Page 116 of Billion Dollar Dispute

I roll my eyes. “Yes. I’m planning to grab dinner and then soak in the massive tub.”

“Send me pics!” she exclaims.

Another laugh escapes me. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She's seriously the bestest friend, taking care of Chad while I’m here. I’ll definitely buy her a thank you gift before I leave. My eyes scan the area looking for something special to bring back.

“Okay, okay. Put Chad on.”

“Mom?”

“Hi honey, how was your day?”

“Alright, but did you know Hugo has the new transformer Lego?”

His excitement makes my heart swell. The small slice of mom guilt I carry from working instead of being with him fades a bit when I hear his happy voice.

“No, I didn’t. But how was school?”

“Good. Can I get the Lego too?” Chad’s voice is hopeful.

I smile softly, shaking my head. “I’ll add it to your birthday list. Are you having fun at Molly’s?”

“She’s letting us have pizza,” he grins.

“Oh, that naughty Molly,” I reply, chuckling.

He giggles through the phone.

“I better go, but I love you. Behave for Molly, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, Mom. I love you.”

He hangs up, and I guess our conversation is over. I don’t bother calling back, as Molly will call me if she needs me. Now that work isn’t a distraction, I move to the windows overlooking the city. The view isn’t as nice as the one from Harvey’s penthouse, and the loneliness hits me harder because I don’t have Chad here. I’m alone with my thoughts. I snap a picture to show Chad when I get home, and I also send it to Mom.

Mom:Oh, darling, I hope you're out there soaking it all in! The city is your oyster! I'm on this noisy bus, otherwise I’d be calling you. Take lots of pictures and make the most of it!

Me:No worries. I’m about to head out for dinner anyway. I’ll call you later.

Reminding myself that I’m here for work, I head out to a restaurant with a plan to order a glass of champagne. Celebrating alone isn’t the same, but I want to acknowledge how far I’ve come. It would be nice to have Harvey here, but I can do this on my own.

After dinner, I return to the suite, soak in the spa, and then crawl into the king-sized bed. I’m almost asleep when I receive another text from Harvey.

Harvey:I hope the upgrades I requested made your stay a little more relaxing.

Chapter 34

Jemima

I arrive home fromD.C., having spent the flight working on new event contracts. At the airport, I began drafting an email to all the suppliers I’d need, assuming Mr. Baird gave the go-ahead. As soon as the one-hour-and-twenty-seven-minute flight lands, I check my email and see that he’s already responded, and he’s signed them all.

I quickly send out the emails and add one to Molly, asking her to book me a return trip and letting her know I’ll be in the office as soon as I unpack.

Dragging my small case behind me, I take the steps up to my apartment. My breath catches when I see the tall, solid frame waiting at my door. I’ve missed his face, and now that I’m looking at him again, I can see he’s been struggling too. His beard is longer than usual, his hair messier, and his eyes are sad. The way my heart twinges at the sight makes this so hard.He needs to go.

He pushes off the wall he’s leaning on, his eyes dropping from my case to my face.

“Have you been waiting long?” I ask, my voice betraying my defeat.

“No, I went to the office, and Molly said you were flying back from the D.C. meeting.”

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