Page 6 of Without Regret

Phillip was our boss and the owner of the Stone Group. “And?”

Simon looked uncomfortable. Immediately, I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say. “He conveyed if you’re not here in Texas on assignment with me, then he’d have you work for someone else in the New York office.”

This didn’t surprise me. My boss was the brains behind his acquisitions, not me. Although if I was regaining the chance to travel frequently, did it matter where I was stationed? It wasn’t as though I had a permanent place to live in New York. Whenever I was there, I simply stayed in a hotel for a few days or in corporate housing similar to what I had here. Making the leap to ownership was way too permanent for me. “Where is this new guy from?”

“Houston, but he indicated he’s willing to travel.”

It floored me that Simon didn’t miss flying around the world. He used to have the same wanderlust I did.

“I know it’s not ideal, Emma. I realize New York is your first choice as a place to live. In fact, I could recommend to you a number of people at the Stone Group headquarters who’d be lucky to have you as assistant. But of course, selfishly, I’m hoping the renewed opportunity to travel will be enough to offset living in Texas in between. So, essentially, those are the options.”

In the long run, I knew I had a choice to make, but in the short term, I could only think of how relieved I was he wasn’t letting me go. That he still wanted me to work for him.

To say I didn’t deal well with rejection would be an understatement. I figured it subconsciously started when I was a toddler and my mother abandoned me. My father, too, for that matter, although, in his defense, I doubt he knew I existed. Bouncing around in foster care until reaching adult hood hadn’t exactly solidified a sense of belonging, either.

“I’m sorry. I know neither choice is ideal.”

He was a guy who never used to apologize, so hearing those words caused a lump in my throat. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I guess it’ll come down to this new guy.”

I wasn’t going to get my hopes up, however, as it wouldn’t be easy to find someone qualified. Simon not only analyzed which companies were best for acquisition, but he also then went on-site to conduct audits, interviews, and deal with the logistics of the sale. I imagined he’d continue do the analysis, but the new on-site person would have to be sharp and able to deal with a number of unforeseen obstacles.

“There will be a trip in two weeks to New York to get him acquainted with the office there.”

I perked up at the mention of my favorite city. “Am I going with you?”

“As if I’d leave you out.”

“Thank God.” I was in serious need of a spa treatment and getting my hair done at my favorite salon. Something about that city re-energized me. Perhaps I could simply schedule quarterly trips there to get my fix. At least I hoped that would be enough.

“Tell me more about this guy. Where did you find him?”

“His name is Trevor Newhall.”

Why did the name Trevor sound familiar? Bizarre.

“His father is Charles Newhall; he made most of his money from the oil industry. Trevor worked for his company for a couple years after his MBA but now wants to get into investments and acquisitions. His father is friends with Phillip.”

Which meant he was in the circle of those who had rich relatives. This business was a lot about who you knew, so I sincerely hoped he wasn’t a pretentious jerk content to ride the coattails of his connections.

I listened to Simon continue. “In his phone interview, he seemed eager to learn, easy to get along with, and charismatic. I think the only thing he may struggle with is delivering the bad news.”

Ah, yes, the bad news consisted of informing people they’d lost their jobs, something we sometimes had to do once we bought a company. It sucked. The thought of traveling with this new guy made me anxious. After working together for seven years, Simon had become like an older brother to me, but he didn’t get up in my business. Here was hoping this new guy wasn’t a complete wanker like the owner’s nephew, someone we normally got saddled with on these deals.

“So you haven’t actually met him?”

“Not yet. Let’s try to be friendly.”

I lifted a brow. “Is this your way of implying I’m not? I’ll have you know I can be charming when I want to be.” I prayed he’d be quiet and nerdy. I did best with shy people who preferred their space the way I did. And damn, I had a lot riding on this. If I couldn’t get along with the new guy, I would no longer be traveling. And without travel, I’d be stuck. In Texas. Which would mean I’d either go crazy or have to search for another job. Neither option held much appeal.

Simon knew it was an effort for me. “Good. He’ll be here in one hour.”

But the man who showed up sixty minutes later wasn’t even close to shy or nerdy. Instead, he was gorgeous in a form-fitting navy suit that accented his large frame and brought out his crystal-blue eyes. And from the smirk on his face, he wasn’t nearly as surprised to see me again as I was to see him.

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