Executive Decisions is a series of short stories starting with The Meeting, then Working Dinner, Going Up? and now this one. They can be read individually or one after another. Thanks to all of my friends for helping me with this story. Piper & MzJ, thanks TONS! I really hope you enjoy them and as always feel free to send me any and all comments or suggestions you may have. I love the feedback. There are more in this series…an new one is started even as I type this…
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“Okay, true he’s inconsistent. Constantly saying one thing then does another.” Madison kicked at the rocks someone had piled up in a mini tower along the surf as she spoke out loud. The beach, desolate now that the vacation season ended, gave her the privacy she craved to work through some of her tangled emotions. “Wait. I suppose as long as that is what he is always doing that’s consistent, right? Just not the constant action I want or deserve. We make plans and ninety five percent of the time they fall through.”
Her footprints trailed behind her. She paused by a large log washed up on shore during the recent storm, sitting down she placed her shoes next to her curling her toes into the sand. “Take this last time. We were planning a nice weekend get away and Grayson tells me…at the last minute…we can’t go because he unexpectedly got called back to California. That wasn’t the only time either. I’d been with him well over six months and in the last six weeks I’ve seen him twice. Now I know I should understand and I do, I just can’t stand broken plans.”
Madison’s frustration eased a bit from within flowing out with the tide. Not quite as much as she’d like but the peacefulness of the deserted beach helped. Stress had been building deep and strong for some time. Usually mellow and relaxed, she’d gotten to the point where she was so busy and preoccupied she even forgot to eat. Her mind focused on the reorganization of the company she worked for or drifting off on what she could possibly say to Grayson to make him understand her feelings without coming across as petulant and possessive or she’d be on her way to yet another meeting allowed room for little else. At least Madison, Madie to her friends, remembered her name.
Jack, her boss, had her working fast and furious on this project with Grayson. Rumors ran rampant that the corporate office, located in New York, was secretly being bought out in a hostile take over. As the owner and president of this branch, Jack wanted to make sure the plan he put into motion was carried out. The reorganization of this franchise needed to take place soon if this gossip turned out to be true. Actually it was more than gossip. They had made quite a bit of headway with it and crunch time was upon them. Only now Grayson wasn’t around to pick up some of the slack. Since he left, yet again, it all fell to her.
He was always going away on business trips. As a consultant, he had clients other than Capitol Enterprises. Madie understood the pressures he had with his career and everyday life. She went out of her way not to add more stress wanting desperately to be the calm in the rough waters of his day-to-day frustrations. His other clients and other responsibilities were a major reason she had seen him so infrequently even though they worked together. She’d known from the moment they first met online that he was a busy man. One of the things they had in common.
Right at the moment the last time they saw each other played over in her mind. The night before he left happened to be the night they were going to leave for their mini holiday. He picked her up early and told her to leave her bags not going into detail as to why they weren’t going. He brought her back to his place. She’d never been there before. He preferred to keep much of his life separate from what he had with her.
Neither spoke the entire ride. Was this a new assignment for her? Where is he taking her? Grayson’s silence reverberated through the lavish interior of the luxury car. Her hands ran back and forth over the black leather seat. Her nervous energy giving way to fidgeting earned her a stern glance from Grayson. She immediately clasped her hands in her lap and sat upright. Not wanting to disappoint him in anyway, she remained quiet and unmoving.
She tried to be patient and understand this aspect of his personality that required her complete compliance in all things. While he would talk to her about anything, everything and nothing, he rarely actually physically involved her in his life yet insisting she share everything she did. This ride was much like their relationship. She followed his lead…if silence was required, she would do it. Madie often felt that he kept her at arms length for a reason. A reason she was to be kept in the dark about, like lovers who remained hidden behind the scenes. He insinuated himself into her life but she knew so little about him.
“Here we are. This is my apartment.” Grayson stated nonchalantly as he opened her door helping her out of the car. Her mind reeled with shock. His place? She was about to walk into a glimpse of his life. Her heart thumped. Could he hear it?
