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“Zane, Cassie taught me that money doesn’t matter; people do. If you could have seen how I lived the past few months, you’d understand.”
I could see the conversation was making Zane uncomfortable. He was chewing on his thumbnail, which was a sign he was anxious—a habit he had since college. Growing up, wealth mattered to him since he had little of it. His success was measured by his huge apartment overlooking Central Park and an Audi R8 Spyder. I had the opposite upbringing, but Cassie taught me that it was how you treated people in life that mattered most.
I remember when I first met her. She was coming out of my father’s office, and I almost knocked her down. Cassie Pike wasn’t gorgeous in the usual sense. She had a mass of unruly brown curls and dark brown eyes that could see right through you. I thought she was cute, but it was her larger than life personality that attracted me the most.
After our near collision, I started to seek her out, asking if she would like to have lunch. At first, she was resistant but eventually agreed. She later told me she had an issue with dating the boss’s son. I fell in love with her by our third date. Cassie was gregarious, intelligent, and caring.
The first dinner date we had was during the winter, and when we exited the small bistro, we came upon a homeless woman. It was freezing out, but Cassie pulled off her gloves and hat, offering them to her. She also reached into her purse and gave every cent she had, telling the woman to find a hotel room for the night. Her generosity was infectious because I was compelled to hand over several dollars of my own.
On the way home, I noticed her hands were as cold as ice. I gave her my hat and gloves, settling for pulling up my collar and shoving my hands deep into my leather jacket so she could stay warm. That was the type of woman Cassie was.
When she became ill, she frequently worried about my feelings and would often ask how I was doing, even though she was the one in pain. I would lie and say I was fine, but my heart was shredding away, a little piece at a time as I watched her. Her memory was the reason why I made the lopsided deal I did with Zane. Money didn’t matter as much as people, and he needed my help. And he is one of the few friends that didn’t give up on me when I sunk into my depression.
“Luc?”
I look up, and Zane is staring at me. “Sorry.”
“You were a million miles away for a minute there.”
“Just thinking about something.”
“Cassie?”
He knew me too well. “Yeah. She would have thought moving to New York was crazy.”
“What would she have done if you passed instead?”
“Probably used my money to start a memorial fund for a charity. It’s something I’ve considered these past months.”
“You should still consider it. She’s with you all the time, you know.”
“I do.” Even though I smile at him, I can feel tears pricking my eyes, so I change the subject. “You mentioned an office for me?”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Come on; I’ll show you. It’s not big, but it’s near the programmers. You can look in on their progress when you need to.”
“What exactly will be my title?”
He shrugs. “What do you want it to be?”
“I have no idea. I’m a percentage owner, but you’re the majority, so what do you say?”
“Let me think about it.”
With that, I follow him down the hall to where he shows me a small office with a glass door. Inside is a large wooden desk, an ergonomic chair, and a small loveseat.
“This is cozy.”
“One of my senior staff is leaving in a few weeks. I could offer you his office.”
Warning flags go up in my head at his casual pass over of information. “For a competitor?”
“No. His wife’s mother is ill, and they decided to move to Texas to be with her. I’m sad to see him go, but I told him the door is always open.”
I nod. “Just curious.”
“Lucian, you’re already back in corporate mode. Take it easy.”
“I just worry that a leak could cause a problem. I’m just protecting my investment. Our investment.”
