“I guess.”
She frowned. He leaned, putting his hand under her chin to bring her face up to look at him. “It’s okay, Violet. You’re doing great work here. I promise. Carl has nothing but good things to say about you. He feels as if you’ve gone above and beyond your task.”
“Okay. If you say so. I just hate to be bored. I like to be busy.”
“I understand that. And we’ll be busy tonight finding a place for you to live. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Tired.”
“Are you too tired to go out tonight?”
“No, let’s do this. It will be a load off of my mind if I know where I’ll be living.”
He nodded. He thought that he’d miss her when she moved out. He’d never shared his place with anyone. Tory had stayed the occasional night, but never more than two in a row. She liked her own place. She’d wanted him to move into her place, but he didn’t want to be in view of her parents.
They’d never settled that argument and then they didn’t have to. He sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Violet asked. “You look a little stressed.”
“It’s these negotiations. They should be going smoother.”
She stood then patted the chair she’d been in. “Sit.”
“Why?”
“I’ll rub your shoulders before I go back to my desk.”
He would take that. He sat and she massaged his shoulders. “You should get a real massage.”
“I’m not one for a stranger’s hands all over me.”
Violet laughed. “You didn’t feel that way when you brought me home that night.”
He had to chuckle. “Okay, then I can’t imagine it without a happy ending.”
“Seriously, Amedeo. Massages are good for you. They relieve tension.”
“So does sex.”
“You don’t do that at work.”
“Well we proved that wrong,” he said.
She stayed quiet. He closed his eyes as he could feel the tension leave his body. He wanted to stay here for a day or so. She finished. “I need to get back to work.”
“Thanks for the massage.”
“You’re welcome,” she said over her shoulder as she left.
He stayed in the chair for a moment longer, enjoying the afterglow. She did have expert hands. Not only did he like her hands, he liked her. She was easy going. Nutty in her own way, but not in a way that he couldn’t handle. What was he thinking? This wasn’t permanent. They were lovers. Sex buddies. That was it.
Madge came in with some papers for him to sign. “Did you forget where your desk was?”
“Violet gave me a massage and it was easier to do it in this chair.”
She cocked her head at him. “And you didn’t have sex? You’re growing.”
He laughed, but not fully. Did his assistant know how much sex he’d had in his office? He decided that he didn’t want to know. He’d thought he was being discreet, but he should have known better.
“What do you have for me?”
“Just some papers that need your important signature.”
He hopped over to his own chair then pulled a pen from his pocket. He read the sheets then signed them. As Madge was leaving, he said, “Wait a minute. I want to tell you something.”
She closed the door then walked over to his desk. “Yes?”
“I’m selling the company. Do you want a package to retire or do you want to follow me to my next venture? Which, by the way, I have no idea what I’m doing next or when I’m going to start it.”
“I’d have to think about it. I could retire. I wouldn’t mind that. I have some grandchildren I’d like to visit.”
“Sounds like you made your choice.”
She laughed. “Yes, I guess I did. Then a package is better. Do I need to be part of the transition team?”
“Might not be a bad idea.”
Chapter12
Violet didn’t have any specifics for the type of apartment she wanted to live in. Two bedrooms in a safe neighborhood was pretty much all she wanted. She hoped the price tag wouldn’t be out of her budget.
That was the biggest concern. Looking with Amedeo might not be a good idea. He had no idea what it was like to live on a budget. He might want her in something she couldn’t afford. She wasn’t taking money from him other than child support after the birth of their child. She would make her own living.
She was paying off debts with what she was making at Amedeo’s company so she’d be clear of them when the baby was born. She could start fresh with a clean slate and stay debt free. At least she hoped so.
Most of the apartments were in and around Trenton. They’d picked up the real estate agent in Amedeo’s car. She was a compact woman whose mouth moved nonstop. The ride to the first place had been filled with chatter.