Page 52 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“You didn’t have to, but thank you. Tim is finishing up a meeting, but you can go ahead,” Anne said, already reaching into the box with perfectly polished red nails.
“I couldn’t come without treats.”
“You spoil me. I can’t thank you enough for the musical tickets you gave me for my daughter’s birthday. She loved the show,” Anne enthused.
“No thanks necessary. I know one of the cast members and he gave me a couple of free tickets,” Autumn reassured her. She’d been delighted to give someone the tickets since she hadn’t been able to attend herself.
The phone rang.
“Randell Communications, please hold,” Anne said, motioning for Autumn to head into Tim’s office through another set of glass doors.
“Morning,” Autumn started, seeing Tim at his desk. The rest of the sentence caught in her throat when she saw Elijah sitting across from him, with someone by his side.
Elijah rose to greet her. “It’s a bit early in our relationship to be visiting me at work,” he whispered as she stood frozen.
“Are you going to come in or continue to stand by the door?” Tim said abruptly, standing by his desk in a grey suit that was only a shade darker than his hair.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can come back,” she said, already backing up towards the door.
“Don’t be silly, we aren’t strangers. Elijah and Francis were just briefing me on some reports,” Tim said.
How had Elijah beaten her here? She supposed that traffic had been terrible, and theyhadstopped for coffee and doughnuts.
Elijah motioned to Francis. “This is my lead designer, Francis. This is Autumn, my…”
Autumn wondered how he was going to finish the sentence, but Francis got there first. “I’ve heard plenty about you. Thanks for cooking for our last meeting. It was incredible! My husband wants your recipe for the quiche.”
Autumn stifled a laugh.Does he know about the credit card incident?She shook his hand.
“I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’d be happy to share,” she said warmly. She’d only learnt so much about cooking during her recovery because it was something she could do without taking too much energy and had the benefit of helping boost her health. With Francis here, she wished Nina had come up with her to level the playing field. She felt outnumbered.
“Lovely to meet you, but I’ll leave the three of you. Have to get home before my son revolts,” Francis said, and Elijah followed him to the door.
“I think I should be off too; you two can have your time,” he said.
“I look forward to the next report,” Tim called, and Elijah mocked a salute before closing the door behind them.
Autumn noted the tension between them. She wouldn’t have been able to tell they were father and son just by looking at them. Tim wasn’t all that tall, and his hair, though now grey, had once been a sandy shade of blond, unlike Elijah’s. He must take after his mother, whom she realised she knew nothing about.
“Were you going to tell me he was your son?” she blurted out, her mind overwhelmed with questions, then her stomach dropped.Shit, that wasn’t my secret to share!
Tim relaxed in his chair and offered her the opposite seat, which she took. “Nice to see you too, Autumn, but my family is my business.” He buttoned his jacket.
Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she looked through the glass office to see Elijah standing with another worker. They seemed to be talking easily enough, and she didn’t know why she felt a spark of discomfort.
“Our relationship is complicated, and within these walls, I’m just an investor in his company.” Tim sighed, rubbing his jaw.
Autumn knew she was prying into private matters, but she was desperate for more context. “Why let him rent my house? Why not give me a heads-up?” she asked, desperate to know why he had paired them together.
“Elijah needed a place to develop a game we’re investing in. I didn’t think it would be an issue since you were planning on going on tour,” he said, but she noticed him rubbing his thigh—his tell for a lie. “I was so sure you would get along well. You’re both as stubborn as each other.”
Autumn ignored the last part. “The tour wasn’t a done deal, but I understand. Do you invest in games now? I didn’t think you got involved in that type of work.” Maybe he wanted to get close to Elijah and was using the game as an excuse.
“I’ll invest in anything that provides a return.” He shifted in his chair, the line of questioning obviously making him uncomfortable.
“You want to support him?” she asked, noticing a flash of sadness in his eyes.
“Yes, though he would be surprised to hear me say as such,” he admitted.
