it was time to fix all the other ar

it was time to fix all the other areas of my life I’d been neglecting. “We’ll take it a step at a time. Figure things out as we go. We’ll get through this.”
He swallowed hard. “I need you.”
“I need you, too. We’ll stick together and work it out.” I managed a smile. “I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. Except to San Diego this weekend,” I amended hastily, reminding myself to talk to Gideon about that.
“Thank God.” Cary sat forward again. “What I wouldn’t give to shoot hoops at Dr. Travis’s right now.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t play basketball, but I knew I could use a one-on-one with Dr. Travis myself.
What would he say when he learned how far off the rails we’d slid in the few months we’d been in New York? We had spun some big dreams the last time we’d all sat down together. Cary had wanted to star in a Super Bowl ad and I’d wanted to be the one behind the scenes of that ad. Now he was facing the possibility of a baby and I was married to the most complicated man I had ever met.
“Dr. Trav’s gonna flip,” Cary muttered, reading my mind.
For some reason, that made us both laugh ’til we cried.
WHEN I got back to my desk, I found another small pile of interoffice envelopes. Catching my lower lip between my teeth, I searched each one until I found the one I was hoping for.
I CAN THINK OF MANY USES FOR THAT CHAIN,
MRS. X.
YOU WILL ENJOY THEM ALL IMMENSELY.
YOURS,
X
Some of the dark clouds from lunch floated away.
AFTER Cary’s mind-blowing revelation, meeting Giroux after work barely registered on my what-else-could-possibly-go-wrong-next scale.
He was already at the wine bar when I arrived. Dressed in perfectly pressed khakis and white dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves and open at the throat, he looked good. Casual. But that didn’t make him seem more relaxed. The man was strung tight as a bow, vibrating with tension and whatever else was eating at him.
“Eva,” he greeted me. With that overt friendliness I hadn’t liked the first time, he kissed me on both cheeks again. “Enchanté.”
“Not too blond for you today, I take it?”
“Ah.” He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I deserved that.”
I joined him at his table by the window and we were served shortly after.
The place had the look of an establishment that had been around a long time. Tin tiles covered the ceiling, while the aged hardwood floors and intricately carved bar suggested the place had been a pub at some point in its history. It had been modernized with chrome fixtures and a wine rack behind the bar that could have been an abstract sculpture.
Giroux openly studied me as the server poured our wine. I had no idea what he was looking for, but he was definitely searching for something.
As I took a sip of a lovely shiraz, he settled comfortably in his chair and swirled his wine around in his glass. “You’ve met my wife.”
“I have, yes. She’s very beautiful.”
“Yes, she is.” His gaze dropped to his wine. “What else did you think of her?”
“Why does it matter what I think?”
He looked at me again. “Do you see her as a rival? Or a threat?”
“Neither.” I took another drink and noticed a black Bentley SUV easing into a tight spot at the curb just outside the window I sat beside. Angus was behind the wheel and apparently uncaring of the No PARKING sign he was camping out in front of.
“You are that certain of Cross?”
My attention returned to Giroux. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish you would pack up your wife and take her back to France with you.”
His mouth quirked on one side in a grim smile. “You are in love with Cross, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
That made me smile. “If you think you can figure out what Corinne sees in him by what I see in him, forget it. He and I, we’re … different with each other than we are with other people.”
“I saw that. With him.” Giroux took a drink, savoring it before swallowing.
“Forgive me, but I don’t know why we’re sitting here. What do you want from me?”
“Are you always so direct?”
“Yes.” I shrugged. “I get impatient with being confused.”
“Then I will be direct as well.” He reached out and caught my left hand. “You have a tan line from a ring. A sizable one, it appears. An engagement ring, perhaps?”
I looked at my hand and saw he was right. There was a square-sized spot on my ring finger that was a few shades lighter than the rest of my skin. Unlike my mother, who was pale, I’d inherited my father’s warm skin tone and I tanned easily.
“You’re very perceptive. But I would appreciate you keeping your speculations to yourself.”
He smiled and for the first time, it was genuine. “Perhaps I will get my wife back after all.”
