I want to tell him so much about my life with Kurt, but it’s embarrassing, especially as his employer. I’ve worked so hard to portray myself as a confident businesswoman. Although we’ve crossed the line into genuine friendship, it still feels like a weakness to admit personal mistakes. What if he loses respect for me? It seems like too large a risk to take.
As he discusses all of his fears and reactions to the boyfriend, I hear the catharsis in his voice as if the act of speaking his fears out loud makes him less anxious. I love how he’s got her back regardless of how badly that asshat behaves. My unease is still in full swing, but I feel better about how this may potentially turn out, especially knowing Lexi’s already a step ahead if Damon is looking out for her. There’s so much to admire about this man.
Chapter Fourteen
Joslyn
It’s late afternoon when the audit meeting finally begins. I can’t help but smile when Damon walks into the conference room. I’m glad he agreed to be here. Knowing more about the audit details will help when I ask him to attend the meeting with Bill next Monday.
It appears I’ll be the one handling Bill next week. Jacob called to inform me he’s taking some personal time. I’m frustrated, but I know he rarely takes time off, so I want to support him when he does. I’m really just nervous about handling this situation alone, so if Damon can attend, it would be a relief. While I’m getting better at confrontation, it’s still not my strong suit, but I do want Jacob to feel confident in my ability to handle issues like this in the future. He deserves to have a personal life, especially since his dad was a workaholic. I’m working hard to make things different for him because he’s a man who desperately needs some work-life balance.
One of the partners from the audit firm, Jason River, comes over to introduce himself to Damon. Damon approaches work situations with an easy confidence that I deeply admire. He’s not arrogant or rude; he’s just quietly capable. He’s a man comfortable in his own skin, and it’s incredibly attractive, and not just in a sexual way. He’s the complete opposite of anyother man I’ve worked with or dated. I find myself liking him more and more.
His confident stance as he makes small talk with Jason draws my eye. Like usual, I’m ogling his hot hockey butt. He shoots a quick glance my way, his eyes widening slightly as I move my gaze up to his face. The satisfied smirk on his face is more than enough to have my face flaming.
Yup, my employee just caught me checking out his ass. Way to be professional.
They step away from each other as Jason indicates he’s ready to proceed. I’m still dying of embarrassment, face hot and tight. Being a redhead is the bane of my existence at times. It’s impossible to hide your chagrin. I do my best to ignore it and focus on the meeting. I’m anxious to hear what they’ve discovered, so I quickly flip through the presentation he’s handed out as he begins.
I’ve known Jason for a few years through various charities we’ve both attended. I’ve always been impressed by his easygoing manner and attention to detail, so when I needed an independent firm, he was my first choice. Their firm may be small, but it has an impeccable reputation for excellent work done with integrity and discretion, a high priority for me. It made them the obvious choice. Plus, I love helping out a friend.
Pulling up the presentation on his laptop, Jason smiles at me with pride. I notice Damon glance between the two of us before averting his eyes and frowning. What is that about?
“Well, you were right, Joslyn, so you should feel confident about your instincts.” Jason loves a big reveal. I shake my head at his dramatics, but my smile is just as wide.
Jason’s a handsome guy. He’s tall and well built with a nice sprinkling of gray through his brown hair. His smiling sapphire eyes convey his great sense of humor, one of the things that makes him so approachable. At one point, we tried to steer our friendship in a more romantic direction, butit didn’t take long for us to realize we were much better off as friends. We just didn’t have that spark. I hope he finds someone who can give him that someday. I know he’s been lonely for a while, and he’s a good guy. I’m sure that’s why he works so much. It’s excellent for his firm’s success, but not so great for him personally.
“So, it’s in the consulting expenses, then? And was it only Bill?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, to the consulting expense question. And no, to the other. Tad was the one signing off on the check requests, so I am sure he was involved. Different accountants prepared the payment requests, so we’ll do a deeper dive after this is dealt with.” I nod my agreement.
Jason’s business voice is calm and unemotional. Just the facts, ma’am. I appreciate that, and also that Jacob isn’t here to hear this part. It would be just one more betrayal by his father, and I’m not sure how he’d take it. I feel like he sometimes takes his father’s actions personally, as if they reflect on him in some way. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The only one responsible for Tad’s actions was Tad. I’ll break the news to him later in private. I hope it doesn’t upset him.
“So, I’m assuming they were paying out a consulting expense to a shell corporation.” Damon’s deep voice breaks in, and he gets a respectful look from Jason. He’s quick to pick up the nuances. I get a quick swell of pride.
“Exactly. We traced it back to a couple of offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. Once we get that information, we’ll be able to trace it back to Bill, and my guess is Tad as well. If Jacob is handling all the money from the estate, you might be able to get Tad’s portion back, but I’m not entirely sure. I’ll add it to my to-do list for this week.” I nod my thanks.
“I’ve seen this before. You won’t get much back from Bill, I’m afraid. Based on the evidence collected by our private investigator, he’s been living way above his means for quite a while now. Just let me know how you’d like to proceed. I can have the PI monitor him the next few weeks so we’reon top of it if anything changes.” His blue eyes are filled with compassion for Jacob because they’re friends as well, and no one wants to discover their father has committed a crime.
I give them the go-ahead, and Damon flashes his evil smile. Yeah, he and I agree. At this point, we will be involving the authorities. Bill is about to go down.
“Well, let’s go ahead and walk through the details,” Jason continues.
Damon stays for the entire meeting; I’m surprised but secretly delighted. It’s five thirty by the time we finish, and I’m starving. Maybe I can talk him into dinner at The Wolf Den again tonight. We had the best conversation last time. He’s the only person I know who loves to talk hockey as much as I do, except maybe my son.
After the meeting, I take the time to walk Jason down to the elevator. He did me a solid by coming in so quickly and doing such a fantastic job. At the very least, I owe him a big thank you.
“Your new GM seems like a decent guy. Smart too. Good addition to your team?” Jason asks as I escort him down the hallway.
“He’s been a godsend, honestly. Jacob’s been out, and I’m not sure I could have handled everything without Damon. It’s been crazy busy,” I gush.
Jason gives me a knowing grin before squeezing my shoulder.
“I love that for you. You deserve wonderful things in your life, Jos. I’m happy to see that’s happening for you.” His sincerity is touching, even as his expression seems to have a touch of melancholy.
“Thanks, Jason. You deserve that in your life, too. You’re a wonderful guy.” I say softly. He barks out a laugh, and there’s a touch of bitterness to it.
“Not wonderful enough to keep you.” It’s self-deprecating, and it shocks me a bit. Did he regret what happened between us? He never saidanything to me. He recovers quickly, face lighting up with a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
