The Wrong Time Page 13

  “Georgia, could you please call the hospital. Find out if Mom is awake?” I ask, trying to think quickly. I need to have a conversation with my employees and now.

  “Of course.” She smiles before heading upstairs.

  I invite Darius and Basil to sit at the kitchen table while Lucy makes us all a coffee.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t bring Max along today, too. Make it a real ambush,” I quip.

  “Max stayed back to deal with a little bit of drama. Isabel, of course. She’s now claimed someone in HR is sexually harassing her. So, as you can see, this news that you’ve shared with us isn’t exactly coming at a good time. Max seems to think she’s after money for some reason.” Basil smiles at Lucy as she places our coffees on the table before coming back with a plate of freshly made biscuits.

  “That wouldn’t surprise me… at all,” I agree.

  “Word around the office is that she’s living with Zac, and she’s paying for his rehab. So, she needs cash,” Darius says.

  “I don’t like office gossip, you know that, but in many ways, I hope it’s true. Zac needs professional help, and if Isabel can get him that help, then that’s wonderful in my eyes.” They don’t know how close to home this has hit.

  As much as Zac was a dick, I do hope he’s getting some kind of help.

  “Yeah, I do, too,” Darius agrees. “She’s barking up the wrong tree if she wants money from the company, though.” Basil sits there, no expression on his face, shoveling cookie after cookie into his mouth. It’s the last thing he should be doing with his latest cholesterol reading.

  “Keep me posted on how that situation goes, either factual or hearsay. But come on… I know both of you must have had an inkling that Georgia and I were together?”

  “All honesty… yeah, I did,” Darius says.

  “Seriously, dude?” Basil asks, looking stunned as he struggles to keep the mouthful of sugary goodness contained.

  Darius nods. “It wasn’t her. Georgia’s good at keeping things a secret. It was you, Adam. The way you looked at her was a little too obvious. It reminded me of how I look at Stephanie, so that’s how I knew.” A pink blush washes over his face. It’s great that after so many years of marriage and kids, Darius and Steph are as madly in love as when they first met.

  “Well, I was oblivious…” Basil adds. “My main concern here is that Georgia is distracting you from your work. You seem less focused, taking days off whenever you feel the need. It’s not like you.”

  Darius’ eyes bulge from his head like he’s seen a ghost.

  Before I can even speak or twist in my seat, I know she’s standing behind us.

  Georgia’s voice breaks the silence, “Your mom isn’t awake yet, Adam.”

  I make eye contact with her, and I can see how upset she is as she tries to blink away the tears in her eyes. “I’m a distraction, am I? Tell me what you really think, Basil.” Her voice croaks while trying to get the sentence out. Georgia turns and flees, running straight past Lucy and almost knocking her flying with a stack of towels in her arms. She calls, “Sorry,” over her shoulder before pulling the front door open and running out of the house.

  Basil can’t even manage a word. Each word he tried to vocalize becomes a stuttering mess.

  I push back on my chair, knocking it over. I lean toward Basil, and growl, “You better not have cost me my girl,” before I turn and chase after her.

  Running out the front door, I stop when I hit the path, looking left and right, but she’s nowhere to be seen. My hands fly up to my hair, and I grab a chunk in each hand, pulling in frustration. I let out a scream before falling to my knees.

  Fucking jerks. I should fire them both on the spot for the way they’ve treated Georgia. Darius hasn’t been as bad, but Basil can go fuck himself. After everything we’ve been through, surely, she wouldn’t walk out on me because of a random comment from a work colleague.

  “Adam,” a sweet voice comes from down the path. Georgia steps out from behind one of the trees.

  “Georgia,” I cry, rushing toward her. “I thought you’d run away on me.” My heart leaps back into position, relieved that she’s still here. I can tell she’s been crying, her mascara has smudged, the black makeup leaving a noticeable trail on her pale face.

