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He rushed past me without another word, but he winked as he went by, the relief on his face evident. I tried not to laugh at that or the fact that he’d added a Ms. in front of my name—no doubt to sound professional in front of his mother.

He shut the outside door loudly, his footsteps fading.

“Where is he going?”

“Vancouver.”

“For what purpose?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, holding my notebook. “Your son is in demand all over the world, Mrs. Bane⁠—”

She cut me off with a flick of her fingers.

“Mrs. Johnstone. I remarried.”

I flicked her right back. “Regardless, he is very sought-after.”

She narrowed her eyes. “And you are who, exactly?”

“I am Mr. Bane’s assistant. I run his office for him.”

“So, you’re the one who answers his phone now?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why did that change?”

“New system,” I said with a smile. “Why, I’m not privy to. Above my pay grade.”

“You put me straight through when I call, do you understand me?”

“I work for Mr. Bane, not you. I will follow the protocols he sets out for me. If he is available, I will, of course, put you through. If not…” I trailed off with a shrug.

A dark flush saturated her cheeks. “Who do you think you are?”

“As I said, your son’s assistant. Your very busy son. I suggest you call before you drop by next time. Even better, you should check in with security.”

“I’ll do no such thing. I am not some common visitor off the street. I am his mother, and as such⁠—”

I held up my hand. “As such, you should understand how busy he is and that he can’t just drop everything for you. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to work. He’ll call me from the airport, and I need to be ready.” I held the door open. “Good day, Mrs. Johnstone.”

She stomped by me with a glare. She had the same color eyes as Mr. Bane, but if I thought his were cold, hers were the frozen tundra that hadn’t seen light for a decade. Everything about her was rigid. Her posture. Her way of speaking. Even walking. There was nothing motherly about her. It explained Bane to me a little bit—helped me understand why he was the way he was.

She slammed the outer door on her way out, and I sighed. I shut off the coffee warmer and pushed in his chair, making sure his desk was tidy. He’d left in a hurry, but I did notice his plate was empty, so he’d had lunch.

I wondered where he’d gone. Home? A bar? He was smart enough to know there was no car waiting for him, so perhaps he was simply using another office.

I sat down, feeling tired. It had been a day. Between tripping, the meeting, the mean girls, and now Bane’s mother, I was weary.

And I had a feeling Bane would be in touch. I wondered what he would say.

I shook my head and went back to filing. I’d know soon enough.

My phone buzzed with a text a short while later.

Is the coast clear?

I chuckled. He was being funny. I could be too.