Page 72 of Serena
“I need everything you can find on Jacob R. Scott. You have until the end of the day.” I hear waves in the background. “Are you at the beach?”
“Yes.” I hear a woman's voice in the background. “In Monaco. That’s the great thing about this job. I can travel and work at the same time.”
“Right. This is urgent, Miles.”
“Got it. Call you in a few.”
I dial the next person on the list, and they answer instantly. “Do you want to go on a little hunt today?” I ask Felix. We all have our thing. Felix loves to play with his food, so I figure since Jacob loves following my woman around and intimidating her, I’ll return the favor, but this time, he'll be the prey.
“What do you want me to do with him after?”
“Get creative, but it can’t lead back to the family, and that includes Serena.”
“You got it.”
This last week has been all hands on deck. The accounting department is down a person, and the branding will be revealed in a couple of days. Last week, Jacob emailed his letter of resignation. He didn’t bother to show up in person. Maggie in Human Resources received an anonymous email with documents showing Jacob was stealing from the company. It’s been going on for a couple of years. Everyone failed to notice because he created a vendor and pocketed the funds. He was in charge of those accounts and billing. I have my suspicions about what happened, but I don’t care enough to ask, and I know Ian had something to do with it.
Today, I’m able to leave the office at a decent time and make it to my kickboxing class. I’ve been trying to keep up with the classes because they help relieve stress and clear my head. Jacob may have admitted to following me, but I still have an uneasy feeling. I still have the urge to look over my shoulder.
Having worked up an appetite, I go to the café close to my apartment. I order my food when I hear, “Hello, Serena.” I turn to find Derek sitting down.
“Derek, what are you doing here?”
“I had to come back to get the rest of my things. I couldn’t move my whole life in two weeks, so my buddy stored some of my things at his place. I took a couple of days from the new job, and here I am. I thought about reaching out, but I figured it was best to leave things as they are. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing well. Work is great but busy.” There is an awkwardness between us.
“Want to sit down while you wait for your order?” he asks. I nod and take a seat across from him.
“So, tell me about your job?” I figure that's a safe middle ground.
“Well, it’s pretty fantastic, the pay is great, and so are the people I work with. I also started seeing someone; it’s going slow, but I really like her.”
“I’m happy for you.” I genuinely am. Derek is a good guy, thinking back, maybe too good. Sure, we both agreed to be each other's casual hookup, but part of me knew that he wanted more. And the more was something I couldn't, no, wouldn't be able to give him. “I know things between us were complicated, but I am truly happy for you,” I tell him.
“You know, I hoped that eventually you would see me as something else, someone you may want to try a relationship with, someone you would call when you were having a bad day, but you never let me in. Physically, you did, but emotionally, there were always thousands of miles between us. Now, you seem different. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
“I’m sorry, Derek.”
“Thanks for saying that, but that’s the past. I do hope you find your happiness. So, about the job. Being Director of Sales at Barron Communications is tough, but I’ve got a handle on it.”
“Wait, what?” I interrupt, “Barron Communications?”
“Yes, it’s…”
“Isn’t it owned by Kayde Corporations?” I finish.
“Yeah. How do you know?”
“I work in their financial department, but when I was getting ready for my job interview months ago, I researched all of Kayde Corporation’s subsidiaries, which included those previously owned by Abigail Kayde’s family.”
“Derek, you told me the promotion was offered to you?”
“Yes,” he confirms.
My first thoughts go to Ian. Did he have something to do with this? But I met Ian after Derek moved. I’m lost in my thoughts when the waiter brings my food to the table. Why? Derek and I were never serious. If anything, this conversation solidifies that.
“Serena?” Derek's voice brings me back.