“I think you could, if you tried.” I sat up, deciding it was time to leave. “You know what your wife told me once? She said you’re indifferent. Instead of waiting for her to come back, you should just take her back. I think that’s what she wants.”
He stood when I did, standing over me. “She has chased Cross. I do not think a woman who chases will find a man chasing her attractive.”
“I don’t know about that.” I pulled a twenty out of my pocket and set it on the table, despite his scowl at the sight of it. “She said yes when you asked her to marry you, didn’t she? Whatever you did before, do it again. Good-bye, Jean-François.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I was already halfway out the door.
ANGUS was waiting beside the Bentley when I exited the wine bar.
“Would you like to go home, Mrs. Cross?” he asked, as I slipped into the back.
His greeting made me grin. Combined with my recent conversation with Giroux, it sparked an idea. “Actually, I’d like to make a stop, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
I gave him directions, then sat back and relished the building anticipation.
IT was half past six when I was ready to call it a day, but when I asked Angus where Gideon was, I learned he was still in his office.
“Will you take me to him?” I asked.
“Of course.”
Returning to the Crossfire after hours was weird. Although there were still people moving through the lobby, it had a different feel from the daytime. When I reached the top floor, I found the glass security doors to Cross Industries propped open and a cleaning crew at work emptying trash cans, wiping down the glass, and vacuuming.
I headed directly to Gideon’s office, noting the number of empty desks, which included that of Scott, his assistant. Gideon stood behind his, an earpiece in his ear, and his jacket hung on the coat rack in the corner. His hands were on his hips and he was talking, his lips moving rapidly and his face a mask of concentration.
The wall across from him was covered in flat screens streaming news from around the world. To the right of that was a bar with jeweled decanters on lighted glass shelves that were the only spot of color in the office’s cool palette of black, white, and gray. Three distinct seating areas offered comfortable spaces for less formal meetings, while Gideon’s black desk was a miracle of modern technology, serving as the conduit for all the electronics in the room.
Surrounded by his expensive toys, my husband looked nothing short of edible. The beautifully tailored lines of his vest and pants showed off the perfection of his body, and the sight of him at his command center, wielding the power that had built his empire, did crazy things to my heart. The floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded him on two sides allowed the view of the city to make an imposing backdrop, yet the vista didn’t diminish him in any way.
Gideon was master of all he surveyed, and it showed.
Reaching into my purse, I unzipped the small pocket and drew out the rings inside it, slipping mine on. Then I stepped closer to the glass wall and double doors that separated him from everyone else.
His head swiveled toward me and his gaze heated at the sight of me. He hit a button on his desk, and the double doors swung open automatically. A moment later, the glass turned opaque, ensuring that no one lingering in the office would be able to see us.
I went in.
“I agree,” he said, to whomever he was talking to. “Get it done and report back to me.”
As he pulled off his earpiece and dropped it on his desk, his gaze never left me. “You’re a welcome surprise, angel. Tell me about your meeting with Giroux.”
I shrugged. “How did you know?”
His mouth tilted up on one side and he shot me a look that said, Really? You’re going to ask?
“Are you here for a while?” I queried.
“I have a conference call with the Japanese division in half an hour, then I’m done. We’ll go to dinner afterward.”
“Let’s get something to take home and eat with Cary. He’s having a baby.”
Gideon’s brows shot up. “Come again?”
“Well, he might be having a baby.” I sighed. “He’s messed up over it and I want to be there for him. Plus, he should get used to having you around again.”
He raked me with an assessing glance. “You’re messed up over it, too. Come here.” He rounded the desk and opened his arms. “Let me hold you.”
I dropped my purse on the floor, kicked off my heels, and walked right into him. His arms came around me, and his lips, so firm and warm, pressed against my forehead.
“We’ll figure it out,” he murmured. “Don’t worry.”
“I love you, Gideon.”
His embrace tightened.
Leaning back, I looked up into his gorgeous face. His eyes were so blue, seemingly even more so with the touch of sun he’d gotten during our trip away. “I have something for you.”
“Oh?”
