Jay flipped on his tablet and read his emails. He stretched his arms, but stayed under the covers. His secretary’s email stuck out. He sighed, then his gaze focused on the words. I’ve narrowed the candidates for the engineer down to eighteen. I am scheduling the interviews.
He nodded to himself. Thanks. I’ll be in for the final round.
He rubbed his eyes then stretched his muscles to wake up. Penelope would be perfect for the job. He smiled to himself. He might be biased. If he spent all his days with her, he’d be too happy.
First, though, he needed to keep Mr. Gonzales and that business low key. He wouldn’t bring Penny anywhere near the men who’d once kidnapped him. After his mother’s last encounter, he’d not put anything past her. He picked up the phone and made a call. Two rings later, the man answered, “Hello.”
Jay cracked his knuckles before he folded his hands on the table. “What did your lawyers think of the idea?”
“Everything is professional on your end, Mr. Marshall. Let’s set up a meeting to discuss a few key aspects.”
Jay smiled to himself. “Perfect. I’ll have my secretary set everything up.”
“Sounds good. And I’ll keep everything confidential on my end.”
He released his hands though kept still. “Excellent. I’m looking forward to it.”
He hung up the phone. With his hands to his side, Jay swiveled in his chair. Everything would end well. And his mind raced to Penny. She worked for his father’s company and she had no idea. His father probably didn’t know. And his mother or Penny had never mentioned the names of each other. The company was a small subsidiary anyhow, and Penny was an excellent candidate for any office. He shrugged off the idea of visiting unannounced, though. Instead he picked up his phone and dialed his favorite cousin, Sandy. She answered immediately, “Jay.”
His cousin’s bubbly voice reminded him of simpler days. Back then, Penny was a friend. His heart ached. “What do you know about Penny’s ex?”
“Fernando?” Sandy’s voice rose in surprise. “Did he bother her again? I heard she clashed with him and Eva at the grocery store.”
His brow furrowed. “When was that?”
“Why do you care? I thought you didn’t care about anything or anyone anymore.”
His collar grew tighter. “I always cared about you.”
“It’s hard to ignore me for long. I’ll just keep calling you. But now you moved Penny into your house.”
His heart warmed and his mouth opened. “She’s a good roommate.”
“Bull. You named your investment company Penelope Investments and claimed it was a literary reference to the Odyssey.”
A wide smile grew. “It is.”
“Liar.”
With a shrug, he admitted the truth. “Okay. I thought about Penny. After mom had me kidnapped, I wanted to start a company without my parents’ interference. In high school, Penny had been the only person who successfully avoided her mother’s interference. But that was years ago now.”
“She inspired you.”
“She is a good friend.”
“Or you are too blind to see she’s your soul mate.”
“You read too many romance novels, which is funny, cousin. You don’t date anyone.”
“Michael and Eva don’t know this. But in high school, I was very much in love with Wyatt Colburn. Then he joined the Marines and I never saw him again.”
Goosebumps appeared on his arms while he put the pieces together. “You disappeared for half of freshman year in college. Did you follow him?”
“No. I’m not that weak…” She cleared her throat. “I had health issues.”
With his arms crossed, he stood up. “I never bought that. You were devastated, and it took the rest of the year for you to start smiling again.”
“Says the man who stopped talking to everyone that year. We’re both adults now, and you are living with the woman who inspired you.”
His body heated on his upper back. “I’m hanging up now.”
“Call me later. And Jay, you know I love you and Penny both. I just want everyone to be happy.”
The clear blue sky calmed him. He stared out the window. “Out of all of us, you deserve the best.”
“See you soon.”
“Bye.”
Jay shook his head. Penny deserved a man who would love and take care of her. He wasn’t sure he was capable of that depth of openness. He blinked, then focused back on his work. Business he could control. Penny, he wasn’t so sure.