Page 40 of Hers to Love
“Hello? How could you do this to me?” Sabrina yelled. “Some friend you are.”
“Sabrina, I…I never thought this would happen. Honestly, I came here for the job, you know that!”
“Yeah, a job Iconvenientlysupplied. Then you go there andseducemy father. Do you know he’s only been divorced for a year? A year! He’s been spiraling out of control. You were just supposed to help him get back on track,professionally.”
“I did, and he is. He’s doing an incredible job, trust me. I don’t…I don’t know what to say.”
“You feel sorry for him, right? This is pity. Tell me that’s what it is and I’ll forgive you.”
“No! No, itisn’t. He was drinking too much, and I was decidedly against him. I was only going to focus on my job, but, Sabrina! Marshall is…is kind and considerate. He’s not even drinking anymore! He’s seeing a therapist. I’m so impressed by how he’s changed his life around, and Irespecthim.”
“You’ve barely been there two weeks!”
“I can’t believe it myself,” Kori said softly. “Ineverthought I’d feel this way about someone and so quickly. It’s been a stressful two weeks, but it’s been an incredible adventure too. The way he’s treated me—”
“You have daddy issues. That’s what this is. You want a daddy and think you can have mine,” Sabrina said vehemently. “Yours was terrible to you, and I sympathize. But, Kori, my dad’s too fragile to handle this right now!”
Kori disagreed with the last part. When they first met, Marshall seemed bitter, but Kori now believed he was just unfocused. He was clearly past that now. But Sabrina’s first point made sense…once.
“I…I’ll admit that thought did cross my mind. But when the plane was going down, I was at peace because he was there beside me. I’ve had a horrible few months, and your father has made me smile and laugh, and I…”
“What,” Sabrina gritted.
“I don’t want to let that go. I know I will because the board of directors was against hiring me in the first place, and once they find out that…well, I’ll be fired.”
“How will they find out?”
“Another employee was on the trip to Bendola with us. Marshall thinks the board wanted him to be their spy. Marshall even said he was ordered by the board to fire me if I crossed the line in any way.”
“And let me guess, Marshall isn’t going to fire you.”
“No,” Kori whispered. “And I told him nothing could happen between us. Especially with my lawsuit pending.”
“Well, I already know all of that.”
“What? How?”
“Because I just got off the phone with him. He was at the doctor’s office for his hip. He wanted my permission to pursue you. Said he knew we were best friends and if it was weird, then he would leave you alone.”
That sounded like Marshall. Gallant and considerate.
“Guess that means you love him even more,” Sabrina said dryly.
It was true, but saying so would only add fuel to Sabrina’s fire. Kori still hadn’t heard Sabrina’s response to her father’s plea.
“And that your love life is in my hands,” she added.
“That’s true,” Kori said. “But like Marshall said, if you’re not okay with it…I’d rather keep your friendship.”
Sabrina snorted. “Our friendship isn’t going to be the same, even if I say no. It’ll crash and burn.”
“Not if we don’t let it. I promise to work hard at it.”
“How could you keep me as a friend if I denied you the love of your life?”
“Idon’twant to lose you, Rina.”
Sabrina sighed heavily over the line. “I don’t want to lose you either, Kori. Who will listen to me rant about people being lazy?”
