get involved in his employees’ personal lives. Made for a quagmire in the office. Better that everyone kept their personal lives personal.
“No surprise there,” she muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He scowled at her. “And if you’re still planning on having Georgia take over for you while you’re on your honeymoon, think again. Arrange with a temp agency to send someone here who’ll be able to get the job done without costly mistakes.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she said, slinging her purse off her shoulder and heading for her desk.
Jefferson laughed shortly and followed her. “It’s very necessary. You’ll be gone four weeks, and Georgia running this office is unacceptable—not to mention impossible.”
“No,” Caitlyn said as she pulled out her desk chair and booted up her computer. “What I meant was, it won’t be necessary to call a temp agency. I won’t be leaving, after all.”
Frowning, Jefferson walked around her desk, watching her as she set the cover letter down and prepared to retype it. It was only then he noticed that the diamond she’d worn for the last six months was missing from her left hand. This then was the reason for the hard day.
Damn it.
He scrubbed one hand across the back of his neck. He didn’t want to know about her personal life. He preferred keeping business business. If she hadn’t asked for four weeks off for a honeymoon, he might never have known that Caitlyn was getting married at all.
And now it seemed that not only wasn’t the wedding happening but now that she’d brought it up, he was going to be forced into talking about it.
“What happened to the honeymoon?”
“Can’t have one without a wedding,” she quipped brightly, but managed to avoid looking up at him.
What was one supposed to say at a time like this anyway? Sorry? Congratulations? That would be more to his way of thinking. Why anyone would want to get married and link themselves forever to one human being who would no doubt batter them with complaints and whining for the rest of their lives was beyond Jefferson.
Still, better not to offer those particular thoughts. “So it’s off.”
“That would be a yes,” she said, and clicked her mouse to open the word-processing program on her computer.
Apparently he’d been wrong. She had no more interest in talking about her ex than he had in listening to it. God knew that made his life easier. Yet, he couldn’t help wondering why she wasn’t eager to discuss it in detail.
In his experience, females liked nothing better than boring men into comas discussing their feelings, their needs, their desires, their complaints. Clearly, Caitlyn was an exception to that rule.
One eyebrow lifting, he watched as her small, efficient hands moved over the keyboard like a concert pianist’s. Smooth, fast, she was finished in moments and hitting the print button. As a fresh sheet of paper slid from the printer, she reached over, plucked it up and handed it to him.
“There. Crisis averted.”
He studied it briefly, nodded at the change made, then looked at her again. Whatever the reason behind the cancellation of her wedding, she seemed to be handling it well. For which he was grateful. He didn’t want a weeping woman hanging about the office. He wanted his life, his world to travel on in the same way it always had. Seamlessly.
“Thanks.”
She nodded, turned off the computer and gathered up her purse again. “If that’s all, I’m taking off.”
“Fine,” he said, stepping back, already headed back for his office. Then something occurred to him and he stopped on the threshold and looked at her. “Since you’re not getting married, after all, I’m assuming you’ll be available for the trip to Portugal.”
“What?”
Walking into his office, Jefferson kept talking, assuming—rightly—that she would be following after him. “We leave in three weeks. I want to check out the new cruise ship in person. I’ll need you there with me. And since your plans have changed, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be there.”
He sat behind his desk, set the new cover letter atop the official offer and leaned back in his chair as she approached. His gaze narrowed as he noticed the flash of fire in her eyes and the tight slash of her mouth.
“That’s it?” she said. “That’s all you’ve got to say.”
“About what?”
“About my not getting married.”
“What more should I say?”
“Oh,” she countered, “nothing at all.” But her tone clearly indicated she’d expected something more.
“If you’re looking for my condolences, fine. You have them.”
“Wow.” She slapped one hand to her chest and widened her eyes in feigned shock. “That was just so heartfelt, Jefferson. Wait just a minute while I catch my breath.”
“I beg your pardon?” Standing up now, he faced her and watched as thoughts, emotions churned across the surface of her eyes. In the years they had worked together Caitlyn had never become emotional. Sarcastic, yes. But she’d kept their relationship as businesslike as he had. Until just this moment.
“You’re not sorry at all. You’re just glad that I’ll be at your beck and call.”
“You’re always at my beck and call,” he pointed out, not sure exactly where the anger was coming from.
“Oh, for god’s sake. I am, aren’t I?” she asked, staring at him as though she’d never seen him before.
“Why wouldn’t you be?” Straightening up, he laid both hands atop his desk.
“You’re right,” she said. “That’s my job. And I’m good at it. Too good, probably, which is why this is so twisted and messed up now. But Peter was so wrong.”
“Peter? Who’s Peter?”
“My fiancé.” She shot him a withering glance. “My god, I was engaged to the man for six months and you didn’t even know his name.”
“Why would I know the damned man’s name?” Jefferson asked, shoving his hands into his slacks pockets. This conversation was taking a turn he didn’t care for.
“Because,” she pointed out, glaring at him, “in human cultures, it’s considered normal behavior to be interested in your fellow workers.”
He snorted. “You’re not a fellow worker,” he pointed out. “You’re my employee.”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. “And that’s it?”
“What more is there?”
