Mid Life Love (Mid Life Love #1)(60)

Where else in this building should we have sex?

“Mr. Statham? Mr. Statham?” One of the board members cleared his throat.

Maybe on the roof...“Yes?”

“Is it okay if we end tonight’s meeting a little early?”

I looked at my watch. Two thirty in the morning.

“That’s fine with me.” I tried not to look relieved. “See you all on Monday.”

They stood up at once and shuffled out of the room. There were no “See you later” or “Great job team” goodbyes. The friendly salutations had worn off much earlier in the week, as soon as the first meeting went past midnight.

I closed my folder and realized Vanessa was standing by the door.

“Hey, Vanessa. It hasn’t been the same at the negotiating sessions without you. How was France?”

“It was phenomenal.” She bit her lip. “Did you miss me?”

“In what sense?”

“Funny. Are you sleeping in your office suite tonight?”

“Probably so.” I started stacking my files. “Why?”

“Can I stay the night?”

I looked up and raised my eyebrow. “What?”

“I’m too tired to drive home...”

“I can get Greg to take you in the town car.” I pulled out my phone. “Do you want me to have your car taken to your house too or do you—”

“Jonathan, no one is around right now. Everyone has gone home. There’s no need for you to act like we’re platonic.”

“We are platonic. You don’t want a ride home?”

“No, I don’t want a ride home. I—” She stopped and shook her head. “You changed the employee fraternization policy while I was gone, and I’m finally back so...I took that to mean that you finally decided to give us a chance.”

“Vanessa, I’ve never—”

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to rush things between us.” She walked over and touched my shoulder. “I wasn’t implying that we sleep together tonight—unless you want to of course...I was thinking we could just talk, you know? We’ve been friends for so long but we don’t really know each other outside of the boardroom.”

I sighed. “I’m dating someone else.”

“Someone else? Since when?”

“Since—” It wasn’t any of her damn business. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“So it’s not serious, right?” She shrugged. “You’ve always kept your options open. I’ll go grab my bag out of my car and we can—”

“I’m dating her and only her, Vanessa. I’ve told you over and over that you and I are just friends. I want to keep it that way.” Forever...

“This doesn’t make any sense.” She crossed her arms. “You’re honestly not attracted to me?”

“I am.”

“You don’t enjoy hanging out with me? You don’t think we have great conversations? ”

“I do.”

“But you don’t want to date me?”

“No.” Can it get any clearer?

“Okay...” She took a deep breath and stepped back. “I take it that the woman you’re dating is an employee here?”

I didn’t answer. I just raised my eyebrow.

“Does she have a name?”

“She does.”

“What is it? Friends can tell each other who they’re dating.”

“Can they?” I stood up. “I never meant to lead you on. If I did that in any way I’m sorry. I think you’re extremely pretty, smart, and—”

“Spare me your pity shit, Jonathan.” She scoffed and headed for the door. “Don’t come crying to me when your low-level employee runs to the press and tries to blackmail you. I might help her.”

“See you on Monday, Vanessa. I liked the skirt you wore today.”

“Fuck you.” She rolled her eyes and left.

I waited ten minutes before walking out of the conference room. I didn’t want to run into her or anyone else on my way upstairs.

I swiped my key at my private elevator and sighed. I thought about calling Claire, but I figured she was already asleep.

I walked into my bedroom and lay across the bed.

Nothing was on TV except those renovation shows that Claire liked to watch. The one I was currently watching featured two men who were tearing down a dilapidated porch and turning it into a wrap-around veranda.

How can she watch this without falling asleep?

I changed the channel to an infomercial—a ‘Magic Soap Bar’ that could clean “any and everything!”—and slid under the covers. I pulled out my laptop and started going over the week’s meeting notes, reading all the things I hadn’t bothered listening to earlier.

I heard my phone ringing and assumed it was one of the board members emailing the meeting notes from tonight, but it kept ringing.

I flipped it over and looked at the screen. Claire?

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey...”

“Are you okay?” I sat up. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I was just...calling to talk to you.”

“At three in the morning?”