Brian added, ‘You’ll know all about that one day. And it keeps the wife in the style to which she has become accustomed.’
The wife . Stefan hated that term. Whoever she was, whatever her name was, wasn’t she his wife? Wasn’t she the woman he’d married and loved?
He and Claire must have had a very different relationship. Claire had never stayed at home living a lavish, relaxed lifestyle while her husband worked his guts out. She had her own job, her own passions, her own identity.
Stefan held Brian’s gaze. ‘What do you get out of it?’
He laughed. ‘What do you mean ‘what do I get out of it’? This is my job. It’s what I do. And if you haven’t figured it out, we do very nicely out of it. We get paid extremely well.’
Stefan nodded.
‘Thanks for inviting us.’ Claire turned to Stefan. ‘We’ve got to go.’
They made their way out and Stefan closed the boardroom door behind him, the sounds of chatter, glasses clinking and occasional laughter disappeared into a muffled mist of noise. He felt good to be out of there.
Claire stopped outside the door. ‘There was no need to be rude.’
‘I wasn’t.’
‘A lot of people could have taken offense at your tone. You’re lucky Brian’s so thick-skinned.’
‘My questions weren’t rude. I’m just trying to work things out.’
‘You weren’t simply enquiring about his career. When you asked Brian what he got out of being a lawyer, it was though only some sort of imbecile would do the job he was doing and the onus was on him to provide an explanation.’
‘I didn’t mean it that way.’
Claire glared at him. ‘Yes, you did. You two worked side-by-side on a lot of cases. If you’re insulting him, you’re insulting yourself as well. You’d do well to remember that.’
‘I can’t remember, that’s the whole point.’
‘That’s no excuse for being rude. Lift isn’t always about you , how hard it is for you , how you can’t remember. All you think about is yourself and that’s downright selfish. Other people have feelings too, you know.’
Stefan opened his mouth to argue but realised she was right. He’d been thrown into this world—everyone else knew what was going on and he didn’t. He just assumed others could carry on with their lives and take care of themselves, assumed no one else needed anything from him, especially since he didn’t have that much to offer.
A little sensitivity wasn’t too much to ask, not now he’d had some time to grow accustomed to his predicament.
But Claire wasn’t only talking about his brusqueness with Brian. She was talking about herself, and the way Stefan had been treating her. He’d been taking her for granted. Taking. Not giving.
‘I’m sorry, Claire,’ he said. ‘For everything. None of this is your fault and I’ve been quite hard on you.’
Her mouth fell open, surprise washing across her face. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
Stefan paused, then said, ‘You could say ‘apology accepted’.’
‘Apology accepted.’ Though her expression was composed, her lips widened into a smile that reached her eyes, and he knew she meant it. ‘Let’s go.’
This time when he took her hand, Claire didn’t slip away as they walked together across the sparkling marble floor and towards the elevator.
Claire slid her hand out of his and jabbed the elevator button.
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I need to be selfish a little longer. There’s something that’s bugging me.’
She turned to him. ‘Okay.’
‘It’s Veronica. Talking to her has…well, it’s thrown me.’
‘She’s very frank.’
‘That’s the problem. She was too forward for my liking but so familiar with me that it made me wonder…I really don’t know how to ask this.’
‘Then just say it.’
The elevator doors opened. Neither of them talked and waited until the doors slid shut.
’Was I having an affair with her?’ Stefan covered his mouth with his hand. ‘Please don’t tell me I was.’
Claire
The wife . Stefan hated that term. Whoever she was, whatever her name was, wasn’t she his wife? Wasn’t she the woman he’d married and loved?
He and Claire must have had a very different relationship. Claire had never stayed at home living a lavish, relaxed lifestyle while her husband worked his guts out. She had her own job, her own passions, her own identity.
Stefan held Brian’s gaze. ‘What do you get out of it?’
He laughed. ‘What do you mean ‘what do I get out of it’? This is my job. It’s what I do. And if you haven’t figured it out, we do very nicely out of it. We get paid extremely well.’
Stefan nodded.
‘Thanks for inviting us.’ Claire turned to Stefan. ‘We’ve got to go.’
They made their way out and Stefan closed the boardroom door behind him, the sounds of chatter, glasses clinking and occasional laughter disappeared into a muffled mist of noise. He felt good to be out of there.
Claire stopped outside the door. ‘There was no need to be rude.’
‘I wasn’t.’
‘A lot of people could have taken offense at your tone. You’re lucky Brian’s so thick-skinned.’
‘My questions weren’t rude. I’m just trying to work things out.’
‘You weren’t simply enquiring about his career. When you asked Brian what he got out of being a lawyer, it was though only some sort of imbecile would do the job he was doing and the onus was on him to provide an explanation.’
‘I didn’t mean it that way.’
Claire glared at him. ‘Yes, you did. You two worked side-by-side on a lot of cases. If you’re insulting him, you’re insulting yourself as well. You’d do well to remember that.’
‘I can’t remember, that’s the whole point.’
‘That’s no excuse for being rude. Lift isn’t always about you , how hard it is for you , how you can’t remember. All you think about is yourself and that’s downright selfish. Other people have feelings too, you know.’
Stefan opened his mouth to argue but realised she was right. He’d been thrown into this world—everyone else knew what was going on and he didn’t. He just assumed others could carry on with their lives and take care of themselves, assumed no one else needed anything from him, especially since he didn’t have that much to offer.
A little sensitivity wasn’t too much to ask, not now he’d had some time to grow accustomed to his predicament.
But Claire wasn’t only talking about his brusqueness with Brian. She was talking about herself, and the way Stefan had been treating her. He’d been taking her for granted. Taking. Not giving.
‘I’m sorry, Claire,’ he said. ‘For everything. None of this is your fault and I’ve been quite hard on you.’
Her mouth fell open, surprise washing across her face. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
Stefan paused, then said, ‘You could say ‘apology accepted’.’
‘Apology accepted.’ Though her expression was composed, her lips widened into a smile that reached her eyes, and he knew she meant it. ‘Let’s go.’
This time when he took her hand, Claire didn’t slip away as they walked together across the sparkling marble floor and towards the elevator.
Claire slid her hand out of his and jabbed the elevator button.
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I need to be selfish a little longer. There’s something that’s bugging me.’
She turned to him. ‘Okay.’
‘It’s Veronica. Talking to her has…well, it’s thrown me.’
‘She’s very frank.’
‘That’s the problem. She was too forward for my liking but so familiar with me that it made me wonder…I really don’t know how to ask this.’
‘Then just say it.’
The elevator doors opened. Neither of them talked and waited until the doors slid shut.
’Was I having an affair with her?’ Stefan covered his mouth with his hand. ‘Please don’t tell me I was.’
Claire
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