Page 115 of A Matter of Time

“Why, so you can take notes?”

It wasn’t a bad idea. “The sarcasm is not lost on me.”

We were silent for several minutes.

“Look at me,” he finally said.

“I am looking at you.”

“No, look at me.”

I looked into the dark gray eyes of my boss, and saw the flecks of silver like always. “What am I looking for?”

“Do you truly believe that this can mean anything anymore?”

“Maybe.”

“Jory, are we friends?”

I stared at him, into the face I knew so well, and saw what I always saw—the absolute rock-like resolve. There was so much strength there, and I could always depend on it. It was the same reason other people were always so drawn to him, because of that solidness you could feel. He was unmovable, unshakable. He could be battered, but never broken. It wasn’t often you met people who were unbreakable. It was almost a regal bearing he had, like he should have been a king. Someone you could surrender your life to, with an almost heroic quality.

And so, because I didn’t want him to think I was weak, I found my voice and answered him. “Yes, we’re friends.”

“Good.” He smiled warmly. “I’m glad.”

I studied him. “You want me to work for you forever, don’t you?”

The smile made his eyes shiny. “Forever. Such a timetable you choose.”

“I need to take care of you.” I said it because I felt suddenly brave and because I was feeling vulnerable and because I could. He was the only thing I could point to and say was mine in my life. My boss. I was possessive to a fault. If he was going to belong to me, then he had to say the words. “May I?”

He nodded.

It wasn’t enough.

“That’s a yes?” I prodded, wanting to be sure. Wanting him to make this finally solid between us. We had been dancing around it for so long, the commitment of friendship. Since I was eighteen, when I started working for him. He needed to make a choice, right then and there. To either give me the room I needed to maneuver in his life, or back away. To let me truly be his friend, able to speak my mind whenever I wanted, on any topic, from his love life to where he worked, to his family, to his friends, to the tie he chose in the morning. He was agreeing to give me a voice in his life, and I would be able to weigh in and be counted. And God help him if he agreed, because every woman who wanted him from that point on was going to be dealing with me up close and personal. I would give my opinion freely, and good luck to them.

“Say it.”

“What are you, twelve?”

“Say it,” I said menacingly. “Say it.”

“You’re threatening me?”

“I will soon.”

“Jory, you⁠—”

“Say it!” I demanded. I was going to kill him any second.

“That’s a yes.”

I caught my breath. I was absolutely stunned. “Really?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.”

“You’re positive?”