Page 43 of His Long-Lost Baby
James is pacing now, and I can tell he’s in a state of panic. Which is crazy. I’ve never seen him freak out like this before.
“It’s okay,” I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll stay up all night if we have to, but we’ll get it done.”
He looks at me, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thanks, Billie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I can feel my cheeks flush at the sincerity in his voice. I know he doesn’t mean anything by it, but it still feels nice to be appreciated.
I clear my throat. “Sure thing. Um, so what time is the presentation?”
“Ten a.m.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Right. And just how long does it need to be?”
“About forty-five minutes,” James replies, his eyes flickering with worry. “We can split up the work and cover all the important points. I’ll work on the financial projections and you can handle the marketing strategies.”
We spend the next few hours going through old files and piecing them together for the presentation. I don’t know anything about the AI technology, so that makes for even slower going.
Around midnight, James stands up and stretches. “I’ll order us some dinner before room service closes.”
I let out a deep breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Sounds good to me.”
“What would you like?”
I shrug. “Whatever you’re getting is fine.”
As James calls in our order, I stare down at the laptop screen, my eyes starting to blur. It’s been a long day, and it’s about to be an even longer night.
But at least I’m not alone.
I glance over at James, who’s still on the phone, his voice low as he orders our food. In the dim light of the hotel room, he looks different than he does in the office. More relaxed.
I can’t help but let my eyes wander over his body. He’s tall and lean, with broad shoulders. He’s not the type I usually go for, but there’s something about the way he moves that makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.
As if sensing my gaze, James turns to look at me. For a moment, our eyes meet and there’s a jolt of electricity between us. I can’t explain it, but it’s there.
Clearing his throat, James turns back to the phone. “Yeah, can we get two orders of the steak?”
I look away, ashamed to have been caught staring at him.
He hangs up and puts the phone down.
“Food will be here in twenty,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “In the meantime, I think it’s time for a break.”
I nod, grateful for the suggestion. A part of me wants to curl up in bed and sleep until the presentation, but that’s not an option. We need to finish this tonight.
James walks over to the mini fridge and pulls out a bottle of champagne. “I know it’s not the best time, but I figured we could use a little pick-me-up.”
“You had the fridge stocked,” I comment.
He shrugs. “Just in case.”
He pops the cork, and the room is filled with a loud pop and a spray of bubbles.
A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. “I guess we deserve it.”
He pours us each a glass, and we clink them together in a toast. “To getting this presentation done,” he says, his eyes locked onto mine.
The warm bubbly liquid goes down smoothly, and I feel a sudden burst of energy. Maybe it’s the alcohol, or maybe it’s just the fact that we’re finally making progress. Either way, I’m grateful for it.