“Yeah, but think about it. You’re spending more time with her than with your new husband. What does that tell you?” I don’t bother to wait for her to come up with the inevitable conclusion everyone’s going to reach. “You and Kim are lesbians. Or at least you, Evie Parker, are bi and doing both of us.” I put on a sad expression, the kind a cuckolded husband might, and place a hand over my chest. “How could you cheat on me like that?”
Evie puts both palms over her face with a loud groan.
I finally let myself smile. Every obstacle can be overcome with patience and finesse. It’s only a matter of time before Evie sees the light.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Nate
Once we’re at the office, I don’t let anything distract me. And the same goes for Evie. She understands as well as I do how important our work is.
The meeting with the Chicago head goes swimmingly. The women’s health center is a critical component of what we do. Every woman who shows up is treated, no questions asked. It isn’t our place to judge or probe. If they bring their kids, the kids are also given care. We have a pediatrics department specifically for that, and we do a lot of work with shelters, through a partnership with the Pryce Family Foundation. The most vulnerable people in our society are always the ones least able to take care of themselves. It’s our mission to ensure that they’re okay.
When I have a thirty-minute break from meetings, I lean back in my seat and stretch my arms. The issues in Houston were regrettable, but I think my solutions scared the shit out of the remaining medical centers. So many wealthy families aren’t on top of their nonprofits the way they are with the income-generating portion of their business. But nobody in my family is the type to let anything slide.
The door to my office opens, and Justin walks in.
“Took you long enough,” I say. “I half expected you to barge into my place yesterday.” Good thing he didn’t, though, because I don’t think I could’ve handled another interrogation, especially when I was still hung over.
He sits down without waiting for an invitation. “Ryan was acting up, and I didn’t want to leave Vanessa alone to deal with him. She’s expecting a detailed update when I get home tonight, though.”
“Yes, well, hey, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. It isn’t like I have anything to do.”
“I already checked with Evie. You have a little downtime.”
I give him a resentful look. It’s wrong how easily he says her name.
You could do the same. What’s stopping you?
Because she isn’t calling me Nate like she should. For some bizarre reason, it’s a point of pride. Besides, her reaction to being called Mrs. Sterling was amusing enough to soothe my ego for the moment.
“So. You two are really married?”
I nod. “Looks that way.”
“Then why is she here?”
What is this? The Justin Is an Idiot show? “Because she’s my assistant?”
“Well, now she’s your wife.”
“She wants to work,” I say, remembering what she said about wanting to keep working, even after the “divorce.”
“But as your assistant?”
“Hilary works as an assistant,” I say, referring to one of his brothers-in-law’s wives.
“Yeah, but not for her husband.”
I wave the inconsequential detail away. “Because she never worked for him. But Evie’s been with me for almost a year now, and she’s fantastic. Why should we have to change anything at work just because our private relationship has changed?”
Justin’s eyes narrow, which is not a good sign. He didn’t take over Sterling & Wilson by being stupid. If he hadn’t measured up, Barron would’ve tossed him out like trash and taken me under his wing. The notion makes me shudder. Justin’s shoes are not ones I ever want to fill.
“You said you don’t remember anything, but that isn’t true, is it?” He regards me over steepled fingers. “Tell me everything. No bullshit.”
“I’m not. It’s the truth.” And I do tell him everything. There’s no point in trying to hide anything anyway. If he thinks I’m holding back, he’ll get the family’s PI involved. And that would be bad, because Pattington always manages to find embarrassing details.
“It’s a setup,” Justin says after I’ve finished, his gaze flicking toward the door.