He was interested in Paige since before I came on the scene but never did anything about it.His interest in her now is only so he can get to me.It isn’t my conceit driving this conclusion but my history with Donovan.And the other night, when he had Paige in his arms, I wanted to rip his hands off her and demand he leave.
I didn’t.Knowing him, he’d have relished my inability to do a damn thing given I was a world away.He would have stayed to spite me.
My conversation with Paige was brief and awkward as fuck.She hardly looked at me or spoke and she ended the call without reason.But she made Donovan leave while I waited on the phone and she wasn’t pleased with him either.She even went so far as to get in her car before ending our call.
Grabbing my phone, I press a number and on the first ring, her voice comes through the line.
“Hello.”The flat tone of her voice is like a cold draft to my burning thoughts.
“Paige?Is something wrong?”
There’s a beat or two of silence.“Nothing you can fix.”
“Try me.”
“What time is your flight?Are you still coming home...er, I mean, back today?”
She’s flustered and I tighten my grip on the phone, wishing we were face to face.“I’m already here.”
“What?You’re in Toronto right now?I thought you wouldn’t be home until later tonight at the earliest.”
“My last meeting was cancelled so I got the jet ready earlier.Where are you?”
“In my car in the parking garage of your building.I’m leaving for work.”
“Wait for me.I’m thirty minutes away at the most.”
“I’m drowning in work.My day job is suffering with all the problems with the gala.I can’t.”Excuses, even though there is truth to how much the benefit has eaten up her time.
“Problems with the gala?”
“A lot has happened since we last talked.”She’s not her usual self, open and honest.
“Paige, tell me.”My tone has more growl than I intend, and she counters with an almost bored tone of her own.
“Later.”
“Wait,” I’m quick to say.Too quick.“Meet me for lunch at the office.”
My invitation isn’t meant to be inconsiderate.She is swamped, juggling her job and the gala, and here I am taking more of the very little time that she has.I want to see her.
“I’ve got to swing by one of the sites during lunch.”
“You said your work is flexible.Can’t you do it another time?”
“Of course you’d think I can just blow off work because you’re back.”Her tone is anything but light and teasing.“I’ve got plans over lunch.”
“What?”
She lets out an aggravated sigh.“I have to get some specs to the contractor, among other things.”
“Okay.And then what?”
“I’ve got something else to do and if I meet you, I’ll have to do it tonight.”
“So you did have lunch plans.”Tom comes to mind.”A date?”
“A thing.”
