His curiosity ratcheted up a few more notches.
He could sense her hesitation. Didn’t she realise, he thought wonderingly, that the more she hid the more he wanted to probe?
Especially now that she had offered him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
‘Is he okay? Your dad?’
There was genuine concern in Raffaele’s voice and that alone was sufficient to make Erin relax into the conclusion that she had done the right thing. It was ridiculous to act as though she had to fight to the death to protect every square inch of her privacy. She wasn’t a secret service spy facing a firing squad if she didn’t!
‘He’s had a fall and broken bones in his ankle. He’s going to be off his feet for a bit…’
‘Well, that’s not too bad, is it? I thought maybe there might be some serious illness involved. You’ve never mentioned your father to me…or your mother, for that matter. I’m presuming that you have both your parents?’
‘I have,’ Erin replied briskly. Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Come to think of it,youhaven’t mentioned your parents to me either.’
‘Valid point.’ He flushed. ‘You can take a few days off, Erin, if you want to go see them. Where do they live?’
‘On the coast.’
‘Now if that isn’t a broad-spectrum kind of reply,’ he drawled. ‘Surely you can be a little more forthcoming? I don’t intend to drive to wherever they live and pay them a surprise visit if that’s what you’re scared of.’
Erin shot him a grudging smile. ‘Sussex. It’s very pretty. I’ve actually been going there for the past couple of weekends to help out. This is the first weekend I haven’t been.’
‘I didn’t know! You should have said something. You could have made them into long weekends without using up whatever holiday allowance you have.’
‘I… Yes, thank you, but there’s only so much I can do at the moment and I’ve put…well, certain things in place that will help him out until he’s back on his feet.’
‘Is your father at work? What sort of help did you have to put in place? Surely his company is taking care of everything necessary? Giving him time off and making sure he continues to be paid, arranging whatever physio he needs to have. If they’re not, tell me immediately and I can put that right.’
‘No, no.’ Erin felt a film of perspiration break out. She thought of her parents and their nomadic lifestyle. Until she was twelve, they had lived in a commune not a million miles away from where they now were. It had been a settled and happy time for her, surrounded by families who had all supported one another.
After that, a serious dose of wanderlust had finally got the better of her parents and they had headed out to explore the big, bad world. They had done pretty much every corner of the country, including a stint in the icy wastes of Scotland, and had, only a handful of years ago, arrived in their trusty camper van back where they’d started but in a different part of Sussex.
Thanks to her, they now owned a tiny little house and a small freeholding where they grew their own vegetables, selling the surplus to the local shop. Planning for the future had never been one of their priorities and it had become crashingly obvious that life in a camper van wasn’t feasible as a retirement option.
She felt a little faint at the thought of describing her parents’ hippy lifestyle to her elegant, sophisticated, sexy boss. She fidgeted with the collar of her shirt, tugging at it, suddenly hot and bothered.
‘You don’t have to talk about this if it’s going to give you a panic attack,’ Raffaele said, vaulting upright and hunting down the bottle. He poured the remnants into their glasses.
‘Of course I’m not having a panic attack! I… I’m just saying that I’ve been a little stressed out about my dad and… Look, it’s no big deal, Raffaele, but he doesn’t actually have a job. As such.’
‘What does “as such” mean?’
‘He… My parents live a simple life…’
‘I’m really not following you.’
‘They own a small freeholding and they’re self-sufficient. They grow all their own food, or try to. My mum makes jewellery and has a side job upcycling furniture. I… With my dad’s ankle out of action, he hasn’t been able to get to do the crops and there’s only so much Mum can do so I’ve been a little stressed out but I’ve got someone along to help out until my dad is back on his feet…’
Raffaele digested this in silence for a few seconds, unreasonably shocked by the picture she had painted.
Self-sufficient? Selling jewellery? Upcycling furniture? He couldn’t have imagined a different background. Actually, he’d pictured accountant married to schoolteacher. Now that she had opened up about a more colourful childhood, he was downright intrigued.
However, he could see that she was already half regretting letting him have that fleeting glimpse of Erin Fisher the woman, as opposed to Erin Fisher his dependable secretary, always kitted out in neatly tailored clothes, always wearing sensible shoes and always sticking to the straight and narrow.
He thought about her flirting with Colin and realised that he didn’t like it. Maybe that was why he’d been so relieved when she’d shot his speculations down in flames.
Or had that been a case of the lady protesting too much? Was there something going on there, a furtive romance kept under wraps because they both worked for him? He was irked at the thought of the other man knowing more about his enigmatic PA than he did.
