Kathryn didn't open her eyes. “You're going to need a pen.”
I was in for a lot of work. But, at least it will keep your mind off Aiden, I told myself. Except, I knew there was nothing short of a coma that would keep me from thinking of him.
Chapter 20
“Did you get ahold of the reporter for the Houston Daily?” Kathryn asked.
“Yes, ma'am. I scheduled the official interview with Derek's secretary and had the reporter send his questions to her ahead of time,” I answered checking off another item on my list. If I didn't have a calendar in front of me I wouldn't have known what day it was we were so busy. I hadn't been home since the flight back, yet I remembered falling asleep on one of the couches in Kathryn's office at least twice.
“Good. What about the files for tomorrow-”
“I got those done too. They've been faxed and I checked with the courthouse that they were received,” I answered quickly. “Now, you need to get going. You have a meeting with the Mayor and if you are late or reschedule your secretary will skin me alive. She said I would have to handle all the phone calls from him and you don't pay me enough for that.”
I got up from my desk and handed her the suit jacket hanging on the wall behind me. I could tell she was still in emergency mode and was having a hard time leaving the office for anything short of a five-alarm fire. Considering we both were still wearing the same clothes from two days ago, I wasn't much better.
“Kathryn,” I said gently as I put the jacket in her hands. “I've got things under control for at least three hours. Derek has been in constant communication and Mr. Smith is practically trying to run the trial from his hospital bed. You can go to your lunch meeting. Besides, he's is going to be here any minute.”
She frowned. “But the-”
“No butts,” I told her firmly. “Lunch.”
Kathryn smiled as she shrugged into her jacket. “When'd you learn to be bossy? I thought I hired a mouse.”
“It's all the coffee,” I replied with a shrug as sat back at my desk to continue on my lists. The coffee was good, but it wasn't what was powering me through the days.
“Then remind me to get you more for Christmas,” she murmured as she pulled her hair out from under the stylish jacket. “I'll have my phone on the whole time. Call me immediately if anything changes.”
“Scout's honor,” I promised, holding up three fingers. “Have a good time.”
“It's just quick follow up with Gerald Hayes in my office before lunch.” Kathryn paused before leaving. “Lena?”
“Yeah?” I looked up, ready to add whatever she needed to my to-do list.
“I don't know what happened to you on that island, but whatever it was, you needed it.” She smiled, warming her features. “You did excellent work before we left, but you didn't take charge. Since we've been back, you've been a one-woman show. If it's the coffee giving you this spark, I'll buy you a year's supply.”
I beamed at the compliment. “I like the hazelnut flavor in the blue cups and I'm pretty sure the creamer in the fridge has something to do with it too.”
“You got it.” Kathryn laughed. She paused at my desk. “Before I go, I wanted you to know I sent in my letter of recommendation for you to Harvard.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“If they don't let you in, they're going to have a very unhappy supporting alumni.” She winked. “Though, I wouldn't mind if it means getting to keep you around the office a little while longer.”
“I really appreciate that, but you need to get in your office or he'll be there before you,” I warned her with a smile. “Don't make me call security on you.”
“There's that confidence again.” Kathryn glared good-naturedly at me. “Hazelnut in the blue cups it is.”
I looked up in time to see her swish into her office and start picking things up. I was doing my best to ignore the fact that she was having a meeting with Aiden's father. I kept telling myself that Gerald Hayes and Aiden Hayes were two entirely separate people and that arrival of one did not mean the other would show as well.
My coffee mug was only half empty, but I still had a lot of work to do and a full cup sounded like a good way to start. Before I left my desk though, I checked my phone and my email, just in case something new had come in.
There were a couple new interoffice notices, but nothing I wanted to see. Nothing from Aiden. It had been almost three days since our hasty departure and my heartfelt admission of love, but I hadn't heard a word from him.
The silence was what was fueling me, not the coffee.
I stood up and rolled my shoulders. I had been staring at my computer screen and on the phone all day and now I had nasty crick in my neck. I checked my inbox one last time before picking up my mug. Nothing.
I dumped my mug out into the sink and set it on the silver tray of the K-cup coffee machine before opening the cabinet to look at the coffee selection. The hazelnut flavored blue cups were gone, so I settled for a green morning blend instead. No, I thought to myself, it definitely wasn't the coffee.
I raised the silver handle to place the coffee pod in the machine. The coffee maker was certainly getting a workout this week. The entire office was staying late trying to catch up on the Dallas Disaster in addition to their regular workloads. Coffee pods were becoming rare commodities. There was a used K-cup inside, and so I reached in and grabbed it. The empty cup was still hot from the last user and it burned my fingers. I hissed, more from surprise than pain, and flung it into the trash.
Two and a half days. I had held out hope that there would be a message waiting for me when I stepped off the plane. I was sure there would be a phone call that evening. I had been positive that he would at least leave me a note on my desk the next day. But nothing came. A full day of nothing, followed by another. And still nothing today. It was time to accept that he was never going to say anything.
I sucked on my offended fingers as I finished making my coffee. I should have known that he wasn't going to follow me. I had told him I loved him after just three days. Any sane man would avoid a woman like that. Especially one with a playboy history like Aiden. I had been a fling. Something fun to pass the time at a boring convention.
It hurt, and not just my fingers. I couldn't help that I still loved him. I thought knowing the truth about him would change my feelings, but it didn't. The pictures on the internet were just pictures. I loved the man who brought me dinner, took me fishing, and got caught in the rain with me.