Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Adrienne~~

I can’t believe I left early to beat the rush hour but somehow, I’m still caught in the gridlock of Austin’s morning traffic. Just how early does rush hour start around here?

I hate traffic. I’m not patient enough for it, and it sends my anxiety through the roof.

Honk!

I look into my rearview mirror and see the driver of the car behind me gesturing wildly, apparently more impatient than I am.

“Sorry!” I mouth helplessly. What exactly am I supposed to do about this? The car in front of me is not moving either.

I drum my fingers against the steering wheel as we inch forward, and time seems to fly at warp speed. I’m going to be late. Mr. Hawthorn is waiting for me, and I’m going to be late.

This is bad. This is very bad.

Ok, maybe it’s not that dramatic. I imagine he’s well acquainted with Austin’s traffic, and he’s the one that changed the plan last minute. It will be fine.

No, it won’t. He’s the CEO of a huge company, he already told me he is having a bad morning, and if the little bit that I experienced during Ariel’s therapy a few weeks ago is normal, the rumors that he is not known for his sun-shiny disposition are spot on.

Should I be scared? I’m scared.

Also, if my Maps app doesn’t stop telling me to, “take the exit,” I’m going to lose my mind.

If driving in Austin gives me this much anxiety, why am I doing it, you ask? Because when Mr. Wesley Hawthorn calls you to personally ask you for a favor (Oh yes. He called my job and left a message to contact him “at [my] earliest convenience”), you don’t turn him down. Especially when he offers double your regular wage for your time missed from work, pays for your hotel accommodations and is going to reimburse you for the cost of gas for the round trip.

I probably should have checked with someone in HR about this to make sure I wasn’t crossing any professional or ethical boundaries before I agreed, but oh well. I'll beg forgiveness later if it comes to that.

I really do think he needs my help, though. He has asked me to come to the city and help advise on schools, day cares and therapy programs for Ariel. He has lined up several interviews and tours of facilities over the next couple days and has said that he will rely heavily on my expertise and recommendations to make his decisions. He also mentioned that she is not as settled as he thought, and he is wondering if this permanent change is going to be harder on her than we anticipated.

Finally! The traffic moves at a better clip as I get off the highway and start to follow my GPS to Mr. Hawthorn’s office. I pull into the parking garage right on time, and hurry into the building as quickly as I can, reaching the lobby just a few minutes behind schedule. I'm a little out of breath when I reach the front desk, where I give my name to the assistant. Then they ask me to have a seat to wait for someone named, Lyle, to come get me. Soon, a small wiry man rushes over to me.

“Hi, hi! You must be, Ms. Monroe. Welcome to Sayaka Gaming. I'm, Lyle. Let’s get you upstairs to Mr. Hawthorn; he is anxious to see you.”

‘Anxious to see me'? Uh oh.

“I’m so sorry I'm late,” I begin as Lyle hustles us onto an elevator. “I misjudged how heavy traffic would be---”

Lyle cuts me off with a wave of his hand. “Don't worry. He has been behind all morning so you’re fine.” He looks at me apologetically before he continues. “He’s even more of a bear than usual today, so please don’t take anything he says personally. Though you’re here for Ariel; you could come out unscathed.”

“So the rumors about him are true?” I query but it’s not really a question. Hearing the statement from someone who works for the man carries a lot of weight.

We have just entered the executive suite and stepped into Lyle’s office which is connected to Mr. Hawthorn’s, whose door is ajar. Lyle looks at me searchingly for a moment before pulling me to the side and lowering his voice.

“Yes, but it's not that simple, in my opinion. It’s true that he isn’t warm, that he can be short-tempered and impatient, even intimidating in his bluntness. But, even with all those things, this is still the best job I’ve ever had. Our wages are on the high end of what is competitive, our benefit packages are generous compared to most, free daycare here in the building for employees taking care of children. Amazing holiday bonuses. And believe it or not, he is all about making sure his employees have work-life balance even though he works like a dog. Really, if you work hard and do your job well, there is a place for you here.

“Most people don’t know that he is a philanthropist, too. He supports many worthy causes personally and through our company foundation, especially on the local level. And I’m not supposed to say anything about this, so you better guard it with your life, he’s getting ready to put together a work group that will help him develop an idea he has for mental healthcare in honor of his friend, Erik. Since that is not a Sayaka related business venture, I’m going to bet that he will be his own first investor.”