  “I wasn’t running away from you. I’d never run from you, but I needed to get as far away from Basil as possible, though. What he said was beyond hurtful. Is that how you see me, too? A distraction?” A sob escapes her mouth, but she quickly reins it in.

  “Georgia, I don’t see you as anything but the most amazing, beautiful, kind-hearted person I’ve ever met. I never thought I’d get to experience this level of love, but I’m blessed to have found you.” The more I think about how much I love this woman, the bigger my smile grows.

  “I love you, too. But if Basil sees me as a distraction, then maybe others will see me that way as well. You haven’t made much money in the last couple of months, which is when we met. Maybe we met each other at the right place, but it’s just the wrong time. Well, the wrong time in your life, anyway. I know it was the right time in mine.” She drops her head and taps her shoe, flattening the crushed rocks underfoot.

  “Look at me,” I ask, but she ignores me. “Georgia! Look at me.” I hook my index finger under her chin and gently lift her head to meet my gaze. “We are going to go back inside, holding hands, hugging, or fucking making out. I don’t care which. Basil will apologize for making you feel like shit, and they are just going to have to accept that we’re together.”

  “I don’t think they will.” Tears start to form in the corner of her eyes.

  I cup her cheek, using my thumb to wipe them away. I hate seeing her cry. She’s shed more than her fair share of tears throughout her life, and now is the time for me to make her joyfully happy. She deserves nothing less than pure happiness.

  “If they don’t, it’s their problem. Hell, if I have to prove to them how serious I am about you, I’ll sell the company, sweep you off your feet, fly you to Vegas, and marry you without even thinking about it.”

  A smile grows on her face before she lets out a little giggle. I pull her into my arms, hugging her tight, letting her know exactly how I feel. She’s my everything. Georgia and Mom are the two most important people in my life.

  Our hug and moment are interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

  After letting Georgia go, I spin around to see Darius standing a few steps away from us, his fist still against his mouth, and a sheepish looking Basil standing a few steps behind him.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Darius begins. “But we’d like to apologize to you both.”

  I grimace at the suggestion but nod. It’s the least these two can do.

  Georgia takes a step forward, not letting them continue with their apology. “What you said to me today was hurtful. I don’t deserve that. I’ve been nothing but nice to you both, and I was starting to think we were becoming friends, too.”

  “We were, Georgia, we—” Darius is cut off by Georgia, who’s raising her hand.

  “Just let me finish, please. What’s between Adam and me isn’t a fling or something quick and nasty. This is real. You’ve known of me for a long time. It’s not like I’ve come out of nowhere. You worked with Dad, you knew me as a teen. I was never reckless.”

  “We know that, Georgia. Your dad would be proud of the amazing young woman you’ve become. I guess we were both worried about the company and Adam’s well-being. After Connie, we don’t want him hurt again.”

  “Georgia’s not Connie,” I add, and the guys nod.

  I admire Georgia for standing up for me like this. It takes guts to speak to people in this way, especially defending someone.

  Another reason why I love her.

  “Surely, you both had hopes for Adam meeting someone, one day? He’s not just the company and all about the work. He’s your friend, first and foremost, and his happiness should matter to you both.”

  Basil steps n
ext to Darius. “It does, Georgia. When Adam told us earlier, I thought it was a fling. Nothing serious. Maybe a little fun with his personal assistant.”

  “Basil,” I exclaim as Georgia gasps at what he says.

  “All right, poor choice of words, but let me finish. After seeing how you both are together, and how he chased you out of the house, that told me this is a lot more serious than I first thought. Georgia, I apologize for upsetting you. My mouth ran off before my brain caught up.” Basil takes a step toward Georgia, his hand outreached to shake hers.

  Instead, Georgia takes another step toward Basil and pulls him in for a hug. You can tell he doesn’t know what to do. Georgia’s a hugger, just as her father was.

  I smile at the gesture. I’m sure it’ll take Georgia a little while to get over what he’s said, but this is a step in the right direction, and I’m proud of her. She’s not holding onto those negative feelings and bottling them up. She’s working to move past them.

