My first instinct was to say no—but then I remembered that everyone goes to lunch with their mentees their first day. I nodded. “We had lunch and talked for a bit, but he got a call and had to cut our conversation short.”
Edmund nodded. “You should probably get used to that. That man is pulled in twelve different directions at any time. I was actually surprised that he called Ellie and volunteered to be part of the mentorship program this year. He works fourteen hours a day, and it’s not nearly enough to manage everything he’s got on his plate.”
“He…volunteered? Ellie didn’t draft him?”
My stepfather nodded again. “I think when he found out it was you who was out of a mentor, he stepped in out of respect for me. I appreciate it. You could learn a lot from that man. His brain works a lot like yours—takes in massive amounts of data and spits it out completely processed in the time it takes most people to look at the numbers on the page. But he also has the patience of a boiling kettle’s whistle.” He waved me closer to his desk. “Anyway, let me know if he doesn’t make time for you, and I’ll see what I can do about getting you reassigned to another exec.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
Edmund held his hand out for me to sit, then took the seat behind his desk again.
“I wanted to talk to you about your mom’s fiftieth birthday coming up.”
My shoulders relaxed at the change of subject. I sat. “You mean thirty-ninth.”
His brows drew together. “She’s fifteen-and-a-half years younger than me, to the day. She’ll be fifty.”
“And you won’t make sixty-six if Mia Newport hears you saying she’s going to be fifty out loud. My mother is perpetually thirty-nine. Didn’t you know that?”
He chuckled. “Good point. And that’s part of the reason I thought I should talk to you about how we should celebrate. I was thinking about a surprise party, but Iwasn’t sure how she would feel about that. Unless, of course, I called it her fortieth, perhaps?”
“I’m not sure she would be thrilled with a big party. I don’t think she’s taking this birthday lightly.”
He sighed. “That’s why I wanted to run things by you before setting anything in motion. What about a small group at my house in Montauk for the weekend? We could go over to Block Island or even Nantucket for the day? I know where I might be able to borrow a beautiful boat, rather than taking the ferry. Maybe I could surprise her and have her best friend, Patrice, and her husband come, and of course all you kids?”
The thought of being cooped up all weekend with Colette and her new husband made me feel seasick without having stepped foot off land, but it did sound like something my mom would love. “That sounds really nice. I think she would enjoy that.”
“Wonderful.” He smiled. “I think I’ll leave my cell phone in the City for that weekend, so I can be present for a change. I’ve had a busy year so far, and even when I’m home, my head doesn’t always get the message it’s supposed to relax. I owe your mom more than a weekend.”
I smiled at how thoughtful he was. “That sounds amazing.”
He nodded and rose to his feet. “Consider it done then. I’ll let you know about the boat, but bring your swimsuit either way. Now why don’t you get out of here and go enjoy your Friday night in the City? Last time you lived here you weren’t old enough to take advantage of the nightlife.”
Out in the hall, I managed to turn right and head straight for the elevator. But as I waited for the car, footsteps approached and Iknew. Without needing to turn around, I had no doubt who it was.
Jagger came to stand next to me. Up close, I could see how tired he looked. His normally bright blue eyes were dimmer and reddened. Stubble peppered his angular jaw, and a piece of wayward hair fell over his eyes. None of it took away from his undeniable attractiveness, though. If anything, it gave him a more genuine and approachable look.
“You look younger when you’re tired,” I said.
“That’s funny because I feel much older, about eighty at the moment.” He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched it right, then left. “I’ve never grown proficient at sleeping on planes.”
The elevator doors in front of us slid open, and Jagger put a hand on the small of my back, steering me inside. I’d observed him with other women in the office. He had impeccable manners, always opened doors and gestured for them to go first, but he didn’t touch them the way he did me. Like always, the contact caused a zap, an electric current that jolted my tired body to life.
He positioned himself behind me in the elevator, close enough that I got a whiff of his sinfully delicious scent, yet shy of actual touching.
“Plans tonight?” he asked.
Remembering what Jack said about him living in the building, I decided to dangle a carrot and see if he’d bite.
“I was thinking about going to the office happy hour—the one at the Copa bar.” I was glad I was facing straight ahead and he couldn’t see my face because my smirk was impossible to contain.
He was quiet for a beat. “I see.”
The doors slid open at my floor. I still had to shut down for the day and grab my purse, so I stepped off. Jagger stayed firmly inside, unmoving. I had no ideawhat the hell possessed me, but I suddenly got a wild hair and met his eyes. “Maybe I’ll get lucky this time and find someone willing to take care of my little problem.”
Jagger stared at me with an unreadable expression, though the muscle ticcing in his cheek gave me a good idea that he was less than thrilled. I held my breath as the doors slid closed, half expecting him to stop them. When he didn’t, a strange mix of relief and disappointment hit me. I really must be tired because clearly I’d lost my mind, saying what I’d just said to the CEO. Thinking about it, I started to laugh.
At first it was just small chuckles, but eventually it turned into a full-belly cackle that probably made me sound like I’d lost my mind. I kept laughing all the way to my desk and through locking my laptop away and taking out my purse. It was strangely freeing, and I felt a lot better after I’d gotten it out.
