Page 79 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

ChapterTwenty-Six

Monday– 24th October

George was sitting at his desk, with the blind on the glass wall open so he could see the general office. No sign of Kate yet. Unusual for her. She was usually so punctual, and now she had been late twice in the same month. Something was going on.

His computer alerted new emails arriving. The first one of interest was from Owen.

‘Ah! What news from Paradise?’ George chuntered to himself and opened Owen’s email.

Title: We’re in Thailand

Hi, we’ve arrived safely. We’ll be boarding the helicopter to go out to the island in a minute and may be out of touch for the next week if all the modern tech you’ve arranged doesn’t work. Think you should know it wasn’t Xander, but that’s not a problem.

George frowned at the message. What did Owen mean by it wasn’t Xander? Wasn’t Xander what?

‘Morning. I thought you’d want some coffee.’

He looked up, puzzling messages from his star writer forgotten because there was his lovely, efficient and beautiful personal assistant, Kate Fitzgerald. She looked good. In fact, she was glowing. She put his coffee in front of him.

‘I thought you weren’t in yet.’

‘I was in the kitchen. Can I have a word?’

‘Something wrong?’ Peace of mind shattered again. George knew well enough that “Can I have a word?” was office-code for I have some bad news to give you. Please don’t tell me you’ve found another job.

‘There could be,’ she said, twisting her hands together. George frowned. His suspected ulcer was telling him this was a critical situation.

‘Sit.’ He pointed at the chair opposite his desk. ‘Now, tell me what’s the matter. Only I must warn you if you’re going to say you’ve found another job, I’ll have no choice but to give you a dreadful reference.’

‘Why?’

‘To stop you from going, of course. All’s fair in love, war and employment, my lovely.’

‘Oh, I see.’ She smiled nervously. ‘You might want me to resign after I tell you what I’ve done.’

‘I’ll be the judge of that.’ He leaned back in his chair, sure that there could be no reason on this earth why he would want to get rid of the best personal assistant a man could have. If he wasn’t already happily married, he might have thought of making her Mrs Halcyon if she’d have him. He didn’t mind secretly admitting he was a little in love with Kate Fitzgerald.

Kate took a deep breath. ‘Right then, here goes. I have to tell you I didn’t send Xander on the assignment with Owen Kingsley.’

George’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Ah-ha, that’s one puzzle solved.’ Owen’s cryptic message: it wasn’t Xander. He chuckled. ‘Who did you send?’

‘Lexie.’

‘Really!’ No wonder Owen didn’t think it was a problem. ‘I already knew there was something up.’ George hovered on the brink of putting Kate out of her misery. ‘Owen emailed saying it wasn’t Xander. He just didn’t say who it was.’ Kate’s expression changed to alarm. George smiled. ‘Don’t worry. Owen says it’s okay.’

Kate crumpled in front of him. Her relief so overwhelming he feared she might even faint.

‘Oh, thank goodness,’ she said, leaning forward and clutching the edge of his desk. ‘That’s wonderful. Did Owen say anything else?’

George shook his head.

‘I’m sure he’ll be pleased. He and Lexie are dating now. Did you know?’

‘Sort of.’

‘And Lexie’s a talented photographer, you know that. She’ll do a brilliant job, I’m sure.’ Kate stopped as George lifted his hand to calm her.

‘No need to sell her to me. I’ve been very impressed with Lexie’s work, and if Owen says it’s all right with him, then it’s all right with me.’ George took a slug of morning coffee, feeling as if all might be well in the world after all. ‘So, what have you done with the real Xander Scott? Chopped him up into little bits and flushed him down the bog?’

‘Ah, well, that’s the other thing I have to tell you.’ Kate looked worried again.

* * *

Ten minutes later,George sat stunned at his desk, watching his lovely Kate leave the office. Shocked, that’s what he was. Pole-axed! Not only had Kate told him she had proposed to Xander Scott, and amazingly he’d accepted, but she wanted him, George Halcyon, to give her away at the wedding.

Of all the men in the world, Xander Scott was the last … he would have to have a serious talk with Xander Scott. If he couldn’t stop Kate from marrying the bugger, he could at least make it crystal clear to Xander that he must never mess her around again. He would be watched. One step – just one step out of line, and he, George Halcyon, son of a notorious villain, would see that Xander never worked and possibly never walked again. He still knew how to get in touch with some of his dad’s old criminal connections, and, given sufficient provocation, he would use those contacts. That was a promise.

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