Page 61 of The Dom

A not-so-small part of me wondered if he’d been expecting Nate, but I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to know. Rather, I wanted to know but didn’t want Finley to know that I wanted to know…my head was going to explode if I kept that going.

“I’m not here on business,” I said, taking his outstretched hand. We didn’t shake, but instead gave a brief squeeze and then released. Less formal than a handshake but not quite as intimate as a hug.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to the chairs across from where he stood. They didn’t look quite as comfortable as the ones in Nate’s office, but even my inexperienced eye could tell they were expensive.

“I’d rather stand,” I said with a smile. “I like to stretch my legs as often as I can.”

“I should follow your example.” He patted his stomach as if he carried extra weight there instead of what I suspected was probably a six-pack. He was forty-six but barely looked forty, and from what I could tell, it was mostly good genetics.

Personally, I was hoping that was the case, and I’d inherited that quality.

“What brought you by?” he asked, leaning against his desk instead of sitting back down again.

“I was wondering if you might like to have dinner with me…and my mom. I’d really like the two of you to meet. If that’s too weird for you, it’s okay.” The last thing I wanted him to feel from me was pressure.

“What does your mom think about this?”

My admiration of him went up, though it didn’t surprise me that he wanted to know my mom’s opinion. He was just that sort of person, thinking of others first.

“She’s all for it,” I said. “She volunteered to host the dinner, but I’m not sure if that was her showing support or because she wants to experiment with dishes she saw on some cooking show.” I paused, and then added, “I feel like I should apologize in advance.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure everything will be perfect, and I’d love to join the both of you.”

“Great!” I smiled hard enough to make my cheeks ache. “And Mom’s usually a good cook. Sometimes, she just bites off more than she can chew when it comes to trying to prepare something elaborate.”

“Do you cook much?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Not really. I can do it, the basics at least, but I’ve never really enjoyed it, not like Mom.” My smile softened. “When she was having chemo, even the smells of food made her nauseous, so I’d do everything I could to keep meals bland. She hated that I was eating like that and decided that when she got better, she’d learn how to make all sorts of things we could enjoy together.”

“She sounds like a remarkable woman,” Finley said. “I look forward to meeting her.”

I gave him the address and left his office happy enough that even the sight of Nate’s closed door couldn’t dampen my spirits. Even better, I had a note sitting on my desk when I returned. Because I’d put in extra hours the week before and today was slow, I had only one more task that needed to be done, and once that was finished, I could leave for the day.

The only thing that could’ve made it better would have been if things between Nate and me had been settled.

I pushed away that thought as soon as it formed, not wanting anything to ruin an otherwise perfect day. Re-focused, I turned my attention to the task in front of me. I made short work of it and sent it off to Mr. Hancock. While I waited for his approval or his request for changes, I tidied my desk. When his response came back with an enthusiastic thumbs up, I let him know I’d be leaving shortly. Another two thumbs up, and I figured that meant I was good to go.

When I stepped out of the elevator, I saw that Wayne wasn’t busy, so I headed over to say hello. He was doing much better than he had when he’d first started, but he still wasn’t quite as sure of himself as he needed to be. I hoped with some encouragement, he’d rise to the occasion and show everyone why I was supporting his being kept in this position permanently.

“Anyone giving you any trouble?” I asked.

Wayne shook his head. “Thanks for asking Chris to keep an eye on me. I haven’t had to ask him to escort anyone out, but knowing that he will if I need him to has helped a lot.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. How’s your sister?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a tall, slender woman approached the desk. I stepped off to the side, deciding to wait to continue my conversation with Wayne.

“I’m here to see…”

The woman’s voice trailed off as she glanced my way. Her bright green eyes glinted with something I couldn’t quite place, and I almost took a step back when she came toward me. Only my immediate impression of her as a predator kept me standing my ground. I had to pretend she didn’t intimidate me.

“You’re Ashlee Webb,” she said, holding up a finger with a beautifully manicured nail. “Nate’s new…”

She waited for me to finish the sentence, and I didn’t disappoint. “Girlfriend.”

I intended to hold that title until I was told it no longer applied.

“I’m Calah Evenstar.” She held out her hand, and I shook it, working to maintain eye contact. “I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

---