Page 25 of Beauty and her Billionaire Beast
Mom gives me a concerned look. “Is everythingokay?”
“Of course. I’m great. Can I help you withsomething?”
She glances at the computer monitor on her desk, then returns her gaze to me. “Well, aside from the reports I thought I’d have by now, no. It’s not work-related.”
I’m not in the state of mind to listen to what’s on her mind, so I focus on the job. “Oh those. I’m working on the analysis reports now. I’ll have them in your inbox by tomorrowmorning.”
“All right. So… about thisweekend…”
And there it is. I start to feel a little sick as I stand there. I’m not prepared for a lecture or personal discussion. My brain and stomachcan’t handleit.
“You don’t have to go over that, Mom. If you’re talking about the Hamptons, don’t worry at all. I already told Knox that I’ll bethere.”
“It’s not about that. Well it is, but there’smore.”
“What are you talkingabout?”
“Look, we don’t have all the details, but Morris may be ill. I think he plans to talk to us about it on theweekend.”
“Ill?How do youmean?”
“I don’t know. But you know how small this town can be. Louise Denali swears that she saw him leaving the oncology unit at MountSinai.”
I brace my hand against the doorway. Rumor mill in their circle can turn out to be nothing, but my belly does a flip. Maybe this is what Knox was trying to tell me about that night in thelimo.
“I think we need to hold offon diagnosing Mr. Steele until he says something,” I tell her, even though deep down, I believe the rumor might be true. “Anyway, duty calls, Mom.” I push off the doorway and begin to turn. “We’ll have all weekend tospeculate.”
It takes all my energy to get back to my desk without looking like my knees are about to buckle. As I take a seat, my cellphone lights up on my desk with a textfromKnox.
Knox: How’s your daygoing?
My heart tightens in my chest as I unlock the screen toreply.
Me: Hi. Good!You?
Knox: Busylately.
Me: Can’t wait for the longweekend.
Knox: So, you’recoming?
Me: To the Hamptons? Wouldn’t miss itfor theworld.
Knox: Great. That’ll give us time totalk.
Me: Awesome. Gotta get back to work.Ttyl.
I drop the phone on the desk and take the entire box of tissues with me as I leave for the restroom again. Dread overcomes me. It’s going to be a long longweekend.
