Page 30 of His Long-Lost Baby
I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay. I believe you.”
Relief washes over his face, and he smiles. “Thank you. I know we haven’t exactly had the best relationship, but I want to change that.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
“Because we work together.” He looks away, his cheeks turning pink. “I know it’s probably hard to believe, but I do care about my employees.”
I’m taken aback by his confession. It’s hard to wrap my head around, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel a flutter in my stomach.
“I know we’ve had our differences,” he says, “but I just wanted to say that I respect you, Billie. You’re a strong woman, and I admire that.”
I blink a couple of times, trying to process what he’s saying. Is this some sort of manipulation tactic? But his expression seems genuine.
“Thank you,” I say cautiously.
He clears his throat and looks away. “Well, uh, let’s get back to work, shall we?”
I follow him back to the office, feeling like I’m in the twilight zone. Everything has been flipped on its head.
And all it took was me calling him out on some bullshit. Who would have thought?
With James’s back to me, I smile. Maybe working with him doesn’t have to be such hell after all.
CHAPTER10
BILLIE
“Hi Terri. How’s it going?” It’s mid-afternoon on Monday and I’m sidling up to James’s assistant in the break room.
Terri smiles warmly at me, and I can tell she’s happy to have some company. “Hey Billie, it’s going pretty well. Just trying to keep up with James’s crazy schedule.”
I chuckle, gesturing at the coffee I’m currently sipping. “He’s a handful, all right — hence the need to caffeinate.”
Terri laughs. “I hear ya. It’s been a busy day so far.”
“Yeah.” I sip my coffee again, feeling nervous. Terri is one of the few people here who seems genuinely nice, but I’m not talking her up to pass the time. I need information.
Maybe she can tell me if any of James’s family members have medical conditions. I can’t ask directly, though. I need to be careful.
“Hey,” I say. “Do you know if James has any family?”
Terri’s expression shifts slightly, and I can tell she’s surprised by my question. “You know, I don’t know. I’ve never heard him talk about them. Why do you ask?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool. “Just curious, I guess. It’s weird that he’s never mentioned them before.”
Terri nods slowly. “Yeah, it is strange. I know he’s a private person, but I feel like I know so much about his work life and next to nothing about his personal life.”
I nod in agreement, trying to hide my disappointment. “I know what you mean. Anyway, thanks for chatting with me, Terri. I should probably get back to work.”
Terri smiles and waves goodbye as I leave the break room, frustrated. I thought I might be onto something here, but it looks like I’ve hit a dead end. Again.
In his office, James is walking back and forth, talking on the phone. I linger outside for a moment, watching as he gestures with each word. There’s something so commanding about him. So intense.
It draws me in, making it impossible to look away.
Heat flushes through me, and I lick my lips. My body still hasn’t gotten the memo that James isn’t someone we should be interested in.
I try to shake off the feeling and enter his office, clearing my throat to get his attention. He turns towards me, his gaze piercing as always.