Page 35 of Remembering Passion

“Come in tomorrow and we’ll discuss it.”

I didn’t respond as I merged into traffic. I was now driving on the interstate, headed toward the northwest side of the city. Thankfully, traffic had lightened since the five o’clock rush. The other alternative allowing me to stay off the interstate would have me in stop-and-go traffic up the center of the city.

“Ella,” Millie said, “you’re correct. Without Damien Sinclair, we wouldn’t have the impetus nor the need to create this new position. If another person came to me with a similar offer, you would be on my short list of candidates for this position. Don’t undersell yourself. You’ve worked hard and your reputation precedes you.”

“What if it falls apart?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we do this with the pharmacological coalition, and it doesn’t benefit Beta Kappa Phi the way we think it will?”

“We’ll cross that bridge. Not taking the chance would be considered failure. I’ll see you tomorrow. Please be in by nine.”

I didn’t have the chance to respond. She ended the call.

Nearing Carmel, my phone rang. The screen said Niles.

I hit the button on the steering wheel, my mind on Millie’s last comment. “Hey.”

“You haven’t called. How did the meeting go?”

“The first thing I did was to call him a bastard.”

Niles’s laugh came through the speakers. “You really need to be more forthcoming—there is a history. I want all the dirt. How about meeting me for a drink? Jeremy is out of town, and I hate going home to an empty house.”

“I’d love to,” I answered honestly, “but my meeting isn’t over.”

“Calling that gorgeous man a bastard didn’t get you thrown out?”

“No. It earned me his infuriating sexy smirk.” I thought about the office Johnathon showed to me. The space was a beautiful office on the top floor. While there weren’t corner windows as in Damien’s office, it was nicer than I’d ever had. “Niles, Damien wants me to work from Sinclair Corporate Center. If I do, I won’t be down the hall from you.”

“That’s a definite deal breaker. Does Millie know?”

“She does. I’m going to talk to her more about it tomorrow. How about lunch?”

“It’s a date. Be prepared to be forthcoming.” He paused. “Wait, where are you? Are you still there, with him?”

“No. I’m on my way home.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s picking me up at seven thirty to continue the meeting.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a date?”

“Nope, not a date,” I answered. “Extended meeting.”

“Where is he taking you?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I don’t want you working so far away,” he said, “but that said, I was able to dig into this a little today with Millie. The proposal to partner in a campaign with the pharmaceutical coalition is…well, for Beta Kappa Phi, it could be a move that will bring us even higher, increasing our visibility and power. I know we joke, but damn, think of the campaigns we could build and the people we could help. Millie was practically giddy.”

“No pressure.”

“She told me,” Niles said, “that he’ll only work with you.”

“Yeah.”

“Lighten up. This could be career changing.”

“Or it could be the end.”

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