Chapter 92
Wallis and I hightailed it to the president’s office at Rainbow Capital, only to find out from the secretary that Hogan had left a little while ago.
It was his call that brought us over, and now that we’d arrived, Hogan was playing hide and seek. They could guess the answer to that one.
I didn’t sweat it, but Wallis was fuming. “The big boss of Rainbow Capital going AWOL for Cecilia? Seriously?”
“Why not? I’ve never seen Hogan dote on anyone like this in all these years. Now, what’s got us on edge is figuring out how to tackle the hot mess this proposal’s going to bring. Hogan’s no Cecilia when it comes to brushing people off.”
Hearing this, Wallis cooled her jets instantly and glanced at the female secretary outside the reception, murmuring, “Leave it to me.”
Five minutes later, she’d sweet–talked the secretary into spilling the beans on Hogan and Cecilia’s whereabouts – they were at the company cafeteria; probably hadn’t even had lunch yet.
Wallis suggested we take the bull by the horns.
“Let’s keep it real and thicken our skins.” She advised me, “If push comes to shove, we can pull a Cecilia and play the sympathy card.”
That got a chuckle out of me, “You might be game, but it depends on whether Hogan wants to watch the show.”
At the cafeteria, we immediately spotted Hogan and Cecilia sitting opposite each other not far away. Hogan’s back was to us, sitting ramrod straight, his face unreadable, while Cecilia’s eyes were rimmed red, her makeup slightly smudged, looking for all the world like she’d been totally wronged.
Not just Hogan, even I felt a tug at the heartstrings. As Wallis and I were about to make our move, Cecilia suddenly picked up a piece of bamboo shoot from her plate and held it to Hogan’s lips.
“You must be bored to death listening to me blabbering.” She cooed sweetly with a sniffle, “Here, have a bamboo shoot as a little reward.”
With her tear–streaked face and that forced smile, it was a picture of trying to stay strong despite being wronged. Who wouldn’t feel a twinge of pity at this sight?
I was sure Hogan would chow down on that bamboo shoot without hesitation, but instead, he signaled the kitchen to add soup to Cecilia’s bowl.
Well, it was a public place after all. Hogan might not care about his own rep, but he had to consider hers.
Chapter 92
Just as Wallis and I were spying on how things might unfold, Cecilia caught sight of us.
“Xaviera, President Lott, what are you doing here?” She asked, puzzled.
Her voice drew Hogan’s gaze, and the man silently turned, his eyes calmly sizing us up and then his brow furrowed. Clearly, he wasn’t thrilled with the unexpected company.
“Mr. Zade, Director Irwin.” Wallis said with a grin plastered on her face. “We heard you were still dining, and what do you know, Ms. March and I haven’t eaten yet either. Mind if we join you two?”
This line caught me off guard. Thinking about the lunch I’d scarfed down earlier, I felt a bit sheepish.
Cecilia quickly chimed in, “President Lott, you haven’t had lunch yet?”
Wallis turned on the dramatics, “Was about to, but Mr. Zade’s call came and Ms. March and I didn’t dare dawdle – we came right over.”
Cecilia glanced curiously at Hogan and whispered, “Why did you…”
Hogan threw us a look, his voice dripping with double meaning, “I’m afraid our Rainbow Capital’s cafeteria might not be up to your usual standards.”
His words immediately shut Wallis up.
Sure, Hogan could give me the cold shoulder on a regular day, but dissing Wallis in front of the subordinate Cecilia was a bit much.
So, I decided to cut to the chase, pulled out the chair opposite Hogan, and said breezily, “Mr. Zade worries too much. President Lott and I are easy to please when it comes to food.”
And just like that, the four of us ended up sharing a table. I ordered a couple of vegetable dishes, and picked at them to keep up appearances. They were decent, but my appetite was
ΜΙΑ.
Cecilia perked up, “Xaviera, you really should have come earlier. Our chef’s stewed meatballs are to die for. You should try them next time.”
Her choice of words was intriguing. “Our chef” as in hers and Hogan’s, leaving Wallis and me on the outside.
Wallis caught that too and quipped back, “With Director Irwin personally inviting us on behalf of Rainbow Capital, how could Ms. March and I possibly refuse?”
Cecilia faltered, biting her lip slightly, and said, “President Lott, I didn’t mean it like that.”
As Wallis started to look cross, I went straight to the point, “Mr. Zade was in such a hurry to call us over; there must be some instructions you want to make, right?”
Just then, I saw Cecilia’s hand under the table clench noticeably.
