Page 13 of Masters of the Game: Colton
“Yes, what’s next with you and Kelly?”
He rolled his eyes. “Nothing is next with me and Kelly, Cobra. Our relationship is strictly business. And I intend to keep it that way.”
“Well, at least the two of you can finally have a relationship, even if it is just a business one. And just so you know, there’s no reason that a business relationship can’t morph into something else later. Especially since she’s finally started to date again.”
“Who told you that?”
“I prefer not to reveal my sources. But she made that decision before getting the contract with Masters Unlimited. I wonder if she’ll change her mind now, though. This contract is a big deal for her agency. I’m sure she won’t do anything that might jeopardize it.”
Colton frowned. “What Kelly does with her life is her business. But she claims she can’t multi-task.”
Cobra chuckled. “I recall a time you thought that you couldn’t either. Then you finally realized it wasn’t about multi-tasking but finding a balance that works for you. Multi-tasking isn’t for everybody, and there’s nothing wrong with being focused.”
“There’s a lot wrong with it when your dedication to your work leaves you with no room for a social life,” Colton said.
“Speaking of social life, I’ve noticed you haven’t dated anyone in over two years. Hmm…not since you met Kelly.”
He wasn’t surprised his brother had put two and two together, but at this point, he didn’t really care. More than a few times, he’d been tempted to reach out to her but had decided against it. He wanted to give her time to do what she felt she needed to do to succeed. In that regard, he was sure that, too, had been the right decision. The fact that they were working together now was sort of mind-boggling. It was strange how things fell into place at times.
“You’re right, Cobra. I haven’t dated since that night with Kelly, nor have I wanted to.” He didn’t want to think about what that could possibly mean.
Deciding to change the subject, he said, “I’ll be in your neck of the woods next week. Lake narrowed down the choices to New York or LA, and Kelly and I plan to check out both places thoroughly.”
“I’m sure either city will be an advantage for you, since I’m in New York, and Tez lives in LA. And once our niece or nephew arrives, I’ll likely spend much of my free time in LA anyway.”
Colton could hear the excitement in his brother’s voice. He knew the feeling because he felt the same way. In the same way their parents couldn’t wait to be grandparents, he and Cobra couldn’t wait to become uncles. They talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.
He glanced at the hotel room’s door when he heard a knock. Crossing the floor of his suite, he opened the door to find a uniformed member of the hotel concierge’s staff standing there with a bottle of wine, a wine glass, and a card.
“I was asked to deliver this to you, sir,” the man said, handing all three to Colton.
“Thanks.” After giving the man a tip, he closed the door, placed the wine and glass on a nearby table, then read the card.
“Congratulations! I knew you could do it! I am proud of you.”
Lake
Colton smiled. Getting that Sharpe account was a big feather in Masters Unlimited’s cap, and he felt pretty damn good about it. It was times like these when a part of him wished he had someone special to celebrate with. His thoughts shifted to what Cobra had said about Kelly.
Had she finally accomplished enough that she could let loose a little? And what Kelly considered serious dating? Then again, did it really matter? Their relationship was strictly business. But did it have to be? And if what he’d told his brother was true, then why did the thought of seeing her again tomorrow fill him with unexplainable joy?
Colton was about to open the bottle of wine when his business cell phone rang. He crossed the room to pick it up and saw the call was from Sherelle Telfair. Had she heard about the Sharpe deal and was calling to congratulate him as well?
He’d always liked Sherelle and knew that personal issues regarding her mother’s health had been the reason she’d fallen behind in her work. It had been hard for Sherelle to stay focused, and who could blame her? Lake had suggested that she turn the account over to someone else and take paid family leave to spend time with her mom. She had assured him that wouldn’t be necessary. Unfortunately, in the end, not only did she mishandleone of their biggest accounts, but her mother died a few months later.
“Hello, Sherelle.”
“Colton, I tried to catch you at the office, but Alvie told me you were out of town on business.”
“That’s right. I’m in New York. What do you need?”
“Before leaving for Europe, Lake told me of his decision to open a third office. That’s wonderful.”
“Yes, it is,” he said, hearing her excitement.
“I’m arriving in Boston this week for the junior executives meeting. I’d love to meet with you and Ms. Perkins to see how I can assist.”
Colton understood her anxiousness in wanting to work on the project to regain her good job standing. However, before he agreed to bring her on, he wanted to discuss it with Kelly. “When I return to Boston tomorrow, Ms. Perkins and I will have a meeting. One of the things we’ll discuss is whether or not she’ll need any assistance.”
