Page 91 of Tainted Love

God, help me.I can feel Jackson’s silent amusement by my side.

As Gregory moves towards the bag, I take off my gloves. This is the routine. Now Jackson trains Gregory whilst I stretch out and leave to get ready for work. But today, petty though it may be, I throw my gloves so they land on the weight bench at one side of the room, then I barge past Gregory.

‘Don’t you have anything to say to me? Shout, rant, anything?’

I pause before turning to face him, trying desperately to look only at his face.

‘Yes. Actually, I do. I reviewed the draft joint venture agreement with Shangzen Tek yesterday. You need to agree a share option. GJR is bringing more knowledge to the joint venture than Shangzen and both companies are getting equal equity and voting rights. If the JV company makes a profit, I would suggest you have an option to increase GJR’s stake, exercisable on the annual accounts of the first and second years in operation.’

‘That’s it? That’s all you have to say?’

‘Yep.’

‘You don’t have anything to say about this?’ He holds my engagement ring in the air between his forefinger and thumb.

‘I took it off to go on the bag, Gregory. If I’d taken it off because I’m pissed at you, I probably would’ve thrown it at your head.’ I snatch the ring from his fingers and make to leave.

‘I’ll need you to draft that option into the agreement,’ he calls as I open the gym door.

I reply over my shoulder, ‘It’s already done. Now you need to agree it.’

‘Well, I’ll do that.’

‘Fine.’

‘Fine.’

‘Fine!’

* * *

I’m eating Amy’s expertly round poached eggs on an English muffin, talking to her and drinking coffee. It’s impossible to be angry in the company of one of the happiest people in the world and my mood has improved tenfold. As she tells me about her son’s rugby game last night, she looks over my shoulder to the staircase.

‘Poached eggs, flower?’ she asks Gregory when he takes a seat on the stool next to mine.

‘Please.’

Amy cracks two eggs into her already hot pan of water, then places a black coffee and a glass of fresh orange in front of Gregory.

‘I’m sorry.’

I look up from my plate, almost choking on his unexpected words. He’s wearing a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and sky-blue tie andChristdoes he smell amazing. Not ending last night the way I thought we would is clearly playing havoc with my hormones.

‘The worst thing wasn’t what Nick said, Gregory; it was that I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t know how to react. I couldn’t control my reaction because you kept me in the dark. Again.’

‘I know. I get it.’ He exhales heavily. ‘Scarlett, this is my life. I deal with dark and twisted and I deal with it in my way. Let me finish. I’ve never had anyone living this close to me, who wants to know things about me. I’ve also never felt the need to protect anyone as insanely as I do you.’ He casts an eye to Amy who, less than inconspicuously, leaves us. ‘I’ve told you before, you’re everything to me now and I won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Sometimes, that might mean keeping things from you but you have to trust that everything I do is in your best interests. Even if I get it wrong sometimes, or you think I do.’ He smiles fleetingly. ‘I’m always thinking of you.’

‘I know that.’ And I do. ‘But I want us to be a team. Work together. Face challenges together, whatever they may be. You’re not alone any more, Gregory.’

He squeezes his eyes shut and raises my palm to his lips. ‘Aurora.’

* * *

‘Wait.’ He pulls me back as I manoeuvre somewhat awkwardly out of the Mercedes in my black pencil skirt. ‘I don’t want you to find out and think I’ve been keeping things from you.’

He glances at Jackson in the rear-view mirror then back to me. A look that makes me lift my legs back into the car and pull the door closed.

‘I went to see Jack.’