I backed up, catching his left hand before it dropped away from me. Holding it, I slid the ring I’d just bought him onto his finger, twisting it to fit over his last knuckle. He was still the entire time. When I released his hand so he could get a better look, it didn’t move at all from where it’d been when I was holding it, as if he’d frozen in place.
Canting my head, I admired the ring on him, thinking it had just the effect I was looking for.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

itu adalah waktu untuk memperbaiki semua area lain dalam hidupku aku telah mengabaikan. "Kami akan mengambil langkah pada satu waktu. Mengetahui hal-hal sebagai kita pergi. Kita akan mendapatkan melalui ini."Ia menelan keras. "Saya perlu Anda.""Saya perlu Anda, juga. Kami akan tetap bersama-sama dan bekerja itu. " Aku berhasil senyum. "Aku tidak akan di mana saja dan tidak adalah Anda. Kecuali untuk San Diego pekan ini,"Aku diamandemen tergesa-gesa, mengingatkan diri untuk berbicara kepada Gideon tentang hal itu."Terima kasih Tuhan." Cary duduk ke depan lagi. "Apa aku tidak akan memberikan untuk menembak hoops Dr. Travis sekarang.""ya." Aku tidak bermain basket, tapi aku tahu aku bisa menggunakan satu-satu dengan Dr. Travis sendiri.Apa yang akan dikatakannya ketika ia mengetahui seberapa jauh rel yang kami telah meluncur beberapa bulan kami telah di New York? Kami telah berputar beberapa impian besar terakhir kali kami telah semua duduk bersama-sama. Cary ingin bintang dalam iklan Super Bowl dan aku ingin menjadi orang di belakang layar iklan. Sekarang ia menghadapi kemungkinan bayi dan aku sudah menikah kepada orang yang paling rumit saya pernah bertemu."Dr Trav akan flip," bergumam Cary, membaca pikiranku.Untuk beberapa alasan, yang membuat kami berdua tertawa 'til kita menangis.KETIKA aku kembali ke meja saya, saya menemukan tumpukan kecil lain antar jawatan amplop. Masing-masing menangkap bibir bawahnya antara gigi, mencari sampai aku menemukan satu yang saya berharap untuk.SAYA BISA MEMIKIRKAN BANYAK KEGUNAAN UNTUK RANTAI ITU,IBU X.ANDA AKAN MENIKMATI MEREKA SEMUA SANGAT.ANDA,XBeberapa awan gelap dari makan siang melayang jauh.SETELAH Cary's bertiup Wahyu, pertemuan Giroux setelah bekerja hampir tidak terdaftar pada skala what-else-could-possibly-go-wrong-next saya.Dia sudah di bar anggur ketika saya tiba. Mengenakan celana khaki sempurna ditekan dan kemeja putih yang menggulung lengan dan terbuka di tenggorokan, dia tampak baik. Santai. Tapi yang tidak membuatnya tampak lebih santai. Laki-laki berada di bawah ketat sebagai busur, bergetar dengan ketegangan dan apa pun makan kepadanya."Eva," dia menyapa saya. Dengan keramahan yang berlebihan saya tidak menyukai pertama kalinya, Dia menciumku di kedua pipi lagi. "Enchanté.""Tidak terlalu pirang untuk Anda hari ini, aku mengambil itu?""Ah." Dia memberiku senyum yang tidak mencapai matanya. "Aku pantas itu."Aku bergabung dengannya di mejanya jendela dan kami melayani tak lama setelah.Tempat ini memiliki tampilan sebuah pendirian yang telah sekitar waktu yang lama. Timah ubin ditutupi langit-langit, sementara lantai kayu umur dan rumit diukir bar yang menyarankan tempat itu telah sebuah pub di beberapa titik dalam sejarahnya. Itu telah dimodernisasi dengan chrome jadwal dan rak anggur di belakang bar yang bisa saja sebuah patung yang abstrak.Giroux secara terbuka dipelajari saya karena server menuangkan anggur kami. Aku tidak tahu apa yang ia sedang mencari, tetapi ia pasti mencari sesuatu.Saat aku mengambil seteguk shiraz indah, ia menetap nyaman di kursi dan berputar anggur di sekitar di kaca nya. "Anda sudah bertemu istri saya.""Saya punya, ya. Dia sangat indah.""Ya, ia adalah." Tatapan turun