Page 33 of Mistletoe Mistake
I'm outside.
Abandoning the tea, I headed for the door.
Cole stood just outside, as devastatingly handsome as always. His suit that day was a pinstripe grey, just visible beneath his overcoat. With some trepidation, I searched his face for any signs of anger or disapproval, but there were none to be found; just his usual unhurried, unbothered gracefulness, and maybe even the hint of a smile in his eyes.
As he entered, I took a peek out into the courtyard around him, just in case there might be more photographers lurking. He obviously knew exactly what I was doing because he smiled ruefully. “No one followed me. I took a back exit from the hotel, just in case."
Swallowing all my anxiety, I led him to my office and offered him the tea and breakfast. When we were finally set up, I sat down at the table with him, looked him in the eye, and offered my apology. “I'm sorry, Cole. I should have told you.”
He shrugged, seeming unconcerned. “Youcouldhave told me. I don't know if youshouldhave.”
Was he serious? Why wouldn’t he be furious about this? I had certainly made his life more difficult for the next couple of weeks, if nothing else. Even though it had been unintentional, he still had a right to be annoyed with me. Edwin certainly would have been, though he would have stewed over it in silence rather than telling me how he felt.
“I'll tell you anything you want to know now,” I offered. “I'm not sure how much you've heard already.”
“Nellie filled me in on some of the basics.” He took a sip of his hot tea, his eyes meeting mine over the rim of the cup with a bit of curiosity but no judgement. “I imagine your version of it is different. I'm willing to hear whatever you want to tell me, but if you'd rather not say anything, that's fine too."
I really didn't understand his drama-free reaction. “What does this mean for our contract?” I couldn't help asking.
“It's got nothing to do with this.”
“And tonight?” The hopeful tone of my own voice made me wince. Sounding slightly desperate, it would leave him in no doubt of how much I wanted to see him again.
“Separate.”
I took a deep breath as I tried to understand. “So, you're not asking me about the situation as a business partner, or as a lover.”
He huffed through his nose, sounding amused by my assessment. “No. I'm happy for you to be both of those things, as we've already discussed, but that's not why I'm here right now.”
“Why are you here, then?”
Those dark eyes glimmered with an emotion I hadn’t seen in them before. It almost looked like empathy. “I’m here as a friend.”
~Cole~
If someone had asked me before I arrived in Gemma's office that morning if we were friends, I wouldn't have known how to answer the question. I never threw that label around lightly. My true friends could be counted on one hand, and they were all people I had known for years, people who had earned my trust through repeated loyalty.
With Gemma, I had only known her for four days, and only had a handful of real conversations with her. And yet, when she asked me in what capacity I had come there, it seemed completely natural to call myself her friend.
The press wouldn't be interested in me if not for her, that much was true, but they also wouldn't be interested in her if not for me. Her own 'scandal' had faded from the public consciousness months ago. The only reason it had come back into the spotlight was because she’d been seen with me. The situation was unfortunate, but neither of us were to blame, and I didn’t see why we couldn’t help each other through it.
In the last twelve hours, I'd learned a lot about her and it only made me want to know more. As far as I could tell, we were two people who grew up around wealth and power, who enjoyed their work and were good at it, and who had failed at their personal relationships in a rather spectacular manner. We had much more in common than I would have ever suspected the night we met under the mistletoe.
It only made sense to me that we face this together.
Despite my conviction, the look on Gemma's face tended towards disbelief. “I appreciate your support, Cole, more than I can say, but I want to make sure first that you fully understand the situation.”
I meant it when I said she didn't have to tell me anything, but if she wanted to, I wouldn't stop her. "Okay. Tell me.”
She took a long sip of her tea before setting it down and folding her hands in front of her. “So, the man you met last night in the park, Edwin, was my fiancé. I assume you know that.”
I nodded.
“Our fathers were best friends and business partners. On the day I was born, they joked that if we were living a few hundred years ago, they would betroth me to Edwin on the spot. At least, they claimed they were joking. I never felt completely certain. For as long as I can remember, Edwin and I were pushed together, told over and over again what a perfect match we would be to combine our families and our families' business interests.”
“No pressure, then,” I observed mildly.
Gemma gave me a rueful smile. “Right. I didn't like the idea on principle, but in reality, I couldn’t find fault with Edwin. He was a respectful, intelligent, successful young man; everything that a girl in my position should be looking for.”
