Bill nodded before leaving the room.
Grant remained in his chair. “Do you really have a headache?”
The side of his mouth tilted. “Not as bad as I made it out to be, but I really didn’t hear a word he said.”
Grant stroked his chin. “I had a hell of a time concentrating myself. It’s killing you too isn’t it?”
“More than you know.”
“Oh, I have an idea. I should have listened to you when you voiced your concerns about India earlier, but I was so sure.”
“Don’t tell me you’re giving up on her.”
“Hell no. But I think we need to reassess the situation. Maybe she’s been influenced by other people’s opinions. Last night it was almost as if she couldn’t wait to get off the phone with me, yet when I called she seemed glad I did. These mixed signals are frustrating.”
“I’m thinking we should pay her a visit and remind her just how good we are together.”
Rafe liked that idea a lot. “I like the way you think. We should—”
The door flew open and Rafe’s assistant walked in. “Rafe, you have a visitor and she says she won’t go away until she sees you.”
“Gee, Amy, knock much?” Rafe asked sarcastically.
She placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t play the heavy-handed boss now. I wouldn’t have interrupted if it wasn’t important. I think you’d better come out now and see who it is. They’re waiting in your office. It’s not a reporter, by the way.”
“Then who the hell is it?”
“Why don’t you just see for yourself?” She turned around and then left the room.
Rafe groaned. “I don’t know why I put up with that woman.”
Grant chuckled. “Because, despite her smart mouth, she’s good at her job.”
“Lucky for her that she is. I’d better go see who it is. I hope it’s not a reporter.”
He wondered who it could be as he made his way to his office. When Rafe opened the door, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Perched on his desk, examining her nails with a bored expression on her face, was his ex-wife.
The last time he’d seen her was in court and the words they’d exchanged hadn’t been pleasant.
When he entered the room, she lifted her head, her red-painted lips tilted into a feline smile. She looked like the cat who’d swallowed the cream. Since he’d last seen her, she’d dyed her hair from ash blonde to platinum, and her breasts looked bigger than he remembered, and her lips looked like she’d been stung by a hive of bees, although Rafe had a feeling that was the look she was going for.
A lot of guys would have found her alterations a turn-on, but when he looked at her, all Rafe felt was disgust. After being with India, he almost felt unclean for having touched her. The suffocating scent of her overpowering perfume filled the air and made his stomach turn.
“Hello, Rafe.”
“So I see this is where the settlement money has gone.”
She patted her big hair. Angie always did like to wear it bigger than he liked. He used to attribute that to her being from South Jersey. “Do you like what you see?”
“You look…different.”
She laughed, a fake tinkling sound. “I get lots of compliments. Most people think I look like a life-sized Barbie.”
That was rich. “Only if they make Trailer Park Barbie.”
Angie pouted though she seemed unperturbed. “That isn’t nice, especially when I’ve come by for a friendly visit.”
He wasn’t in the mood to play games with her. She was up to something. “Cut the crap, Angie. Let’s not pretend you don’t have an ulterior motive for coming here.”
She dropped her jaw in mock surprise. “Moi? Really, Rafe, you always were paranoid. I came to see how you were doing after your trying experience. I know we parted ways on not so amicable terms, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you.”
“But it certainly means I don’t care for you and haven’t for a very long time. Nor will I stand here exchanging pleasantries with you, when I’d rather see you in hell.”
“I was only trying to be nice.”
“You’ve never been nice, unless you wanted something.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulders, her lips firming in her annoyance. There was once time he found her very attractive and could think of nothing else but possessing her. Now Rafe couldn’t for the life of him think why that was. “I saw you and your friend on television. I’m sorry to hear about your ordeal.”
“Angie…” he growled in warning, wishing she’d get to the point.