  After she lets go of Basil, she sidesteps and hugs Darius too.

  Darius laughs before saying, “Just like Ed.”

  I nod, then check the time on my watch and explain to the guys that I need to get back and see Mom. Initially, I was worried that both Darius and Basil knew about Georgia and me, but now I’m relieved, and it’s like a small weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

  I don’t believe it will have a negative impact at work. If anything, shouldn’t seeing your boss happy be a good thing for a company?

  Georgia

  My hand gripping onto my old cell, I tap my thumb on the blank screen several times, trying to work out a way of getting out of meeting with my mom.

  I agreed to meet up with her at the place Adam suggested, Dales on Monroe, today. She had sent me several texts over the previous days practically begging me to meet with her, and I’ve caved in. There’s a really small part of me that believes a heart does beat inside her chest somewhere, it’s just covered by thick, black evil. Perhaps it’s trying to make its way out now, or probably more likely she’s after something.

  Either way, I’ll meet with her and see how things progress from there. I’m not putting pressure on myself to form any sort of relationship with Mom. A part of me has only just moved past her taking Alfred’s side instead of mine when he tried to get in my pants. I’ll never forgive her for that, but Ashleigh says I need to move past that if I’m even to meet her for a coffee.

  I’m not meeting her until later this afternoon, so I’m in the office being a good personal assistant for Adam right now. He’s been working hard to fix up the mess with the Padney Garry clients and trying to schmooze his way back into their good graces.

  These clients love to be fussed over, and given that Adam has been given the task of not only separating the original company into four lots, he’s also been told to sell off the fourth part to the highest bidder. It’s big money and will be a real boost for both Adam and the company.

  Adam’s taking them out for dinner tonight to the Lighthouse Restaurant, a five-star venue about twenty minutes from here. Hopefully, after this, there’ll be no more wining and dining these people, and we can finish the deal.

  Darius, Johanna, Basil, and Max are also going. Adam invited me along, but I declined, deciding that it’d look best if I don’t go. Plus, I’m not sure what frame of mind I’ll be in after a coffee with my mom.

  I’m considering a visit to Beverley today too, depending on how things go. She’s back in her nursing home now, and we’ve noticed she’s a lot more coherent since they’ve tweaked her medications again. Initially, she didn’t cope too well with being in the hospital. She was like a scared child. But after a few lucid moments, and a couple of lovely nurses who were assigned to her, she calmed down, allowing them to explain the medication and set her arm in plaster.

  Beverley does need to be constantly reminded that she broke her wrist and will be in a cast for the next six weeks. I wrote it down in large letters for her and stuck it to the wall on the opposite side of the bed, and we’ve been told it’s been helpful.

  I’m enjoying visiting her. When she’s with us, she’s so sweet and welcomes me with open arms. It’s hard to see Adam’s reaction when she’s not entirely there, or she fades away again. It must be so difficult to see the woman who raised you, not recognize you, or constantly call you your father’s name. When she has her not-so-good days, it takes Adam a little while to unwind when we get home. He hates that he can’t do anything to rid his mother of this disease.

  I can’t really do much to help both Adam and Beverley besides brush her hair and listen to both of them talk. Beverley does love the television show Friends, and I’m more than happy to sit and watch it with her. It’s been good getting to know her. I just wish I was able to know her before this disease ravaged her brain.

  Beverley commented to me when I last visited her, which has stuck with me. “If you do each thing that the Friend’s characters were known for, you’ll have a very happy life, and it’ll be even happier because you have Adam.”

  Later that night, I looked up the characters’ traits. Eat like Joey. Cook like Monica. Dress like Rachel. Live like Phoebe. Care like Ross. And laugh like Chandler. Beverley has told me to live my best life possible and not care about what anyone else says, and I definitely agree it’ll be better because of Adam.

  After going into Adam’s office and taking the lunch orders—today they’ve all asked for McDonald’s—and ordering it through Uber Eats, I ring to confirm the dinner reservation before deciding to have a quick bite of lunch before their lunch arrives.

