Page 26 of Anything For This Love

“Hold on. I’ll go get her.” I place my phone on the bed and go to the living room to get Chloe. I don’t want my mother getting curious and trying to butt in on our call, so I scoop her up and carry her to my room, closing the door behind us.

I retrieve my phone and hold it up so she can see Jacob. “Daddy!” she squeals, grinning with excitement. They talk for a few minutes, and when Chloe starts to lose interest and squirm in my lap, I let her down. Saying goodbye to Jacob a few minutes later has me wishing I could take him up on his offer. I’d rather be anywhere but here at the moment.

Chapter Nine

Jacob

I stare dumblyat my phone, the screen illuminated by the article that was sent to my email early this morning.Shit. This isn’t good. The picture from the restaurant Abby and I dined at while she was in town stares back at me in surprisingly high resolution. That creepy photog must have used a damn good camera.

I read the short article accompanying the picture. My blood pounds in my veins, my ire growing with each sentence.

Who is this mystery woman?While Senator Daniels remains tight lipped about his possible candidacy for president, his eldest son–and Arlington’s most eligible bachelor–is seen cozying up to this mysterious beauty. Sources close to the family say he was recently spotted at a party at his family’s estate with the woman pictured above. The source also claims they have a secret love child his family was not aware of until recently.

I fightthe urge to throw my phone across the room. The article is from a small-time gossip blog, but if it’s picked up by one of the bigger outlets, this will blow up in our faces. My father has yet to make a decision – and therefore a formal announcement – regarding his possible presidential bid, and the mystery has done nothing but increase everyone’s interest in him and his family. How he’s managed to keep the fact that he and my mother are living separately a secret is beyond me. I’m sure it helps that they spent Thanksgiving together along with my brother, snapping dozens of pictures together and posting them to social media. They looked like one big happy family, smiling and hugging for the camera. I’m sure my absence was noted, only adding fuel to the ever-growing fire that is the media’s interest in my love life. I’ve never understood the fascination with celebrities, politicians, and their heirs and who they’re dating. My love life is no one else’s business. I deserve privacy just like anyone else, but since my father is a public figure, the masses believe they’re entitled to know every aspect of our lives, including who we love.

I wish I could shield Abby from this and not have to tell her that her side profile is the subject of one hundred and eighty-seven comments on this blog post. She’s going to flip, especially after the unexpected return of her estranged mother just yesterday. But it’s not right to keep it from her. She needs to know. She may change her mind about going to the winter gala, knowing the press will be there and may even try to talk to her. I wouldn’t want her to be blindsided by them or feel that I kept it from her just to make sure she attended the gala with me.

Coffee in hand, I stroll into my office just before eight. I’m usually one of the first ones in, but my new trainee has beat me here.

“Good morning, Jacob,” she offers, opening a folder and scanning over the contents.

“Mornin’.” I give her a curt nod and continue to my desk. She lowers herself into the seat across from me and smooths her hands down her skirt, crossing her legs at the ankle.

“Here’s that proposal we’ve been working on. I went ahead and completed it,” she adds sheepishly, handing the folder over to me. “I hope you don’t mind. I thought it might help to take something off your plate. You’ve been swamped with work lately.”

It’s a good sign that she’s taking initiative, and she’s right about my workload increasing the past couple weeks. One employee – the experienced engineer Erin replaced – retired over the summer and another moved across the country to take a job in Seattle just last week. We’re essentially down two staff members, so Erin’s proactivity is an asset. She’s flying through her training and onboarding and will be ready to operate independently soon.

“Thanks. I’ll look over it.”

“If anything needs to be changed before you finalize it, let me know.”

“Will do,” I assure her.

She remains perched in my chair, expectation glimmering in her pale blue eyes. I study the contents of the folder, purposely avoiding her gaze. She’s too enthusiastic, hanging on my every word and movement. I’ve noticed her watching me from the corner of my eye. A few times, she brushed up against me or rested her delicate hand on my arm while leaning in to look at something I’m working on. She knows I’m taken. She’s seen pictures of Abby and Chloe and has remarked on how beautiful they are.

Perhaps I’m imagining things. She’s friendly with everybody in the office. I just happen to be the one person with whom she spends the entire day. Maybe her closeness is just a sign of her growing comfort with me.

We go over the proposal and I point out a few areas that need to be tweaked, but all in all, she did a stellar job. Her cheeks flush and she smiles, looking away when I offer praise.

Her shoulders curl slightly forward and she tucks her hair behind her ear. “Thank you.”

When we break for lunch, Erin invites me to join her at the cafe down the street. I hesitate, looking for an excuse to decline. The last thing I want is for anyone – including her – to get the wrong idea, and the two of us going to lunch together would give the wrong impression.

“Jerry and Simon have never been and want to try it out. We’re heading out in ten if you want to join us.” I sag in relief, mentally kicking myself for thinking the worst.

“Sure. I’ll meet you in the lobby.” After grabbing my coat, I lock my computer and shut my office door behind me, heading to meet my colleagues. We step outside and into the chilly afternoon. The sun is high in the sky, no clouds in sight, but the wind blows ferociously, whipping Erin’s fiery hair around her face. She sputters, trying to blow the strands from her mouth, and laughs.

“Guess I should’ve worn my hair up today!” she muses as we walk the few blocks to the restaurant, her gait impressively steady in her extra high heels. I don’t know how she maneuvers in those shoes without stumbling.

We step inside and find a small table just big enough for the four of us. Out of habit, I pull out a chair for Erin. To this day, the manners instilled in me by my mother overrule any other standards of social constructs. I purposefully take a seat across the table, leaving the chair next to her empty. Simon slips into it with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

After we order our food, Jerry excuses himself to the restroom, leaving the three of us to chat. Simon peppers Erin with questions, hanging on her every word when she answers.

“Where did you grow up?” he prods. Before Erin can respond, Simon’s phone rings in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he stands. “Sorry, guys. I gotta take this.” He steps away, leaving Erin and I alone. She leans forward, bracing her elbows on the table.

“Everyone at this firm seems so nice. I haven’t been here that long, and they’ve already made me feel so welcome.”

“We have a great team,” I agree.

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