I jumped up. “No, Zane. The man left me crying and calling his name with no thought at all. Then he went years without contacting me, and when he did show back up, he stole my job and made me call him Mr. Greyson. Does that sound like love to you?”
Both he and my sister each took a hand and gently guided me back to the ottoman. I was on the verge of tears, and I had no idea why, other than I was frustrated with their insinuations and the way my life had been ever since Mr. Greyson showed up.
Zane kept my hand. “Can I tell you a little something about Bryant women?”
Both Amanda and I gave him the look.
He laughed, but braved speaking. “You are the most terrifying creatures on this planet,” quickly adding before we really did terrorize him, “but there’s nothing greater than being loved by one.”
I still wasn’t buying it, though Amanda lapped it up. “Aww,” she said before she kissed him a little more sloppily than necessary in my presence.
“Ahem,” I interrupted. “Okay genius, if that’s the case, then why did Mr. Greyson leave me?”
“Kelli, did you ever stop to think that maybe he did what he did because he loved you?”
YOU DON’T LEAVE THE PEOPLE you love, and that’s exactly what I told Zane, and that’s the thought I held on to as I drove home. I tossed and turned in bed that night thinking about Zane’s conjecturing and how irked I was at all of them. I had begged Zane to tell me what Mr. Greyson said, but he said, “What happens on the golf course between men, stays on the golf course.” He added in, “You’re a smart girl, Kelli. You’ll figure it out.”
I woke up tired, and my brain felt muddled. Calling in sick crossed my mind more than once. If only we didn’t have that meeting with Premier late that morning. What would’ve been my excuse anyway? Sick of my boss, perhaps? Or maybe I could blame it on the weird sensation that kept coming over me whenever I thought about Mr. Greyson. In the end, I threw off my covers and started my day by showering and sighing more than was necessary.
I wore my best bone-colored suit that fit me like a glove, and I curled and styled my hair beauty-queen style. I looked in my floor length mirror when I was done and sighed some more. I looked okay, but there was still something different about me. I really didn’t feel like myself. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed again. I threw my hands up in the air. I knew what my problem was—it was that man.
He continued to consume my thoughts as I drove to work. I became increasingly more upset and confused by the mile. I was angry that he would talk to my brother-in-law about me in the first place, andthat my brother-in-law, whom I trusted, and whose children I took care of on a regular basis so he and my sister could still pretend to be newlyweds, wouldn’t even tell me what he said. If Zane would only tell me, I could clarify for him what Mr. Greyson really meant, because surely he didn’t love me. But what upset me more was the thought,what if he did love me?I tried so hard not to entertain that thought, because it was completely ludicrous.
I mean really, the man had been married, and let’s not forget that he left me and took my job. And let’s certainly not forget all of his professional boundaries’ mumbo jumbo. And then there was Alexa. However, I also couldn’t forget that he came to my rescue and brought me a tissue, and he saved me from an awful date. He also remembered my birthday and bought me the most beautiful flower arrangement. Not only that, he was giving me opportunities at work I had never had before.
“AHHHH!” I screamed out in my car on the highway. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let him back into my head, or worse, my heart, the heart he ripped out and casually tossed away like day-old take-out cartons.
By the time I arrived at work, I was frazzled to say the least. I wasn’t in a mood to deal with what I had waiting for me when I made it upstairs. I knew immediately something was up by the way Delfia’s eyes were bulging out. She didn’t even say good morning. All she did was rush me into my office and shut the door. From there she hauled me into my bathroom and shut that door.
I was so stunned I didn’t object. “Delfia?”
“Shh,” she whispered.
“What’s going on?” I whispered back.
“This morning I came in earlier than normal, and little miss thing was here. I was surprised because Mr. Greyson wasn’t here yet, and I wasn’t even sure she worked.”
I nodded my head in agreement with her assessment.
“She was in the conference room talking to someone on the phone, and she obviously didn’t know I was here; either that or she’s as dumb as we first suspected.”
Delfia and I had discussed her at length. We decided she was either really dumb or very smart.
“So, what did she say?”
“She said, ‘I may need a little more time, but I’m not sure how much longer I can play the incompetent angle. Also, there’s a snag in our plan. Ian appears to have feelings for the regional manager.’ Then she went on to belittle you, the little wench.”
I rested my hand on Delfia’s arm. “Thank you, friend, for being miffed on my behalf, but I don’t need or want her good opinion. Plus, I could think of some choice words to describe her.”
“If you weren’t such a fine lady, I’d ask you to tell me some.”
I considered it and then thought better of it. No sense in going down that road.
“Kelli, you need to tell Mr. Greyson,” she added to my surprise.
My eyes popped out. “Tell him what?”
“Tell him he needs to fire Alexa.”