  Adam will hate the thought of McDonald’s because he’s not a massive fan. I’m sure he’d much rather one of Lucy’s pasta dishes like I have today over the burger he’s ordered. Lucky for him, I’ve ordered the burger the way he prefers—extra salad, no cheese, and a bottle of water instead of cola.

  The clients asked for fast food for lunch yesterday too, and early this morning, Adam joked that he’d need to do a few hours in the gym just to work off those excess calories he’s consuming. Of course, he said that he knew another workout he’d enjoy much more. I rolled my eyes at the comment. It’s not like we don’t get enough exercise doing that whenever we feel the need.

  Just after lunch, Suellen, the sister of the group of siblings, leaves after a phone call from her child’s school, leaving the two brothers to finish what they had to do. Although by early afternoon, they decide to leave, so they can collect their wives before the dinner tonight, leaving Adam with a now free afternoon.

  I tap on his office door before walking in and see him sitting on the couch, paperwork spread over the small coffee table in front of him.

  He’s still got his navy suit jacket on—that fits him like a glove—but his tie has come off, and he’s opened a few buttons at the top of his business shirt. I love this look on him. He’s so sexy at any time, but there’s something about him wearing this navy-blue suit that makes me want to rip his clothes off here and now.

  “Hey, can I clean up now? Or you want me to do it later?”

  “Come in. Leave it, and come here for a minute.”

  I’m hesitant at his suggestion. After the giant argument we had when I tried to relax him last time, just before Blaze kidnapped me, we haven’t so much as kissed in the office.

  He holds his arms out for me as I move closer to him, and his arms close around my ass when I reach him, his head rests on my stomach.

  “Hmmm,” he hums as I run my palm over his face before snaking it around into the back of his hair. He had a haircut yesterday, and I’m loving the feeling of his freshly trimmed hair. I wouldn’t dare touch the hair on the top, though, as I know he’s styled it for the day, and given he has to go out tonight, I know he wouldn’t appreciate his hair being ruined.

  “What’s up, sexy?” I chirp.

  “Today’s been too full on. My head’s pounding. I’m asking Johanna to step in tomorrow to help me. When it’s three against one, it’s overwhelming. Th
ey talk over each other, and they hate being asked to repeat themselves. Luckily, I have the two men sorted now, it’s just the sister, and then I’ll have Johanna arrange for the sale of the other quarter of the company.”

  “Don’t get too stressed out, please,” I soothe, before suggesting, “Would you like a massage? Or perhaps some Tylenol?”

  “What kind of massage are we talking about?” His hand squeezes my ass cheek.

  Are you kidding me?

  “After what happened here last time, you’re really suggesting that?” I shake my head in annoyance.

  “Crap! Yeah, sorry. Wasn’t thinking.” He splays his hand across his face.

  “Yeah, not with the right head, anyway.” I giggle.

  He slaps my ass and growls, “You’ll keep ‘til later, my girl.”

  I kneel on the couch and position myself behind him as he twists in his seat, placing my hands on his shoulders. I can feel how tense he is, and I try my hardest to massage the knots out. Any other day, and if we were at home, I’d suggest he take his shirt off and lay down, giving him a good upper body massage or even walk on his back, but I can’t do that here, and I don’t have the time today anyway.

  “You won’t believe the email I received today?” Adam states as he enjoys my magic fingers.

  “What?” I ask curiously, given he’s been busy with Padney Garry all day.

  “Isabel retracted her sexual harassment case. Her email said… it was a misunderstanding.”

  “More likely it didn’t happen at all,” I groan.

  “Exactly. I’m glad it’s all over now. One less thing to worry about.”

  The meeting with my mother is happening shortly, and I’m planning on arriving earlier than said to try and get a good table, somewhere in the corner out of the way. I don’t really want to be sitting at a table surrounded by others while we possibly talk about some very private things.