Page 9 of Perfect Proposal
Just as the person starts talking, Angie opens the door to the office between us. Walking by with her tablet in her hand, she tosses me a sympathetic smile before she goes to take care of the woman I love.
Which is something I’ve been struggling with doing.
* * *
An hour later,I receive an email from Angie.
David,
Updated schedule for Burke.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Angie
Mentally groaning, knowing this could mean things that trickle down to me that involve contract revisions to signing new talent, it takes me a minute to understand what I’m looking at.
There are sections of Carys’s schedule which are now marked off as PRIVATE. There’s a lock in the corner that does absolutely nothing when I double-click on the meeting to open it. Are these actual meetings that I need to know about, or is this something else? A ball begins to form in the pit of my stomach as I recall the expression on her face after I yelled at her earlier.
Hearing Carys’s door open behind me, I close out of the app in time for her to say, “I can’t thank you enough for coming by, Ward.” The two step out of Carys’s office arm in arm. Whereas Carys is blonde and tiny, her brother is tall and dark. If I hadn’t seen hundreds of pictures of their parents over the years, I never would have pegged them for siblings.
“My pleasure. I think things are going to work out beautifully.”
She beams up at him. “I hope so. It will certainly be a change, that’s for damn sure.” They both laugh.
“How about I take you to lunch? You have to be starving,” he cajoles her.
Carys shakes her head. “No can do, today, honey. I’m too busy.”
He runs a finger along her cheek and whispers, “I got a secret for you.”
She leans back. “I bet mine’s bigger.”
“Not for much longer.” They both laugh hysterically as if they’ve told each other the funniest joke in the world. “Enjoy your Valentine’s Day, sweetheart.”
She gives a noncommittal sound as she watches her brother leave with a wry twist of her lips.
I cough. Loudly.
Carys swivels her head. “Yes?” Her voice is just a shade above arctic.
Crap. This is absolutely not how I want this day to be going. Standing, I approach her warily. “We normally don’t do this during work hours…”
“Do what?”
“Us. You. Me,” I state baldly. “But what I need to do can’t wait until we get home later.”
She sucks in a breath so huge, I can actually see it. “All right.”
I swallow hard. “I’m sorry. I love you, Car.”
She doesn’t say anything. My stomach is lodged somewhere in my throat as I hold my breath in anticipation. Finally, she demands, “Is that it?”
Confused, and now adding hurt to my previous pissed off, I nod.
Carys stomps her foot. She actually does it twice. “I love you too, damnit. Love is not the problem here. We have other issues!” Whirling away, she goes back into her office.
This time, shedoesslam the door.
