Page 134 of Their Famous Dominant (Office Intrigue Duet 4)
Master didn’t emerge from his office until the captain came on the speaker to announce we would be making our descent. When he joined me at the table, I watched him warily for a moment. I didn’t get a chance to say anything before he started listing off things he needed to get done. I jotted them all down quickly.
“I’ll be spending quite a bit of time at the Chatter offices,” he informed me. “We’ll be going over the remodel for the new location.”
“In the same building?”
“Yes. They’ve got some vacant floors I’ll be looking at.”
Considering Master owned an apartment in that building, that was a good thing. He could be close to home if he needed anything.
“And I need to find a contract lawyer,” he said, his eyes darting over to the windows. “I need someone to review the contract. I need to get it back to Landon.”
I watched him, not saying a word. This would normally be the time I would agree and then locate someone who could do what Master needed.
However, in this case, there was only one person who could take care of him.
And now I had to convince her she was needed here.
For more than just a job.
TWENTY-FIVE
Clarissa
FROM THE DAY WE ARRIVED at my mother’s house nine days ago, Zeke and my mother had hit it off. To the point they’d spent nearly every day chatting incessantly about anything and everything and nothing at all.
Never would I have thought such a hard-ass like Zeke Lautner would carry around pictures of his dog as a puppy in his wallet. For a full day, he and my mother had compared baby pictures, of all things.
So, while they got acquainted, I spent most of my time with Tank. Admittedly, I’d grown quite fond of the sweet boy. He was such a good dog and the two of us spent plenty of time in the backyard. I would throw the ball, he would get it and bring it back. Tank would’ve gone for hours if I’d let him.
And now, as my mother and Zeke sat in the kitchen having coffee and discussing all the fabulous things about Chicago, I sat in the living room and stared out the front window while absently patting Tank’s head, which rested in my lap.
The good news was the reporters hadn’t stuck around my mother’s house. It hadn’t taken long for them to track me down, that was for sure. However, they soon learned they were not welcome here. Not after she went out and gave them a piece of her mind. With Zeke not far behind, of course. I’d known it wouldn’t take too much effort for them to figure out who my mother was. And they had with a surprising quickness. However, I never should’ve worried that they would harass her. She wasn’t the type of woman who would allow that.
I had given my father and my former stepfathers a heads-up as well, asking that they not engage any reporters who might come around asking questions. I’d sent the text, and shortly thereafter, my father had called. I’d assured him all was well but reiterated that no one should talk to any reporters.
That was the last thing I needed.
Of course, I hadn’t been able to hide the intruder from my mother. Not when it was reported on the news that night. She’d been horrified when she learned that someone had broken into my house and I hadn’t bothered to tell her. Zeke assured her all was well and they had someone looking into it.
Then last Monday, Troy had called to ask if I would be willing to go over Trent’s contract with Chatter PR Global. I didn’t want to take the job, but knowing I had nothing else in the pipeline, I relented. I went through it thoroughly several times, noting specific areas that gave me heartburn, all while wondering if I would ever hear from Trent or Troy again once I sent it back to them.
I took longer than I should have to get the information back to them, but I finally caved, sending it to Troy with a text to explain my questions and concerns. He had thanked me and said he would call me if Trent had any questions.
There hadn’t been any questions.
So, for the past few days, I’d tried to occupy my mind with thoughts of anything else, but the only thing I could think about was Trent.
And Troy.
I missed them.
Both of them.
To the point my heart physically ached in my chest. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought I had the flu. The pain in my body was real, even if there was no virus to go along with it. My heart was simply broken and my body was processing it in its own way.
I’d been stewing in self-pity for the better part of nine days and I was slowly driving myself crazy with it.
