Fallen Woman(22)

She was subtle, keeping her voice low so no one would overhear. “You know, like in seduction.”

“Is that a thing?” I asked shocked.

“Hell yes, and one people charge a ton of money for. Most of the women at these events have paid to play with the big dogs. Not tonight so much as the other obligatory functions we have to go to. They’re vying for position in high society. So…I’m just wondering who you went to.”

Oddly enough, I liked her. Morgan was her name. She was sharp as a tack, drop-dead gorgeous, but I could see how men wouldn’t find her approachable. She was intimating. I laughed and gave her an answer she didn’t believe. “No classes, Morgan. We’re just great friends.”

Holland returned, saving me from any further discussion about my success landing him, and handed me a glass of wine. It smelled warm; the red was intoxicating and sweet. We engaged with Morgan for a few minutes while I sipped my fermented grapes before he pulled me off to meet other members of his team. I was impressed. He knew every person on staff by name and where they worked. He knew what they did, roughly how long each of them had been with the company, and he blew me away when he knew spouses’ and kids’ names. This guy was invested in his people, and they loved him. They were kind and courteous to me, and the occasional odd comment, I believed, came out of a place of genuine interest in his happiness, not malice.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked me in a raised whisper.

“Very much. Thank you. I love your staff.” I smiled as I gazed around the room seeing everyone having a good time. No one appeared miserable like they normally do at these things. It was as if they were all a big family, and I was jealous. “I almost wish I had come to work for you.” I snickered.

“We certainly can make room for you on our team,” he said straight-faced.

I waved him off as though he was joking.

“I’d have Jase to bury, but seriously, consider it. I’d love having you around, and it wouldn’t be in the damn mailroom. I love Jase, but fuck, he needs to put your skills to good use.”

“It’s not his fault. I wouldn’t let him move me. I want to earn it.”

“You did earn it. You graduated from Dartmouth.”

“My boss hasn’t promoted me or put in for a promotion, and until he does, I’m sticking it out in the mailroom.”

“But what if you changed companies?”

“I can’t do that, Holland. I vowed to myself if I got a job, I was sticking it out and working my way back up. I’ve only been there a couple of months, and that vile woman in HR didn’t think I’d last two weeks. I can’t quit.”

“No one like you ever falls in my lap. Jase is a lucky son of a bitch.” He nudged my arm in good humor, and I was thankful he wasn’t genuinely upset.

It’s hard to turn down the chance to do anything different, but hard work never hurt anyone, and I liked Nancy—I’d finally learned her name. She was funny and certain Jase was falling for me. I rolled my eyes every time she’d said it. My job was easy, and there was something to be said for being able to go home at night with zero stress. I could eat dinner with the neighbor and my children, give them baths, and for the first time since they were very small, not worry about how I would feed them the next day. Emmy’s medical needs had been smaller than normal, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be long before we were back at a specialist trying to figure out how to battle the fatigue and joint pain the insurance companies swore didn’t exist. I had started to dig myself out of the hole I was bogged down in, and it felt good.

“Jase is a good guy. I’m lucky.”

The rest of the evening was spent with cocktails and stories about people and their families and others convincing me of what a great catch Holland was. I would just smile and admire him. One day he’d find a woman who appreciated his strong silence and the heavily rooted foundation he had. Part of me wished I had the connection to him I felt with Jase, but no matter how I wished it were there, it wasn’t. And somehow, Holland believed I belonged to Jase. It wasn’t necessarily in the words he’d said so much as the way he acted and the things he’d insinuated about his best friend.

When he dropped me off, he hugged me tightly and told me what a wonderful time he’d had. Just before he left, he handed me a royal blue pouch and closed my fingers around it. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Gianna.”

“Likewise.”

There was something in the bag in my hand, but like with Drake, I didn’t open it in front of Holland. He’d closed my fingers around it for a reason, so I respected his desire for me to open it privately. With no children to put in bed—Miss Pearl thought waking them up in the middle of the night was silly—I went inside and turned on the kitchen light. I found my phone with the intention of calling Jase before I went to sleep, but set it down while I opened the little drawstring on the pouch.

Sticking my hand inside, I found the money, and just as Jase had indicated, there were five one hundred-dollar bills, but at the bottom was something else. I pulled the jewelry from the bag and was stunned by the beautiful tennis bracelet made of what I assumed were sapphires to match the dress he’d chosen for me to wear. These men were over the top, and I didn’t know how to handle them. I was overwhelmed by their generosity.

I shot Holland a text telling him I couldn’t accept the gift but it was beautiful.