Page 16 of Until You

Chapter Six

Lanie hurried toward the elevator, sure she was now late for her meeting with Randy, but at least she had her coffee and what was left of her dignity. She was no prude, but flashing her bra in front of half a dozen people was pushing her limit. Still, she thought she’d recovered well, even after the shock of seeing Tyler again.

And that had been a shock. Especially since she’d just been thinking about him. She had no idea why she was so intrigued by him, but there was no denying that she’d loved his reaction. While she inherently knew he was a player, she’d completely knocked him off his game. Watching his horror when he realized he’d torn her shirt open, then the appreciation of what he saw…

She really did wish she had worn her Agent Provocateur bra.

She’d found his floundering amusing, and then the way he took charge when that kid had tried to sneak a peek…

If only she could ask Brittany about him without tipping her off that she was interested.

The elevator opened to the twelfth floor, and her phone began to ring. She considered letting it go to voice mail, but Stephanie had been anxious about possibly starting the interviews without Lanie. After her wardrobe malfunction, Lanie would need to go home to change, making her even later to the interviews.

But to her surprise, the number said Aiden, and she answered the phone with a grin. “Aiden, as usual, you have terrible timing. I haven’t heard from you in months, and you call me just as I’m about to go into a meeting.”

She glanced down at the end of the foyer to the reception desk with the name Goldman, Taylor, Hughes, and Evans plastered on the wall. Randy stood at the desk and did a double take when he saw her get off the elevator. She lifted a finger to tell him she’d be with him in a second.

“I’m dropping into the land of barbecue myself, Lane,” Aiden said.

“When?” she asked, giving Randy a nervous look. The receptionist was already giving her an odd stare. Clearly “menswear chic” wasn’t going to be the next fashion trend.

“This weekend, and I have tickets to the Royals game on Sunday. Come with me.” He laughed. “And don’t tell me you have to work. I’m not falling for it. No self-respecting construction crew is going to work on Labor Day weekend.”

She did have work, but she could let Stephanie handle things for a few hours. Still, she had to give Aiden a hard time. “You know I hate baseball.”

“All the more reason for me to make you come. I have something I’d like to talk to you about.”

She hesitated. “Okay…I’m intrigued.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up at noon. Text me the address.” Then he hung up.

Shaking her head, she dropped her phone into her purse. It was just like Aiden to call her out of the blue and expect her to drop everything to see him. Not that she minded. She’d met Aiden in college. They’d dated a few times until they discovered that they worked better as friends than lovers. Still, Aiden was one more person to add to her growing list of neglected friends. She needed to change that.

“Sorry about the delay,” she said as she walked over to Randy. “Thanks for seeing me.”

“I know Britt says part of the perks of your job is that you occasionally get designer clothes, but this wasn’t what I expected.”

She’d seen her reflection in the stainless-steel walls of the elevator. Tyler’s jacket covered enough of her skirt to make it look like the only thing she was wearing was the jacket and his tie. “It’s a long story, but let’s just say I’m planning on going home to change as soon as we’re done.” If it were anyone else, she would have cancelled, but he was family now, and he’d squeezed her into his schedule. She could deal with it.

He led her down the short hall and into his office. Shutting the door behind them, he led her to a chair in front of his desk.

“Brittany tells me you’re dealing with some legal issues with your job—your secret job that I can’t know about,” he said, sitting in his chair. “However, since you’re here seeking my legal advice, I’ll point out that you can confide in your attorney.”

“Honestly, at this point it doesn’t matter,” she said wryly. “I told Britt about my job years ago, so I’m surprised she hasn’t told you.”

“You should know by now that Britt’s a vault when it comes to secrets.”

She used to be, Lanie thought. It was good to hear that hadn’t changed. Lanie gripped the arms of her chair and looked him in the eye. “I’m not a time management consultant. I’m here opening a store on the Plaza, and yesterday we received an injunction that shut down the work site. But late last night I got word that corporate already has their legal team on it. They’re positive they can reverse the injunction today, and we should be back to work by the end of the day.”

Randy laced his fingers together on his desk. “But you’re still here, so tell me what I can do for you.”

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her folded contract. “I need to figure out if it’s in my best interest to let my VP fire me or turn in my notice.”

She handed it over his desk, and he took it from her. “I’m guessing the question is over any severance package you might receive.”

“Actually, a bonus package. If I leave in good standing I’m entitled to stock and a nice cash bonus. This store is scheduled to be completed in four weeks, then I’m supposed to move to Phoenix. If I lose my job, I don’t have anything else lined up. I need to make sure I’m compensated. I’ve made good money over the last ten years, and I’ve saved a lot, but…”

“You don’t want to leave any money on the table. That’s smart.” He studied her and asked, “What makes you so sure you’re going to be fired? From what little Britt says, you’re very good at your job.”

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