Lost in Time (Forever and Always #20) (4 page)

“It is.” I ran my fingers through her hair,
trying to calm down. Ever since I got married, my emotional level
had skyrocketed. Before Scarlet, I had cried twice in my life. It
was really rare for me to be emotionally invested in anything, but
with Scarlet, I wore my heart on my sleeve.

She pulled away then gave me a kiss. “We
shouldn’t be crying. We should be happy.”

“Baby, I am happy.” I rested my chin on her
head and took a moment to soak it all in. Scarlet and I were
already parents, we just didn’t have a baby yet. But now we knew it
was coming. In just a few months, it would be in our arms, a
perfect mixture of both of us. I never felt so grateful in my life.
I was finally getting a family.

Now I had a bounce in my step. At work, I was
in a good mood. My baby was strong and healthy and would be here in
a few months. Seeing the happiness and stress on my wife’s face
made it better. My earlier resentment toward her lack of jealousy
was forgotten. I was too happy to care.

Not having Mike around was a little
stressful. Now I had more work to do, and I quickly realized how
useful he was. I always disregarded him because he was my idiot
brother, but he actually was an essential component to this place.
I sent him work via email as much as possible, but not everything
could be communicated that way. I had to pick up the slack. The
only reason why I didn’t bitch about it was because I knew I would
have time off when Scarlet was late in her pregnancy. It was a fair
trade.

“Mr. Preston, the vice president of Concave
Engineering is here to see you,” my assistant said over the
intercom.

I totally forgot about that. I had a meeting
to acquire a new operating system for our new product. While our
engineers had furnished the best technology in the business, this
foreign company made something quite special. We were strictly an
American company, but I couldn’t deny the progress we would make
with something more advance. Cortland agreed it was worth investing
in. “Send him in.”

“It’s a she, sir.”

Oh. “My apologies.” I quickly looked up the
vice president’s name.
Aris Augustine
. I had no idea it was
a woman. In my line of work, the forefronts of companies were
usually males, not that I was sexist.

The door to my office opened and my assistant
chauffeured her inside. I stood up and came around the desk, ready
to shake her hand.

She was not what I was expecting. She had
shoulder length blonde hair that curled inwards slightly at the
ends. It was layered and soft, framing her face and her slender
neck. Skin as fair as porcelain, and lips as red as a strawberry,
she had the typical features of a European woman. Her bright eyes
reminded me of blue waterfalls, and her height was only a few
inches shorter than mine. Her heels gave her some extra height, but
even then, she was still tall and thin. I wondered if she was a mix
of French and Swedish.

“Hello,” she said with a French accent. She
shook my hand.

“Hi.” I gripped her hand firmly and shook it.
“Thank you for coming.”

“Of course. I’ve been looking forward to our
meeting today.” Some of her words were heavy with her accent but I
could understand her after I processed it for a second or two.

“Likewise,” I said. “Please take a seat.”

She did then crossed her legs, perfect
posture and grace. I couldn’t deny her obvious beauty. She was
someone I would have been interested in if I were single. But I
wasn’t single. I was happily married to a supermodel. This girl had
nothing on Scarlet. But I was surprised, nonetheless.

“I’m flattered you came all the way here from
France for our meeting.”

She smiled. “I love New York. It’s
beautiful.”

“I like it too,” I said with a smile. “I
apologize for assuming you were a man earlier. You know how these
things slip.”

She chuckled. “It’s quite alright. Every time
I walk into a room, people are always surprised to see me. I do not
take offense to your ignorance. But I should explain something. The
CEO and founder of the company is my father. I’ve been working with
him for many years.”

“I see. That’s wonderful. My father built
this company when he was my age, and now I run it alongside my
brother.”

She nodded. “Will he be joining us?”

“My brother? No. He’s out on maternity
leave.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “His wife is having a
baby?”

“Yes,” I said with a smile. “I’m going to be
an uncle.”

“Congratulations.” She seemed sincere.

“Thank you. I’m excited.”

