Page 37 of The Cinderella Secret
Dominque looked sad. “I just wish he didn’t feel he needed to do that for us.”
“Work in progress,” said Jackson with a shrug. “We’ll wear him down.”
Dominique laughed. “And you always accuse me of too much long-range planning. All right, fine, we’ll back burner that. And since you’re keeping tabs on the situation, I guess we’ll ignore the fact that my brother is an international man of mystery slash male escort or something for the moment. But doesn’t that support my point? Do we really think he should be in charge of the DevEntier mess?”
“He wants the mess. He point-blank said he could do it,” said Jackson. “I think you should trust him. It’s my money anyway. Mine and Evan’s. What do you care?”
“Thank God,” she said casting her eyes heavenward. “Frankly, I could not be happier that Owen and Randall left the two of you that mess. I’m quite happy that Mom sold her shares to Randall after Grandpa died. Although, Evan may have bought me back in. I should ask. Is it bad that even after he’s gone to the trouble of explaining those dratted reports to us that I still don’t bother to read them?”
“You know he’s looking after things,” said Jackson, amused by his cousin’s apparent stream of consciousness. “But if you think I’m going to forget I asked a question, you should think again. What do you care if Evan and I lose a bunch of money?”
Dominique looked annoyed, then shrugged. “Fine. Theo isn’t eavesdropping, is he?” she asked craning to look through the door in the hall.
“Wouldn’t matter if he was. Pretty sure Theo knows where all the bodies are buried.”
“OK, but you can’t tell Grandma this. I have thought… I mean, just in the general scheme of things, as one ponders the future.”
“Sure,” said Jackson, grinning. He knew what happened when Dominique pondered the future: plans got made. “As one does.”
“Well, Grandma will have to retire eventually, and I don’t think any of us want to go into politics exactly. But wouldn’t it be nice if Aiden were to do something like, I don’t know… run for State Attorney General?”
Jackson hadn’t thought that far ahead, but now that she mentioned it, that might be an option. At some point Aiden would have to go public with his ACLU work and he would have to…
“But he has to have a high-profile job and the high-profile donor base that goes with it?” asked Jackson, realizing where Dominique was heading. “In other words, Axios Partners?”
“Attorney General does require a certain resume. But it would sort of fill the niche that Grandma is filling now. And that would be convenient for everyone.”
“So, it’s really our needs that you’re thinking of?”
Dominique shrugged innocently and Jackson laughed.
“You’re not wrong, but I don’t think Axios is the only way to get there and I don’t think that Aiden should have to be at some job that bores him to death to make it happen.”
Dominique frowned unhappily and picked at the crease in her slacks and Jackson sensed that they were narrowing in on the real reason for Dominique’s distress.
“I’ve asked around about this Ella Zhao girl,” she said after a moment. “She’s really good. What if he loses? He’s set his heart on this. If he loses, he’ll be heartbroken. And quitting his job is so public. If he loses after quitting… I think you’re right. I think he hates for people to see that he’s vulnerable and this will be exactly that. I’m worried for him, Jacks.”
“Yeah,” agreed Jackson. “Me too, but I really think he can do it.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue any further, so Jackson decided it was as good a time as any to bring up the next awkward topic.
“Although,” he said, clearing his throat, “if we’re discussing cousins I’m worried about, we should probably switch to you.”
“Me? Why? What have I been doing? Have I been doing something?” She appeared to think for a moment. “If I am, I’ve forgotten it.”
“The whole moving in with Max thing. I floated the trial balloon with Grandma and she promptly brought out the large artillery, shot it down, and then possibly set it on fire and curb-stomped it.”
“Good grief. I guess she does feel some kind of way about it. Does she not like Max? She’s always seemed to get along with him in person.”
“I asked that, and she says he seems quite nice and liking him isn’t the issue.”
“All right, so what is the issue?” Dominique looked perturbed.
“I’m not entirely sure. She’s very resistant to being questioned on the topic. His work seems to be a large part of it. And… I don’t know. It’s this feeling I get like she doesn’t want any outsiders.”
Dominique frowned. “Grandma places a great deal of importance on appearances. Does she think he’s not good enough? I swear if that’s it, I will… Well, there will be words. Words will be said.”
Jackson laughed. “I don’t think that’s it.”
