“Yes. Everything is fine.”
She’s close enough, so I calibrate my voice.
“This is a private matter that must stay between us.”
Her eyebrows move up, concern veiling her face.
“This is also my personal opinion, and you must take it as such. Before I say what I’m about to say, please understand that I don’t routinely stick my nose into other people’s business. We are all entitled to our views and have the liberty and even owe it to ourselves to make mistakes. It’s part of life and the learning process, and I’m not the one to judge. With this being said. I want to say something that may or may not change how you see your relationship with my father.”
Her cheeks are paper white.
“Most people know what’s going on between the two of you. That’s not the issue here. You are a grown-up woman, and you choose the type of relationship you have with a romantic partner. But you also have, in my opinion, a bright future ahead of you. Being entangled with my father would hamper your chances of reaching your full potential. You might know that he is not accountable to a woman. If I know anything about him, I can only suspect he’s made it clear to you too. How you justify your leniency toward him is entirely your business. You may be trying to convince yourself that you don’t need more. It may also be that you think it doesn’t matter and won’t affect your life. It may also mean you are afraid to end a relationship with him for fear of losing your job.”
Her lips part in surprise, and also… She looks at me as if she wants to say something.
“Yes?” I murmur.
“Have you talked to Raven about me?”
“Raven?”
I lean back.
“Yes,” he murmurs.
My eyes don’t leave hers.
“No,” I say, without blinking.
She buys it.
I think.
“It’s not something she’s brought up to me,” I say.
This is closer to the truth.
“I wanted to talk to you because… Well, I have my own reasons,” I say, straightening my back and resting my forearms on the desk.
I take another sip of coffee.
“You know we’ve all traveled to Miami.”
“Yes, I do.”
“My father had some company down there. Female company.”
Her lips become a thin line, her skin looking bloodless.
“You think these things don’t matter. They do,” I continue. “No matter what you think, men like that have a bad influence on your life overall. They waste your time, are distracting, and suck your energy. Not to mention the mental toll they take on you. They are not generally considered good because they aren’t. You are too young to get stuck with someone jaded like him for a few more years. Someone with questionable morals. When I say too young, I’m thinking about the opportunities available to you right now. I’m not talking men, or romantic stuff. I’m talking about your life in general. You don’t need someone like him to suck the joy out of you. He has people like him who are a perfect match for him. Let them deal with each other while you make decisions that render you happy. And, more importantly, make you feel good about yourself. You need to regain self-respect and be proud of who you are, not walk in someone’s shadow.”
She swallows hard.
“Yes?”
She nods softly.
“About my job… I like to keep working here,” she says.