She glanced down to my wedding band. “You’re
married?”

“Yes,” I said quickly. “I’m a newlywed.”

“Oh.” She seemed a little disappointed. Her
eyes scanned the pictures on my desk, each one containing a picture
of Scarlet. “Your wife is beautiful.”

“Thank you. She and I have a baby on the way
too.” It was nice to say it out loud like it was a certain
event.

“That’s wonderful,” she said. “How far along
is she?”

“She’s in her second trimester.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “So, shall we
get down to business?”

“Certainly.”

We discussed the rights for the operating
system, but when I said my company wanted exclusive rights, she
wasn’t accommodating. Since she appeared to be so sweet and gentle,
I didn’t expect this aggressive side of her. She was a shrewd
businesswoman, never taking less than what she felt she deserved.
It caught me off guard.

She and I argued about the contract, but
every compromise I made still wasn’t acceptable to her. I was
desperate for this operating system. While our products were of
quality and had quite a reputation, this new technology would put
us at the head of the game. Aris wouldn’t budge.

She sighed. “Those are my terms. Think them
over and I’ll return tomorrow so we can discuss it.”

I was irritated things hadn’t gone my way. My
father would have somehow negotiated everything to his preference,
but I wasn’t my dad. The experience he gained in his life was
something I’d never have access to. “I will. Thank you for
coming.”

She stood up and shook my hand. “It’s nice to
meet someone at the same level.” She held my gaze while she said
it, the confidence brewing.

I wasn’t sure what that meant.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I dropped my hand “Good bye.”

She put her purse over her shoulder then
walked out.

I called my brother the next day.

“What?” he said over the phone.

“Hello to you too.”

“It’s only been a day and you need
something.”

“You know that operating system we’re trying
to get?”

“Yeah.”

“I met with the vice president yesterday and
she was a hard ass.”

“It’s a woman?”

“Yeah, I was surprised too.”
Really
surprised.

“She said no, I’m guessing?”

“She said she would sell it to us, but
exclusive rights wouldn’t be given. I already offered her a lot of
money. Should I offer more for the exclusivity?”

“Hmm…” Mike pondered the question. “Having
that technology privately really would give us an edge until other
companies started to copy us. We’d make back that money in no
time.”

“So you think I should do it?”

“I guess. It’s probably the best way to
go.”

“Alright. I’ll tell her when I see her
today.”

“Cool.”

“Bye.”

“Wait,” he said. “How’d it go at the
doctor?”

“Good,” I said. “The doctor said everything
should be smooth from this point forward.”

“That’s great.” He seemed genuinely
happy.

“Yeah.”

“Be warned; when Scarlet gets big, she’s
going to be bitchy.”

“My wife is already bitchy.”

He laughed. “It gets worse.” He hung up.

I sat at my desk and waited for noon to
arrive. That’s when Aris would be returning. I wasn’t sexist, but
playing hardball with a woman was odd to me. In the year that I’ve
been here, I’ve never had to deal with women in meetings or
negotiations. It was strictly a male dominated world. I was
naturally gentle with women because that’s how I was raised. It was
hard to be aggressive with them.

She came inside at exactly noon. “Hello, Mr.
Preston.” She wore a black dress with a gray cardigan. Her hair was
pulled back, revealing her thin face. A golden necklace hung across
her chest, giving her outfit some color.

“It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Augustine.”
I shook her hand.

“Call me Aris.”

“Will do.” I turned back to my desk. “Please
sit down.”

“Honestly, I haven’t eaten lunch because I’ve
been busy all morning. Could we discuss this at a restaurant?”

Uh… What do I say?
It was one thing to
speak in my office when everyone could see us through the windows,
but to have a meal together…that felt inappropriate. I knew it was
an innocent invitation, but I was married. What if someone saw me
and assumed I was having an affair? The panic set into my bones.
But then I realized Scarlet didn’t care. Even if this woman wanted
to sleep with me, she wouldn’t give a damn. She trusted me, and if
we were having lunch together, Scarlet wouldn’t blink an eye over
it. “Sure.”

