A Convenient Arrangement(60)

Aubrey pursed her lips and looked at Gwen.

“What? What is it?”

“The launch party, tomorrow night—?”

Gwen’s heart pitter-pattered fast. She knew the question Aubrey couldn’t quite ask. Was she going to be able to handle seeing Leo? Everything had been finalized, she didn’t need to meet with Leo, all they had to get through was the actual event. “I’m doing it.” She looked at Aubrey directly, her gaze steady. “I have to.”

Aubrey nodded. “You’re a professional. This is your business, your career.”

Those things were true. And I need to appear unfazed. Strong. “And I’ll have Nina and Shelly and you, if that baby doesn’t arrive in the next twenty-four hours.”

“I wish she would arrive. I feel like a hippo out of water. Take a look at my cankles.” Aubrey lifted her leg. Gwen appraised it skeptically. Her ankles were swollen, but they weren’t that swollen.

“Just hold off until after the party,” Gwen teased. “Okay?”

“No. Way. She wants to head out, then let her,” Aubrey smiled. “Pun intended.” She pushed herself to her feet and pulled Gwen to her side in a pregnant lady hug. “You’ll let me know if you need anything? For tomorrow night or—” Her tone lowered to a warm murmur as she met Gwen’s eyes. “Or just to talk.”

Gwen nodded and wiped under her nose. Aubrey waddled beside Gwen toward the elevator.

“Thank you,” Gwen whispered, the waterworks threatening again. “I can’t…”

“You don’t have to,” Aubrey said. “You’re my very best friend, and nothing is going to change that.”



*



“Launch is looking good.” Todd pushed his glasses up his nose. “The app is available, we’ve got the online push as well as the promo and marketing going, plus the party. Man, this thing is going to shred the competition. And now we’ve got our poster boy back, right, Leo?”

“What?” Leo turned away from the window, where he’d been staring into space. Gwen. He was thinking about Gwen for what might be the millionth time today. “I never went anywhere.”

Todd flashed Ilko a look. “Right, I know. But come on, it was only a matter of time before you and the girl took things public and right now? Not such a good time for A Convenient Arrangement if our guy, our Mr. Bachelor, set in the bachelor lifestyle, decided to settle down with one woman, Right? I mean, you get what I’m saying.”

Leo did, even if he didn’t like Todd’s perspective on what had happened between him and Gwen. A Convenient Arrangement was a business investment, a pretty hefty one for Travati Financial, and really their first foray into digital space. If the app launched well, they already had a dozen more ideas from Todd and Ilko that might work for TF.

Leo nodded, but didn’t answer. He’d feel like a fraud if he said anything. He wasn’t about to minimize his feelings for Gwen, because he did have feelings, very strong and unrelenting feelings, but he couldn’t give her what she wanted. In fact, he could nearly guarantee that he would never want what she did.

He had brothers who seemed to be pumping out kids at a pretty good rate. Hadn’t Anthony just said that he and Shelly wanted to start a family soon? So with all the new women in the Travati family and all the babies planned, he definitely didn’t feel any pressure to marry and breed and carry on the Travati name. So why was he even thinking about this? Because of Gwen. Gwen was different.

After a moment of silence, Ilko cleared her throat. “Okay. So you’ve got all you need. I guess the next time we see each other is tomorrow night at the event. Gwen is still handling all the details, right?”

Leo nodded. “She’s got everything set. You could touch base with our PR team. With our guest list, we’re guaranteed some good press from the event.”

“It’s good to know the right people,” Todd said and stood. He pulled his fingers through his beard. “Okay, man, see you tomorrow night. Official launch tomorrow. We’ll let you know the numbers as they come in.”

Leo nodded again. Todd and Ilko walked out his office. He sat behind his desk and turned to his computer. He had ton of work emails to answer and calls to make, and yet his thoughts were scattered. His focus had deserted him. These melancholy feelings wouldn’t go away. He and Gwen had made their mutual decision what? Only a couple weeks ago, and yet the intensity of the loss was like it had happened yesterday.

Of course he was scattered and unfocused. He’d been practically living with Gwen. Spending all his time with her for just over two months. The end of their relationship and her exit from his life left a huge gap. This was the exact reason why A Convenient Arrangement suited a busy executive. Why put up with this emotional detritus that wreaked havoc with work?