“Yeah, I’m free.”
“Great. Should I come up to your office, or…”
For some reason, I didn’t like the idea of Annie being near Shepherd right now. It wasn’t like she wanted him; she wasn’t even attracted to men. But the idea of her trying to sneak a peek into his office or eying him like he was an interesting genetic specimen made my back clench tight.
“That’s okay, I’ll just meet you at that sandwich place or something. Does that sound good?”
“Sure, that’s perfect. Noon?”
“Yep. I’ll see you then.”
Shepherd didn’t leave his office all morning. He had a lunch meeting, but I’d already sent him his schedule for the day. He didn’t message me with any requests. I wasn’t sure what I wanted from him. An excuse to go into his office so we could talk, maybe. I just didn’t like the feeling of this problem between us simmering in the background.
I had to leave to meet Annie before his meeting, but he didn’t need anything from me, so I just left. The restaurant wasn’t far from my building. The fresh air felt good as I walked, as did the sun on my face. The sidewalk was busy with pedestrians—lots of people dressed in business casual attire, heading to lunch meetings or taking a break with friends or coworkers. Music spilled out of a bar on the corner and I wistfully imagined that I was meeting Nora and Hazel for lunch mimosas, rather than my sister for sensible salads.
Annie was waiting at the restaurant and the host took us to our table. I followed her lead, ordering water to drink and a salad with grilled chicken.
“So, what’s new?” she asked.
I hadn’t said a word to her about my current living situation. For all she knew, my life was still the same. Living in my cute, if small, apartment in the same building as Nora and Hazel. Going to work, like everything was normal. Three-mile runs and girls’ nights with martinis.
She had no idea I was living in a palatial penthouse with my wealthy, and very private, boss. Trading banter with his father over morning coffee. Doing yoga in his living room and sipping wine in the evenings on a balcony that overlooked the city. Sleeping next to him in his bed, on the softest, most luxurious sheets I’d ever felt. Trying very hard to ignore the way my body responded to his scent.
“Oh, you know, not much. What about you?”
She took a bite of her salad and shrugged. “Not much. Work has been crazy the last few weeks. I feel like I could be there twelve hours a day, seven days a week and still not catch up.”
“That’s tough. I hope you’re taking some me-time to recharge.”
“Yeah, Miranda has been making me. She can always tell when I need a break. You know how she is with self-care and all that.”
“Good.”
“Oh, before I forget.” She brought out her soft leather briefcase and pulled out a manila folder. “This is the paperwork for Mr. Calloway. We had a contract drawn up by a lawyer with experience in both genetic material donations, and more traditional adoptions. He’s welcome to have his lawyer look at it and we’re open to any changes he might want to make.”
I swallowed hard and tried to keep my hand from trembling as I took the folder. “Thanks, but I haven’t had a chance to bring it up. And honestly, Annie, I’m still not sure this is the best idea.”
She smiled. “I have complete faith in you.”
It was suddenly difficult to look my sister in the eyes. I tucked the folder beneath my purse on the chair next to me, focusing on my lunch. “Thanks.”
The stack of paperwork seemed to whisper at me all through lunch. Annie didn’t bring it up again, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The whole thing was making me slightly nauseated, but I couldn’t understand why. Annie and Miranda didn’t have malicious motives. They weren’t after his money, and I was sure the contract spelled that out in exacting detail. They simply wanted the best match for their hoped-for child. They liked his physical and intellectual traits—and who could blame them. Shepherd was basically perfect.
Other than being a robot, of course.
But damn it, he wasn’t a robot. Not at all. He seemed like one at work—and he’d certainly been back to his old robotic self this morning. But underneath it all, there was a lot more to Shepherd Calloway than met the eye.
Which, when I thought about it, made him an even better candidate to be their sperm donor.
It was probably a good thing this hadn’t been a mimosa or martini lunch. I managed to get through the meal without blurting out anything about living with Shepherd, pretending to be his girlfriend, or the fake-fiancée mess I’d gotten myself into.
After saying goodbye to Annie, I took my time walking back to my office, the folder with the donor contract tucked beneath my arm. I still had no idea how I was going to ask Shepherd. Or if I really could. When he’d asked me to pose as his girlfriend, it had seemed like the perfect lead-in. I’d do him this very large favor. He could at least consider doing me this favor in return. Even if he ultimately said no, at least I’d have tried. I wasn’t going to insist or guilt him into it. It was a business deal. He dealt with those every day. He could determine if the terms were favorable and make his decision from there.
But I still hated the idea of even asking. Now more than ever.
I shuffled back to my desk, absent the usual spring in my step. Steve gave me a sympathetic smile, but didn’t have any more cat-themed suggestions for dealing with stress. I put the folder away in my desk drawer and sat down, telling myself I needed to focus on work. Not on the fact that Shepherd was mad at me, or how I was ever going to broach the subject of him donating his sperm to make my sister’s baby dreams come true.
Shepherd’s office door opened behind me and I almost jumped out of my chair. My back clenched as his footsteps approached. He was going to walk right by and not even look at me. I just knew it.
Although, what would be wrong with that? For three years, he’d walked by this desk numerous times a day without glancing at me. He’d never been friendly, and I hadn’t expected him to be. Our working relationship had been simple and routine, and there had been nothing wrong with it.
But nothing was the same anymore. I was a big, swirling mess of feelings, and I had no idea what to do about it.
To my enormous shock, he didn’t walk by. He stopped, the smooth lines of his expensive suit in my peripheral vision. I froze, my palms planted on my desk, my heart racing. I couldn’t make myself look up.
“Everly?” His voice was deceptively soft, lacking the edge that usually told me he was frustrated or impatient.
I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his. That was a terrible idea. Those eyes. That jaw. That spot in his cheek where a dimple puckered if he smiled. I could almost see the little indent now, as if at any moment, his serious mask would melt away and he’d smile at me.
“Yes?” I managed to choke out.
“Come with me.”
I cast a nervous glance at Steve. He looked stricken, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open. He watched me get up, staring as if I were being led to my execution.
Unsure as to where we were going, or why, I snatched up my purse and followed Shepherd to the elevator. It felt as if all eyes were on me as we walked down the hallway. I held my purse close to my body, trying to keep my face neutral. Office gossip spread like wildfire, but I was pretty sure the worst anyone would say was that it looked like I was in trouble. Which, to be fair, I was—just not in the way they’d think.