Honor

Chapter 68

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

E vie

“Are you serious?” I glance at the email on my laptop screen. “You want me to do all of this today?”

Reid nods. “I have faith in you, Evangeline.”

I start to read the list of tasks he just emailed me when he was sitting at his desk as I was speaking to a client about rescheduling an upcoming meeting. Since then, he’s gotten up and has wandered over to my desk. He’s currently standing across from me.

“A package of bubble gum from a candy store in Times Square?” I read the first task while somehow keeping a straight face. “Since when do you chew bubble gum?”

“Since never.” He smiles, baring his pearly white teeth. “That’s for Vance’s nephew. He’s dropping by the office tomorrow with his mom, and I happen to know that bubble gum is his favorite.”

I gaze at his face. “That sounds like a nice guy move.”

A smile ghosts his lips. “I am a nice guy, Evie.”

“Maybe you are.” I continue reading the list. “Stop by the jewelry store and pick up the wrapped gift?”

My heart thunders in my chest. It’s so loud that I fear he can hear it from where he’s standing. Did he get me something special to wear at the wedding? Since it’s only days away, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he bought me a bracelet or a necklace to commemorate the occasion. “A gift? For who?”

“Cufflinks for Randall,” he says, shattering my dream of something extra pretty to accessorize with.

I silently chastise myself because he’s never hinted that we’re anything but a boss and employee who sleep together. He hasn’t expressed how he feels about me other than praising me yesterday afternoon in front of a client who was thrilled with the plate of donuts I picked up for their short meeting in one of the conference rooms.

Once it was over, I hurriedly ate two donuts and found a total of eleven cents in coins on the rug. I called it a win.

I stop reading the task list because I already know that it amounts to a bunch of running around Manhattan for me, topped off with a hot dog for lunch.

“I’ll get started on this now.” I push back from my desk. “Do you need me to do anything before I leave?”

“Kiss me,” he whispers.

Stunned, I glance over my shoulder in the direction of the corridor, but I don’t see an employee in sight. “Here? Now?”

His expression morphs from desire to frustration in an instant. “That’s what I wanted, but Baden just exited the doorway leading to the stairs. He’s on his way toward us now.”

I listen as intently as I can, but I come up empty, so I take a few steps closer to the corridor to see down the length of it. Sure enough, Baden, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers, is sprinting toward us.

I turn back to face Reid. “What is with your hearing?”

He laughs that off as if everyone can hear the stealth approach of a man wearing sneakers. “You should get to that task list, Evie. I’m meeting Baden and Vance briefly before I start my day.”

I bend down to retrieve my purse from one of my desk drawers just as Baden rounds the corner and comes into view.

“Nice of you to dress the part,” Reid quips. “Where’s your suit?”

“Every one of them is hanging in the closet at my home.” Baden pinches the front of his T-shirt between two fingers. “Since this is a casual meeting, I am dressed for the part.”

I catch Reid’s eye quickly before he levels his gaze back on Baden. “Did you not make it home last night?”

“How is that any of your fucking business?” He chuckles. “By the way, good morning, Evie.”

“Morning,” I toss out as I step away from my desk. “I have a bunch of things to do today, so I need to get to it.”

“He doesn’t need more socks,” Baden calls after me as I make my way toward the elevator. “Or envelopes since there are thousands of them in the supply closet.”

“Shut up,” I hear Reid say. “Why did you take the stairs and not the elevator? Is it out of order?”

Since the elevator doors slide open as soon as I press the call button, I can answer that question for him, but I don’t. I step inside and take a breath. So much has changed between Reid and me, but at the office, I’m still his executive assistant, so I need to get moving so I can check off every task on my boss’s to-do list for today.

Thirty minutes later, I exit the elevator while cursing under my breath. I should have done what I always do when Reid sends me a task list. I should have read the entire thing before I bolted out of here.

If I had done that, I would have noticed that the ninth task on the list included returning two library books. According to the email he sent me, both books are sitting on the corner of his desk. He wants two new thriller novels to replace those. I can’t fathom when he has time to read because we spend so much of his time away from the office together.

I slide off my heels so I can hurry down the corridor. Since I have a pair of comfortable walking shoes in the bottom drawer of my desk, I’ll do a quick footwear change before I grab the books and sprint back to the elevator.

I stop just before I round the corner that leads to my desk, and beyond that, Reid’s office. Laughter fills the air. It’s obvious that Reid’s meeting with Baden and Vance is still ongoing. My immediate reaction is frustration because it means he’s late for a coffee meeting with a prospective client. He was scheduled to be at a café three blocks from here by now.

I make a mental note to stop by that café on my way to my next task. I’ll buy a fresh cup of coffee for the person waiting for Reid. I’ll tell my boss he’s late, and that will break up the partners’ impromptu meeting.

“We need to move forward with getting our hands on Azelius Spas,” Vance says, stopping me in my tracks. His voice is so loud and clear that I know he must be standing near my desk. That’s just a few feet from where I am. “You’re the one who talked about buying out Emmel’s too, Reid. You said being best man gave you an in with both of them.”

“It does give him an in,” Baden chimes in. “Think about it, Vance. He hadn’t seen Randall in years. You know Reid. Do you honestly think he would have agreed to be the best man at this wedding if he wasn’t going to profit in some way?”

What the hell is going on?

Stunned by what I’m hearing, I close my eyes and rest my head against the wall of the corridor, just out of their view.

“I told you both I’m handling it,” Reid snaps. “Leave Randall and Charlotte to me. Get to work. I have a meeting to get to.”

That’s my cue to scram, so I take off toward the closest hiding place. It’s the washroom. I duck inside only to find Cleo fixing her hair in the mirror. This is the last place I thought I’d find her, given the fact that she has a private washroom attached to her new office. That’s one of her new perks as the manager of the senior analysts.

“Evie?” she questions as her gaze trails over my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I step closer to where she’s standing near the row of sinks and glance at the mirror above them. She’s right. I’m pale. My skin looks clammy. I feel as weak as I look. “I don’t feel very well.”

Her arm circles my waist immediately. “Sit down.”

She guides me toward a navy blue bench against the wall. I sit on it and instantly notice how hard my knees are shaking.

Did Reid agree to be the best man strictly because of profit? Was his angle this entire time to get the happy couple to sell their respective businesses to him? Is he truly that ruthless?

“I’ll go grab a bottle of water from the break room.” Cleo pats my shoulder. “Wait right here.”

I stop her by grabbing hold of her wrist. “Please stay for a minute. I’m feeling a little light-headed.”

She sits beside me. I breathe out a sigh of relief because I don’t want her to run into Reid in the corridor. The last thing I need at this moment is to face him.

We sit in silence until a full three minutes pass, and I hear Reid’s voice booming through the corridor as he calls for someone to hold the elevator for him. Once the ding signals its departure, I glance at Cleo. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“I’m calling my driver to take you home,” she tells me. “I’ll let Reid know that you’re ill. I’ll find someone to cover for you, so don’t you worry about a thing.”

Ditching work like this is not something I’ve ever done, but I’ve also never felt as though I’m falling in love before. Tears well in my eyes as I realize I may not even know the man I was ready to give my heart to.