“No, it hasn’t been so far. You didn’t even notice my pregnancy, did you?”
I didn’t appreciate being called out on my lack of attention to detail. “You wear black most days.”
That, I had noticed. Catherine, in black, at her desk. Catherine, in black, sitting across from me, taking notes. Catherine, in black, meeting me in a hotel lobby. Catherine, in black, curls escaping her sleek ponytail.
My vision had been tunneled by design. Early on in my career, I’d learned not to mix personal with professional. I chose not to focus on the shape of my employees, specifically my assistant.
Catherine grinned, seemingly pleased to have gotten one over on me. “That’s true, but my point is, I’ve handled everything you’ve thrown at me just fine. I’ve never been more pregnant than I am right now so I can’t say for sure, but I predict my ability to assist you won’t be impacted.”
My brow winged. “And if I need to fly to Dubai next month? Will you be able to come with me?”
Her shoulders slumped. “No. I suppose you have me there. As exciting as an airplane birth sounds, my flying days are numbered.”
“An airplane birth sounds exciting to you?”
“No.” She rested a hand on top of her stomach. “Nothing about birth sounds exciting to me, but I’ve almost accepted I must do it.”
“You might have considered the whole birth process before deciding to get pregnant.”
She blew out a puff of air. “Not everyone plans things as thoroughly as you, Elliot. Sometimes they just…happen.”
“I find that’s not true.”
Her eyes half rolled before she caught herself and directed them to a spot over my shoulder.
“I guess I’m not as disciplined as you.”
“Not many are,” I agreed. “When can I expect a replacement to bumble into my life?”
“Are you asking how far along I am?”
I canted my head. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to ask things like that.”
“That didn’t stop you before.”
I opened my hands in my lap. “If it will get me the answer to my question, then yes, I’m asking how far along you are.”
“Thirty-two weeks.”
I blinked at her. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I thought you researched everything.”
“I research topics that interest or impact me.” I tugged on my cuff. “If I had known about this, I would have done some reading. Since I had to hear the news from Luca—”
She shook her head. “I knew he told you. I wonder how long it would have taken you to notice if he hadn’t.”
“We’ll never know.” I eyed her stomach. Her poor sweater would never be the same. She should have bought new clothing that fit. She would certainly have to soon. She’d probably been too busy to take care of it yet, which I understood.
“Pregnancy is normally around forty weeks. That means I have eight more weeks, give or take.”
“Give or take? Why isn’t it more precise? Surely medicine is advanced enough to give you an exact date.”
She did the thing where it was obvious she had something to say but rolled her lips over her teeth instead.
The hand on my leg balled into a tight fist. Her reticence to express herself fully drove me mad when it truly should have been a relief. I didn’t understand why it bothered me so much, but it did.
“I’ll have someone to cover for me. You don’t have to worry about that,” she replied.
I closed my eyes, shuddering at the thought of having to get used to someone else. Catherine had made it easy for me. That wasn’t usually the case with my assistants.
“Make sure of it,” I uttered more harshly than intended. Fuck, this was a nightmare. I didn’t want a different assistant. Catherine, despite her one annoying trait, had been the best I’d ever had.
“Of course, Elliot.”
I opened my eyes at her sharp tone. She’d already picked up her tablet, focusing on whatever she had been doing before I interrupted her. Which was good. We both had a lot to do, and it appeared we’d be stuck in this car for a while.
If I were alone, I would have said fuck it and walked back to the office. Since the last thing I wanted to do was send Catherine into early labor, we’d stay here, where the seats were soft and cushioned and there was no chance of a squalling infant making an appearance.
Chapter Five
Catherine
There was a man behind my desk doing something to my chair.