“Good. I’m starving.” Her accent was still
thick.

We walked out and then headed to the lobby. I
kept my hands in my pockets and didn’t look at her. “What are you
in the mood for?”

“Greek food?”

“Can’t go wrong there.”

We entered the restaurant and I held the door
open for her. She gave me a light smile then walked inside.

“Mr. Preston, it’s nice to see you,” the
maître d’ said when I walked in.

“Likewise, Samuel.”

“How’s the wife?”

“Perfect. Thank you for asking.”

He nodded then spotted Aris. With one look at
her beautiful features, suspicion came into his gaze.

“I’m having a business lunch with my client.
Just business.” I didn’t have to explain myself but I felt
pressured to. New York was a big city but word still traveled
fast.

“Of course, sir. The hostess will take you to
your table.”

I couldn’t tell if he believed me.
Why
couldn’t Aris be hideous? Or why couldn’t she just be a
dude?

We arrived at our table. I didn’t pull out
her chair for her because I thought that would be too intimate. If
she thought that was rude, she could deal with it. We immediately
ordered our drinks then browsed the menu.

“You’re well known in your city,” she said
while she looked through the menu.

“I have a few restaurants I frequent.”

“I see.” She put down the menu and gave me
her full attention. “Your wife dines with you often?”

What kind of question was that? Who else
would I go out with?
“Yes. She joins me for lunch all the
time.”

“Does she work?”

What’s with all the personal
questions?
“She’s an editor. She works from home.”

“That’s nice.”

I couldn’t tell if she meant that.

I straightened my tie. “So, I’m willing to
meet your demand in order to establish exclusivity.”

She acted like she hadn’t heard me. “I’ve met
many men who I’ve done negotiations with. The first thing they do
is take one look at me then never take me seriously. Secondly, they
can’t keep their eyes glued to respectable places. Negotiations
turn into dates, and they pine after my affections until I
eventually cease business with their companies altogether.”

Okay…”
I’m not hitting on you. I’m
married.”
What the hell did I do?
I kept my hands to myself
and I never once checked her out.

She smiled. “I know. That’s why I like
you.”

Oh. Phew, I was glad I dodged that
bullet.
“I apologize on the behalf of my sex. But I admit we
live in a sexist world and it will remain that way for a long time,
perhaps forever.”

“Unfortunately.” She played with her glass,
tapping her nails against the side. “So, what do you do for
fun?”

I’m not following this conversation. Why did
she keep steering away from our deal? “Can we get back to the
reason why we’re meeting today?” I said it as nicely as
possible.

“Sure. But then what will we talk about?” She
shrugged. “I thought it would be nice to have a decent conversation
before we start acting like sharks.” She leaned back in her chair,
her posture perfect.

Was I being an ass? Or was she making me
an ass?
“Very well.”

“What do you do for fun?” she repeated.

“Not much,” I said honestly. “When I’m not at
work, I’m usually with my wife. And if I’m not with her, I’m
usually with my friends. We drink, play ball, hit the gym together,
just normal and boring things.”

“How did you meet your wife?”

“In college.”

“Wow.” Her eyes were wide. “So you’ve known
her a long time?”

“About ten years.”

“Impressive. That’s a long time to be with
the same person.” She kept her eyes glued to mine.

“We were friends for that ten years. She and
I have only been lovers for about a year and a half.”

“I see. What took you so long?”

I shrugged. “I was an ass, to be honest.”

She gave me a smile. “I can’t see you being
anything but sweet.”

That made me uncomfortable “Are you
married?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No. I have a few casual lovers, but nothing
serious.”

That was too much information. She could have
just left it at no. I didn’t have a response because I was too
awkward. Only my family could tell me something like that.

The waiter broke the silence and took our
order.
Thank god.
After he took the menus, he walked
away.

“Some of my lovers are married men.” She said
it plainly, like it was something she’d said a hundred times.