“Good strange.” She tilted her head. “I think.” Even in the dimness he could see her breathtaking eyes soften. “I have to admit, I worry about you.”
“Why? You think I’m going to go crazy on my own?”
She shook her head, her hair moving, and he desperately wanted to tuck the stray strand behind her ear.
“This media thing. I’ve got my family to help me get through this. Yet, you’re here on your own.”
“I’ve got Dover,” he reminded her.
“But...” she said and sighed. “I feel like such an ass. This is all my fault,” She raised her hand to stop him from disagreeing. “Did the board come to a decision now that the statement’s been released?”
He shook his head. “They’re waiting. The PR staff is waiting to see the impact of your statement. My lawyer has advised me to stay quiet for now. The board wants to see how things play out over the weekend and make their decision next week. Stocks might go up with the media attention. At least, that’s what one of the PR people said.” He shrugged. “So, if things are good, they won’t bother temporarily suspending me.”
“What happens if they do suspend you?” she asked. “Dover’s everything to you. I can’t imagine you not being able to work there.”
“If they do, it’ll only be for a few months, and that would probably be cut short. Truth is, I’m more focused on how this affects you,” he said. “If I get suspended you’ll be out of work, too.”
Her face fell. “Oh, shit. I hadn’t thought of that.” She chewed her lip. “I need to work. I’m in a bit of financial bind—”
“You’re going to get paid no matter what the board decides,” he said firmly. “The decision to keep you on permanently at Dover is out of my hands now, but if the board dares to fire you over this scandal I’ll raise hell. Regardless of what ultimately happens, I’ll make sure you get paid if I’m suspended.”
“But would the board agree with me getting paid?” she asked.
“Who cares what the board thinks? That’s a non-issue.” He narrowed his eyes; the board could kiss his ass. “I’ll pay you out of pocket if I have to, so it won’t matter what they try.”
“Simon, you can’t do that,” she said. “Please don’t do that on my account.”
He ran his hand through his damp hair. “It’s my money, Heather. If I want to set it on fire I can do that,” he said. “This isn’t really up for discussion. If the worst happens, I’ll set up some money to get you through the next six months while you look for a new job. And I’ll be more than happy to help you get another job if the board tries anything. But I doubt they would ever dare try to punish you for my mistake.”
She didn’t respond.
He wanted to take that to mean she’d decided to drop the argument; however, knowing her, she’d find a way to start fighting him on his decision. Well, he didn’t care. Heather deserved to have a stable job and a steady income. She was probably the best assistant he’d ever had, and he refused to watch her suffer because they’d both suffered an error in judgment.
After he showed her the project he was working on, he took her on a tour of the rest of the building. He knew they should probably be spending the time strategizing about how to deal with the scandal, but she seemed so excited about going through each apartment. The fact that he alone lived in the building seemed to fascinate her.
Finally, he led her outside and showed her the expansive yard at the back.
“You know, I think I get why you’d want to live here alone,” she said as she stepped out onto the grass.
“You do?”
Heather nodded. “It’s peaceful, like you said. Tranquil.”
“No distractions,” he murmured in agreement. At least, not usually. Heather was the biggest distraction of his life. And the trouble was, he didn’t mind. Not one bit. That was the unsettling part, the fact that someone had bulldozed their way into his life and it didn’t bother him. It didn’t matter that Dover’s board was unhappy, or that reporters were flaying them in the press. Having Heather here made all that worth it.