I stand. Paula takes her cue and stands too, smoothing her jacket with both hands, taking her bag from the chair. She moves toward the door at the correct pace. Not rushing, not dragging. Socially fluent, as always.
Then she slows near the lounge area. One hand comes to rest on the back of a low black leather sofa. Light. Considered. She turns.
"William." The posture has opened slightly. Repositioned. The grieving widow has stepped aside and someone else has taken her place. A different version, warmer, more personal. "I want you to know how much I enjoyed our time together. Truly."
"No need to mention. It was good trying to do business with you."
"Of course." The smile holds longer than it should. "It's just, if there's ever anything I can do. For you. In any capacity."
"There isn't."
A beat in which the smile stays on her face past the point where it is natural.
I cross to the door and pull it open. And I curse myself.
Carter and Adrian are in the lobby.
I look at them and the Bali project meeting comes back to me in a single cold rush. Carter's permits brief, the partnership structure decision, the Q2 timeline. I had forgotten all about it inthe rush to meet with Paula and find out if she was successful in persuading Sienna to sell.
I don't forget meetings. Ever.
Carter is standing near the lobby window with his laptop and folders under one arm. Adrian is leaning against Mia's desk, talking to her in a low voice. Mia is blushing and giggling at what he is saying.
This situation has disaster written all over it. I let none of my reaction show.
Paula stops talking when she sees Adrian and she recognizes him. “Mr. Kade?”
Adrian straightens. The ease of his manner doesn't shift, not visibly. "Mrs. Cross." A brief nod. "What a pleasure to see you again.”
Paula takes a step towards him, tilts her head and asks: “Do you have business with William Martin?”
He glances at me once, then back to Paula. Managing it. “I'm the attorney for MH Group. For a long while."
Paula looks at him. The look has no warmth in it and no performance either. This is the real Paula, the one that exists underneath the grief widow and the social flirt, and she doesn't bother covering it up for Adrian.
"I see." she says. The voice is quiet and specific.
And without any more words she walks past Adrian without slowing down. The elevator at the end of the lobby opens as she reaches it, as if it was waiting, and she steps in. The doors close.
The lobby is quiet for a moment.
Adrian looks at me. "Do I want to know?"
"No." I turn and step back into my office.
I take a seat at the top of the conference table. Carter and Adrian take the chairs nearest the center. Carter opens the briefing he brought. Adrian doesn’t bother with papers and is just watching me.
"What was Paula doing here?" Adrian asks.
"I believe you can make an educated guess." I open the laptop and pull up the Bali permits file. "Where are we on the Tabanan assessment?"
Carter looks up from his notes. "Are you still trying to get Cross Manor?"
"One way or another." I reply dismissively, trying to change the subject.
Adrian tips back in his chair. "You're obsessed."
"Me? I'm not the one who's obsessed. I’m not the one who was holding hands with Sienna." I look at him directly. "I'd check yourself on that one. "
