Jackie angles her head, giving me a sideways look.
I chuckle. “Still a skeptic, I see. But trust me, Aaron knows what he’s doing.”
Her lips spread into a genuine smile. “It’s why he put you at the helm of this, too, I bet.”
I dismiss her comment with a shake of my head. “I don’t know about that.”
“It’s true. If Aaron Townsend is only a tenth of the CEO you make him out to be, thenyouhave to be as good for him to have the level of trust in you that he does.”
“Who says he trusts me?”
She opens her arms out wide, glancing around. “The fact that he isn’t here today. Yeah, he called, what, once? But it was you that the Townsend employees mostly deferred to throughout today’s meetings.”
I shrug. “He knows I’ll give him the full rundown when we’re back in the office on Monday.”
“Because he trusts you. You’re going places in this company, Mark.”
Lowering my head, I chuckle heartily.
Jackie suddenly gasps, causing me to look up. Her facial expression tells me she’s caught on. She steps forward and slaps my shoulder.
“You were fishing for compliments.”
I toss my head back, laughing.
“I can’t believe you still do that.”
“I can’t believe you stillfallfor that. Do you think I don’t know Aaron trusts me more than any of those other employees in the room? I’m damn good at my job.” I laugh and pop a wheelie in my chair right in the middle of the lobby.
She shakes her head.
“Wanna grab something to eat? I’m starving.” I place my and on my stomach for emphasis.
“Always hungry.”
“Damn right. We put in almost eight hours today, on a Saturday, and those sandwiches from the bistro weren’t enough to hold me over. There’s another vegan place on the other side of town, or we can go back to the place from last week.”
Her eyebrows narrow as she looks down at me. “I saw you take a turkey and cheese sandwich today.”
“Yeah, and?”
“So, you’re not a vegetarian or vegan. Why’re you always offering to take me to vegan restaurants?”
I jut my head back. “Shit, I thoughtyouwere. That first night you wanted to go to that vegan place, so I just assumed …”
She giggles while shaking her head. “It was the only place I knew of that was open late around here. I’m very much a meat-eater.”
“Thank God. There’s a Mexican place not too far from here. They have thebestguac and carne asada and tacos.”
“Sounds good. Hang on, just let me call and check in on Mama.”
She steps outside, into the lobby, and I watch as she calls from her cell phone. The conversation is brief, but I see Jackie bite her bottom lip as she paces a little. Minutes later, she returns.
“Is it a go?”
Her smile appears genuine, but there’s a concern in her eyes. “Yeah, I’m just going to pick something up for her from the restaurant, too. I don’t think she’s eaten today.”
The fact that it’s approaching five o’clock and Jackie doesn’t think her mother’s eaten, coupled with the concerned look in her eyes, begs me to ask more questions about her mom. Yet, I bite my tongue. Jackie was never open about her family when we were together. Though now and again she would mention her mother or her father, I’ve noticed lately, she only speaks of her mother.
