He exited her office, leaving Portia staring down at the city, considering his words.
Chapter24
“Good morning, Portia,”Dizzie said when she met Portia at her office Monday morning for the meeting with her grandparents.
Portia waited until her assistant had closed the door before greeting Dizzie. “Good morning. Coffee?” She gestured toward the small seating area where they had met before.
“Yes, thank you.”
Tension filled the air as they crossed to that side of the office, both of them on their best behavior. Dizzie took the same seat she had before, smoothing her pants over her thighs.
Portia studied her sis— No, that still didn’t feel right. She studied the other woman, taking in the tailored black pants, blue silk shirt, and heeled boots. With her hair in a sleek twist and the discreet sparkle of diamonds in her ears, Dizzie could be any wealthy woman of the investor class. The only anomaly in her outfit was her nail polish. It was a glittery blue that shimmered in the light.
Taking her seat, Portia straightened the edges of her dress. She’d chosen blue today as well, but a different shade. It coordinated, rather than clashed, with Dizzie’s shirt, almost as if they’d planned it. Portia had completed her outfit with nude heels and a more subdued pale pink polish.
Facing down the Solveigs would never happen if they didn’t work together. This tension was going to ruin everything. “I like your nails,” Portia said. It was true, even if she’d never wear such a vibrant color.
Dizzie grinned and held up her nails to study them. “I love this color,” she said. “Something about it makes me happy.”
“I can see why.” The exchange didn’t fully break the tension, but eased it enough that Portia could take a deep breath. “Help yourself.” She gestured to the coffee service.
After Dizzie had fixed her cup, Portia poured her own.
“You have the best coffee,” Dizzie said after her first sip.
“Thank you. It’s blended especially for me.”
“Of course it is,” Dizzie muttered into her glass.
Portia clenched her hand around her own cup. “Tommy had the blend created for me one year for my birthday.”
Dizzie’s eyes widened and coffee sloshed in her cup as her hand shook. “Shit, Portia. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. Drinking it reminds me of him. They’re good memories.” To Portia’s surprise, Dizzie’s comments actually broke the tension.
“Are you ready for this?” Portia asked abruptly.
Dizzie set her cup down on the table with a small clatter. Clearly, she wasn’t as calm as she tried to project. She huffed out a breath. “I don’t know. How are you supposed to prepare for something like this?”
“No idea.” Portia shook her head. “I think this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that no one can prepare you for. Like finding out you have a half-sister.”
Dizzie laughed as Portia intended. “Right. There’s no manual.”
“Do you want me to take the lead with this meeting, or am I just here for moral support?” Portia asked.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Dizzie said. “Let’s start with moral support. But please, intervene if things start going seriously off the rails.” She picked her coffee up again, her hands steadier this time.
“That’s probably a good plan. The Solveigs don’t even want me at the meeting.”
“What do you mean?”
“They werenotpleased that I set up this meeting for you and made their feelings quite clear on a call with them.” Portia’s lips curled into a half-smile, as she remembered the call with Aleks and his employers. She’d enjoyed tweaking the older woman’s nose about her lack of access to Dizzie.
“You’ve spoken to them?” Was that hope or dread in Dizzie’s voice?
“For less than a minute. They didn’t believe Aleks when he told them about the meeting.”
She watched Dizzie take in the new information. When she spoke, it was not the topic that Portia expected. “Aleks is... ?” Dizzie’s words trailed off and she watched Portia with curiosity.
