Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
When I arrived at Edmund’s office, his door was open. He sat behind his desk, talking loudly on speakerphone. When he saw me, he smiled and stood, waving me in while continuing his conversation. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that I realized he wasn’t actually on the phone. He was talking to someone sitting on the couch, which was now behind me. I turned, and that person was none other than Jagger.
I wobbled on my heels at the sight of him.
He stood, and I could’ve sworn there was a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Good to see you again, Sutton.”
“I…I didn’t realize anyone was in the office but Edmund.”
Jagger’s shirtsleeves were rolled up, showcasing his muscular forearms covered in tattoos. His hair, which was normally slicked back and neat, was more disheveled than usual. It looked like he’d spent a decent amount of time raking a hand through it. I could’ve ogled the man for hours, but I didn’t want to embarrass my stepfather, so I turned my attention back to him and thumbed to the door. “Should I come back?”
Jagger answered. “That’s not necessary. We were just finishing up.” He picked up his suit jacket from the couch and nodded to Edmund. “Thanks again for trying to put out the dumpster fire. I was initially disappointed, but the way their management team has acted in the last twenty-four hours, maybe things worked out for the best.”
Edmund nodded. “Sometimes things go wrong so that better things can come along and make things right again.”
Jagger’s gaze shifted to me, and this time the amusement in his eyes was undeniable. “I agree.”
He left with only a nod, and I made the mistake of watching him through the glass wall until he was out of sight—a mistake because Edmund had been watching me.
“Have you two gotten to spend any time together yet?” he asked. “Since he’s your mentor?”
My first instinct was to say no—but then I remembered that everyone goes to lunch with their mentees their first day. I nodded. “We had lunch and talked for a bit, but he got a call and had to cut our conversation short.”
Edmund nodded. “You should probably get used to that. That man is pulled in twelve different directions at any time. I was actually surprised that he called Ellie and volunteered to be part of the mentorship program this year. He works fourteen hours a day, and it’s not nearly enough to manage everything he’s got on his plate.”
“He…volunteered? Ellie didn’t draft him?”
My stepfather nodded again. “I think when he found out it was you who was out of a mentor, he stepped in out of respect for me. I appreciate it. You could learn a lot from that man. His brain works a lot like yours—takes in massive amounts of data and spits it out completely processed in the time it takes most people to look at the numbers on the page. But he also has the patience of a boiling kettle’s whistle.” He waved me closer to his desk. “Anyway, let me know if he doesn’t make time for you, and I’ll see what I can do about getting you reassigned to another exec.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
Edmund held his hand out for me to sit, then took the seat behind his desk again.
“I wanted to talk to you about your mom’s fiftieth birthday coming up.”
My shoulders relaxed at the change of subject. I sat. “You mean thirty-ninth.”
His brows drew together. “She’s fifteen-and-a-half years younger than me, to the day. She’ll be fifty.”
“And you won’t make sixty-six if Mia Newport hears you saying she’s going to be fifty out loud. My mother is perpetually thirty-nine. Didn’t you know that?”
He chuckled. “Good point. And that’s part of the reason I thought I should talk to you about how we should celebrate. I was thinking about a surprise party, but I wasn’t sure how she would feel about that. Unless, of course, I called it her fortieth, perhaps?”
“I’m not sure she would be thrilled with a big party. I don’t think she’s taking this birthday lightly.”
He sighed. “That’s why I wanted to run things by you before setting anything in motion. What about a small group at my house in Montauk for the weekend? We could go over to Block Island or even Nantucket for the day? I know where I might be able to borrow a beautiful boat, rather than taking the ferry. Maybe I could surprise her and have her best friend, Patrice, and her husband come, and of course all you kids?”
The thought of being cooped up all weekend with Colette and her new husband made me feel seasick without having stepped foot off land, but it did sound like something my mom would love. “That sounds really nice. I think she would enjoy that.”