The Perfect Christmas - Debbie Macomber [46]
Well, there was that. “I’m too tired to argue with you.” She stretched her legs out and let her hands dangle at her sides. Unable to prevent it, she yawned.
Taking that as his cue to leave, Simon stood. “I’d better go.”
Cassie realized with a start that she wanted him to stay. “Don’t go yet,” she urged.
“Do you want help with the cleanup?”
“No.”
“A drink or more coffee?”
She shook her head. “There’s a football game on,” she said.
Cassie could see he was tempted. Smiling up at him, she hoped that was enough incentive to get him to change his mind.
“I should get home,” he finally said.
“Why?”
“I just should. And don’t forget I’ll be seeing you tomorrow,” he reminded her. “Tomorrow?”
“In my office. Late afternoon.”
She couldn’t recall an appointment, but if they had one, she’d certainly keep it.
“John will be there.”
Oh, my goodness. Cassie had forgotten she was supposed to meet John. “Cancel it,” she said hurriedly.
Simon frowned.
“I’m not ready to meet John.”
“You’ve completed your three tasks to my satisfaction. I don’t understand why you’re hesitating. You’ve worked hard and waited for quite a while, and so has John. I hate to disappoint him.”
Cassie’s head was spinning with doubt and fear. “I need to talk to you first.”
“Talk to me now,” he said, none too patiently.
“I can’t—I’m tired, and besides, I…I need to think.”
He continued to frown, and she could see he wasn’t happy with her. He left soon after.
Cassie sat on the sofa for at least an hour, trying to make sense of her relationship with Simon. Her feelings for him and her original expectations of John were scrambled in her mind. Eventually, when her whole life felt like a hopeless tangle, she called Angie.
Thankfully her friend was home.
“I need help,” Cassie whispered.
“Cassie?” Angie said. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve done something foolish.”
“What?”
She said the words out loud for the very first time. “I’ve fallen in love with Simon.”
Chapter 15
Simon says: There’s a perfect match for you; it just isn’t me.
By the time Cassie reached Simon’s office, she’d worked everything out. She’d rehearsed her speech all day. Her one hope was that Simon would own up to the fact that he shared her feelings.
His assistant greeted her warmly. “Hello, Ms. Beaumont. It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too, Ms. Snelling. Oh, nice tree.”
That was the extent of the Christmas decorating in Simon’s office—a small Norfolk pine on the credenza, draped with tiny white lights. Simple, classy, elegant.
Given her previous experiences visiting his office, Cassie automatically took a seat and picked up a magazine.
“Dr. Dodson will see you now.”
“Already?”
“Yes, he told me I was to bring you into his office as soon as you arrived.”
Cassie set the magazine aside and stood. It was now or never. The only thing left to do was forge ahead and pray they could discuss this with openness and honesty.
Ms. Snelling held the door for her. “Ms. Beaumont,” she said, announcing Cassie.
As he had at their first meeting, Simon sat behind his desk, studying a periodical. He glanced up, acknowledging her with a nod, then resumed reading.
Cassie took a seat, crossed her legs, uncrossed them, then folded her hands as she waited. She knew Simon now and was familiar with his ways.
When he did finally look up, Cassie could see that he was on edge. She wondered if he’d managed to sleep after he’d left her apartment and suspected he’d tossed and turned, the same as she had.
“You said you wanted to speak to me.” His voice was expressionless.
“Yes, please.”
He checked his watch. “You have ten minutes.”
That dictatorial approach didn’t fool her. He wasn’t going to intimidate her, nor was he going to scare her into being silent.
“Ten minutes,” she said softly. “I doubt it’ll take that long.”
He leaned back and Cassie leaned forward. “If you’ll recall, it was my friend Angie who suggested I make an appointment with you.”
He indicated with a slight nod that he remembered.
“You turned her down,