Page 62 of Rekindling Desire

“A driver? What is happening? You didn’t pick up last night.”

“Oh, it’s a bit unbelievable. Sorry about last night. There was a major catastrophe.”

“A major one,” he replied. “I need all the details.”

I lifted my left hand. “I’m engaged.”

Niles stopped walking and reached for my hand. Slowly, he looked up at me, squinting his eyes and studying my face. “You’re still here.”

A smile lifted my cheeks. “Thanks for checking.”

“Mr. Handsome?”

I nodded. “Yes, there’s a bit more to the story, but Millie is waiting for me.”

“I can’t wait to hear how a weekend business trip turned into a proposal.”

A weekend trip.

It felt more like six months.

“I’ll fill you in. By the way, you may be getting the coalition campaign. If you do, I’ll fill you in on everything.”

The doors to the elevator opened and we stepped in.

Niles reached for my arm. “What’s happening? Why are you giving up the campaign?”

“I’m not,” I said softly as more people joined us. “I’m fighting for it, and the best way to proceed may be without me—at least without me as the campaign manager.”

Niles shook his head as the doors opened. “Come to my office after your meeting.”

“I will.”

Securing the strap of my satchel, I took a deep breath and headed toward Millie’s office. With each step, I considered what I had in store and how I’d explain the debacle of my marriage announcement.

It was the beginning of the workday, and friendly faces were hurrying from here to there. I was greeted by welcoming smiles and familiar addresses.

“Ella, what are you doing here?” Rosemary asked, coming to a stop.

“I’m here to see Millie.”

She lifted her hand to her chest. “I was afraid she called you about me. It wasn’t about me, was it?”

“No, I’m sure you’re doing great.”

“I haven’t been at it long,” she said, “but I’m doing my best.”

After we said goodbyes, I thought how odd it was that Rosemary considered the time frame not that long, when I was sure I hadn’t been in these halls for weeks or months. “Hi, Pam,” I said to Millie’s secretary.

“Ella, Millie is on a call. As soon as she’s off, she’ll be ready to see you.”

“Okay.” I looked around, spotting two chairs next to one wall. “I’ll wait for her.”

Pam nodded.

I pulled my notebook from my bag, the one with the notes from the weekend in Ashland and about the coalition. Each entry refreshed my memory. The names of the companies and the CEOs. Next was the list of the main revenue sources and their budgets. I was deep down the rabbit hole when Pam called my name.

“Ella, Millie’s ready.”

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