Читать книгу For Better Or Worse - Jill Amy Rosenblatt - Страница 19

Elizabeth sat across from Nick at a small secluded table; the lovers’ table. Nick appeared tired, worn down from eighteen-hour days sequestered in a data room at his firm, working on Parker’s latest hostile takeover. A late-night dinner was all the time they could steal before he returned to the office. Elizabeth found herself stifling the urge to yawn.

“C’mon,” he said, holding up a forkful of her lobster ravioli. “I have to keep you fed. I’m responsible for you.”

She opened her mouth. He waited, then leaned over to take a kiss, and she was instantly flooded with thoughts of Ian—the strength of his arms around her, his scent. A pang of guilt shot through her. Nothing happened, she reminded herself. Nothing. Strictly platonic.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Elizabeth bracing herself for the customary quiz that made their relationship a natural extension of their work. Tonight she felt unusually impatient. She didn’t want to talk about it.

“I heard that Adam is moving on. What’s your next move?”

Elizabeth grimaced. She had succeeded in creating a leaner operation. But she hadn’t banked on a second star consultant moving on to other opportunities. It was a blow she hadn’t expected. “We’re still on target with our quotas.”

“But—”

Elizabeth nodded. “The revenue growth plan is going to be fine, Nick.”

Nick laughed. “You just showed you’re a novice, kid. Nothing is ever fine. What about Ken Mitkey?”

Elizabeth felt her temper flare. “Mitkey is just ducky. His blood pressure is normal and I think he had steak for dinner last night. I don’t care what Kenneth Mitkey’s doing.”

“If you want to come out on top, you damn well need to care, Liz. Mitkey is your competition. Always has been, always will be. He was passed over for your job, and he wanted it. You need to have one eye on what you’re doing and one eye on what he’s doing, because you bet your ass that’s what he’s doing.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “He’s busy with the investment banking side.”

Nick took her hand. “Liz, I worry about you. You’re not one-on-one with clients anymore. You’re the linebacker facing the front four, head on.”

“I know. But it’s very possible I may know how to do this. Mitkey is scrambling. There’s talk of a restructuring; Saunders may have already started a work group to discuss it.”

Nick laughed. “I stand corrected; if Saunders has done that, Mitkey’s screwed. Those are nothing more than bitch sessions looking for ways to take a guy out. Listen, be specific when you talk to Saunders; never be vague with the boss. He needs to know where you’re coming from. Remember, kid, he could invite you out to a nice dinner like this on a Tuesday and fire you on Wednesday. Way it goes, babe. It’s a zero sum game, remember that.”

Suddenly anxiety gripped her; a common occurrence these days. She knew Nick cared for her and this was his way of showing it, like a husband who says I love you to his wife by building her a new set of kitchen cabinets. He needed to feel he was helping her, solving her problems. But he wasn’t, he was making her more nervous and she felt that no matter where she was, she never left the office.

“Now, isn’t it time we get to the most important point—us. I’m sorry we haven’t had any time lately. What have you been up to?”

She experienced another momentary guilty flashback about the night at Ian’s loft but immediately pushed it away. “I have to admit my indiscretion,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “I’ve been spending time with Kenneth Mitkey.”

He laughed and leaned over, giving her a kiss. “I’m pushing to wrap up this takeover by Labor Day. I have something special planned for the holiday.”

“I look forward to it,” she heard herself say, knowing there was a kernel of truth in there. He was steady, dependable, solid. He was the man she’d been searching for her whole life. She focused all her attention on him, giving him a smile. He is the right one.