The Boss by J. Calamy

Author:J. Calamy [Calamy, J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA+, action/adventure, age-gap, bisexual, businessmen, criminals, disabilities, illness/disease, interracial, Mafia, over 40, #ownvoices, political, PTSD/posttraumatic stress, slow burn/UST, secret agents, sexual discovery, spies, tattoos
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2021-01-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Another week went by and preparations at the Palladium hit full swing. Nick was busy. He swam every morning and worked all day. He was hoping to be too tired to think about Graves, but that simply wasn’t the case. Being surrounded by the trappings of Singapore’s superrich kept bringing the man into Nick’s thoughts. Focusing on the job made things worse.

“So this won’t be the New Year’s Party?” Nick asked, looking at all the New Year’s decorations being unloaded along the walk to the Palladium. Nick had thought it would be a hotel, but it turned out to be a private club on the water, owned by the Li’s and used for exclusive events. Jeanne was planning the party, and it was shaping up to be the biggest event of the season.

“This is New Year’s in the Western calendar,” she said. “But the real party will be in Hong Kong for Lunar New Year’s. The budget for that one is ridiculous. I’m so glad I am only in charge of the art!”

“So, for sure, we are going to Hong Kong?”

“Oui, cheri,” Jeanne said. They walked through the door and were greeted by a delivery man with a folder of manifests needing Jeanne’s signature. Jeanne handed Nick various copies of papers, but he wasn’t listening. He was too distracted by the idea of Hong Kong.

“Why the long face, darling?”

“I thought Graves couldn’t go to Hong Kong?”

Jeanne laughed.

“He certainly cannot!” she said.

“Well that’s too bad, I guess,” Nick said.

“You miss him, don’t you?”

“Of course. It’s been a couple of weeks. No one else speaks two words to me,” Nick said. But he felt uneasy. He remembered the kiss, the happiness on Graves’s face that had evaporated when Nick rejected him. Or when he rejected Nick? It was no longer clear to him exactly what had happened.

“Jeanne, why don’t you marry Graves?” Nicholas asked. Nick remembered the big man pacing back and forth, snarling into his phone, jabbing his finger and clearly chewing out the person on the other end.

“Aside from the obvious, I mean,” Nicholas said ruefully. Jeanne smiled, likely remembering the same.

“I was married once,” she said.

“Really?” Nicholas turned to face her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“I don’t talk about it much,” Jeanne said softly. “I was young. Not an arranged marriage per se—let’s say a very strongly encouraged marriage. The son of my father’s business partner.”

“Like a princess,” Nicholas said. Jeanne gave him a dazzling smile.

“You see. Yes. Exactly. To form an alliance,” she said. “He was a terrible person. He didn’t beat me. But he was controlling and possessive. I was never allowed to be out of his sight, his control. I was a prisoner.” She frowned, old pain drawing the lines of her face. Nicholas put a hand on hers.

“Jeanne, if it hurts to talk about it—you don’t have to tell me anything, you know.”

“You’re a good man, Nicholas,” she said. “I don’t mind telling you. The peace negotiations were a chance to escape. My father’s way of making up for the marriage.

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