He laughs. “Want me to sign a waiver?”
“Yes. Do that, and then please leave.”
I hear a pen moving over paper.
“Here.” He places a sheet on my palm.
I glance at it.
I hereby hold Pascal Snyder innocent for anything that happens at her family dinner this coming Saturday. If I’m poisoned, maimed, abducted, buried in cement at a construction site, so be it. She did warn me. All my money should go to Make-A-Wish.
It ends with his signature. And he has really nice handwriting. Like,
“he could make money as a calligrapher” nice.
I sigh. “Great. Thanks. You can go home now.”
“I know. I need to return the jet by tomorrow.” He sounds vaguely annoyed.
That should cheer me up. But instead, I’m feeling slightly disappointed and irritated. Disappointed because he’s going to leave like I want him to, and irritated because I want him to linger.
What is wrong with me? I don’t get conflicted about guys. But with Court, everything’s different…which makes him entirely too dangerous.
Chapter Thirteen
Pascal
On Monday, I walk across the glittering vestibule of the Snyder Financial Group. To make sure I don’t look too ill, I put on a bright pink and pearly-white dress. It puts some color to my otherwise sallow cheeks. I’m not back to one hundred percent yet, but I can’t afford to take time off. Not until I’m promoted.
The announcement is coming in four weeks. I can do this. Every one of my quarterly performance evaluations is excellent. My boss told me I was doing well. I just have to make sure I don’t give them any reason to pass me over again.
Dad’s admin, Megumi, smiles at me in the hall, carrying two mugs of fresh coffee. She’s tiny, with neon-magenta hair and long hot-pink nails. I admire her bold sense of style…and the fact that she can keep up with my dad while maintaining a serenity I can only aspire to. The whole building could be crumbling, and she would be utterly calm and telling people not to run as they evacuated.
“Morning, Pascal. How was Hawaii?”
I wonder for a moment if she’s heard about the…incident. But if she has, she doesn’t show it. She’s always diplomatic and sweet. So I opt for an innocent smile. “It was nice. Sunny, breezy.”
“Doesn’t look like you saw much sun.”
No kidding. I put a hand over my belly. “Stomach bug.”
She winces. “Ouch.”
“Next time, though.”
“By the way, your dad got here ten minutes ago.”
I grimace—inwardly, so Megumi doesn’t see me make a face. I always try to arrive earlier than Dad, but somehow can’t seem to manage it. No matter how early I show up, he’s here before me. If I didn’t know better, I would think he’s having me watched.
And somehow Megumi always pops in at the same time he does. Mind melding—apparently some non-Vulcans can do it as well.
“He asked to see you the minute you arrived.”
That’s…unusual. Dad’s way too high up the food chain for me to interact much with him professionally. “Got it.”
I stop by my desk to lock my purse in the bottom drawer and boot my laptop. Then I make my way to where Dad’s working.
As the founder, he could’ve had the most opulent office, but he chose the one with the best view of the city. Says he likes to see the city where he’s trying to make a name for himself.