menjadi anggur. "Apa pun yang Anda pikirkan nya?""Mengapa tidak peduli apa yang saya pikirkan?"Dia memandang saya lagi. "Apakah Anda melihat dia sebagai saingan? Atau ancaman?"Tidak." Aku mengambil minuman lainnya dan melihat hitam Bentley SUV mengurangi ke suatu tempat yang ketat di trotoar di luar jendela saya duduk di samping. Angus adalah di belakang kemudi dan tampaknya tidak peduli tidak ada parkir tanda dia adalah kemping depan."Anda bahwa beberapa dari salib?"Perhatian saya kembali ke Giroux. "Ya. "Tapi itu tidak berarti saya tidak berharap Anda akan berkemas istri Anda dan membawanya kembali ke Perancis dengan Anda."Mulutnya quirked di satu sisi dalam senyum muram. "Anda sedang jatuh cinta dengan Cross, ya?""Ya.""Kenapa?"Yang membuat saya tersenyum. "Jika Anda berpikir Anda dapat mengetahui apa Corinne melihat kepadanya oleh apa yang saya lihat dalam dirinya, lupakan saja. Dia dan aku, mohon... berbeda satu sama lain daripada kita dengan orang lain. ""Saya melihat bahwa. Dengan-nya." Giroux mengambil minuman, menikmati itu sebelum menelannya."Maafkan aku, tapi aku tidak tahu mengapa kami sedang duduk di sini. Apa yang Anda inginkan dari saya?""Apakah Anda selalu jadi langsung?""Ya." Aku mengangkat bahu. "Saya mendapatkan tidak sabar dengan menjadi bingung.""Maka saya akan langsung juga." Dia mengulurkan tangan dan tertangkap tangan kiri. "Anda memiliki garis cokelat dari cincin. Yang cukup besar, tampaknya. Keterlibatan cincin, mungkin?"Aku memandang tanganku dan melihat adalah benar. Ada tempat berukuran square di jari saya itu beberapa warna lebih terang daripada sisa kulit saya. Tidak seperti ibuku, yang pucat, aku akan mewarisi nada kulit hangat ayahku dan aku Disamak dengan mudah."Kau sangat tanggap. "Tetapi saya akan menghargai Anda menjaga spekulasi Anda kepada diri sendiri."Dia tersenyum dan untuk pertama kalinya, itu adalah asli. "Mungkin saya akan kembali istri saya setelah semua.""Saya pikir Anda bisa, jika Anda mencoba." Aku duduk, memutuskan sudah waktunya untuk meninggalkan. "Kau tahu apa istri Anda pernah mengatakan kepadaku? Dia bilang kau acuh tak acuh. Alih-alih menunggu dia untuk kembali, Anda hanya harus mengambil kembali. Saya pikir itu adalah apa yang dia inginkan."Dia berdiri ketika saya lakukan, berdiri di atas saya. "Dia telah mengejar salib. Saya tidak berpikir seorang wanita yang mengejar akan menemukan seorang pria yang mengejar dia menarik. ""Aku tidak tahu tentang itu." Aku menarik dua puluh dari saku dan meletakkannya di atas meja, meskipun dia cemberut pada pandangan itu. "Dia bilang ya ketika Anda memintanya untuk menikah, tidak dia? Apa pun yang Anda lakukan sebelumnya, melakukannya lagi. Selamat tinggal, Jean-François."Ia membuka mulutnya untuk berbicara, tetapi saya sudah setengah jalan keluar pintu.ANGUS menunggu samping Bentley ketika aku keluar bar anggur."Apakah Anda ingin pulang ke rumah, ibu Cross?" Dia bertanya, seperti aku menyelinap ke belakang.Sambutannya membuatku sanggup. Dikombinasikan dengan percakapan saya kemarin dengan Giroux, itu memicu ide. "Sebenarnya, saya ingin membuat berhenti, jika Anda tidak keberatan.""Tidak sama sekali."Aku memberinya arah, kemudian duduk kembali dan menikmati antisipasi bangunan.ITU adalah setengah enam masa lalu ketika aku sudah siap untuk menyebutnya hari, tetapi ketika saya bertanya Angus mana Gideon adalah, saya belajar ia masih di kantornya."Akan Anda membawa saya kepadanya?" Saya bertanya."Tentu."Kembali ke baku tembak setelah jam adalah aneh. Meskipun masih ada orang-orang yang bergerak melalui lobi, tempat ini mempunyai nuansa yang berbeda dari siang hari. Ketika saya mencapai lantai atas, saya menemukan pintu-pintu kaca keamanan untuk Cross