"Do you think we should tell him?" asked Irving as he spoke to Devon.
"No, it's none of our business."
"What's none of your business?" asked Conrad as he reached them, overhearing their conversation.
Irving and Devon looked at Conrad then each other.
"What?" reiterated Conrad.
"Last night, I was at the lounge of the Grand Hotel," started Irving.
"Irving…" said Devon clearly indicating that he should stop.
Conrad frowned. "What the hell is going on?"
"I saw your father and Julia together."
Devon threw his hands up in the air in surrender.
Conrad shrugged.
"My dad is on the board of Chastain, nothing unusual for him to be with anyone from here."
Devon eyed Irving.
"It seemed to be a bit more intimate than that."
Conrad furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, they were holding hands on the table and kept looking at each other intensely. When they were done, they left together in his car."
Conrad narrowed his eyes. His father and Julia? It seemed almost improbable but then again, he knew his father liked the company of younger women and especially when they were intriguing, intelligent and independent. Everything that Julia was, on top of being beautiful in a very natural way.
Generally, he wouldn't have cared much about it, but there was something about Julia that had gotten under his skin and was slowly growing on him. He wanted to get to know her better and even if he preferred not to admit it, he wanted to be near her, smell the scent of her skin and touch it.
Knowing his father was there he walked away from Devon and Irving without saying a word.
"I think he took that well," said Irving watching Conrad head for the elevator.
"You talk too much," replied Devon.
"I only said the truth, what difference does it make that his father has a thing going on with Julia?"
Devon grimaced. "You can be so naïve sometimes. It's obvious that Conrad likes Julia, and you just told him that his father is having a fling with her."
"Wait? Conrad likes Julia? He never said anything."
"He keeps to himself, like you should have done, but it's obvious."
Conrad walked inside the office where his father had set up his things when he wasn't in board meetings. He closed the door behind him, then turned to look at his father.
Marshall looked up from his computer surprised to see Conrad. "Conrad."
"Dad."
Conrad walked over but didn't sit down in any of the two chairs on the other side of the desk. Marshall could tell that something was bothering him.
"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to tell me what's got you wound up?"
Conrad inhaled.
"Julia."
Marshall leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together.
"What about her?"
"Are you sleeping with her?!"
He had been prepared for everything but that. He didn't know what to answer, slightly taken aback by his question. Exasperated and desperate to change the subject, Marshall resumed his proper sitting position, sighed, and returned to his computer screen.
"What makes you think I'm sleeping with her?"
Conrad put his hands on his hips. "Irving saw the two of you at the hotel lounge last night having drinks."
"I have drinks with a lot of people. Does that mean that I'm sleeping with each one of them?"
Conrad realized that his father's question was to point out the absurdity of the insinuation. But there were other elements that seemed to prove that it was different this time.
"He saw you holding hands and you left together."
Marshall then realized the extent of what his affectionate, caring, and protective gesture had done, even if for him there was no hind thought. Even if he could give a potential reason for having had drinks with Julia that were in liaison with the hospital, he didn't really have one for his hand reaching out to hers. At first, he thought of telling Conrad, that he was indeed sleeping with Julia. It could have been the truth, but he didn't regard her in that way. In telling that to Conrad, he felt that he could keep Conrad out of his business, but it seemed to touch Conrad, and Marshall was quick in understanding that Conrad must have feelings for Julia, otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered coming to ask him what the situation was.
"I invited Julia for drinks to talk about the level three trauma situation. In doing so, she explained she had been confronted recently with a very badly burned patient and it had slightly taken a toll on her. We weren't holding hands, Conrad. It might have appeared that way from where Irving was, but I was merely comforting her. And yes, I offered to drive her home, because I'm a gentleman. That's all there is to it."
He looked at Conrad desperately hoping he would be satisfied with the answer. Without saying a word Conrad walked toward the door. He stopped upon hearing his father's question.
"You like her?"
Conrad turned and looked at his father. "Who wouldn't?"
He then opened the door and left the room leaving it open.
Marshall exhaled and eased up. It had been a close call. He had not wanted to meet up with Julia at her place or hospital to prevent such a thing from happening and in the end, he had let his guard down and the two of them being seen together almost jeopardized everything. He had to admit that Conrad was right. Who wouldn't like Julia. She was many qualities men looked for in a woman and had he not seen her in a fatherly protective way, he probably would have tried to court her. Being a man of influence, having someone like Julia by his side would have been ideal.