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“My teaching assistant can do it. All he has to do is hand them out and collect them. I don’t need to be there. My next class isn’t until noon. I can wait.”
I clung to his hand. “I’ll be fine. This isn’t anything I haven’t dealt with before, although it’s been quite a while.”
“You know you can call me anytime. I keep my phone on vibrate. I can cancel my afternoon class if I need to.”
“Thank you.”
Austin pulled up in front of my building and gave me a soft kiss on my cheek before I got out.
“Let me know how it goes.”
“I will. Thanks.”
He stayed at the curb until I got inside. I was nervous, and my hands shook as I took the elevator up to my office. Marina wasn’t at her desk when I arrived, and I opened my door, quietly shutting it. Inside, I sat down, leaning back in my chair and inhaling the lovely fragrance of roses which filled the air. I suddenly felt exhausted and closed my eyes for what I thought was a minute. Marina woke me when she buzzed my intercom.
I shook myself awake and answered. “Yes?”
“Mr. Jindal is here to see you.”
“Send him in please.”
I stood up and waited for Hassan to enter. He gave me a stern look and shut the door.
“Let’s sit on the couch and have a chat.”
“Hassan, I…”
He gestured to my couch. “Sit.”
I joined him on the small gray sectional in the corner of my office.
His voice was firm. “Your behavior was out of the ordinary. You seemed flustered and distant during dinner. Do those roses on your desk have anything to do with your early departure?”
I frowned, wringing my hands in my lap. “Why would you think so?”
“Because you said you had plans.”
“I was more than willing to stay for the duration. I’ve never let my personal life interfere with my position before.”
“Then tell me why you left like you did? It was rude and didn’t make a very good impression with Jameson or his son.”
I ground my teeth. “His son is the reason I left.”
Hassan frowned. “How so?”
“He propositioned me when I came out of the bathroom. Didn’t you happen to notice he left the table?”
“JJ said he needed to use the restroom.”
“More like he wanted to corner me. If you go through with the acquisition, I can’t work with JJ Wentworth…I refuse.”
Hassan gripped the arm of the couch. “What exactly did he say to you?”
I shook my head. “It’s embarrassing and unnecessary to repeat his lewdness. I’ve been treated poorly, but this was over the top from a business associate. I suspect JJ has done this before. I ask if you plan to move forward, you check to see if any cases of sexual harassment have been filed against him.”
“We’ve checked into all that. Nothing came up.”
“Then it could be it was covered up with hush money. I don’t want a person like that working for our company. I have such a bitter taste in my mouth. JJ is a liability, and it might be why Jameson wants to be rid of the company.”
