Controlling Vulnerable

Chapter 34

As February had turned into March the Florida sunshine warmed up and Lara stood waiting for Colin to make coffee, musing on how much she loved the feel of the warm morning sunshine on her skin. Colin glanced around, noticing her bruises were now pretty much imperceptible and he smiled turning to face the machine. Snapping the lids on, he took the cups and pushed them into the drinks carrier. "There you go Lara. You know I was thinking, it must be just about a year since you walked into here that first time with Linda." Lara raised her eyebrows, "You're right, it pretty much is. Actually the people running the conference I was here for have asked me to speak at this year's event about cross-industry application of their methodologies." Colin pulled a face, "I have zero idea what the hell that means." Lara laughed and said, "It's okay, I know it sounds deathly boring. I'd better get going, got a meeting."

Lara stood in the empty elevator holding the drinks carrier in one hand and checking E-mails on her phone in the other. Seeing one from Mason Williams she thought back to the investor meeting a couple of weeks before when he'd looked at her in shock, and cornered her before it started hissing, "Lara, what the hell happened to you?" She'd self-consciously touched the bruises on her wrists, unable to make eye contact and whispered, "I was assaulted. The police got the people involved and I'm fine." Mason had nodded and looked over towards Joe with his expression hardening. Lara had been alarmed, so at the end of the session, she'd asked Mason if he could spare a minute and led him into one of the smaller conference rooms. Closing the door quietly she said in a pained voice, "Mason, I saw the way you looked at Joe. This was absolutely not his fault and he certainly didn't lay a finger on me. It was Scott Griffin. He owed the people who did this money, and they used me as leverage to try and get Joe to pay off his debt." Mason thought of his own daughter who had only recently got married but seemed somehow older than this girl Joe had recruited, and he lifted her chin, "Are you really okay?" Lara tried to stop it but her eyes filled with tears at his concern and all she could choke out was, "Yes." Mason saw the bruises the make-up was hiding and released her face with a shake of his head. Lara blinked the tears away and said, "There's something you should know. Joe and I are in a relationship. It started just before Christmas. He's been to hell and back over what happened to me. Being in a relationship with Joe doesn't affect the work I do here, but I want to be open and honest with you, and I know Joe does too." Mason couldn't help a grin breaking out, "I thought as much at the charity event." He shook his head, "Lara honey it's none of my business, but on a personal level, if you guys are happy I'm stoked for ya. You strike an old man as good for one another, and since I've been lucky enough to be in love with the same woman since I was twenty I'm an old romantic."

Lara smiled as the elevator doors opened and she made her way to Linda and Joe with the coffee. Joe was leaning on Linda's cubicle when she arrived and they both looked up smiling. Dean walked towards them and Lara turned passing him a cup, "Here, thought we all needed baseline caffeine before the interviews." Dean winked and Joe passed Linda her cup. Lara tossed the carrier in Linda's trash and said, "Actually Colin has just reminded me it's almost exactly a year since you guys interviewed me." Joe grinned, "Oh I haven't forgotten." Dean laughed, "As I recall you didn't even know it was an interview until he got you here." Joe looked smug and Lara couldn't help but laugh. Linda gave Dean a look they both understood and the HR director turned shouting back, "See you guys in the conference room at ten."

Linda took her seat and Lara followed Joe into his office. She perched on his windowsill and said, "So talking of this time last year, I presume you're okay with me attending Rob and Harry's conference?" Joe's face reflected something Lara couldn't read and she frowned slightly. "I'll be talking a little about Callex up front so it's good exposure for the company and there's a fair chance we'll get some good contacts from clients of the insurers looking for a midsized solution." Joe just nodded and Lara looked at him carefully before taking her cup. "I'll just go and look through those CVs again before ten." She smiled at Linda and went to her own office. She read the CVs but not a single word sank in as she mulled over Joe's reaction. When she met him in the conference room at ten he seemed completely back to normal and along with Dean and Linda they saw two candidates back to back.