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I sighed, slumping back against the wall. “It’s not that simple. People expect to see your face when the company is as big as ours. And I’m the COO. It kind of goes with the title.”
Mylee made a commiserating sound. “I wish I had an easy solution for you,” she told me gently. “But if it’s any consolation, I do understand. I’m sorry it’s so difficult.”
As the doors to the elevator opened, I hurried out ahead of her so she couldn’t see my face when I said, “It’s been much easier since you arrived, Mylee. You definitely make it better.”
* * *
It seemed to me that this board meeting was bigger than any I’d ever seen before.
“There are at least twice as many representing subsidiaries here as usual,” I muttered, more to myself than Mylee, but she answered me.
“That’s good, isn’t it? Shows team spirit or something?”
I snorted at her interpretation, trying to understand where everyone had come from, and soon, I figured out why we had such a turnout to the boardroom without a keynote speaker in attendance for this session. The sight of so many made me distinctly uncomfortable.
Mylee was enshrouded from the moment we entered the non-descript meeting room, this one in Evanston’s offices in Aurora.
Word is out about her,I realized, the understanding bittersweet. I watched my companion closely, unsure how she was apt to handle this newfound attention. To my surprise, she drew me in, keeping me close to her side.
“You’re a senior business consultant?” someone inevitably asked, and again, my shoulders rose to my ears.
“So what do you do at Silverpiece, Mylee?” the general manager of Twinery Homes asked, his tone mildly condescending.
My neck stiffened, but Mylee handled the question with her usual decorum.
“I could tell you, Kevin, but then I’d have to kill you. You haven’t signed an NDA,” she teased him. The group burst out laughing, and even Kevin chuckled, glancing at me.
“You got yourself a real spitfire here, Kai,” he muttered.
“Oh, I think she’s got me,” I replied, and the group snickered again.
Mylee remained on my arm as always, like she sensed my need to be grounded to reality. In turn, I kept her hands filled with nibbles and drinks until she finally whispered in my ear, “Should we get the hell out of here or what?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” I muttered, wanting to kiss her right then and there.
All the way home, we replayed the silly conversations we’d had with the various heads of Silverpiece’s companies.
“They were all there for you,” I informed her as the Escalade pulled up to Gable Place Towers, and Charlie let us out.
“Are you out of your mind?” Mylee replied, causing Lyndon to scowl at her. She ignored him and focused on me. “Do I look like someone in command of a multi-billion-dollar corporation?”
“Do I?” I challenged, stepping through the open door.
She stopped and stared at me intently. Stunned, she nodded vehemently.
“One hundred percent, Kai. More than you know.”
Her compliment sent a rush of pleasure through me, and we exchanged a smile as the doorman approached us.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Evans,” Lyndon said.
“Hi, Lyndon,” Mylee chirped.
The doorman didn’t respond to her, and I stopped to look at him.
“Ms. Lynn said hello, Lyndon,” I informed him.
“It’s all right—” Mylee started to say, but I continued to stare at Lyndon, who flushed under my uncharacteristic gaze.
