Read Online Playing With Power - Book 2: New Adult Office Romance by Adele Huxley - Free Book Online

hold it against you. My whole family is from Seneca Falls. It’s actually where I got started in the wine business.”
    “Oh! I love it out there,” Lauren said, relaxing into her seat. “My brother wants to go to Cornell when he graduates. I seem to remember Cayuga has great wine trails, doesn’t it? I was too young to go the last time I was there.”
    “I don’t mean to interrupt but I just noticed you both don’t have drinks. Can I get you something? Or I could hold your seat while you go fetch them, Paulie boy,” Landon said slapping Paul’s foot playfully.
    “Another one of these,” Paul replied shaking an empty bottle of beer. “And a snack for calling me middle-aged.”
    Landon turned to Lauren. “I’m good with anything.”
    “Got it. I’ll surprise you,” he said. God, you already have. A few moments he returned with the drinks, a strong Long Island Iced Tea for Lauren. He delivered them and seamlessly backed out of the conversation, joining a small group of rowdy women across the pool.
    Paul reminded Lauren of her father’s friends. He was down to earth, easy to talk to, and his relentless flirtations were harmless. Divorced with two kids, both of whom were playing in the pool in front of them, he’d led an interesting life. They talked about his business, her work, growing up in the country, and the differences between East Coasters and West Coasters. After briefly arguing over whether the Bills or the Giants were the true New Yorker’s team, they agreed to disagree.
    “I like you,” he said. “You remind me of my first ex-wife.”
    “I’m not sure how to take that. Is that a good thing?” Lauren sipped her drink.
    “Sure is. She left me but I never stopped loving her. She was my high school sweetheart. We got married before we even graduated college, if you can believe that, but we divorced only a few years later.” Something in his expression led her to ask why. “See, even at eighteen I knew she was the love of my life. There wasn’t a more perfect woman for me in the whole world but Cathy...naw, she wasn’t meant to be anyone’s wife,” his gray eyes growing wistful.
    “What do you mean?”
    “You gotta understand, this was the late 70’s. People were all mixed up from all the drugs and fighting. The ink wasn’t even dry on our divorce papers before she was on a plane to Europe, traveling around by herself. A year later, I heard she was working in an Indian orphanage Mother Teresa had started. Five years later, she was working for the UN doing humanitarian work in Ethiopia.”
    “That’s incredible! Did she ever come back? Do you still talk to her?”
    “I ran into her once back home, at a grocery store or the mall, can’t remember. She didn’t recognize me at first but I knew it was her instantly. She was still so beautiful. Her face had aged but her eyes sparkled the same. I’d heard everything she’d been up to through mutual friends and it was nice enough to see her again. Don’t think she ever got remarried, which I always took as a compliment. At least she didn’t leave me for some other guy!”
    “I have to ask...in what way am I like her?” Lauren asked hesitantly.
    Paul considered her for a long moment, as if carefully picking his words. “I think sometimes you meet people and you get a sense they’re destined for great things. Cathy was never going to be happy tied down; she was pure momentum. I can see that in you.” It was one of the oddest and most perfect compliments she’d ever received. Before she had time to process it Paul continued. “Say, you didn’t tell me how know Landon? I know he goes out to New York for business every once in a while, is that where you met?”
    “Actually, we just met yesterday at a conference.” A small bubble of nerves cropped up in her stomach.
    “Oh really?” Paul said, his eyebrows rising. “Huh.”
    “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” she replied playfully.
    “Thing is, I’ve known Landon for a