Page 81 of Blue Gold

“Is it?” I challenged him with a lopsided grin.

Pulling his cap lower on his head, he nodded. “Yeah. Most days aren’t fun at all. It’s just standing and posing.”

“And yet so few are capable of doing it as successfully as you.” I tried flattering him, but it fell on deaf ears, and he went back to playing with his straw. I guess even a plastic tube is more fascinating than me. “Anyway, my day was rather typical. Some meetings with clients, a deposition regarding a case my firm is handling, followed by a boring lunch with my father.”

He lifted his gaze, brows drawing inward.

“Your dad?”

Reaching for my beer, I brought it to my lips. “If only you had taken me up on my offer for lunch, I could have avoided it,” I joked after sipping from it. “In case you’re wondering, it was as tedious as you could imagine.”

Reaching the bottom of the bottle, I examined it before signaling the waiter to bring me another, when I noticed Elliot was still staring at me with narrowed eyes.

“Is something wrong?”

“What did you talk about?”

“My father and I?” I looked at him, surprised that he cared.

“Yes.”

My new drink arrived, and I tapped the rim of the bottle while trying to think back on that lunch. “Mostly work. A bit about a property in Tribeca he has an eye for and a weird-looking mole on his right ass cheek.” I twisted my lips at that last one. “Surely not an appetizing topic, but⁠—”

“You’re scared he’ll find out about you, right?” he cut me off, eyes locked with mine.

The suddenness of the question, as well as its content, made me move uncomfortably in my chair. But pausing to think about Elliot instead of myself for a change, I had a feeling I knew where this was coming from.

“Are you asking because of what happened last summer?”

Elliot’s stare hardened. “I’m asking because he’s a homophobic pig, and last night, you came with your dick balls-deep inside my ass.”

He sure had an interesting way of expressing himself, but thankfully, we were the only two speaking French in this bar. And while his question was rather intrusive, it was also fair.

Fixing my tie, I took a deep breath. “It would be a lie to say I’m not scared of him finding out, but not for the reasons you think.”

“You are thirty-four. Why does it matter what he thinks?” He tsked and scrunched up his nose as if the thought of my dad repulsed him.

I can’t blame him for that.

“It doesn’t. And to make it clear, I don’t agree with his bigoted beliefs, Elliot. I don’t think loving another man is a sin. But currently, my father has too much power over my life, which is why I need time to sort things out.”

I leaned closer to him, both hands placed on the table. Elliot briefly checked my movement before his eyes met my determined stare.

“Sort things out?”

“When I told you last night that I’d get a divorce, I meant it.” To be honest, in the morning, I was even more sure of the idea. “But before I do, I must ensure Claudia and Maya are financially secure. Not just that, but I’ll have to make sure my father will have no way of hurting them, as he’s the type to get vengeful.”

Elliot jerked his head back as confusion grew on his face. “Vengeful? Why? You’re not divorcing him.”

That made me chuckle. “True. But in his eyes, everything I do has a direct effect on him and the family’s name. A divorce would create unnecessary drama. Not to mention that if he ever found out I did it for a man, all hell would break loose.”

His forehead creased. “How?”

“Well—” I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. “—he could do many things, from getting me fired to ruining my name, but I’m mostly scared about Maya. He could find a way to take her away from me.”

The possibility of losing my daughter scared me, but I already had a plan to avoid it. For starters, no one needed to know the real reasons for my divorce, and once I made sure Claudia had everything she needed, we would both be free to live the lives we deserved. Her with a man who would truly love her, and me… I looked up to find Elliot was still staring at me, big blue eyes that would be the death of me.

“What if he does find out?” he asked.