Free Catering to the CEO by Samantha Chase Page B

done!  She finished with the event and that was all he needed her for.  If he never hired her again, she’d just have to deal with it.  No, he had done what he’d had to do; he kept Cassie on to make sure that the fall retreat went off without a hitch and now their business dealings were done. 
    The image of Cassie sitting across from him at the dinner table, laughing and smiling at him filled his mind.  More and more Adam found that his mind wandered to that night that they’d dined together at Cassie’s apartment and the need to see her again unsettled him.
    There would be no harm, however, to see her socially, as if they were family already, right?  He’d never had to deal with anyone on a family level other than Bev and well, outside of business he found that he actually liked Cassie so it wouldn’t be a hardship to stop by and visit her.  Like family.
    “Adam?  Are you still there?”  He realized his mother had been talking the whole time his mind had strayed. 
    “What?  Yes, sorry; I got distracted for a minute.  So, what else is new?” 
    It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that that one simple question had absolutely done wonders for his mother.  Was he that much of a bastard that he’d never engaged in just social niceties or chit-chat with his own mother?  And why all of a sudden was he?
    Ten minutes later he was off the phone, no worse for the wear and actually felt his spirits lifted a bit.  Maybe he had been too deeply entrenched in the business and had forgotten how to relax and just talk with people.  Like he had at Cassie’s that night.
    Adam had no idea why he was having this change of heart and then the ensuing tug of war over what he was doing with his life.  He was in control of it all, dammit!  He could do whatever he wanted, talk to whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted!  Right now, with the confidence that he was legendary for, Adam made the decision that his business association was over with Cassie and that freed him up to see her socially; since she was going to be family.
    Grace walked in with the file he’d requested and if she noticed that he seemed a bit more relaxed, she chose to say nothing.  Adam picked up the contract, made his notes and picked up the phone and went on with his day.
    By three o’clock on Thursday afternoon, Adam was ahead of schedule.  His calls were completed and Grace had typed up everything that he’d asked her to.  To pass the time, he straightened his desk and made a list of possible new clients that he’d like to make contact with by the end of the month. 
    Throwing his pen down in disgust, he knew what he was doing; busy work.  God, he was feeling pathetic.  Did he purposefully do work at home the night before to lighten his load today?  Maybe.  Did he deliberately cut a couple of chatty clients short in hopes of getting done quicker?  Perhaps.  The trut h was he was feeling caged in in his office and wanted to leave. 
    He paced.  He talked to himself.  He picked up the phone a half a dozen times and realized there was no one that he needed to call.  By four o’clock he gave up the pretense of trying to work and gave himself a pep talk. 
    “I’m not leaving because of Cassie,” he said out loud, “I’m leaving because I want to.  I own the damn company and I can leave whenever I want to!”  Picking up his briefcase and keys, Adam strode across the office and yanked open his door.    Grace looked up from what she was doing and he gave her a searing look that almost dared her to question what he was doing. 
    “Have a nice night,” she said cheerily, unwilling to engage in a discussion over the fact that in six years the man had never left the office before seven.
    Adam gave her a curt nod as he walked by her desk and down the hall to the elevator.  He didn’t notice the shocked look on the faces of his employees as he strode with purpose.  He didn’t notice the people that merely stepped aside