My reminder causes her to gather her purse. “Can’t. I already promised Elodie. But I ordered your usual, and it will be delivered shortly.”
I make a mental note that I really should get to know her friend better. I have to share Savannah with her, after all.
“Okay.” I accept my defeat.
She gives me a wink before she leaves.
Five minutes later, my chicken wrap arrives, and I bite into it as I read over proposals. I lose time until a knock on my door causes my eyes to shoot up.
“Thanks for stopping by,” I greet Charles as he enters my office. Staying put in my chair, I close my laptop to give him my attention. Savannah is out to lunch, which is best for this conversation.
“No problem. Any closer to solving the ‘get me out of here so I can retire’ problem?” He takes a seat in front of me with a grin.
A muted chuckle finds me at his choice of phrasing. “Hopefully. I’m still pressuring Hayes, and if I know him well enough, then I’m on the tipping point of making himrealize that this” —my hands display my office— “is the place for his success. You’re free to go and spread your wings.”
“He would be a great fit. Let me know what I can do to sweeten the deal.”
Nodding in understanding, I lean back, and my finger glides above my lip while I stall. I look over his shoulder while I prepare to utter the words. The unimaginable thought has haunted me all week, and I no longer believe I can battle it.
“There is something else I wanted to talk to you about.”Charles looks at me peculiarly. “Run something by you.”
“Which would be?”
“Savannah.”
His chin rises, and his good mood changes. “Ah, I see.”
Strange.Standing, I turn to half look out the window, buttoning my blazer in the process. “What does that mean?”
“There isn’t a single bone in my body that thinks you are about to say you want to fire her, so have it out. Let me hear it.” He has a closed, repressed smile.
Of course, he’s waiting. The man is smart.
Opting to settle against the glass window, I take a moment for a deep breath. “What would one do if they were in a certain, very powerful position, and that said person might be in a relationship with someone that could be questionable?”
“I would tell him that it wouldn’t look good to many people. Some competitors might even feel they struck gold with a reason to swoop in and steal a certain someone away, knowing they have the insights into your day-to-day operations.”
“She would never take a job from a competitor, and shehas the non-compete clause and an NDA. It isn’t an issue,” I remind him.
He takes time to analyze me. “Said person would have to consider the optics, a cliché, might turn heads on the board.”
Crossing my arms, I’m hearing everything I already realized.
“However,” he continues, “not everyone would be surprised. Hell, they might even figure out that someone had a hidden agenda to send her your way.” He ends the ruse. “Why don’t you spell out the obvious?”
A smile tickles the corners of my mouth because he pushed her at me. “Savannah and I seem to have found ourselves in a predicament, well, more than. I want to get a sense of what to do because being hidden away no longer feels right.”
The respect that I have for her is too high, and the pride that she’s mine roars inside. None of this was part of the plan. Hell, I still have no outlook for the long game. One little step forward is what I can give.
“I was confident she would bring out a side in you that you’ve kept closed off.” He bounces his shoulders up. “It crossed my mind that having her report to you could lead to something else. It seems I was right.”
“Looking out for me as always.”My voice is thin, soft, appreciative. “But what do I do now?”
His fingers tap the arm of the chair once before he points at me. “Find a way to keep work out of it. How? I’m not sure, because you actually do need her as your PA. But it’s not realistic to have both.Look into a solution that ensures she stays with Haven Crossroads and shows the value of her work, but doesn’t show favoritism.”
I tread to the side of my office as I contemplate the whiskey bottle near the coffee machine.Problem-solvingsometimes needs it.I pop open the cork to pour a drink. “Give me some time. You have another meeting?”
“Yeah… want me to come back after?”
