Page 25 of Nigel

“I have notsaid yes.”

“And you havenot said no.”

“Okay fine.Just to talk.”

“Thank you. Iwill let you get back to work.”

He hung up and shesat there wondering what on earth she had just done. He had promisedthat it would just be a conversation, but she doubted it very much.

*****

He sat there staringat the phone for a few seconds after he had finished talking to her.He had spent the last day and a half dragged down in memories fromthe past and the afternoon he had spent with her. And had been unableto sleep.

So he had decided tofind her and get it over and done with. He had to see her. He wassmart enough to realize that this was not some flash in the pan. Hehad experienced it before and also realized that he was the type tofall swift and hard.

It had happened withSara and for the first time in twenty-five years, it was happeningagain, but this time even stronger. He passed a shaky hand over hisface and managed to compose himself by the time his assistant came inafter a brief knock.

“You lookbetter today,” she commented. Moving forward, she placed thefiles she had prepared in front of him. “You have ateleconference in ten minutes. I requested a bowl of soup from thekitchen.”

“What did Itell you about mothering me?” He scowled at her.

“Enough for meto know not to pay it any attention.” She smiled at him, beforeturning away to get him a glass of OJ.

“The meetingswe had to reschedule due to your illness are packed in with the onesfor today. And you wanted to go and take a look at the job site.”

“I might haveto put that off for another day.”

“Anything Ishould know about?”

“No.” Heshook his head and took the glass from her. “Let me familiarizemyself with this before I take the call.”

*****

She was jumpy andirritable for the remainder of the day and almost called him back totell him that she would not make it. Several of her ladies were stillout and it meant juggling the ones available. The day she had filledin for Jane had pushed back some of the pressing things she had todo.

She was interviewingtwo new people and one of them was a male. She had never gone therebefore, but he had come highly recommended and needed the jobdesperately.

“I was a Mannybefore and had been with the family for five years. I got sick a yearago and it was a slow recovery. Now I am ready to get back out there.I have bills to pay and the medical expenses just keep coming in. Ijust need a chance and your agency is one of the best. I am hoping toprove myself.”

She had told himabout the standard background check and the NDA that needed to besigned.

On top of all that,she had a meeting with the accountant as well as contemplating takingon an investor.

She had called Lionelto request a meeting and he had suggested lunch.

“We are havinga proper sit-down lunch. I did not have time for breakfast.” Hehad taken charge as usual by ordering for both of them. “Theyserve the best butternut squash ravioli.” He glanced at her ashe perused the wine list. “A sweet white wine will do.”He handed the embossed menu to the hovering server before turning tolook at her.

“You did notask me what I wanted.”

“I know whatyou want.” He shot her a smile, dark brown eyes wandering overher face. A frown touched his forehead. “You are not sleepingwell? Is it the memories in the house?”

“You are hellon a woman’s self-esteem.”

“You are not awoman; you are my sister and you look like you had a total of fivehours sleep in the last two days.”

“I have beenbusy. Half of my staff were out with the virus and I had to fill infor one of them.”

“You are theboss, which means you get to take a day to recover.” He sippedhis sparkling water and eyed her over the glass. “You playedmaid?”

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