Zoe turned back to face Cal and muttered quietly, "You really have to fire that secretary." Cal glared at her and look back up at Clara.
"Clara," he said pointedly, standing up to offer her his seat but she shook her head.
"I just popped by to see if you wanted to have lunch and discuss some financial plans." She gave him the best seductive smile any of them had ever seen. Gillian found herself casting a look at Zoe who, to her amazement, caught her eye with that look of disbelief in her face. Cal exhaled slowly.
"As you can see I'm in a meeting at the moment." He twisted his hand to indicate Foster and Zoe. Clara smiled, tilting her head slightly.
"Ex-wife versus future investor Cal…" she said in an infuriatingly sing-song tone, that condescending tone that Cal hated.
"Nagging ex-wife actually." Zoe glared at him. "There, see that look? Means I'm in big trouble so I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule luv." Clara bit the inside of her cheek and Cal knew she was royally pissed off. Time to do some damage control. Strolling over to the doorway he started walking her out, discussing his schedule for the next day (purely fictional, Gillian knew) and trying to organise a suitable time. It was a good plan but it left Gillian alone with Zoe and that wasn't Gillian's idea of fun.
"Are you sure about this investment?" Gillian asked suddenly and Zoe nodded, glancing over at her.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Cal put this place under a lot of pressure just to keep me in DC. Least I can do is return the favour." Gillian nodded and was about to speak again but Zoe beat her to it.
"So how long have you been sleeping with my ex-husband?"
OXOXOXOXO
Cal took a deep breath as he stepped out of the lift. He'd managed to subdue Clara and told her he'd call her tomorrow. On any other occasion he'd have been more than happy to take her to lunch and take her pretty much anywhere else she wanted to go but everything had changed now. Everything would change for the better providing their deal with Zoe didn't fall through and he couldn't see it doing so.
He was just approaching his office when he heard his ex-wife asking the offending question and Gillian flustering.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Zoe."
"Well that's a lie anyway. You know I picked up some pointers from being married to him…"
"Zoe…"
"Hey, I don't care what you do. I'm just curious."
"I…" Cal chose that moment to walk in, clasping his hands as he did.
"Right. Zoe, you're going to have to let us discuss this deal and I'll get back to you eh?" Zoe nodded her head, standing up and tidying away her things. Gillian stood and hastily made her way to the door but not without having to pass him by. He stopped her with a hand to the arm.
"Aren't you staying?" he asked quietly and she nodded.
"I'm just going to get something from my office." He nodded and she bolted. Cal watched as Zoe packed up her stuff.
"Nice one Zoe," he said suddenly. She didn't look up.
"Always a pleasure to help out an ex." She grinned as she straightened up to face him and see the serious look on his face. He shook his head.
"I heard what you said to Gillian. Completely inappropriate if I might add." He stepped away from the door offering her a clear escape route if she wanted it. But she never took the easy routes.
"I didn't say anything that wasn't true. Her face told me that. And now yours did. Calm down Cal. It's not as if I wouldn't have guessed." Cal looked at the ground, hands in pockets, a bit sheepish. She was right of course. Half the office already thought they were sleeping together. The other half were too afraid of him that they wouldn't think anything for fear that he'd read it straight off their faces. Zoe had made her way to the door.
He glanced up when he felt her hand on his arm. She smiled.
"I meant what I said earlier. About helping you out. After what you did…" He nodded his head and caught the hand on his arm in his.
"I know luv. And I appreciate it. I'll get back to you soon, yeah?" she nodded, gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it from his. Looking to her left she spotted Gillian heading back their way, carrying her laptop and a couple of files. Smiling sadly she looked back at Cal.
"I guess I'm not the 'go to' girl anymore, huh?" Cal glanced down to see Gillian faltering in her step, not wanting to intrude. He smiled and looked back at his ex wife.
"You're more than a 'go to' girl luv, you know that. And so is she," he added, his eyes fixed on the woman down the corridor, glancing through files, trying to pretend she'd forgotten something. Zoe nodded her head.
"Thanks Cal." Then with a renewed sense of mischief, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Before she pulled back, she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Have fun. You know where I am if it doesn't work out," she added jokingly and stepped back to see him regarding with a look on his face. He scrutinised her for a moment.
"You're jealous," he said finally and she stifled a laugh.
"Go take your medication Cal." And with that she sauntered off down the hallway for the lifts. Cal watched her go before turning to see Gillian strolling towards him, carrying her stuff. With a wide smirk, he slid his arms underneath it and took it from her, the perfect gentleman. Gillian followed him in, more questions than answers in her mind.
OXOXOXOXO
"Ok, pros and cons?" Cal asked, swinging his legs onto the corner of the desk. Gillian shrugged.
"We avoid Clara's hostile takeover. We can pretty much run the company as we always have, Zoe's not going to want any say in that. Zoe's offer is enough to keep us going for a year. Oh and if we get sued, we have a lawyer on call." Gillian ticked them off on her fingers. Cal nodded. He'd pretty much thought of the same things.
"Cons?" he asked weakly, waiting for the inevitable Zoe-bashing. Gillian shrugged. Cal frowned.
"There has to be something!" Gillian bit her lip. Should she say?
"Well…there is a question of functionality…." she said shyly. Cal straightened up slightly in his chair.
"What do you mean?" Gillian regretted opening her mouth but it was too late to go back now. The damage was already done.
"What I mean is, it won't take long for her to bat her eyelids at you and sooner or later, you'll end up coming to work in the same shirt every day again." There was a smack of leather soles hitting tile as Cal's shoes came down on the floor. Hard.
"Are you serious?" He was staring at her with an expression she couldn't work out but from the tone in his voice she knew it wasn't good.
"Cal, I'm not blind. That attraction is there. She's your ex-wife, there's a pull between you two that I don't think anyone can break. I saw it as she left your office earlier. It'd only be a matter of time." He looked at her; eyebrow raised, a shocked expression on his face. He stood up and paced behind his desk before stopping and leaning on his hands across the desk to her.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying? Because if you are, you're bloody bonkers." Gillian opened her mouth to speak but he reached a hand up and placed it on her lips.
"Have dinner with me tonight. After work. We'll get take-out, bring it back to mine. Or yours. Whichever. We can discuss my functionality then." He removed his hand so Gillian could respond. After a brief pause, she nodded her head. Yes. She would have dinner with him. Even if she knew she'd always just be second best.
