Page 15 of Landry
"For what?" She could see his reflection in the one-way glass and felt the familiar ache inside her chest. Even after he had dumped her and broken her heart, she still yearned for him. She was pathetic. How could she still want him?
The knowledge that she did had her turning around, her eyes flashing. "You know what? I don't give a damn. I just want to know if I still have a job, or if I have to start looking for something else."
"I'm sorry." His deep voice had a quietness to it that tugged at her heart and almost disarmed her. Almost.
"What?"
"For the way I left things before. I apologize."
She stared at him in shock. "You're sorry? All right, why don't we break out the champagne and offer a toast? The great Landry Crenshaw apologized. You ruined me! I had to hear from a servant who delivered a note saying that it was over. You didn't even have the guts to face me yourself. You sent a servant to deliver your crushing blow!"
Taking a deep breath, she struggled to control herself. "But that was the past. I'm over it, over you."
Marching over to the table, she put down the juice that she had not bothered to touch. "Now, Mr. Crenshaw, you haven't answered my question. Do I still have a job?"
He wanted to go to her and kiss the anger from her lips, but he knew this was not the time. She hated him, and he could not blame her. He had hurt her, and he hated himself for his part in the entire thing.
"You do." Turning his back to her, he stared bleakly out the window. "You will retain your position, and it will be business as usual. We will have to meet several times a week to iron out what needs to be done to get the airline up and running." He turned to face her and felt his heart contracting. "There are going to be changes."
"What sort of changes?" she demanded.
"The flight plans need some altering. People have been complaining about the mechanics of the airplanes. We're thinking of acquiring new ones and changing the name. Atlas Airlines is a thing of the past. There will be a meeting with the staff, including ground and air employees. A better compensation package is in the pipeline, depending on job performance. I will not be telling you how to do your job, but I'm hoping we can work together to fix the problems."
"Is that all?" she asked stonily.
"Not quite." He smiled grimly. "In order for us to accomplish what is going to be a massive task, we're going to have to put aside our differences. Can you do that?"
Her tapered brows lifted, and a look of scorn settled on her lovely face. "Absolutely. I'll just pretend that you mean nothing to me, which is no hardship at all. Shall we call in the rest? I think I'm done here."
"Kady-Ann-"
"I would appreciate you calling me Ms. Klein," she told him coldly. The fact that he was the only one who called her by her full name was more than she could bear.
"That's not going to happen. Hate me all you want, but I'm here to stay."
"Oh, really?" she responded sweetly. "Or will I be getting a note sent by your assistant saying that you're skipping town? Which, in fact, would be more than acceptable." Before he could respond to that, she turned and walked out of the room.
He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should go after her. They had started an office rumor by now. He was about to head out of the room when Leonora walked in.
"From the way that young lady steamed past me, I suspect the meeting is concluded." Her stoic expression, combined with the words, caused the tension to leak from his face.
"She's pissed."
"I get that."
"Where are the others?"
"Huddled in some corner and whispering. Want me to call them back in?"
"No. I will ask for your observations while we're on our way back. I have something to take care of." He moved toward the doorway, then paused and looked back at her. "I think you already know that Kady-Ann and I knew each other."
Her thin brows lifted. "You did hire me for my brain."
He had to laugh. "I certainly did. Take care of the board, will you? I won't be long."
He found her standing at her window. After asking directions from a dazzled female employee, he made his way past a number of smaller offices until he came to hers. Her assistant, a sober-looking Black woman, eyed him briefly before gesturing toward the door.
"You could get an upgrade." He closed the door firmly behind him and stood leaning on it, arms crossed over his chest.
