Chapter 22
Jackson
When I walk back into my living room, Jim hands me a glass of bourbon.
“Thanks.”
“It looks like you need it,” he says.
I nod. “I fucked up with Corrine—big time.” I take a deep pull on my drink. “I won’t lie, until all this started a few weeks ago, I was very strict about our employer/employee relationship. I thought she was pretty, but that’s where I stopped. She’s an incredible assistant. Because of her, I was able to get our patent application in place and get funding for a new product we’re working on. She’s positively invaluable.”
I drain what’s left of my glass and look out across the bay. Jim sits back and listens.
“You know she’s nothing like any of the women I date. She’s naturally beautiful. Did you know she calls the women I’ve been out with Barbies and flotation devices?”
He smirks.
“I didn’t see Corrine until all this mess with someone tormenting her started. But now I can’t unsee her. She’s amazing. I need her in my life.”
Jim nods. “I understand. I’ve been there. I thought I’d die a bachelor. Now I’m getting married to an amazing woman.”
“But I fucked up. Valerie, a woman I was involved with briefly, and mostly for work purposes, asked to see me. She wanted to meet for dinner, and I pushed back because I already had plans with Corrine. But she insisted—said her boss had put her brother up to something that led to him being arrested and jailed. So, I agreed to meet her for drinks. And I didn’t tell Corrine why I had to change my plans with her. Once I got to the bar, I quickly realized this woman had not been honest when she set up our meeting, but of course, as I’m trying to escape, Corrine walks in.”
“Did she follow you?”
“No, she was truly shocked to see me. Did you know there are over eight hundred establishments that sell liquor in the City? I looked it up. How could we possibly have ended up at the same one? I immediately went to her. She was upset, but I only knew because her hand trembled. We were already struggling to sort out our relationship after the trip, and in that moment, everything that had happened between us was gone. A wall went up. Then this shit happened.”
“Tell me more about Valerie,” Jim said. “We checked her out, but maybe we missed something.”
“She works for an environmental startup called Organic Energy. She’s in marketing, and we met at a trade show in Las Vegas. We’ve been out a few times, but it was more professional than personal.”
“What did she want to talk to you about?” Jim probes.
“She said her boss had information on Soleil from her brother, so I was going to meet her to find out what she had. He would have met with me, but he was in jail, and she thought I needed to know as soon as possible, hinting that maybe I could use the information to get him out of jail. The bar we went to was close to her office. I forgot I’d run into Corrine there before.”
“With Valerie?”
I nod. “I don’t deny I was a total shit for not telling Corrine why I was breaking our dinner plans, but fuck! It was supposed to be business. Only it looked like a date, mostly because Valerie wanted a date and used that story as a ploy to meet me.”
“Send me her contact information. We’ll run a background check on her again and maybe do a face-to-face interview.”
I nod.
Jim stands. “We need to figure out our next steps. I don’t think Corrine should go back to Houston, but that may not be our call. For now, though, she can’t be in San Francisco.”
That’s not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear that Corrine should remain under my roof—even if it was my guest room. But who am I kidding? I can’t force my way into working this out with Corrine.
“When do you want to meet tomorrow?” I ask Jim.
“Since it’s Saturday, I’ve promised to take a quick trip to the farmers market with my fiancée.” He thinks a moment. “Let’s meet at my place for lunch. Corrine can hang out with Kate, and we can make it a little less formal. If we have to put her into deep hiding, we can do that, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“I agree.” After I show him out, I send him Valerie’s information, return to the living room, and pour myself another glass of bourbon. I have several ideas that may work for Corrine, but nothing I come up with has her working in the office, and she refuses to stay here—except when she has to. That leaves a gaping hole both at work and in my heart.
***
At some point, I went to bed last night. I didn’t sleep well. I’m worried about Corrine, and that doesn’t seem to work for me.
When I wake, though, I smell bacon and coffee. I walk out in pajama bottoms, a T-shirt in my hands, and find Gabby and Corrine in the kitchen, talking in hushed tones.
They stop talking when I come in. Gabby’s jaw drops, and Corrine stares. I admit that my desire to lure Corrine back into my bed has crossed my mind this morning, so I’m reminding her of my physical prowess, which she seems to like. I see her nipples pebble beneath her shirt, so my cheap shot worked. I put my shirt on, so things aren’t obscene.
“We were just talking about what Corrine wants to do,” Gabby informs me. I can tell by her tone she isn’t crazy about the plan.
“There’s a great