“Oh, wow,” I murmur.

Lyle nods. “I guess what I’m saying is that we never know what is in someone’s life story, and I have a hunch that whatever is in Mr. Hawthorn’s is heartbreaking if it left him like this. Because his instinct is to take care of others even if it doesn’t often show.”

“What do you mean, ‘they don’t think,’ Henderson? That is not what I’m paying you for.” Mr. Hawthorn's voice floats out of his office, and while he isn’t yelling, it’s clear that he is not happy.

Lyle lifts a rueful eyebrow. “There’s more to his story; remember that.”

Wesley ~~

“I’m not paying you to guess. I’m paying you to build an airtight case for me. I’m paying you to anticipate and research every possible scenario, to build contingencies to your contingencies. If I lose her because of a scenario the team didn’t think I needed to worry about, somebody will be looking for a new job; is that clear?”

Lyle walks in with Adrienne at that moment, and by the look on her face, I don’t have to wonder if she heard me; she looks wary . Part of me feels bad that I’ve made her uncomfortable, and the other part is irritated that I care. This is how I am with everyone, so why should she be different? I’m guessing this shows on my face since I catch a knowing look pass between the two that irritates me more.

Just what do they think they know?

I don’t have time to speculate because Ariel looks up from the picture she is coloring, breaking into huge smile when she sees Adrienne. She gets up from her little table and runs straight to her, wrapping her arms around Adrienne’s legs.

Ariel has never done anything like that, and Lyle and I watch in surprise as Adrienne drops down to hug her without missing a beat.

“Hi, sweetie! I’ve missed you! Look at your cute little outfit…girl! I love those tennis shoes! Better watch ‘em; they might go home with me!” She giggles with Ariel before taking a closer look. “But seriously, they are super cute. I wonder if they make those in my size?”

“Mr. Hawthorn? Mr. Hawthorn? Are you there?” Henderson’s tinny voice comes through the phone. I’ve completely forgotten about our call.

I tear my attention away from the two girls and finish our conversation, confirming that the court date for the custody hearing has been pushed back again and that the stalking incident by Erik’s mom has been added to the documentation—the one I’m sure she thinks she’s gotten away with. Just thinking about it burns me up. I wonder how many other times we didn’t catch her?

As soon as I end the call, I walk over to formally greet my guest. “Ms. Monroe. Thank you for coming, and I apologize for the change in plans to meet here instead of the hotel.”

“Oh, no trouble,” she says, balancing Ariel on her hip as she stands. “Life happens fast; I get it.”

“Yes; it does…” my reply trails off when her eyes meet mine, and I’m immediately drawn in just like the first time.

How is it possible that she looks so polished when she just drove two hours to get here? She looks flawless in a flowing, sleeveless blouse that just skims the waist of her immaculate fitting jeans. A pair of peep-toe wedges and simple jewelry complete her look. And she’s wearing a toe ring on one of her perfectly pedicured toes.

I grit my teeth to stamp down the feeling seeing that little ring ignites. I don’t want to be attracted by it. In fact, I can’t be. I can’t be attracted to any part of this woman.

I won’t.

Thankfully, Lyle clears his throat to break the silence.. “I believe you have a meeting with one of the accountants before you can leave for the day, sir,” he says. “They’re waiting in the conference room.”

“Right; Jett is meeting with us also. I’m on my way. Ms. Monroe, you can wait here —“

“Actually, didn’t you say that Ariel didn’t seem to like the daycare here?” Adrienne asks. “If Lyle can point me in the right direction, I think I’ll take her down there and see if I can get a feel for what might be the problem. You can meet me there when you’re done if that’s OK.”

“Of course.” Lyle leads the way out of my office and I take a few deep breaths to collect myself before heading to my meeting.

I don’t like this. I don’t like the way she she sneaks into my thoughts ever since I met her, the stirrings she creates in my belly. It’s true I will value her opinion in the decisions I make for Ariel over the next few days, but that doesn’t explain why, as much as I don’t want to admit it, I was glad to have a reason to see her again.

No. What I want—what I need— is strictly business, nothing more. I will keep this strictly professional, and tomorrow evening she will go back home. She will be out of our lives.

And then everything will go back to normal.