Page 100 of When The Night Falls

‘Did you bring coffee for Charlotte every morning as well?’

He shook his head. ‘Never occurred to me.’

My ego appreciated hearing that, as it made me feel special to him.

‘I suppose I should start doing it when she comes back,’ he said then, which punctured the boost my ego had just enjoyed.

Scared he would notice, I avoided his eyes and focused on setting up my laptop while he cleared his desk. ‘I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.’

He might as well have said ‘enough small talk’ when he proceeded to change the subject. ‘Anyway, we’ve got quite a lot of work to do. As you know, you’ve got to collect the files from Clifford Paints later. In the meantime, I’ll be working on the DD for the deal between Porter BioScience and Elixerion Pharmaceuticals. I’ve got a meeting with Vi shortly after lunch to go over it.

‘Now, while I work on that, I thought you could have a go at drafting up the NDA for the merger between Clifford Paints and Craft Interior. I’ve got a few templates you can use to help you get started. I’ll of course look over your work, but if you have any questions before then, don’t be shy. Please ask, and I’ll be happy to help you out.’

Nodding, I pulled a chair over so that I would be working across from him. ‘Right, to summarise, and correct me if I misunderstood anything,’ I said as I descended into my seat. ‘First, I’ll get started on making a draft of the non-disclosure agreement. While you’re meeting with Vi after lunch, I’ll head over to Clifford Paints to collect the files, and I suppose you’ll want photocopies of those. Then, whether it’s today, tomorrow or next week, you’ll go over the draft of the NDA I’ve written?’

‘Yes.’

‘Okay. Why don’t you email me the templates and I’ll get started at once?’

‘Great.’

One of several things I appreciated about shadowing William was that we worked exceptionally well together. In that regard, he reminded me of Aaron. We hardly ever talked while we worked, and whenever we did, it was always with a razor-sharp focus that intensified my excitement about getting things done. We seemed to speak the exact same language, perfectly synchronised. Neither of us were prone to beating around the bush. We were direct and efficient in our communication, and since neither of us were particularly sensitive, we never had to fear that our clipped tone would offend the other person. William was also remarkably pedagogical, so whenever I voiced any concerns as I worked on the NDA, his explanations were easy to grasp.

Overall, working with him was an exhilarating experience. I hadn’t thought we would be so compatible in areas relevant to work, but we obviously were. To be perfectly fair, I couldn’t remember having had such a good partner in anything before.

It was nearing time for lunch when I received a call from the reception. Adjusting the hands-free device attached to my ear, I answered, ‘William Night’s office, Cara speaking.’

‘Hi, Cara, it’s Debbie. Could you please inform Mr Night that Miss Francesca Strafford is here to see him?’

The world crashed down on me all at once and I froze. Suddenly I lost every train of thought I’d had today and stared blankly at my screen.

Francesca? He was still seeing her?

For some reason I hadn’t expected this, and the news struck me like a bucket of cold water. My whole body tensed. Breathing hurt.

I sensed William’s eyes on my face. He must have noticed my stiffening figure.

‘Cara?’ Debbie prompted.

‘Of course,’ I hurried to say.

‘Thanks.’

I hung up, trying to maintain my equilibrium. The idea that he was still seeing Francesca was more painful than I had anticipated. Then again, why was I surprised? I had rejected him. Of course he had moved on since then. I had no right to be upset about this; he wasn’t mine. This pain was entirely self-inflicted.

‘Everything all right?’ William asked, and the sound of his alluring voice only intensified the sting of my loss.

‘Yes.’ I kept my eyes on my screen, feigning nonchalance. ‘Francesca is here to see you. She’s in the lobby.’

‘Is she?’ He sounded surprised, but I wasn’t sure it was genuine.

I could feel his gaze on me, inspecting, and it bothered me. To be put under his microscope was the last thing I needed right now, because I was experiencing feelings I hadn’t seen coming. I wished he would look away, and I also wished he would order me to call Debbie back and say to her that Francesca wasn’t welcome.

After hesitating for some time, he asked gently, ‘Would you mind collecting her for me?’ By his tone, it was obvious that he was trying to show me consideration, as he knew full well that I was aware of who she was.

Exerting every ounce of my self-discipline, I nodded my head and refrained from exhaling the ton of air that I badly wanted to.

‘Of course.’ I stood up.

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