Kane

I’m having a working lunch in the board room with Seb, Harry, and Caleb.

Well, I say working lunch… Harry and Caleb are currently trying to shoot balls of paper into a basketball hoop stuck to the back of the door, and Seb and I are firing smaller balls at each other in a tabletop game of flick-soccer.

We are working, sort of--as we play, we’re talking about ideas for an advertising campaign for Hearktech’s new mobile phone--but, being guys, who are nothing more than grown up boys, we work better when we’re playing too.

“Goal!” Seb yells, flicking a paper ball under my arm.

“Fuck.” I retrieve it from the floor, have a bite of a sandwich, and prepare to start again. “Ready?” I flick it toward him. “I was thinking an advert for kids.”

“Kids?” Seb has a swig from a can of soda and flicks the ball back. “I think the phone is probably out of the price range of most five-year-olds.”

“Ha ha. I meant targeted toward parents, for their kids. I was thinking about your new app.” I nod toward Harry, who has developed a game to help kids read. “And I was watching Roxie’s boy play with Caleb’s phone the other day. I would think it’s quite common for a tablet or a phone to be used by both parents and children. We could market it that way.” I flick the ball back to Seb.

He catches it and studies me thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad point, actually.”

“Call it a phone for mums,” Harry says, turning to face us. “Great for keeping the kids occupied while you’re shopping or out for dinner.”

“That’s sexist,” Seb points out. “Could be dad taking them shopping.”

“As you’ll discover very soon,” Caleb tells Harry. We all chuckle as Harry gives him the finger. He and Gaby are apparently trying for a baby.

“I’m going to make some notes,” Harry says. “I might even target the app as a way to keep your kid occupied that’ll also help them learn.” He picks up his jacket and stalks from the room, his head already in another place.

“I’d better get back too.” Caleb throws the last ball of paper into the basket, sighs when he misses, and follows Harry out.

Seb starts gathering up the small balls of paper, while I collect the wrappers from the sandwiches and throw them in the trash.

“Harry’s going to be a terrible father,” Seb says. “He’ll be constantly leaving the kid in supermarkets and shopping malls and forgetting where it is.”

I laugh, because I know he’s joking. Harry loves Gaby to bits, and I’m sure he won’t let any baby they have out of his sight.

“How are things going with Elen?” Seb asks out of the blue.

I raise my eyebrows, surprised by the turn of the conversation. I wasn’t even sure that Seb knew Elen and I were seeing each other. We’ve kept it to ourselves, or tried to, anyway, and she’s not mentioned that she’s told him. Then again, they’re brother and sister, so maybe they talk more than I think they do.

“Good,” I say. I scoop some crumbs up in my hand. “I think.” I hesitate, wondering whether to confide in him. Generally, opening your heart to other men isn’t the done thing for dudes, but I’m worried about Elen, and it would be nice to talk to someone who has some insight into what she might be thinking.

I open my mouth to say something, but at that moment the door opens and Seb’s secretary, Tania, comes in.

“Excuse me,” she says. “I’m very sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Peters is here asking for Ms. Wright.” She looks worried. “He’s holding flowers.”

I glance at Seb, confused. “Who?”

“Danny Peters,” Seb says. “Elen’s ex.” He gets to his feet. “I’ll handle this.”

He goes out, Tania behind him. I hesitate, knowing I should keep out of it, but I can’t stop myself following them. I have to see the man for myself.

He’s standing by Tania’s desk. I can immediately see what a couple he and Elen must have made. He’s wearing an expensive dark-gray tailor-made suit, and he looks Italian, or half Italian at least, suave and handsome, with dark, expressive eyes. He’s talking to a couple of staff members, and as I watch, he gestures hello to someone else further down the corridor. He’s obviously spent some time here.

I hate him immediately.

“Seb!” He holds out his hand. “Good to see you.”

“Dan.” Seb shakes his hand automatically. “Elen’s not here. She’s at lunch with friends.”

Danny blows out a breath and looks at Tania. “Can you tell me where? I’d like to surprise her.”

Tania clearly doesn’t know what to say, and she just looks from Seb to me, her cheeks reddening. Danny follows her eyes, runs his gaze up and down me, and obviously dismisses me just as quickly. He looks back at Seb, puzzled.

“I don’t think so,” Seb says.

The smile fades from Danny’s face. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t think she wants to see you,” Seb clarifies.

Danny shrugs. “You know what we’re like. Off again, on again. I thought she might have cooled down by now.” Impatience flickers on his face.

“I think you’re likely to stay off again,” Seb advises. “You’re not going to be able to talk her around this time.”

Danny gives a wry, knowing smile, and I know he’s thinking about kissing her, or worse. “She always says that. She’s always wrong.”

For the first time in my life, I think, I understand what the phrase ‘seeing red’ means. Unable to stop myself, I walk up to them. “I think you should leave.”

Danny turns his dark eyes on me. “And what fucking business is it of yours?”

“He’s right,” Seb says, thank God. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me where Elen is.” His stare dares us to force him to leave.

He’s a big guy, bigger than me, although Sebastian has an inch or two on him. Between us, we could probably take him, I think.

Then I remind myself that we’re not in high school, we’re all wearing suits, and we’re at work, possibly with clients and/or investors somewhere in the building.

But more importantly than that, I don’t know whether Elen would want to see him. Yeah, we’ve been dating for the past few weeks, but it has crossed my mind whether she would want Danny back, if he were to ask her.

And now I’ve told her to think about our future, and whether she’s prepared to have a life without children. What if she sees Danny, and decides, like Jen, that having kids is more important than being with me?

“I’ll tell her you called,” Seb says, “but I’d like you to leave. Don’t make me call security.”

Danny glares at him, looks at me, then goes to walk around us, toward Elen’s office. I step to the side, blocking his way.

“Out of my way, boy,” he snaps.

I stiffen. “Excuse me?” I haven’t been called boy since I was fifteen.

He glares at me, then tips his head to the side. His lips curl upward. “Ohhh… She’s gotten herself a new toy to play with, has she?” His gaze slides down me again, no doubt taking note of my off-the-peg suit, then back up, turning into a sneer. “She’s buying cheap and nasty now.”

“I came in a ‘buy two, get one free deal,’” I tell him. “Now fuck off.”

“I’ll speak clearly, seeing as you’re obviously a bit slow,” he says, enunciating his words. “I’m not going until I see Elen.”

“I’m here.” Her voice sounds from behind me. “What do you want?”

My heart hammers. Shit. Well, this is crunch time. At least after this I’ll know whether the relationship we started has any hope of going on.