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petite figure, bouncy blonde
hair, and quick smile, the girl had a spine of steel. I knew she’d
go on to great things. I was just lucky to have her now. I knew
that and I made sure she knew that.
    “What did he want?” she asked.
    “To walk with me hip-to-hip, looking over my
shoulder, making sure my work was good enough for the Byzans.”
    She laughed.
    “That fucking dick,” she said.
    I smiled.
    Couldn’t agree more.
    “As if he,” she continued, “this kid out of
law school, what, two, three years would have the gall to look over
your shoulder and correct you or something?”
    “Well, Partner White --”
    She rolled her eyes.
    “Oh Jesus --”
    “-- Partner White thinks it’d be better if
Marcus’ M&A department --”
    Janey hooted with laughter.
    “Oh, Bill is going to love that.”
    “I know, right?” I said. “Anyway, Abby thinks
it’d be better if Marcus makes sure I make the Byzans happy.”
    “Oh, I get it,” she said.
    “Get what?”
    “The Byzans. Abigail is desperately trying to
pole vault into what she sees as the Winner’s Circle. You know, she
has another daughter and the Byzans have a son.”
    “Oh please,” I interrupted. “As if the
daughter of a law firm partner would ever be considered marriage
material for the Byzans.”
    “Well, Mikalo has you and word is the two of
you are headed down the aisle.”
    “What?” I said, trying not to laugh. “No, no,
no, no, no, we haven’t even .. I mean, it’s a bit too early to even
consider something like ... it’s just ... I don’t know ... really?
That’s what people think?”
    She nodded.
    “That’s what Abigail thinks,” she said. “And
the thought of you marrying a billionaire and living that life
--”
    “What life?”
    “You know,” she continued, “Caviar and
private jets and shopping in Paris and all that stuff.”
    I laughed, long and loud.
    “Mikalo is so not caviar and private jets and
shopping,” I finally said. “And I doubt very much I’d live that
kind of life even if Mikalo and I ever married.
    “And, I mean, c’mon! It’s way, way too early
to even be thinking about the M word with Mikalo.
    “This is what Abigail is really
thinking?”
    Another nod.
    “It’s fucking killing her, Ronan.”
    “So, linking one of hers up with a Byzan is
some great plan to compete with Mikalo and me?”
    “She thinks so.”
    “As if I care? As if anyone cares? Jesus,
she’s stupid and pathetic and insane.”
    “And desperate to get near the Byzans.”
    “Ergo,” I said, “She sends her flying monkey
Marcus to look over my shoulder --”
    “Sit in all the meetings --”
    “Mention Abigail and her single daughter in
glowing terms any chance he gets --”
    “Maybe go to dinner with them --”
    “Parties --”
    “Anything to work their way into the Byzan’s
lives.”
    “Yep,” Janey agreed. “That’s her plan.”
    “Unbelievable.”
    Janey turned to go.
    “Well, it’s either that or find a way to
force you out,” she said. “Either way, Abigail is one busy woman
with a lot on her plate.”
     
     
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    One, two, three, and then four.
    Four bites.
    And like that, Mikalo’s cheeseburger was
finished.
    He started on the fries, dunking each one in
ketchup before inhaling it with a single bite.
    He chugged down the last of his beer and then
finally paused, looking at me.
    I looked down at my dinner, the bun of my
burger barely nibbled on.
    He laughed.
    “My appetite,” he said. “It was hungry.”
    Smiling, I grabbed a nearby knife and sawed
my burger in two, offering him the second half.
    “Ah,” he said as I placed it on his plate.
“Yes?”
    Yes, I nodded with a small smile as I turned
my plate, placing my own pile of fries near him.
    We both knew he’d finish those eventually,
too.
    Besides, my own appetite was almost
non-existent tonight.
    I wanted to tell him about my day. Tell him
of Deni and her potential news. Tell him of Marcus and Abigail.
About their jealousy and