Page 71 of Charm

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Holden

Jameson sprintstoward me as I exit the elevator on the floor that houses our executive offices. It’s a typical move for him when he wants something from me.

I’m just about to turn around and step back into the open elevator to earn a laugh from my brother, but the woman who snuck around me to get inside has already pressed a button, sending the doors sliding shut.

“Have a nice day, Mr. Sheppard,” she says as she disappears from view.

I toss her a smile at the very last second. “You too.”

Jameson reaches me just as the elevator takes off to one of the floors below us. “I needed to talk to her.”

“Her?” I jerk a thumb over my shoulder toward the elevator. “Who is she?”

He lets out a hearty laugh. “Jesus, Holden. Try and keep up. She’s our new accounting manager. I introduced you to her a couple of months ago on the day she started.”

“Nope.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Yep,” he says, mimicking my stance. “It was right after you came back from East Hampton. The day after, I think. I remember because she told me I had a great tan, and didn’t say a word about you.”

My brother always seems to have a great tan.

“I should have known you’d forget that meeting.” He slaps the center of my back. “You had just spent the weekend with Greer. Your mind was not on business.”

He’s right about that, so I shrug off the comment. “You can take the stairs and meet her in the lobby.”

“Her name is Carol,” he says with a smirk. “I can also just call her and say what I need to say.”

“Which is?” I gesture toward the corridor that leads to our offices.

“To tell her what a great job she’s doing.”

Leave it to my brother to compliment every employee whenever he gets the chance. That’s who James is.

“Did you hear the good news?” He elbows my side.

I glance at him before I dart a finger into his bicep. “What good news?”

“The Sweet Indulgence news.”

“What?” I ask, my voice catching in my throat.

Any news that remotely involves Greer is news I want to hear right fucking now.

“You really like her,” James accuses, but there isn’t a teasing note in his tone. “I don’t know her, but she’s built a solid business with Krista. That tells me a lot about her.”

It tells me that she has strength and fortitude. It tells me the woman has grit and a will to succeed that not many people possess in this industry.

I loosen my tie slightly. “What’s the news?”

“She really didn’t tell you?” He motions for me to step to the left to allow room for Sasha to pass.

She’s on a call, so all we get is a weak wave from her.

Jameson waves back. I nod because I know Sasha isn’t focused on us at the moment. She takes her job seriously, and that has always meant she blocks out everything but the task at hand.

“Greer didn’t tell me a thing,” I say before I go on. “I haven’t spent a lot of time with her. The last I heard, she wasn’t interested in selling to us.”