What am I doing?
“Tonight?I’ll have to organize a sitter.And I don’t have anything to wear.”She splutters, looking pale.
But she knows I have her cornered.I just don’t know why I’ve done it.Taking Gemma to an event with alcohol where my friends will also be attending is a very bad idea.
Yet, on I go.
“I have an account at Neiman Marcus or Saks.You choose.Stop on the way home, and I will pick you up at seven.”
Gemma fish-mouths it for a moment.
“Or I can have our lawyers send you an invoice for the hours,” I nudge, because for some reason I want her there with me tonight, and apparently I’m willing to blackmail her into attending.
Which is fucking ridiculous given the amount of women in this city who would give an organ to be on my arm.
Her lips press together.“Fine.”
“Good.”I flip open the folder in front of me, all businesslike while my cock is doing the tango.
Settle down, boy, this is a work function.You won’t be fucking her afterward.
“Obviously, it’s black tie,” I add, lifting my gaze.
Gemma nods.“Noted.Shall we begin?”
Oh, sweetheart, we’ve already begun.
Now we play.
––––––––
GEMMA
––––––––
FOR THE NEXT few hours, I catch up on emails, call back a few of the messages from store members, and approve system requests.
A few of Drew’s team come and go, asking questions about some financial activity that took place while both Anthony and I ran the company.
I’m embarrassed when I can’t answer some of their questions, but none of them make me feel bad.I do spot a few shared glances, and the shame deepens.
“Perhaps you could call Matthew Higgins?”
“Who is Matthew?”
“He was the financial controller,” I reply.“He left soon after Anthony died.About seven months ago.”
Matthew was close to retiring, so I wasn’t surprised.I got the feeling he didn’t like reporting through to a woman and wrote it off as a generational thing.
But I had been asking questions which he wasn’t able to answer at times.When I dug further, he snapped at me.
“Neither of the Ford men involved me in their decisions on these matters.Perhaps you could...dig through their files, Gemma.”
“Oh.Yes.Good idea.”I’d nodded and returned to my office, where I sat staring at the wall.
What files?There weren’t any secret handover files withOpen this, Gemma, if we all die.I was winging it.
Later in the afternoon, Drew calls us all into his office to do a quick round table update on Open Leaf.He’s cordial, businesslike, and I’m starting to relax.