A Heart Worth Healing

Chapter 6

The next day, Derek took Kirsty to his office downtown. She was just as impressed by his office building as she was with Thurston. However, the night's sleep had given her the strength to resist displaying every emotion on her face.

She could tell Derek was respected by all his employees in the way they greeted him. Their greetings were genuine and subdued, showing that Derek was a generous but firm employer. Kirsty wondered if she would ever see him that way.

Derek's private office was on the top floor of the building. The entire floor was covered with plush, wall-to-wall carpeting. The furniture was modern and sleek, contrasting with the more traditional old-fashioned antiques of Thurston.

Derek's office was quite spacious, with an incredible view of the city below. His desk was covered with a laptop and piles of papers. He was obviously hard-working and involved with his business affairs.

After Kirsty sat down in one of the leather chairs across from Derek's large desk, Derek asked his assistant to summon his lawyer to the office.

Derek explained that in order to prevent any misunderstandings, they would have to sign an agreement outlining the confines of their relationship.

"It's mostly a formality," Derek continued, "but it's necessary for a man in my position to take every precaution."

Kirsty nodded, feeling like a criminal for the way he was talking to her. What did he think she was going to do? Steal his money or something? It was the furthest thing from her mind. Derek would probably have laughed if he knew what she was really thinking. She was hoping, in her romantic fashion, that it would all turn out to be a farce and that he was really going to love her instead of just buying her.

A moment later, Derek's lawyer came into the room. he had dark features and was well-dressed. He looked very sleek and sophisticated, the way a high-powered lawyer should look. He eyed Kirsty with a well-practised stare, making her feel like a piece of meat. She took an instant disliking to him.

"Kirsty, this is my lawyer, Paul Martle. Paul, this is Kirsty McLaren."

"How do you do," Paul Martle said smoothly, shaking Kirsty's hand. His palm was cold and clammy.

Resisting the urge to wipe her palm off on her skirt, Kirsty could only nod and smile politely.

Paul took some papers out of a folder he was carrying. he placed them upon Derek's desk, commenting that some of the details could be changed if they did not meet his approval.

Derek flipped quickly through the pages, glancing at the terms of the agreement. Nodding in approval, he passed the papers across to Kirsty.

"You should read these carefully before we sign them, in case there is something we have forgotten," Derek said. "I also want you to tell me if you want to change your mind."

Kirsty's eyes met his briefly, but she could not tell what he was feeling. Would he be disappointed if she backed out at the last second? He was being more than fair in his treatment of her. But did he have to be so cold, so businesslike?

The two men chatted while Kirsty examined the contract. It outlined most of the things she and Derek had briefly discussed. It mentioned her salary, and suddenly she realized that she would end up with over a million dollars. Was her dignity worth that much? She was being bought, she knew that. But was the price high enough?

Swallowing with difficulty, Kirsty read over the other terms trying to understand the legal jargon. Their liaison would last no more than a year, with a disclaimer to be signed at the end of the year.

"What is a disclaimer?" Kristy asked, hoping it was not a stupid question.

Without sounding surprised, Paul told her that a disclaimer was a legal document in which she would renounce any claims to Derek's estate and not share any knowledge of his business practices with anyone else, pending prosecution if any such actions were taken.