Still, her words cut. Ginny had been able to replace those shoes—had the mother? She didn’t know, and that created a storm cloud in her soul. The sunbeam Ginny had held onto the whole flight home was InfantPure. If she was leaving her life of quiet service behind, then she’d do something big for the world. She needed to find out what had really happened to the project and if it was salvageable.
Just down the hall from the conference room was the receptionist desk for the executive floor. The nameplate said Alice, and the woman who answered the phone had an innate sense of cheeriness.
“Hello, Alice. I need a few phone numbers, and I’m hoping you can dig them up in the company directory.”
Ginny rattled off Thomas’s and Suzette’s full names while Alice wrote notes on a sticky pad. It was odd to attempt to reconnect to those days gone by, like finding an old pair of jeans in the closet and not wanting to know if they still fit.
Alice gave a professional nod. “I have Thomas’s number right here.” She stuck the blue note to the counter in front of Ginny.
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Thomas was honest—he’d fill her in on what she’d missed. They’d been a good team. Heck, she’d changed.
Team. She and Quinn had joked about being a good team. Their majors were as far apart as Egypt and New York City, and yet they were as close as best friends could be. He’d tutored her in science, and she’d taught him how to make lasagna.
She drummed her fingers on the chest-high counter. Her thoughts returned to Quinn over and over again because they had unfinished business. The marriage pact stuck in the back of her mind. It wasn’t that she expected him to actually marry her. Well, perhaps that night in the library, she had. She’d thought they could meet up and life would just magically work out and the universe would give her best friend back. Only this time she’d get to keep him forever.
Quinn’s quick departure from the reunion had left her reeling. He was so different in looks, and she couldn’t expect that he hadn’t changed in personality too. She needed to know if they’d grown apart. One dance hadn’t answered her questions; it’d raised a dozen more.
Her fingers stilled. “I’ll need Quinton Wilaby’s number too. He’s not in our system.”
Alice’s head snapped up. Her face paled, making her freckles stand out. “Then how will I find him?”
Ginny smiled. “Get creative. But I’d like his direct line—not a company number.” Before Alice could have a panic attack, Ginny took the blue sticky note with Thomas’s number on it and added, “I’ll be in the conference room when you find him.”
She didn’t like using the conference room, but she didn’t have an office yet. Jillian had ticked her off, but she was also the one who’d run the company for the last five years. Ginny needed her to stick around until she got her feet under her—or decided to run off again.
Running was a possibility. She could sign things over to Jillian, leave the country, and never look back. Dad would roll over in his grave. She pulled out a chair and sat down next to the phone at the head of the table. She couldn’t take off now, not until she knew what had happened to InfantPure, and not until she knew if she and Quinn could be friends again.
She used the company phone to call Thomas. He picked up on the second ring, his voice full of suspicion. Ginny reintroduced herself.
“Of course I remember you.” Thomas chuckled. “What have you been up to?”
Too much to sum up in this conversation.“I’m back at Lockwood Family Pharmaceuticals, and I wanted to know if I could take you to lunch.”
“I’m retired now.”
“I know. I just want to catch up.”And have you catch me up on why you’re not here.
They made an appointment, and Ginny jotted a note to tell her secretary to make reservations and send a confirmation text to Thomas. Speaking of secretaries, she needed one. She’d assumed everything would be in place for her return, only to find out that she was office- and secretary-less.
Jillian was a sly one, but Ginny was no stranger to reading between the lines. She wasn’t welcome here. The thought awoke a level of determination inside of her. Her father had built Lockwood Family Pharmaceuticals from the ground up. He’d groomed her to take over; his daughter standing at the helm was as much of a dream of his as the company succeeding on an international level. He may not be around to see his dreams come true, but that didn’t mean Ginny couldn’t do her part. The thought made her feel lonely.
Alice tapped lightly on the door. “I have Suzette’s number.”
“Great. Any luck on Quinn?”
“Um.” She twisted her fingers. “He’s a billionaire. Their numbers aren’t exactly listed.”
Ginny’s mouth pulled down. “Throw in the name Virginia Lockwood and see how far that gets you.”
Alice nodded so fast her bangs bounced on her forehead. “I’ll try.”
“I love that you’re trying.” Ginny took the number and once again picked up the company phone. Suzette was less friendly and not at all inclined to discuss her departure from Lockwood Family Pharmaceuticals.
Alice ran in, her eyes wide. “I got it!” she practically yelled.
Ginny held up a finger to silence her while she tried to smooth Suzette’s ruffled feathers. “I’m sorry things didn’t go well for you,” Ginny said when it was clear she wasn’t going to relent on meeting up. “I wish things could have been handled differently.”
“Me too.” She said goodbye.
