The Other Side of Greed by Lily Zante
Chapter Twenty-Five
BRANDON
I’m still waiting to hear news of the extent of Emma’s head trauma as I head into Hawks Enterprises.
I’m going to be lost without her. She was brilliant at her job. She is brilliant at her job. I’m determined that she will be back. She can take as long as she needs to recover—I’ll have to find a temp PA worker to take over for now—but Emma will recover and come back to this.
I need her.
She kept everyone at bay, and more than that, she held me accountable, even if it meant stepping outside her PA role. She hates what I’m doing with Kyra and Redhill, and I wish I could tell her that I’m thinking of giving that crazy idea up. I wish I could see the look on her face when I tell her that she was right.
I rest my head back in my softly cushioned leather headrest and prop my arms on the plush armrests. I sink in, needing something to rest my weary body especially after a long morning of meetings with my managers. Someone comments that I’m out of the office more than I’ve been here.
Did they just notice this now?
This is the kind of shit I haven’t had to deal with.
I look over the resumes of temporary PAs and let one of my other managers take a look. I leave it to her to organize and interview the person.
Right now, I don’t even want to be here. Reminders of Emma are everywhere. My guilt trickles through the fabric of the day. I consider going to Redhill. But why? What would be the point of that?
I have a lot of things to take care of, and it’s better that I stay here and get on it. Being around Kyra will only confuse things further. I get to work. Or try to.
Sometime later, Kyra texts me to ask about Emma. Simona and Fredrich texted me and have expressed their shock and sadness at the news too.
I’m touched. These people don’t even know Emma, but they’re checking up on me to see if I’m okay.
Later this week, I have a dinner date with Jessica. I’m about to ask Emma to cancel it for me, and then I remember. She’s not here.
I need to find myself a temporary PA who will do for me the dirty work I’m not prepared to do myself.
* * *
KYRA
It’s time to serve, but Simona and the other helpers are all crowded around in a circle. The line is starting to form, and the food still needs to be put out. We’re one man down and it is noticeable how much we have come to rely on Brad’s help.
It’s only when I hear Fredrich’s loud voice, and then everyone moves away, that I see Brad.
He came?
It’s like I’ve been winded when I see him head towards me. This has to stop, me feeling like this. I rub the back of my neck, trying not to look at him too much, as if he’s the only man on the planet.
“Hey, stranger.” I attempt a weak, gentle punch into his arm. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“It’s better that I’m here.”
There he goes, being all cryptic again. I wonder if he’s with the FBI or CIA, and I’m tempted to tease him but then I remember about his girlfriend. “How’s your friend Emma?”
The friend emphasis isn’t needed, and now I wish I’d said girlfriend so that he could deny it or allow it, and that would tell me.
“She opened her eyes today.”
“Oh, that’s great. That’s really good news.” This makes me happy. I don’t know her, but I sure am glad that she is at least opening her eyes. From what Brad said of her injuries, I was beginning to worry.
“I know. I know. The doctor says it’s too early to tell, but it looks good.”
“I’m really happy to hear that. You must be relieved.”
“I am. I just miss her being around—” He stops, blinks, and hesitates as if he isn’t sure what he’s going to say.
I swallow my hurt and clench every muscle in my body so that I can keep it together. I can’t trace the time when it happened, when Brad Hartley stopped annoying me and started stealing into my thoughts, but knowing that he is unavailable is wrong. I can’t think those thoughts anymore.
It’s been so long since I was with someone, and being single has made my hormones go weird whenever Brad is around. I’m sure it would be the same around anyone ‘eligible’, as Simona would say. I’m not a mess of emotions because of Brad. I’d be the same if it were any other young, good-looking, flirty guy. I just haven’t been around people like that for a while and it’s wreaking havoc with my thoughts. Not just my ovaries.
I make sure that I stay away from Brad for the rest of the evening. I need to go back to how I used to be before.
Redhill is my focus. The expansion of the company, the new site. The roof. My insides sink as I remember the cost of fixing the roof. I have so many things to think about and I don’t need to get wrapped up in this added melodrama.
I’m really pleased for Brad that his girlfriend is okay, but I have to learn to push away.