industri tetap ditopang terbuka dan kru pembersih bekerja mengosongkan sampah kaleng, mengelap turun kaca, dan debu.Saya menuju langsung ke kantor Gideon, mencatat jumlah meja kosong, yang termasuk dari Scott, asistennya. Gideon berdiri di belakang nya, sebuah lubang suara di telinganya, dan jaket digantung di mantel rak di sudut. Tangannya pada pinggul dan ia berbicara, bibirnya bergerak cepat dan nya wajah topeng konsentrasi.Dinding di hadapannya ditutupi layar datar streaming berita dari seluruh dunia. Ke kanan itu adalah sebuah bar dengan permata decanters di rak-rak kaca menyala yang tempat hanya warna dalam palet dingin kantor hitam, putih dan abu-abu. Tiga area tempat duduk yang berbeda menawarkan ruang yang nyaman untuk pertemuan-pertemuan yang kurang formal, sementara meja hitam Gideon adalah keajaiban teknologi modern, melayani sebagai saluran untuk semua elektronik dalam kamar.Surrounded by his expensive toys, my husband looked nothing short of edible. The beautifully tailored lines of his vest and pants showed off the perfection of his body, and the sight of him at his command center, wielding the power that had built his empire, did crazy things to my heart. The floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded him on two sides allowed the view of the city to make an imposing backdrop, yet the vista didn’t diminish him in any way.Gideon was master of all he surveyed, and it showed.Reaching into my purse, I unzipped the small pocket and drew out the rings inside it, slipping mine on. Then I stepped closer to the glass wall and double doors that separated him from everyone else.His head swiveled toward me and his gaze heated at the sight of me. He hit a button on his desk, and the double doors swung open automatically. A moment later, the glass turned opaque, ensuring that no one lingering in the office would be able to see us.I went in.“I agree,” he said, to whomever he was talking to. “Get it done and report back to me.”As he pulled off his earpiece and dropped it on his desk, his gaze never left me. “You’re a welcome surprise, angel. Tell me about your meeting with Giroux.”I shrugged. “How did you know?”His mouth tilted up on one side and he shot me a look that said, Really? You’re going to ask?“Are you here for a while?” I queried.“I have a conference call with the Japanese division in half an hour, then I’m done. We’ll go to dinner afterward.”“Let’s get something to take home and eat with Cary. He’s having a baby.”Gideon’s brows shot up. “Come again?”“Well, he might be having a baby.” I sighed. “He’s messed up over it and I want to be there for him. Plus, he should get used to having you around again.”He raked me with an assessing glance. “You’re messed up over it, too. Come here.” He rounded the desk and opened his arms. “Let me hold you.”I dropped my purse on the floor, kicked off my heels, and walked right into him. His arms came around me, and his lips, so firm and warm, pressed against my forehead.“We’ll figure it out,” he murmured. “Don’t worry.”“I love you, Gideon.”His embrace tightened.Leaning back, I looked up into his gorgeous face. His eyes were so blue, seemingly even more so with the touch of sun he’d gotten during our trip away. “I have something for you.”“Oh?”I backed up, catching his left hand before it dropped away from me. Holding it, I slid the ring I’d just bought him onto his finger, twisting it to fit over his last knuckle. He was still the entire time. When I released his hand so he could get a better look, it didn’t move at all from where it’d been when I was holding it, as if he’d frozen in place.Canting my head, I admired the ring on him, thinking it had just the effect I was looking for.