She threw down her pencil and glared at him. “Why did you give me this office?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Because it’s the best one available.”
“Great. Just great. Would you care to know the first question my coworkers asked me?” She didn’t wait for his response. “Not my name. Not general questions about my background. Not where I attended school or who I studied with or where I last worked. They wanted to know who I’d slept with to get this studio.”
Sev winced. “Hell.”
“Oh, it gets better.”
She swept a hand toward the pretty little sitting area tucked beneath the windows. “Guess what’s now called the ‘casting couch’? Of course, my coworkers treat it like a big joke, but I can see the speculation. They’re wondering who I am and why I rate such consideration. As far asthey’re concerned, I’m brand-new to the industry. An apprentice in their eyes. But somehow, I’ve leapfrogged over them and they don’t like it one little bit. In a single thoughtless move, you’ve made it impossible for me to associate effectively with the other Dante employees.”
Damn. “I didn’t realize.”
“Fine. You didn’t realize. But now that you do, you have to fix it.”
He could guess where this was going. “What do you suggest?”
“Transfer me to one of the other Dante locations. New York. London. Paris. The way things are right now, I’d even take Timbuktu. Just send me someplace else where they don’t know me. Where...” She snatched a shaky breath. “Where I don’t have to anticipate seeing you around every corner.”
Not see her for months on end? He couldn’t do it. The mere suggestion threatened what little sanity he had remaining. “Forget it. Not for at least two years.”
“Two years?” He hated the cynical light that pitched her eyes to a black both deep and diamond-hard. “Unless The Inferno burns down to ashes before then, right?”
Sev ignored the question. It hit uncomfortably close to home and he hated thethought that his actions could have so base a motivation. “Other than transfer you, what else can I do? Name it and if it’s in my power I’ll give it to you.”
She laughed, the sound so filled with sorrow that he flinched. “You can give me my old life back. You can let me work for the Fontaines again. Live my life the way I choose. Iwant to work with—” Her voice broke. “With my father. Even if he didn’t know about our relationship, at least I could see him every day. At least he didn’t hate me.”
Sev froze. “Hate you?”
She stared at him in disbelief. “Are youreallyso blind? Didn’t it occur to you what would happen when I refused to sign with Kurt and Tina? What would happen when I turned my back on them after all they’ve done for me? How they’d react when I jumped to Dantes instead of honoring my promise to sign the contract they were on the verge of offering? Ibetrayed them, Sev. Ibetrayed them in the cruelest manner possible and they despise me for what I’ve done to them.”
Dammit to hell. He should have anticipated this. His distraction had cost them both. “I’ll talk to them.”
“And tell them what?” She thrust back her chair and stood, the movement lacking her usual grace. “Don’t you get it? I’ll be theproximate cause for the Fontaines losing Timeless Heirlooms. I’m the one they’ll blame when you take over. Talking to them isn’t going to do a bit of good.”
He hadn’t considered that aspect of the situation for a very simple, yet vital reason. He’d been so focused on his family’s business and restoring all he’d been forced to dismantle, that he hadn’t fully explored how his decision would impact Francesca. And he could guess why. He didn’t dare look too closely or he’d never be able to make the tough calls. Examining the problem from Francesca’s side of the fence would also force him to take a long, hard look at his past choices, something he refused to contemplate.
He’d ruined so many lives when he’d sold off the bits and pieces of Dantes. Until then they’d been a premier business, marketing the most exclusive and magnificent jewelry, worldwide. When his father died, he’d been forced into the top position fresh out of college, with little preparation. And even though Primo had come out of retirement during those first difficult days, his grandfather’s heart attack, just three short months after the death of his eldest son and daughter-in-law, had put a swift end to his involvement.
From that point on, Sev shouldered the full burden. He, and he alone, had made the tough choices, choices vital to Dantes’ survival. He’d been merciless all those years ago. There’d beenno other option. One by one, he’d shut down Dantes’ subsidiaries, cutting a swath of destruction throughout the company with ruthless disregard for the lives his decisions destroyed. It had been the only way to save the core business. And now here was one more tough choice to add to the lengthy list he’d accepted as part of his “chain of shame.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, knowing the sentiment to be both inadequate and unwanted.
She turned her back on him. “Is there anything else I can do for you? Ineed to return to work.”
An idea came to him, an idea so outrageous it might have been one of Nicolò’s crazier schemes. He didn’t give himself time to consider all the ramifications. To pull this off, he needed to act, and act fast. “Actually, there is something else. It’s the reason I came here, as a matter of fact. There’s a charity auction this Saturday night. Dantes has donated a few wedding rings to help raise money for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation. Ineed an escort.”
Instantly she shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“It isn’t a request.”
She spun to confront him. “You must be joking.” One look at his expression and hermouth tightened. “Dating you is now part of my job description?”
“I don’t recall referring to Saturday night as a date. It’s a business function. And yes, on occasion you’ll be expected to attend them, just as the Fontaines expected you to when you worked for TH.”
He could see the frustration eating at her. “Why is my presence so important?”
“Because it aligns you with your new employer in a public setting.”
