Chapter Nine
“You’ve gotlunch with Trillian in R&D, followed by a two-thirty call with Devon Marks from Philadelphia about the issues with the Genysys launch – I’ve set up a highlights file on the server, but just so you’re aware, Devon assumes you’ve spoken with Sebastian at length on this issue and are speaking on his behalf.” Cam’s administrative assistant, Margaret, glanced up from her tablet and appraised him over the top of her readingglasses.
“And then at four-thirty you’re meeting with Colleen from Finance. Shouldn’t take more than half anhour.”
Cam nodded robotically, tidying up hisdesk
“Then tonight, the aliens are coming. I’m unclear about whether it’s a full-scale invasion, or they just want to take you back to their pod for further study. Shall I putthaton yourcalendar?”
“Of course,” Cam replied automatically, barely hearing her. “Soundsgreat.”
Margaret set her tablet down on the desk, knocking his stapler askew, and Cam glanced up to find her sitting back in her chair opposite him, staring athim.
“Is there a problem?” heasked.
Margaret pushed her glasses to the top of her head, mussing her gray hair. “I think that’s my line, Mr.Seaver.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “Cam, Margaret.Camden.Mr. Seaverwas—”
“Your dad,” she finished impatiently. “Yes, I know. I worked for the man for twenty-seven years, Cam. It’s alsoyou.”
Right. Yes. In the most technical sense. But in his father’s old office, it didn’t feelright.
He cleared his throat and waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Everything’s fine. I’ve already started going through the designs Pam sent over, and should have them all approved bylunchtime.”
Margaret nodded. “Of course you will. You always get thingsdone.”
It was a simple statement, but the way she studied him after she had spoken suggested she knew how much he needed to hearit.
“Have youslept?”
He forced himself not to roll his eyesagain.
“Of course.”A few hours Saturday night, a couple last night.“And I ate all my vegetables and brushed my teeth, too.”And drank my weight in alcohol, had sex with a total stranger in a stairwell, and went back to his hotel room and slept better than I have in ayear.
Margaret was completely unperturbed by his snark. “I ask because you look like you were ridden hard and put away wet, as my granny used tosay.”
“No. I’m fine.” He moved Margaret’s tablet forward an inch and put his stapler back intoposition.
“You could call Doctor Meredith,” she reminded him, and Camsighed.
“Margaret, I promise I don’t need an emergency session with my therapist. I had way too good a time at the gala Friday, drank a little too much, stayed up too late, and it’s taking me a while to recover. Otherwise, I’mfine.”
“You’resure?”
“Positive.” Cam liedemphatically.
Margaret’s glasses slid down an inch as she nodded, and she grabbed her tablet from the desktop, tapping a few boxes. “Alright, then. Drew called and asked if you were free for coffee around tentoday.”
Cam looked up sharply. “And what did you tellhim?”
“Isaid that I wasn’t sure of your schedule, though he was veryinsistent.”
Shocker. Cam had ignored seven calls and three dozen texts from an increasingly-irate Drew over the weekend, but of course the man knew exactly how to find him atwork.
He didn’t have the focus to deal with Drew this morning, not after the long and sleepless weekend he’d had. And though he had a millionrealthings to worry about, he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t memories of Friday night that had kept him awake. His instincts had told him Cort was with him every step of the way, his green eyes locked on Cam, glowing with arousal, but the way Cort had walked away called those instincts into question. Had Cam talked too much? Were his abs not toned enough? Should he have volunteered a little less about what a total nerd he was? Was it weird and disgusting how much he liked itrough, and wanted to bedominated?
Hehatedquestioning himself thisway.
