Free Sometimes It Is Rocket Science by Kara Thorpe Page A

you.  New York’s lonely without you there.”
    Georgiana was transfixed by the rock of a diamond twinkling on the blonde’s left hand.  She recognized the blonde as one of Robert’s frequently photographed companions.  Heart lodged in her throat, she fumbled for the strap of her bag.  She was an idiot.  He hadn’t been asking her on a date; he’d just been looking for a dinner companion and tour guide.  He’d warmed up to her because he needed a familiar face and a friend, not because she’d dazzled him with her bloodshot eyes and business ineptitude.
    “I-I need to go.”  She gingerly set her feet on the floor and stood.  For a heart-stopping moment, her knees wobbled.  She avoided Dan’s sympathetic, confused face.  “I should check up on Tab.  I’ll call you later, Dan.”
    “Georgie,” Dan said, “just wait a minute, dear.  We haven’t had a chance to talk about Hayes or your meeting with the board.”
    “No.  I really need to go.  Tab has a physics project he needs my help with.”  She felt disconnected from her body, like one of the balloons floating by the ceiling.  She brushed her lips across Dan’s forehead, squeezed his hand.  “Nothing happened.  They agreed with your suggestions.  You need to visit with Bobby and his… fiancée.”  The word was like broken glass scraping down her throat.
    “Tammy Gregan.”  The blonde’s hand curved around Robert’s possessively.  The gleam in her eyes was sharp, protective.  “Soon to be Tammy Norwood.”
    Robert jerked, knocked Tammy off his lap.  He reached for Georgiana only to have her bob out of range.  Jaw tense, he took a step forward.  “Georgiana, listen, I’m not…”
    “Bye.” 
    Georgiana sped out of the room as quickly as she could without sprinting.  It wasn’t until she was in the privacy of her car that she gave in to the urge to scream.  She yelled until she was hoarse and bashed her hand against the steering wheel.  Why had she let his seductive, secretive smiles affect her?  She knew his reputation, knew she wasn’t his type .  She’d dodged would-be suitors for years after her last disaster of a relationship; what was so special about Robert that he slipped past her defenses?
    Her cell phone trilled.  Heart hammering, she glanced at the display.  If it was Dan or Robert, she was sending it straight to voice mail.  Tab’s name and a picture of her brother, pre-accident, making a goofy face filled the screen. 
    “What’s up, little brother?”
    “I’m going to go to bed, Georgie,” Tab said, exhaustion stretching his vowels and making his drawl more pronounced.  “I spent an hour-and-a-half on the treadmill, and I’m wiped.”
    She was going to verify his claim with ERIC.  It was too early to call it a night, even for him.  “Are you all right?”
    “Yeah.”  He snorted.  In the background fabric rustled and bedsprings squeaked.  “I’m too tired to be anything, really.”
    “Okay.  I’m going to grab a bite and catch up on paperwork at the office.  I’ll be home in a few hours.”  She paused, chewed the inside of her cheek.  Her first instinct was to run home and check on him, but she had to start trusting him again if they were going to move forward.  “I love you, Tab.”
    “Love you too, Gigi.”
    ERIC confirmed Tab’s story.  Her brother had jogged just over six miles on the treadmill, and he’d been dispensed a single dose of an over-the-counter painkiller shortly after an early dinner of leftover chicken salad.  She instructed the AI to monitor him and call when it looked like he was waking up.  She refused to let him face his nightmares alone.
    There was no paperwork waiting for her.  Yvonne was far too efficient for that.  She ensured every report was initialed and form signed before she unchained Georgiana from her desk.  Yvonne took advantage of every second Georgiana was in the office.  It was a narrow window of time usually bracketed by days