I glared at it.That didn’t seem to affect it in any way.I knew I had to answer.I could see the caller ID.
I took a deep breath.Held it.Breathed it out.
Picked up the receiver.
“Ridley,” I said.
“I just saw a breaking news alert,” he said.His voice was full of hot fury.But also a little disbelief.He wanted me to tell him he was wrong.“They said my sponsor dropped me.”
I slid my eyes closed.Keaton was just over there.I could picture him.Watching me expectantly.Waiting for me to finish my call so he wouldn’t disturb me by making a call of his own.I could almost imagine it strongly enough for it to be real.
“They did.”The unvarnished truth seemed to be the right path.
“Fuck!” Ridley screamed down the phone.I should have winced and moved it away from my ear.I endured it instead.“Fuck you, Harvey!You said this would be fucking fixed!”
“And I am fixing it.”I took a breath.“Your reputation.The sponsorship may be off the table for good.”
“Oh, my God,” Ridley said.I could tell he was working himself into even more of a frenzy.“This is what I fucking pay you for!You said you had it handled!”
“And I willfix it,” I growled and slammed the phone down.
There.At least I’d been able to do the hanging up once.
I looked at that empty desk again and ran a hand back over the top of my head.
This had been a very bad week.One of the worst weeks I could remember.There had always been trying times and stressful events.They just usually didn’t come so close together.More than that: they usually didn’t affect our biggest client.The one who brought in the most revenue to the firm.
We wouldn’t die without Ridley.Not right away.But it might end up being a slow death of a thousand cuts if we lost the trust of our other clients along with him.
The room felt empty without Keaton now.Strange.He’d only been here such a short time.He filled the space in his own quiet way.Just sitting quietly typing over there.It made a difference.It made everything feel brighter.Less solitary.
I realized he was becoming a touchstone of mine.I could look up when I was working and see him there and take comfort.
This strange man with his curly hair and his tortoiseshell glasses… he was casting some kind of spell over me.A spell that made me feel hungry for more.
Hungry for him.
I reached for my coffee.It was empty.The last time that happened had been the day Keaton started.He had kept me topped up since then.
There was more work to be done.More fires to put out.Other clients to reassure.Meetings I would need to step into personally to make a show of force.That was why I had to trust Ace and Keaton to find the information we needed.I had to put my best men on the job.
Which meant I had to shoulder all of the rest alone.
Heavy was the head that wore the crown.
A crown I would easily give up for…
For what?
A night with him?
A life with him?
I barely knew him.
This was stupid – all of it.The stupid thoughts of a stupid man who had made a stupid mistake.Somewhere along the line, I had allowed this to happen.It wasn’t going to happen twice.
And if Keaton Dunbar turned out to be too much of a distraction…
