Page 55 of My Lord
“I’d like that. Shall I bring dessert?” I asked.
“Yourself, you’re my dessert and I feel like feasting,” she replied and I could hear the lick of her lips.
“Now who’s piling on the dirty talk?”
She chuckled and I heard her wince a little. “Are you okay?” I asked.
“Just trying to stand after kneeling for so long. I need more practice,” she replied. I began to speak but she stopped me. “Before you say it, Lord Duchoveny, I have many ways of practicing being on my knees, you’ve only seen one. I’ll see you after work.”
She cut off the call before I could comment again, and I laughed all the way back to my office.
I heard a familiar voice say, “Someone’s happy.” And I turned to see Mary.
“I sure am, Mary. It’s a fine day, work is great, and you’re here to make me smile,” I said, bowing to her.
“Get away with ya. Where’s Mackenzie? I’ve been trying to call him,” she said as she dumped some files on my desk.
“Has a meeting with a new company he wants to buy,” I said, wondering why he hadn’t just told her that. Not doing so could cause him endless hours of grief. I felt for her husband, should she have one.
“Bloody bitch of an ex-wife of his been on the phone,” she said.
By then, we had all encountered Addison and her demands to speak to Mackenzie. They had been divorced for years but every now and again, she made a trip to the UK, I had no idea why. She wasn’t welcomed by him, but he did seem to entertain her when necessary. It reminded me that I wanted to ask him why.
“What did she want?” I asked.
Mary shrugged her shoulders. “Didn’t ask, I just told her to phone hiscell. She asked for his number and I said I didn’t have it.” She cackled rather than laughed and it reminded me of a character from a Shakespeare play, the title of which we must never mention.
“These are for me?” I asked, picking up the files.
“I don’t make a habit of just chucking files all over the place, eejit,” she said, and then walked off.
“Did she see me?” I turned to see Mackenzie hiding behind a divider between desks.
I tilted my head. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Hiding,” he said, and then laughed.
“Why?”
“Because it annoys her. What did she say about Addison?”
“Only that yourbloody bitch of an ex-wifewanted to speak to you. Now, if you have nothing to do, you can tell me why I have these files. If not, I’m busy,” I said, moving behind my desk and sitting down.
He smiled as he walked into my office. “Those are a brief overview of all my businesses, mostly the ones in the States.”
“Interesting, thank you. I’ll take them home for reading, although not tonight. Tonight, I’m going to spend time with Gabriella.”
“I won’t expect you in early tomorrow, then,” he said with a wave over his shoulder, he left.
“Don’t piss Mary off,” I shouted after him. He laughed, as did Carolyn.
“Carolyn,” I called out, she bustled into my office with her pad and pen. “I don’t usually ask for this kind of thing, but I could do with a really nice bouquet of flowers.”
“Leave it to me. Credit card?” she said, holding out her hand.
I fished in my wallet and told her the code. I had absolutely no doubt it wouldn’t be abused; in the short time she was working for me, Carolyn had become invaluable.
Later, when I drove up to Gabriella’s house, she was at the door. She smiled as I exited the car with the flowers and gently kissed my lips when I handed them over.
