By the time I reached the end of the list, Will reappeared.
“Did that answer your question, Miss Lauren?”
“Yes.” I nodded, my mind completely blown.
“Great. Would you like to see the updated lists he sent to us when you reached the one and two- year marks, or no?”
Twenty-Six
Preston
Subject: Today’s meeting with the London Reps + My Replacement (Interviews?)
Just letting you know that today’s round of meetings went well. (You’re welcome.)
I’m attaching my notes for you to review.
Any luck with the interviews so far today?
Tara Lauren
Executive Assistant to Preston Parker,
CEO of Parker International
[londonmeetingnotes.pdf]
* * *
Subject: Re: Today’s meeting with the London Reps + My Replacement (Interviews?)
So, I’ve heard. (Thank you.) I would prefer that you attach a picture.
Preston Parker
CEO & Owner of Parker International
* * *
Subject: Re: Re: Today’s meeting with the London Reps + My Replacement (Interviews?)
If you want a picture, I need you to be a little more specific … [smile]
Tara Lauren
Executive Assistant to Preston Parker,
CEO of Parker International
* * *
Before I could tell her exactly what I wanted, George walked into my office.
“Alright,” he said. “We’ve got an interview with a former NYU director in an hour, a pre-background interview check for another person who claims he worked at Toys ‘R’ Us, and—” He stopped talking once he spotted Violet playing on my floor.
She looked up from her coloring book and smiled at him. “Do you want to play?”
He stepped back. “Preston, what is that?”
“It looks like a child, George. A she.”
“You know what I mean.” He blinked. “Please don’t say that you need me to handle a paternity lawsuit, because from the looks of things, she’s definitely yours and you’ll definitely lose.”
I smiled. “She’s my niece, George. I’ll tell you about it over lunch.”
His expression shifted from panicked to sympathetic. “Does she call you Uncle Preston?”
“Yes,” she answered for me. “He lives in my bear.”
I gave him an ‘I have no idea what she’s talking about’ look, and glanced at Bear who was currently sitting on my desk and “eating” her carrots.
“We can reschedule the interviews,” George said, sitting on the floor next to Violet. “They’re not that important.”
“I’m pretty sure they are. I only have a little under a month to replace Tara.”
“Well, that’s the great thing about hiring an assistant like Miss Lauren.” He picked up a crayon. “She did her job so efficiently, that you have a pretty decent cushion to find the right person. Besides, family comes first, and if you want to earn back your soul, it’s about time you learned that.”
Twenty-Seven
Tara
“Welcome home, Miss Lauren.” The flight attendant smiled when we returned to New York late at night. She handed me the leftovers of my chocolate basket, and a greeter carried my bags to a waiting town car.
Will slipped behind the wheel, and his eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “Good to be back home again. Am I taking you to your primary condo tonight, Miss Lauren?”
“Where else would I be going at this hour?”
“Nowhere.” He smiled. “I was just asking.”
He pulled onto the road, and I waited a few minutes to contact Preston. I didn’t want to believe it, but I’d missed him during my trip. Even though we’d talked every night and he’d sent me messages that made me wet, I’d still wished he was there with me.
I really do want to see him tonight …
I made it ten minutes before I gave in and saw that he’d already sent me a message.
Preston: Have you landed yet?”
Me: Yes.
Preston: When do you plan to debrief me on all the meetings personally? I’ve read your notes, but I’m missing the projections.
Me: I can do it tonight, if you need me to.
Preston: I do. I’m at my condo. Take the interior elevator.
“Will, can you take me to Mr. Parker’s Manhattan residence instead?”
“Of course, Miss Lauren.”
Half an hour later, I carried my files and a few bags up Preston’s private elevator.
The second the doors glided open, my heart sped up at the sight of him standing in the kitchen in a white T-shirt and jeans. He was smiling at Violet, handing her a bag of popcorn.
“Hey, Tara!” She rushed over to me, spilling popcorn with every step. “You want to watch Frozen with us?”
“Sure.” I set my files on the sofa and looked at Preston.
“I thought watching it twice in a row would be enough,” he said. “It’s the only movie she wants to watch.”
I looked around his living room, stunned at how messy it was. Violet’s toys were everywhere, and there was a half-cooked batch of cookie dough on the coffee table. His work table was even messy, and I had to blink a few times to make sure that what I was seeing was real. The Preston I knew would’ve called the cleaning service the second too many papers cluttered his desk.
Violet spotted the teddy bear logo on my shopping bag and tugged at it, as if she knew it was for her.
“I bought something for you while I was gone.” I pulled it off my wrist and handed it to her.
Setting down her popcorn, she tore through the tissue paper and squealed as she pulled out the first set of clothes. “New pajamas for Bear!”
She walked over to Bear without opening the rest, quickly redressing him in his new blue and pink clothes.
“Thank you.” Preston walked over and kissed me long and hard, gently rubbing his hands up and down my back. He didn’t let me go until I was utterly breathless, and he squeezed my ass before pulling away.
“You don’t own any TVs in your condo,” I whispered to Preston. “Where are you watching it?”
“I had to add a new addition a few days ago when I realized how much I was going to need one.” He slipped his hand around my waist, letting Violet lead the way through the halls and to his balcony.
The second we stepped outside, my jaw dropped. In place of the lavish leather furniture that was once there, he’d installed four rows of custom theater-style seats with plenty of additional leather sofa to spare. The glass railing that surrounded his balcony was now reinforced with yellow child-proof bars, and the screen ahead of me looked as if he’d lifted it from a theater and dropped it right onto his property.
“You know,” I said. “A normal person would’ve just bought a TV.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t do that.”
“How much did this cost?”
“Less than what I paid for Sweet Seasons at my headquarters.”