Page 50 of On the Fly
He picked up a pen from his desk, tapping it against the top. “If you were me, what would you do?” Typically, Ander was confident in his decisions and never asked advice. His experience and gut always led him in the right direction.
The fifty faces of Lyla played out in front of him. She blinked a couple of times, shook her head in confusion, and opened her mouth before closing it tight again, her lips pursed. He merely waited her out, interested in her reply. She sighed and reached for the door, closing them into the office for privacy. With a wrinkled brow, she stepped closer.
“Are you asking about the woman or the company?”
Mmm, so she knew. Her ability to know everything going on in an office rarely failed to surprise him, but the people who knew about his current personal life fiasco were limited.
“Let’s go with both.” He tapped the pen again, turning it end over end. This was new territory for them. After the last twenty-four hours of self-reflection, his accomplishments within the company—reorganizing departments, firing employees—resulted in a twisted gut and more uncertainty than ever before. His old man had gotten it wrong when he’d said Ander was a cold, calculating guy. He often put up a front to get the job done. He wished he was cold. It would serve him well right that minute.
“Well, I didn’t meet the woman. I don’t know her, but when I got the email stating she refused to sign the HR documents—”
Ander interrupted her right there, his chair snapping up straight.
“She did what?” he asked, his spine stiffening in outrage.
“You haven’t opened your email then. I was cc’d in an email to you from HR. She’s refused to sign, and Erik volunteered to handle it.” Before he could speak again to tell her to get her butt on the phone and make Emma sign the document, she came closer to his desk in measured footsteps. “Now, here’s what I have to say about her. She’s a first. I’ve sent flowers for you and apology notes, but those women weren’t involved in your business world. That’s sacred ground for you, at least it was. I’m not sure why you or she ended things. I don’t know what happened.” Lyla stopped at the edge of his desk, crossing her arms over her chest, right in front of him before continuing. “But you’re different. I noticed it on the phone calls last week and I see it for myself. You’re exhausted and disheveled. You’re indecisive and reacting with knee-jerk decisions. I think she’s important to you, Ander. Whatever happened between you two isn’t over.”
Clearly, that explanation merited a no-shit response that he held on the tip of his tongue, barely keeping the offensive words from rolling out of his mouth. Some-fucking-how, Emma Chadwick had begun to matter more than any other human being on this planet. It made him sick to know he’d become lovesick for that woman, and even sicker to think of how he’d mistreated her.
All this yearning for her wasn’t ebbing. Instead, it became harder to deal with each passing minute. She’d consumed his thoughts even before his mother, sister, and brother had ambushed him last night. That stunt hadn’t eased his heart, but it had made him aware he had shipped Emma off because of, as Lyla called it, a knee-jerk response to that letter from his father. He glanced at the memory book on the table. A letter he might have misunderstood. Why he let that man control his actions, he’d never understand. And did he let his trouble with his dad control more than just how he’d handled Emma? God, he hoped not.
Instead of commenting, he said, “Okay. Now the airline.”
“Pretty much the same answer. This is personal to you. I’ve never seen you be personal in business deals.” She shook her head but didn’t appear willing to say more.
“Okay, keep going,” he encouraged. She made valid points so far and an outsider from this business who knew him well.
Lyla drew in a deep breath. “You know you have a choice. Your mother has transferred her voting rights to you. You have the controlling interest to do whatever you think is best.” His mother had said she’d give her control to him, but he had expected her to drag her feet and try to change his mind. Lyla acted as if it were a done deal.
“When?”
“I brought the paperwork in this morning.” Lyla lifted a stack of papers. A closer look showed they were legal documents from his parents’ private attorney. “How doyounot know this is here?” Lyla plopped the paperwork back on the desk and leaned a hip against the edge, looking as if he’d just proved her point. “I think we’re here to stay. Your three sizes too small heart is linked to this company. I think it’s actually grown while you’ve been out here, which could account for the pained look that’s been on your face since I arrived.” She smiled to show she was teasing him. “I believe you should take the minute to go get your woman, then come back and turn this company around. I have faith in your ability, and I’m going to need a bigger raise than I thought. It’s expensive here, but the weather sure is nice.”
All this emotion churned inside him. He sat back and rubbed his forehead, considering her words. Why in the hell did he feel like crying? What was wrong with him? He dropped his chin to his chest, admitting Lyla had nailed it. The knee-jerk decision-making especially. Ander needed to talk to Emma, to at least apologize for his abruptness. They needed to settle whatever was between them, and her leaving hadn’t done that, not by a long shot.
“Can you get me Emma’s telephone number? We never exchanged them.”
“Erik asked me put it on your desk calendar, just in case.” She reached for the sticky note he hadn’t notice.
He nearly groaned out loud. Man, he was off his game.
“You’re going to have to remind your family who I work for. They think I’m the middleman, acting as buffer between you and them.”
Ander nodded. “Why did you come in here?” he asked.
“To give you the update and say I’m leaving for the day. I can come in tomorrow, if you want, but if we’re really going to do this, I need to find a cheaper place to live than the hotel.”
“Give it a few days for me, will you?” His fence-riding couldn’t end until he talked to Emma. He had to settle his personal life before he could deal with the rest of it.
“Sure, as long as you’re paying for the hotel and dining expenses.” She grinned. “And, of course, focusing on yourself. This angry dead-man-walking thing has me a little worried.”
He nodded again. He was worried about himself too, truth be told.
“See you tomorrow?” she asked, and he gave a single, confirming nod.
He waited until he heard the latch of the office door click into place, closing behind Lyla, providing him privacy before he picked up the receiver of the landline and dialed Emma’s number. Four rings and she didn’t answer. Damn. While listening to her voice mail greeting, he debated the wisdom of leaving a message. In the end, he cleared his throat, and at the beep, he used his professional voice. “Emma, can you call me when you get a minute?”
He dropped the phone back in the cradle, ending the call. Then he groaned as he realized he hadn’t left his number. Rather than call back, he opened the email program and typed a quick message to her to give him a call. He listed both his landline and cell phone numbers then pushed send.
