I’d been too angry to sleep the night before, and I could tell by the way Claire looked when she woke up this morning that she hadn’t slept well either.
On the one hand, I was happy she’d told me about Ryan making an unwanted visit at her store, but on the other, I was angry with myself. If I had gotten there a few minutes sooner, I could’ve personally made sure he would never bother her again.
Claire was mine. Period. I didn’t need him trying to win his way back into her life, or whatever the fuck he was trying to do now that she was happy. I’d worked too damn hard to repair all the damage he’d done, too damn hard to earn her trust and show her that she could be loved again, and I wasn’t going to let him fuck that up.
I need a drink...
“Mr. Statham?” Angela walked into my office without knocking.
“What happened to using the intercom?”
“I have special privileges. Plus, I’m covering for Hayley today so protocol is going to be a little loopy.”
“Why are you covering for her?”
“She has a breakfast date.” She shrugged. “It’s no biggie. She’ll be back in two hours. Anyway, your daily flower delivery to Miss Gracen has just been confirmed, your meeting with Flynn tech is set for noon, the wedding planner’s meeting with you and Miss Gracen is set for three, and you have another appointment with your mother and the therapist at four thirty.”
I hadn’t heard anything she’d said past the words “breakfast date.” Hayley hadn’t mentioned anyone new to me in months. That had to be a mistake.
I shook my head and forced myself to believe that my little sister had simply said the word “date” instead of “meeting.” Then again, I’d heard her and Claire giggling about something over dinner a few days ago, something neither of them seemed interested in telling me.
“And the City Foster Center has invited you to receive the annual Humanitarian Award. “Angela slid an envelope across my desk. “They say they’ll plan the ceremony around your schedule. I know you have the month in mind, but have you set an actual wedding date yet?”
“Not yet...” I leaned back in my chair. “Send me a text later tonight. I think we’ll have one in mind by the end of the day.”
“Of course sir. Do you need anything else from me before I run down to executive affairs?”
“No, Angela. Thank you.”
As soon as she left my office, I picked up my phone and called Corey.
“Yes?” he answered. “Who are we stalking on this lovely day?”
“Are you at corporate?”
“Not yet. I’m still at breakfast. What’s up?”
“I need you to build a file for me as soon as you get in.”
“I have my tablet on me. I can do it for you right now.” He paused. “What’s the name and date of birth?”
“Ryan Hayes. I don’t have a date of birth. He’s Claire’s ex-husband.”
“Good enough. Hold on....” He hummed a few times and mumbled a few words to himself—his normal hacking ritual. “Alright, done. I sent you everything from the three largest databases. When I get back, I can run his name through sixteen more.”
“Thank you. Don’t forget.”
I opened my email and sifted through all the documents and security footage he’d sent. I couldn’t find anything linking him to San Francisco except Claire. Hell, Ashley and Caroline were in Arizona and I knew he was well aware of that.
I was about to set it aside for the day, but I saw an email about a high school class reunion at the Regency Ballroom that was two weeks from now, something Claire hadn’t mentioned to me:
Dear Schenley High School Class of 1991,
It is my pleasure to invite you all to our yearly reunion in California! As usual, I’ll be covering the travel expenses for each of you. (It pays to be CFO of Disney doesn’t it? And YES I’m rubbing that in your faces. Again.) Since we did Anaheim last year and L.A. for most of the years before, I figured we’d do San Francisco for a change!
Now, as usual, if you choose to be a planning assistant, I’ll fly you out a couple weeks before the reunion to help me with certain aspects of coordination, but you must help for at least five hours a day. (You know how HUGE this event is to all of us and we have to make sure each year is better than the last.) If you are an assistant, you’ll help finalize the final itinerary and be responsible for setting up the gift bags for our class of 500 awesome people.
If you’re busy and have a life (Yes, James Klein, we all know you’re a huge golf star now and your schedule is hectic), just send me your travel/lodging preferences (up to two tickets per person) and the assistants will mail you your official tickets a week before the reunion.
Looking forward to seeing you in a few months!
Harrison Woods
I clicked through the attendees that had signed up and noticed that next to Claire’s name was a “no response” checkmark.
I called Corey again. “Corey, I need something else...I need you to intercept any emails regarding a Schenley High School class reunion from a Harrison Woods. He’s the CFO of Disney.”
“Disney? Are you serious?”
“Can you do it?”
He sighed. “Their firewall might be a bit challenging to get through...Give me a few seconds...”
“If you can bypass any emails about insignificant party details that’d be great. I just want the finalized RSVP list.”
“Got you something even better...Do you see it?”
I looked at my screen and saw a spreadsheet detailing each member of her high school class and every California reunion they’d attended throughout the years.
Claire hadn’t attended any. Ever.
“Were all of these reunions in California, Corey?”
“It looks that way, which is crazy because the high school is in Pittsburgh. Looks like it all started with their ten year reunion and then it became an annual one. That Harrison guy literally pays for each and every one of these things. It must be a pretty good tax write off.”
“Hmmm...Okay, thanks.” I hung up and called Ashley.
“Hey, Jonathan.” She picked up on the first ring.
“Hello. Are you busy right now?”
“Not at all. I actually just opened the care package you sent me. Are you calling because you meant to send five hundred dollars and not three hundred? Don’t worry. I knew that was a mistake. You can wire me the rest.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s more than enough to get you through the week. I’m calling to ask you something: When’s the last time you talked to your dad?”
“Um, two days ago. Why?”
“Just wondering...Has he mentioned moving out of Pittsburgh?”
“No. He did mention taking me and Caroline to a hockey game this winter since his firm gave him free season tickets—which is odd because we both hate hockey.”
“So, he still lives in Pittsburgh?”
“To my knowledge, yeah. I’m sure he would’ve told me and Caroline if he was planning on moving. He tells us everything.”
“Right. Well, thank you for letting me know.”
“You were serious about only giving me three hundred dollars? Don’t you think that’s an odd amount to give someone every week? The first few times were okay, but it’s getting out of hand now.”
“Goodbye, Ashley.” I hung up.
I was about to call Claire, but I heard my doorknob twisting and—there she was.
She was dressed in a short white dress and high heeled grey pumps, with a one of a kind triple pearl strand necklace I’d bought for her last weekend.
“Are you familiar with the phrase ‘knock first’?” I raised my eyebrow.
“Am I interrupting a private session? Is there a woman sucking you off under your desk?”
“Not today.” I stood up and walked over to her. “She only does that when she’s really happy with me.”
“She is really happy with you.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. “I know our meeting isn’t scheduled until later, but can we cancel it? I want a different wedding planner.”