Page 85 of Greed

“If you want to give her my phone number, I have a card.” He opens a desk drawer to reveal a multitude of crumpled candy bar wrappers and a stack of elastic bands. “Kalina got me a bunch. They must be in here somewhere.”

“That’s fine.” I stop his quest to find a business card when I tap the top of his desk with my hand. “I’m actually hoping to talk to her today.”

His head pops up, sending a few strands of hair onto his forehead. “You know Kalina?”

I nod. “I sure do.”

He picks up a pencil to press the lead against his tongue. “Name, please. “

Struggling to keep a straight face, I sigh. “Abby Duvall. I’m the lawyer representing Declan Wells in the buyout of the condom division.”

Zayden’s eyes widen. “You’re a lawyer?”

“I am,” I say with pride. “I need to touch base with Kalina to find out who is representing her now that her counsel has retired.”

He jots my name down on a pad of paper. “She’s at home. Kalina is sick.”

Concern knits my brow. “Oh no. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “All I know is that she’s been a no-show here in the office since last Thursday.”

Frustrated that I won’t get a face-to-face meeting with her, I glance at the bouquet in my hands. “Would you be able to get these to her?”

His hand jumps up to point toward the elevator. “You can hand deliver them. She lives on the top floor. Apartment 16D.”

I glance at the phone on the desk in front of him. “Can you call her and see if it’s okay if I run the flowers up to her?”

“She won’t mind.” He smiles. “I happen to know she loves it whenever someone stops in to see her.”

I want to argue that she may not mind it when that someone is one of her employees or a personal friend, but I don’t fall into either category.

The ding of the elevator behind us lures Zayden’s gaze over my shoulder. “Look! Kalina ordered soup again from the deli down the block. Why don’t you ride up with the delivery guy?”

All of this screams unprofessional, but I need to get the Llura deal wrapped up, so I turn around. I’m greeted with the sight of a woman dressed in a cute pink dress exiting the elevator and a man holding a brown paper bag standing in the car.

“All aboard!” he calls out to me with a smile. “I’m heading up. Are you?”

“Go,” Zayden says from behind me before I hear him greet the woman in the pink dress. “You look like cotton candy today, Eira.”

The woman giggles as I step into the elevator and turn to see Zayden following her down a corridor as the doors glide shut, and we start our journey toward Kalina’s home.

CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE

Abby

Shiftingfrom one foot to another, I wait impatiently for Kalina to open her apartment door. I’m standing nearly a foot behind the delivery guy. The large bouquet in my arms is partially blocking my face. I know she’ll recognize me immediately, but I still find solace in the fact that the flowers act as a partial shield.

Being this close to her apartment feels intrusive, but I have a plan. I’ll wait for the delivery guy to do his business, and then I’ll present the flowers to Kalina and ask about her new lawyer. That’s it. I can handle all of that without needing to step foot into her personal space.

The door swings open just a few moments after the deliveryman knocks for a second time.

Kalina’s tear-stained face greets us both.

My heart sinks immediately because I can tell the difference between being sick from a bad cold or the flu and the look of someone with a broken heart.

The man holding the brown paper bag shoves it at Kalina. “Here you go, Kalina. We added extra crackers to your order, as requested, and a can of ginger ale. That’s on the house. My wife said it would cure whatever ails you.”

Kalina offers him a weak smile along with a few dollar bills. “Thanks, Alan. Tell her I appreciate it. I appreciate both of you.”

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