CHAPTER FOUR
Isaac
I shift from one foot to the other while I wait for the meeting to start. The clients are late. So much for me being on time. Now I have to stand around like a teenager and wait for them. I check the time. They’re already ten minutes behind schedule.
What’s happening at home? Is that new nanny smart enough to do what I told her to do? Her face flashes before my eyes one more time, but I immediately push it away. I don’t need or want any woman in my life, especially not an attractive one. Women are the bane of my existence.
I concentrate on the numbers I’m supposed to present. That will take my mind off anything. While I’m standing there, Connor Armstrong comes into the room. He looks right and left. “Where is everybody?”
I smack my lips. “Don’t ask me. Maybe they decided to stop off at the hairdresser’s. How am I supposed to know where anybody is?”
He laughs out loud. That guy could laugh at his own funeral. I don’t see anything funny around here, but his laughter always put me at ease. That’s why he’s been my best friend for over twenty years. Then again, maybe it’s because he can laugh at me, too, that he’s stuck it out so long. He’s the only person who can take my insults and laugh at them.
He crosses to the podium, but I can’t stop pacing. “Don’t worry about this, man. You’re gonna knock it out of the park like you always do. You’ve got these people in your back pocket.”
I wave my hand toward the stack of notes. “I’m not worried about that. I can do that with my eyes closed.”
He puts his head on one side. “No? Then what is worrying you?”
I spin away. That guy can read my mind. “Nothing.”
A low chuckle touches my ear from behind. “Come on, man. Quit fooling. Something’s bothering you, or you wouldn’t be pacing around like a hungry bear before a meeting like this. I think I know you well enough to recognize the signs. What happened to throw you off?”
I pace back the other way with my hands on my hips. I want to keep quiet and tell him nothing’s wrong, but when I get near him, it just sort of jumps out of my mouth by itself. “It’s Jade. She’s up to her old tricks. She just called me up to say she’s coming after Ivy again.”
Connor stiffens. He’s not my best friend for nothing. “Holy crap.”
I nod and pace back the other way. I look all around the room, but I don’t see anything in front of me. “We got this new nanny coming in this morning. She’s home with Ivy right now.”
Connor brightens up. “Oh, so you’re covered. You have nothing to worry about.”
I fly at him with both hands waving. “That’s just the thing. I called her to warn her about Jade coming around, but she didn’t listen. She didn’t take it seriously. I can’t trust her to keep Jade away if she tries something. I’m going crazy about what might be happening at home.”
Connor frowns. “That’s not so good, is it?”
“What am I gonna do?” I hiss. “I can’t go through with this meeting. I can’t concentrate. I have to get out of here and make sure everything’s okay.”
“You can’t leave, man,” Connor returns. “You’re the chief, and these clients won’t hear the figures from anyone but you. You would have to cancel the meeting and reschedule it.”
“I know that!” I cry. “That’s the whole problem.”
Just then, the clients start filing into the room. I compress my lips, but my mind roils in torment. This can’t be happening to me. I can’t lose it in front of them or I’m sunk.
Connor drops his voice to a whisper. He slices his finger toward the door. “Get out of here, man. I’ll cover for you.”
I brace my shoulders. “No. I’ve got to do this.”
The clients walk up to us, and the chief sticks out his hand. “Good to see you again, Mr. Gibbs. I’m so looking forward to working with you, and I hear you have some exciting figures to share with us today.”
I force a smile and shake his hand. “Thank you, Sir. I certainly hope you’re as happy with the figures as I am. Now if you’d like to take a seat, we can get started.”
He withdraws. Connor leans toward me. “You’re the man. You can do this.”
I grimace through my bared teeth. “I’ll kill her for this. I swear to God I will.”
He slaps my shoulder. “It’ll be all right. She just called you. She won’t try anything the same day. She’s not that evil.”
I nod, but I’m too worked up to answer. I can’t speak at all, so how in the blazes am I gonna get through this flamin’ meeting?
The clients arrange themselves around the chief. They sit in a semi-circle facing me. They smile and chit-chat while they wait for…something. My own people come in behind them, and they sit around watching me, too. Everyone hangs on what I’m gonna do next. Now if I could only figure out what I’m gonna do next, I’d be all set.
I take a deep breath. I’ve got nothing left to do but start the presentation. I just have to put Jade and Ivy and Kira Malone and everything else out of my mind. I turn aside when Connor lays his hand on my arm. He murmurs into my ear. “Hey, man, how would it be if I zip around to your place, just to make sure everything’s under control?”
My eyes pop open. “You can’t do that. You’ve got to be here for this meeting, too. We planned this for weeks.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t have to be here. I’m just gonna sit around and listen to you, but you can email me the figures and I can go over them later so I’m up to speed. This is more important. You stay here and deliver the presentation. I’ll go to your house and make sure the nanny is okay. If Jade shows up, I’ll make sure she doesn’t leave until you come home.”
Blessed relief washes over me. All my anxiety pours out through my feet. “Would you really do that, man?”
“Of course.” He’s already turning away. “Don’t think anything more about it. I’ve got it under wraps. You handle this end, and I’ll take care of Jade.”
I stare at him, and a lump sticks in my throat. I can barely get out the words. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”
“Forget it. What are friends for?”
He starts to walk away, but I can’t stop myself from grabbing him and pulling him into a bear hug. He slaps me on the back and laughs. Then he pushes me away and walks out the door.
I’m just as choked up now as I was before, but I’m so happy I can’t even speak. I fiddle with my notes to cover up the feelings. At least there’s one person in the world who still knows what’s what. I’m not completely alone, even if it seems that way sometimes.