Page 4 of Forbidden Fruit

I almost spit out my drink. “Jack has a funny way of showing it,” I say. “Unless I missed something.”

“That’s what he wants,” she says, sounding sincere.

“That’s what you want,” I say.

She makes a huffing noise. “Not every man is like you,” she says. “Jack can think of other things besides business.”

“Not your Jack,” I say.

She ignores that. “I hear Jack and Becca have been looking at rings.”

“If they have, Jack is completely unaware of it. He’s too busy sowing his oats and stringing that poor girl along to think of marriage.”

“That’s awful.”

“It’s also true.”

She sighs and stares at her drink like she may cry into it. “You’re not even giving Jack a chance,” she says.

“Why is it a chance when it’s handed to him, but work when it’s not?” I say. “Kay, if you think this is the way to get whatever you want, you’ve been spending too much time around people who do what you say.”

She puts her glass down slowly and carefully. It’s supposed to show that she’s not happy. It’s a temper tantrum for the rich.

“If he doesn’t get that promotion,” she says.

“He’ll still be paid more than most people,” I say. “I think he’ll survive.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Do I?”

“Yes, Clive. You do.” She looks at me, really looks at me. I’m not used to that. She’s not used to doing it. It takes her a second to come up with what to say next. “I know you don’t like him much.”

I sigh. Kay’s right. “It’s not about liking him.”

“Of course it is,” she says. “And now that we’re splitting?—”

“Now that we’re splitting, he’s got just as much chance as anyone else.”

“Less,” she says.

“More,” I say. “Jack’s got a job. It’s a good one.”

“But no future.”

“I can’t give him a future unless he starts earning it.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“I mean, I can’t,” I say. “I’d lose half my team if I started handing things out like that.”

“And that would be a tragedy.”

“Kay, it’s my company. And I think I know how to run it.”

She stands up and moves to the big windows. There’s a view of nothing but more houses, big brick things with lots of lawn. The kind of neighborhood she wanted. The type of life she thought she’d get. She looks smaller than she used to. I never thought that would happen.

“You could do it if you wanted to,” she says. Her voice is soft and uncertain, and for a second, I almost think I might change my mind. Almost.

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