“And it can’t wait till tomorrow morning?”
“It’s waited this long, so I guess twenty-four hours won’t change anything. But I’m telling you, first thing in the morning, we meet. Got it?”
If Charles wasn’t so irritated, he’d have laughed. Since when did Gareth start barking orders? “I’ll call you in the morning. Now if you don’t mind, I’m getting back to—”
“Rosslyn?”
“My day off.” Gareth knew who Charles was with. He didn’t need to voice it.
When he ended the call and walked out of the washroom, Rosslyn was sitting on the bed. She no longer looked as happy as she had before. He walked over and sat down beside her. She’d talk when she was ready, this much he knew.
“I can’t believe it. Liz, a girl I’ve been talking to at work, was just fired.”
“Why?” Charles asked.
“Max, Mr. Grayson, said he didn’t like the company she was keeping. So he fired her.”
“That’s not uncommon with employers. They have a reputation to uphold. Was she associating herself with someone doing something illegal?”
“No. Actually the opposite. I just feel horrible for her. And now I’m worried about my job too.”
“Why?”
She turned and looked at him. “Mr. Grayson told me never to speak to you. I don’t know why. If he learns that we . . . well, that we talked he’s going to be so pissed he’ll fire me too.”
Good. I hate you working for that bastard.That’s not what she wanted to hear. So he tried going in another direction. “You know it’s coming. All you need to do is prepare for that day. From the sounds of it, Liz wasn’t.”
“No. And if I show up Monday and he fires me, what do I do? My parents are counting on me.”
He wanted to tell her he’d hired her. But he had a very strict policy. No one at Lawson Steel was allowed to be intimately involved. Friends? Yes. Sex? Hell no. It opened up something he didn’t want to deal with as an employer. Since he was the CEO, he couldn’t be the one to break that rule. So hiring her is now out of the question. Way to go, Charles. Offering her money probably wasn’t going to go over well either. “I’m sure it he fires you, you’ll think of something. You don’t strike me as the type of woman who’ll take a wrongful termination lying down.”
Rosslyn laughed. “My lying down with you might be what gets me fired.” She elbowed him in the side and said softly, “But well worth it.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if I want breakfast anymore.”
“Do you want a repeat?”
Rosslyn said, “That’s not why. I just remembered that we may have . . . been a bit—”
“Loud?” Charles finished. She nodded. “I’m sure we woke a few people in the house.”
She blushed. “Maybe the neighborhood. You forget, I live here.”
Charles put an arm around her shoulder and said, “Great. So your parents will already know my name.”
Rosslyn covered her face with her hands. “Oh God. I never thought of that. What are they going to think?”
“Probably that you’re not totally miserable in the city.”
She shot him a look. “You’re really no help at all, are you?”
He shook his head. “Apparently not. Now let’s get downstairs for breakfast. You promised me sticky buns and I’m holding you to it.”
Rosslyn leaned over, kissed him quickly on the cheek, and said, “Then get your butt dressed because those cute buns of yours are not on the menu.”
He kissed the top of her head and headed back into the washroom to dress. He loved her playfulness, even when things were stressful for her. Would she still feel that way when things finally blew up? There was no doubt Maxwell was chomping at the bit. He must suspect something, or someone. It was only a matter of time before he looked at Rosslyn. What Charles didn’t understand was why Maxwell had singled him out? From what Rosslyn said, it wasn’t as though all the Lawsons were off limits, just him. You know I’m coming for you, don’t you Maxwell? That’s okay. Because I’m ready for the fight.