Elisabeth Naughton: Wait for Me

“You can barely afford me now.” She dropped into a chair across from his desk, pulled a file from her bag.

Knowing she was about to go over the day’s nitty-gritty, Ryan reached for his glasses and eased into his leather chair. His daily meeting with Hannah was the one thing he looked forward to everyday. They had an easy working relationship, an unspoken admiration. She was never afraid to tell him just what she thought, and he respected her for it. Needed it. Promoting her to VP of Public Relations for AmCorp Pharmaceuticals was the best thing he’d ever done.

“The FDA’s grumbling about our stage three clinical trial results for Omnitrol,” she said, jumping right to her point. “They want a longer study.”

Ryan took the report she handed him, studied the papers. The FDA’s stringent requirements were a constant frustration. Forget about the fact there were people out there dying from cancers new drugs could possibly cure or prevent. But he knew the game, had played it for years. And his biotech company adhered to each one of the FDA’s rules and evaluations. Sometimes it meant scrapping a drug they’d spent millions on in research and development. Other times it meant shelving one until further studies could be conducted. He had a sinking suspicion Omnitrol was headed in that direction.

“Okay. Get Angela on it. Have her contact Jim Pierson over at Biomed and find out what we need to do.”

“Already have her on it.” She shifted papers in her hands, handed him the next topic. “I’m flying out to Denver next week to check on Research & Development for Mediquin. They’ve started animal testing, and I need to get a handle on how things are going.”

“Jack’s there. He can formulate a report and fax it to us.”

She tipped her head. “Ryan, Jack’s swamped with the merger. The Grayson Pharmaceutical deal’s causing him all kinds of angst. He asked me to come out and give him a hand with the R&D problem, run interference on the last few details of the merger.”

He breathed out a sigh of frustration and raked a hand through his hair. This merger was causing more trouble than it was worth. Grayson Pharmaceuticals was a company he’d been eyeing for a long time. They had a long track record of good sales and important medicines, and he’d been lucky when their cash flow problems had made them vulnerable. But their R&D department was raising red flags with this new drug.

“Fine, but I need you back here ASAP.” He jotted a note and looked up. “Anything else?”

She bit her lip.

“Hannah?”

“You made it into the National Star again.”

His mood took a nosedive at the mention of his “favorite” tabloid magazine.

Hannah pulled the paper from her bag and tossed it on his desk. On the front was a picture of him and Monique walking through the lobby of his New York hotel on his recent visit.

“Fabulous,” he muttered, easing back in his chair as he read the marriage rumor headline.

“It gets better. Inside, there’s a nice little quote from Monique about getting creeped out in hospitals. A terminal patient at one of her runway shows tried to get an autograph, asked her to make an appearance in his cancer ward. She snubbed him. Told him he needed to go grow some hair. Press is all over it, especially with her connection to you. Not sitting well for us, Ryan.”

He clenched his jaw. His relationship with Monique was anything but exclusive, and marriage was the last thing on his mind. He had no control over what she did or said. And they never talked business when they were together. Rarely talked at all, as a matter of fact.

“How do you want me to handle it?” Hannah asked.

“Don’t. Ignore it.”

“The press is going to play this up, and we don’t need backlash right now with everything that’s happening with Grayson. I really think we need to make a statement.”

Like he cared. The press could print anything about him they wanted. “The Grayson deal’s sealed. And I don’t really give a shit what people think of me personally.”

“Well, I do. It’s my job to care. That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”

“I pay you the big bucks because you earn them.”

“I’m trying to earn them now.”

“Your opinion on the subject is noted.”

“But you’re going to do as you damn well please. And that means nothing.”

He pushed out of his chair. “You want a drink?”

She frowned. “Just water.”

He crossed to the wet bar, pulled two chilled bottles from the fridge, then handed her one. “What else?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, closing the file on her lap.

“I can see it on your face. What else?” She might be good with the press, but she couldn’t hide anything from him. They’d known each other too long.

She let out a deep breath and leaned back in her chair, fingering the water bottle. “The Grayson deal has me curious.”

“About what?”

“About your goals.” When he raised a brow, she added, “Long-term goals. What’s the plan?”

“I’m not following you.”

“Well.” She shifted in her seat. “Aside from wanting to excel in the pharmaceutical world, which you’ve already done, and wanting to expand your umbrella company, which you’re doing by acquiring subsidiaries, I’m just curious where things are going.”

He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like where this was going. Moving back to his desk, he sank into his chair and waited for her to get to the point.

“Look, don’t take this the wrong way, Ryan, but you’re not exactly the norm for a CEO.” She arched one perfect eyebrow. “You’re a multimillionaire and are very successful at most everything you put your mind to, but you don’t live like a man who rakes in the dough. You live in a nice house, but you could easily afford something bigger and way fancier. You drive the same car you drove five years ago, you don’t have expensive spending habits, you don’t own a yacht or sports cars or even take luxury vacations. Aside from the one week every year that you take to go somewhere with Julia, you never take time off. You belong to the country club, but you rarely go there, you barely use the car and driver you have on staff for the company, and you don’t throw lavish parties or socialize with San Francisco’s elite.”

He swiveled his chair to look out over the bay as she talked. Darkness was setting in, and the lights of the city reflected off the water. Darkness that suddenly mirrored his sinking mood.

“My point is,” she went on, “you don’t seem to enjoy any of the benefits you have from the work you do, so I’m curious why you’re pushing so hard to expand AmCorp.”

“I have my own reasons.” And he’d be damned if he was going to explain them to her or anyone else.

“But what’s the point if it’s not making a difference in your life?”

His gaze cut to her. “You’re one to talk. You’re as dedicated to this company as I am.”

“Sure I am, but I also have a life outside the office. You don’t.”

His jaw clenched again. Any enjoyment he’d had in the meeting earlier had trickled away. He didn’t need her blunt realism smacking him in the face. “My private life is none of your business.”

Tension floated in the air as she stared at him. Their relationship was professional yet friendly, and they shared not only a love of this company but a mutual admiration. However, she’d just crossed a line—a big one—and they both knew it.

Long seconds passed in silence. Finally, she set her water on the table, then stood and retrieved her papers. “You’re right,” she said as she reached for her briefcase. “I’m sorry. I was out of line. I’m flying to Denver Monday morning, so I’ll be around this weekend if something comes up.”