All eyes are on me, and after I help myself to some coffee and a Danish, I figure I may as well get the ball rolling.
There’s a lot of empty seats around the boardroom table and I announce that’s how I’d like to keep things.
I ask for an update on what exactly happened but lose interest just as quickly. It’s like they already said, a whole bunch of crooks using my company as a platform to line their own pockets and break every financial law known to man.
I’m looking over some data and figures when I sense Chrissy walking in, nervous until she sees her dad who she takes a seat next to.
And right next to me, of course, which makes me even happier but I deliberately keep my eyes elsewhere. As hard as it is, I have to stay focused otherwise how else is she gonna manage things if I’m always ogling her?
When I sense she’s not looking, I catch a few glances. I can see she’s concerned, but not upset I haven’t even mentioned the outfit that makes me want to groan out loud and take her from behind over the boardroom table…
She sits patiently, and her dad does a stellar job of updating me, and the legal and security guys have nothing but news for me. It could be weeks, months even before we know the full extent of how long and exactly how much money’s been misappropriated.
Before I know it the coffee’s gone cold and the tired look even more tired before lunchtime rolls around.
Puffing out air, I call a break, and everyone except Chrissy seems relieved and gets up to leave the room, have a stretch, but I reach under the table and hold her thigh firmly in my hand.
“You stay here,” I command, feeling her shiver under my touch as her thighs open, and I let my hand slide up, finally resting where I’ve been thinking about for the past few hours.
“What are you going to do, about the company I mean?” she asks, resting her hand on mine.
“I’ve been thinking,” I tell her with a devilish grin I can’t hide anymore.
“About your internship,” I add, watching her brow peak with interest.
“Starting pretty high up,” I reassure her, figuring now’s as good a time as any.
Taking the little velvet box from my jacket pocket, relieved it didn’t spill out last night.
“How high up?” she asks dreamily, leaning over and making me shiver now, giving me that look I never want to change when she sees me.
“Well,” I ponder out loud, slipping the box in front of her without her seeing. “Queen of Logan Industries is a little lofty, not sure the business world is ready for that, but how about ‘President’ of Logan Industries?”
Her eyes widen, and then she frowns, trying to take in what I’ve just said.
“I’ll be CEO still…” Whatever that means anymore, “…but I want you to be President and your dad to run things with you as Vice President. Lawyer boys out there can be treasurers and do all the boring legal stuff, security can be security, but you… I want you to have an equal say in everything. An equal share too,” I add, letting my eyes dip to focus on the box.
Her eyes follow mine and I can tell it hasn’t clicked.
“What’s this?” she asks innocently.
“The key,” I tell her, feeling my heart in my throat, suddenly panicked by the thought she might not even say yes.
“I don’t know how to run a company,” she confesses, and I take her hand in mine and press it to my lips softly.
“I’ll show you how,” I promise her, wishing she’d open the damned box.
“Mrs.… Chrissy… Parker?” I add as if I need to spell it out for her.
Her eyes widen and I watch her hands tremble as she opens the box. The light from the brilliant diamonds set in the ring catching in her eyes.
“I didn’t want it to be a rushed decision yesterday, you having only known me for a day,” I tell her, feeling relief when I see it finally register in her eyes exactly what I’m asking.
“I would’ve said yes the minute I met you, Logan,” she tells me, tears welling in her eyes and I know I’ve won.
I’ve got the only thing in this life that matters to me anymore.
The company, the board… all the problems I would have told myself I had before yesterday really are meaningless.
“Can we start my internship with a holiday?” she asks, and I nod frantically, glad she’s got her priorities straight.
“I just want time with you Logan, nothing more right now… just...the two of us,” she says, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Epilogue
Six months later
Chrissy
“I dunno, I think he looks pretty good,” I casually mention to Logan, who grunts, lowering his financial newspaper long enough to catch a glimpse of my dad giving a press conference on the huge plasma screen, assuring investors their new share price in stock is guaranteed for a long time, no more crooks at Logan industries.
“Not bad,” Logan smirks. “For a guy who didn’t want to be in public relations.”
“He’s only calling every other hour now too,” I joke, and we both laugh.
“He does love it though, doesn’t he?” he asks, and I nod.
“I’ve never heard him so happy. It’s like he’s got a new lease on life,” I say, looking out over the side of the yacht.
“And the shares are being snapped up!” I add, snatching his paper from him and putting my pouted lips in its place, ready for him to kiss me.
Logan laughs and leans in, but I double over, having to rush to the side of the yacht and throw up.
Again.
Logan’s hand is on my back, rubbing it in a second.
“That’s it! I’ll have Simon take us ashore, and we’re heading home. You’ve been sick for a week, Chrissy and it’s not seasickness. I’m really worried now.”
I open my mouth to say something, annoyed when
