make deadlines for reports because the dates were constantly changed. I was set up to fail and I did.

"I'll talk to him about it after work tomorrow. I can handle this and still keep my job." I'm not sure if I say it aloud to convince myself or Adley. It doesn't matter. By this time tomorrow, I'll be in the very same position I was in Las Vegas just a few months ago. I'll be working for a former lover and trying to hold onto a job I want and need.





Chapter 37


Nolan




"You know I'm not one for eavesdropping, Mr. Black, but I swear I heard you talking to someone on the phone just now about becoming a police officer." Eda stands in the doorway of my office. "Are you considering a career change?"

"If I were going to change careers at this point, I'd chase after your job, Eda."

She purses her lips as she surveys me over the frames of her glasses. "My job? Why is that?"

"You're paid five times as much as any other assistant in this organization, and you show up to work whenever you get the urge. You're late today." I look down at my watch. "Two hours late to be exact. You made it here just in time for your coffee break."

She smiles. "I have a good reason for being late today, sir."

"The reason better be Miller in marketing."

"Mr. Miller?" Her face flushes bright red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I had a meeting with Miller the other day. He brought up your legs three times, Eda and he's always hanging around your desk." I resist the urge to grin. "Why do you think I keep sending you to marketing? Your husband died more than four years ago. It's time to get back in the game."

She fans herself with her hand. "I did have coffee with Mr. Miller yesterday."

"Coffee?" I arch a brow. "You two are moving at a snail's pace. If you weren't with Miller this morning, where were you?"

"I went to the airport."

I tilt my head, studying her face. She looks like she's about to burst. "Do you want me to ask why, Eda?"

"Yes." She nods vigorously.

Three of her four daughters live out of state. If one flew in for a visit, I'm giving Eda the week off. I'm not going to limit her time with her daughters. Since becoming a parent, I now understand why my assistant uses her allotted vacation days to spend when her kids are here. "Which one of your girls is here?"

"I haven't been called a girl since I got sacked in the Super Bowl back in seventy one," a deep voice says from behind her.

"Jersey?" I stand when I see him walk up behind Eda. "What the f*ck are you doing here?"

"Watch the mouth, Rigs." He closes the distance between us before he pulls me into a warm hug. "Your granddad would take you to task for that language."

He's right. Jersey was my grandfather's closest friend for most of his life and is more like him than anyone I know. I never heard a curse word leave my grandfather's lips. He'd threaten to wash my mouth out with soap if he heard me doing it. "When I saw you in Vegas you didn't say anything about coming to New York. Is the family all right?"

"I'm back for a shotgun wedding." He steps back and rests his hands on my shoulders. "You're looking at an almost great-grandpa."