Page 6 of The Facilitator: Part 2
She rifled around in her bag for a tissue to wipe hereyes.
“I’ll see you both tomorrow,” she said, and without another word, sheleft.
“God, I’m going to miss her and Alex,” Mackenzie said as he perched on the end of thedesk.
“I bet you are. Is there nothing you can do, to keep themhere?”
“Yes, I can sell. I don’t have anyone, Lauren, who I trust enough to run that side of the business. Not yet anyway. And it’s not like he’s going withouther.”
“I know, at least they have each other.” I sighed, “I guess you’re ready toleave?”
“I am. I’m done in today. Tired, I guess. I didn’t get a great deal of sleep lastnight.”
“You look tired. How about I make dinner while you relax? I’ll give you a massagelater.”
“Relax, yes. Massage, for sure. You cook?” Helaughed.
“I happen to be a great cook, if you’d let me be,” Isaid.
“You are about the only person I know who can burn toast, Lauren. And the fucking machine tells you when it’sdone.”
Once, only once, I’d gotten up early and hungry. I’d loaded the toaster, yet another high-tech and totally unnecessary machine, and before I knew it, the alarms were shrieking. Mackenzie had run downstairs naked to see me wafting a towel to disperse thesmoke.
“Yeah, well, thefuckingmachine clearly didn’t tell me when it was done, didit?”
He pushed himself from the desk, took the two strides towards me that placed him so close—close enough to feel his breath on my cheek—and leaned towards myear.
“Fucking.Mmm.”
I laughed. “I don’t have the high-tech shit you have on your windows. There are staff out there. Oh, thank you for the photograph, by theway.”
“Then it’s time weleft.”
“I still have…” I said, protesting just a little. He cut meoff.
“The only thing you have to worry about is me.” He gave me awink.
I raised one eyebrow. “Let’s get one thing clear, Mr. Miller. I’m a studious employee; I take my position very seriously. I don’t walk out at the drop of a hat and oncommand.”
“Studious, I like. I’m glad you take any position seriously, but as for commands…” he ran his fingers down my cheek, “…don’t make me spank youhere.”
My eyes widened, my stomach clenched. “Home, Lauren,” headded.
I gathered my bag and we left. I smirked as I passed him, I’d let him have thatround.
* * *
We drove home;all the while Mackenzie was on the phone, taking one call after another. There were a couple of hours a day when the clocks aligned and he’d spend it chatting to his CEOs in America. He was also helping to move his father. It seemed LA wasn’t suiting him in his old age, and Mackenzie had already secured him a condo back in hishometown.
“You know, you really should make a trip out there,” I said, when he’d finished his fifthcall.
“I think I’ll need to at some pointsoon.”
“We can Skype,” Isaid.
“You’ll come withme.”
“I might not be able to, depends on my workschedule.”
