“Me too.” He leaned over and kissed me.
I hummed at the soft press of his lips and his fresh, herbal scent. But a sense of doom pressed on me. “What if people at work find out?”
“They won’t.” He brushed my hair from my cheek behind my ear, his fingers lingering at my jaw. “Not until we’re ready.”
“What if I’m never ready?” I scanned his expression for the reassurance I craved. “Being public at work sounds terrifying. My friend Tessa had things go to shit—twice—when she dated a colleague. Though she worked things out with the second guy. Still, I don’t think our board would be as understanding.Especially not for me. Did you know John had an affair with his administrative assistant? She was fired, and absolutely nothing happened to him.”
“You’re no secretary. They wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Wouldn’t they?” I poked a slivered almond.
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” he growled.
“What do you think is going to happen with the board at the review next month?” I pushed the almond between two dried cherries like the mature person I was.
“Depends on what you want.”
That made me look up. “What do you mean? It’s their decision, not mine or yours.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He took my left hand and brought my knuckles to his lips. “You control the outcome.”
“How?”
“Instead of asking what they’ve decided, tell them what’s best for the company. When we show them our results from the trial period, we’ll present our arguments about the benefits of sharing the CEO position. Together.”
“Are you sure you’re on board with that?” It wouldn’t be the first time someone at work had agreed to something in private and then reversed course.
“Of course I am. Not only do we each bring our unique strengths to the role, but sharing it would bring both of us better work-life balance. We could spend time together. And with Caitlyn, if you’re open to that. I promise, she’s a funny, active little girl when she’s not sick.”
“She’s a sweet kid. And I’d love to spend time with you both. She and my niece, Ashlyn, will get along great together.”
“I love it. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we can start working on the presentation.”
“After we do that thing we did in Costa Rica.” I lifted my chin.
“Which thing?” A smile curled his lips. “The mirror thing, or the outside thing?”
I shivered. “It’s not warm enough for outside.”
“I’ve got a rooftop deck with a fireplace. It’s private. Though”—he smirked—“if I make you scream loud enough, the neighbors might hear.”
I picked up my plate. “Show me tonight? We can do the mirror thing tomorrow.”
I could have both. And if we played it right, we could have it all.
35
A COUP FOR COLE
Something you’re grateful for?
Bridget:My job.
Cole:Bridget.
BRIDGET
Although it was the week of Christmas, most of the executive staff were still working, and it seemed like a normal Tuesday through lunch. I facilitated the staff meeting. Cole gave feedback on the culture committee’s proposal, by which I mean he grilled them, but that was normal too. I reviewed the operations report and signed off on a few capital expenditures for next year.
