Chapter 30
The street lights were pouring into the car in clusters, and Heloise was tipsy and drowsy from the booze, but she knew she was in Benedict’s ride, so she didn’t dare to totally zonk out, her eyelids heavy, slumping weakly against the door.
“Are
you and Kyrell an item now?” Benedict’s voice suddenly floated over, ethereal and unreal, jolting Heloise.
The car slowly rolled into the complex.
Her heart was all over the place, itching to lie to him, but she couldn’t buck Benedict’s influence over so many years and mumbled fuzzily, “Kyrell’s good to me.”
The man chuckled softly from his throat, and Heloise wasn’t sure if she’d misheard. Without looking back, she flung the car door open, stepped out, and glanced down at the white slippers on her feet, feeling a stinging heat around her eyes.
After Heloise climbed the stairs, Benedict slid into the back seat and lit up a cigarette.
The window rolled down slowly, smoke wafted out, and he looked up at the lit window above, his usually icy gaze rippling ever so slightly.
Quad hustled over, “Mr. Harrington.”
“Let’s go.”
Quad opened the driver’s door and settled himself in.
As the car left the complex, Benedict’s smoke–roughened voice was low and dark, “Got a good memory, huh?”
Quad was taken aback, his mind racing to Roderic. He knew Dr. Garcia was a big mouth. He should have kept his mouth shut on the phone when grilled about the whole mess!
“Mr. Harrington, I’m sorry.”
Benedict snorted coldly, “Quick to fess up. Starting tomorrow, you’re working at the front desk for a week. Have Rand follow me.” Quad was sweating bullets in a flash.
He knew he had the dapper look down, and since the company’s ladies couldn’t get a shot at Benedict, they threw their come–hither looks at him from a distance. But with Benedict around, they wouldn’t dare get too close. Stuck at the front desk tomorrow, wouldn’t he be chased around by those women?
Just the thought of that scene made Quad shiver, and he quickly begged for mercy, “Mr. Harrington, I am truly sorry.”
“Two weeks.”
“Mr. Harrington, I…”
“One month.”
Quad shut up.
The next day, Heloise bumped into Beverly while waiting for the elevator.
No wonder Rebecca always said Beverly’s style was getting more like hers. Just the other day Heloise had worn a one–piece dress with a thrown–over cardigan, and today Beverly had pulled something similar.
Beverly was in heels, just a tad taller than flat–shoed Heloise, “Looking spry today, Lise. No nightmares last night, I hope?”
Heloise eyed the jumping numbers in front of her. They’d laid their cards out on the table last night, so no more acting, “It’s the ones with a guilty conscience who have nightmares. You better watch out for yourself, Ms. Miller.”
Beverly sneered, “Got your claws into Benny with that sharp tongue of yours, didn’t you?”
“It’s a gift, Ms. Miller…” She paused on purpose, her gaze sweeping over Beverly’s outfit, a sly smile on her lips, “Some things just can’t be mimicked.”
The elevator dinged its arrival, and Heloise stepped aside, “After you, Ms. Miller.”
With a face that flipped from scowl to smile in a nanosecond, Beverly strode out of the elevator, her laughter meaningful as she brushed past Heloise, “Don’t get too comfy. In less than a month, I’ll be your sister–in–law.”
Not long after Heloise got back to her desk, Rebecca scurried over from the break room with a coffee in hand, “Heloise, did you screw up the deal last night?”
Rebecca had caught wind of the gossip in the break room and immediately came seeking Heloise. Heloise filled her in on the rough details, and Rebecca was livid, slamming the desk, “That dirty old man needs to get what’s coming to him!”
The phone rang, Heloise answered. It was from the CEO’s office.
“Ms. Beaumont, President Rockefeller would like to see you.”
