She just stood there and listened, nodding in all the right spots.
“The worst part was when I found out why she’d picked a fight with me that night,” he finished, his voice choking. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. “Her father had just died.”
She closed her eyes and released a soft groan. They stood in silence for several seconds before she opened her eyes. “She said she broke off the wedding.”
More hope flooded into his battered heart. “She did?” Though he’d watched her toss the ring into the pool, he’d worried she would second-guess her decision in the cold light of day.
“But Neil’s in her office with her right now, trying to get her to change her mind.”
He tried to bolt for the door, but she blocked his path. “Stop. You know that’s not the way to get to her.”
He backed up, scrubbing his hand over his head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Blair doesn’t fall for bullshit, but for some reason she has blinders on for him. I think she sees him as safe.”
“He’s not. There are sides to him you don’t know about.”
“I’ve suspected as much. But there’s another threat you don’t know about—one that might encourage her to go through with the marriage anyway.” She paused until she knew she had his attention. “The partners are considering offering her partnership, but it all hinges on her wedding. They tend to prefer married partners, and they also want to see that she’s not all sharp edges, that she’s capable of a softer side. If they like what they see, they’ll offer her partnership. If they don’t, she loses her job.”
“They’ll fire her?”
She nodded.
It seemed unlikely, but it wasn’t the first time he’d heard a story like that. “They told her this? They could lose millions if she chose to sue.”
“A junior partner confided in her and told her they’re voting next week. If she tells anyone, he’ll deny the story up and down.”
He grunted his frustration. “Damn.”
“She doesn’t love Neil, but she loves her job, and she’s very loyal to me.” Melissa took a deep breath. “She’s already had me put out a feeler for other jobs in the Kansas City area, and there aren’t any good ones. She’ll have to move, which she can do, but it’s very doubtful I’ll end up with her.”
This was going from bad to worse. “So you’re worried she’ll marry him to keep her position and you.”
“Yes. If he can convince her.” She reached for the door. “I’ve already said too much. I don’t want her to marry him, and while I’ve hinted to her that I see issues in her relationship, as her employee, I can’t outright tell her. But I can see you’ve shaken her up. Even if she’s pushing you away, she still cares about you.”
He smiled and immediately regretted it when his lip stretched and tugged on his cut. “Thank you.”
Then her eyes narrowed and pierced his. “But if you hurt her again . . .” The threat was unfinished, but it still held weight.
“I want to protect her, just like you do.”
“Then you better work fast.” She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “The conference room is down the hall when you’re ready.” Then she turned and headed toward the back offices.
Garrett heard Neil’s voice in the hall outside the room.
“Melissa, I know we’ve had our differences,” Neil said. “But Blair won’t be canceling the wedding, no matter what she says at the moment, so I would appreciate it if you kept that busy work on the back burner until she gives you official word that the wedding’s back on.”
Melissa’s voice was clear and direct. “I take my direction from my employer, Dr. Fredrick. Not from you.”
Garrett headed to the doorway and spotted the two several feet down the hall. If Blair cared about her assistant half as much as he thought she did, he had a feeling she’d call off the wedding solely based on the condescending look on Neil’s face.
“Just remember you’re her assistant. Don’t overstep your bounds.” He brushed past her and stopped when he saw Garrett in the doorway. He glanced back at Melissa, who was still watching him, and then shifted his gaze to Garrett. “So the two of you are colluding?”
Garrett leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, feeling more confident than when he’d walked into the office minutes ago. “I think you’ve watched one too many episodes of House of Cards, Neil. I’m here for a deposition. Quit making everything into a conspiracy plot.”
Neil’s face twisted into an ugly glare. “You’ve always thought you were smarter than me. I’m about to prove you wrong.” Then he grinned and strutted down the hall and out the office door.
That statement scared Garrett more than he was willing to admit.
He headed into the conference room, where the court reporter was already setting up in the corner. There was no sign of his client. They still had five minutes, but Brian Norfolk’s attitude the previous night didn’t bode well for how things were about to go down. If he didn’t show . . . well, the joke would be on Norfolk. Garrett almost hoped he didn’t show. It would help Blair’s client, and it would give Garrett’s firm sufficient grounds to drop the sleazebag as a client.
Garrett was pouring himself a glass of water when Blair appeared in the doorway, just as beautiful as ever, albeit clearly exhausted. Today she wore a cream-colored dress with a black trim. Her hair was pulled up, and his gaze pivoted to the curve of her neck, then rose to her lips, making him think of the night before.