Page 5 of Words Unspoken

“There is no family emergency.”

“You know that, and I know that, but Mr. Ramesly didn’t know that I knew you were resigning. I think he is going to try to sweet talk you into coming back,” this time Geanie managed to get the waiter is attention. “Three shots of Tennessee whiskey plus two glasses of your best lager.”

Elle and Ann stared at her.

“What? I thought we were getting smashed tonight? Ann just did the hardest thing a woman could ever do. She broke up with the guy who doesn’t even know she loves him,” Geanie gave them an innocent look. She was one of the most professional secretaries in the firm, but once she was off the clock, Geanie was a firecracker. Something which very few people in the firm knew. “Although, if he does come around begging you to come back, maybe you could ask him for passionate sex in exchange for returning to your job?”

Ann rolled her eyes. “He is not going to go for that.”

“At least ask him to be your baby daddy. You can get his squirmies in a cup down at the clinic and get them to inseminate you.”

“Geanie!” Ann laughed then sobered and wiped a tear away. “I hope those shots of whiskey are not for me. I cannot stand hard liquor.”

“Don’t you worry, they are for me. My mama taught me how to drink.”

“I can see I am going to have to be the sensible one here,” Elle reached over and squeezed Ann is hand. “If there is anything Noah and I can do for you, let me know.”

“Thank you but I don’t see there is anything anyone can do,” Ann sighed. “He is simply oblivious.”

The waiter returned with a tray and Ann’s second daiquiri joined her first. Geanie lined up her assortment of glasses and they ordered appetizers. When the waiter left Geanie volunteered, “I have a cousin. His name is Orville but don’t worry, nobody calls him that. We call him Magnum. He looks like Tom Selleck did in Magnum P.I. Anyhow, his girlfriend Judy left him and if you would like I could set you up.”

“No. Please, no set ups or blind dates yet,” Ann protested. “I am not ready.”

“You are the one who said her eggs aren’t getting younger,” Geanie pointed out. “He is a firefighter. Or if you would prefer there is Holden. He is a detective for the police force. His wife Deedee died of cancer a couple of years back. He has three children, two girls and a boy so you would have a ready-made family.”

“Can I just mourn the unrealistic dream that I had of being with Michael before we discuss new men?” asked Ann.

“Absolutely,” Elle raised her drink. “To Ann and starting over.”

They all raised their glasses to that.

By the end of the evening, Elle made sure that Geanie and Ann got home safely. As Elle walked the very drunk Ann through her apartment to bed, Ann lamented mournfully, “Do you know there is a rumor going around the office that we are having an affair? It has been going around for years!”

“Noah mentioned something about it. So did you, earlier at the bar. Here we are. Sit down,” Elle pulled off Ann is shoes and tipped her back into bed. “You should get some sleep.”

“He has never even kissed me,” Ann groaned.

Ann also groaned in the morning when daylight blinded her. Elle had left two pain pills and a bottle of water on the nightstand. Ann rummaged on the floor for her purse and pulled out her phone.

There were no messages from Michael.

She pressed a pillow over her head to drown out the light. Her head hurt.

Chapter Two

His head hurt. Michael ignored the pain and pressed forward. He had not bothered to sleep. The legal team had swilled enough coffee to float an ocean liner and the Claymont deal was as complete as it was going to get. So were several other important matters. He had made the call to his lawyer after taking Ann is phone and address book. The new will was ready to be signed and witnessed today. The three temps had performed beautifully, making copies, getting coffee and snacks, generally just being impressively useful. However, it had taken three to do what Ann could do simply by herself.

His Ann. Who had quit. Michael shoved the thought away, along with the confusing conversation about babies. There was not enough time.

He scheduled an emergency board meeting for Thursday morning at six. Most of the board were unimpressed with the early hour and some wondered if there was an issue with the Claymont acquisition. Michael didn’t bother to explain. However, there was one important person that he needed there.

When Michael had stepped into his father David is role as head of the company, David had handed over his controlling shares. As a result, Michael now had thirty-one percent of the vote. Noah had ten percent.

Max had ten percent but did not know it.

When Max had left the company, he sold his shares. He needed the money to supplement a fund that would pay for the medical fees of each child who had suffered because of a drug that the company had put into market. The drug was designed to help children with diabetes metabolize correctly. Instead, it had been pushed through too fast and incorrect lab results had been created. The drug shut down kidneys and livers, causing death to hundreds of children. In court the company had proven that the drug was not responsible for the issues these children were having. Michael knew that his father David had a hand in the cover up and had vowed that under his tenure as head of the company it would never happen again. Max had felt responsible, and in the end had given literally everything he had and everything he earned over the next six years to the fund to aid these families.

To help Max start the fund, Michael had a fictitious company made up in Max is name to purchase the shares from him at slightly above market value. The shares remained in Max is possession only he didn’t know about it.