Hostile Takeover

Chapter Twelve

Gray turned the small velvet box over in his hand for the thirtieth time. It had been delivered to his desk by courier from Byron Vidler's office this morning, almost a week after his last meeting with Quinn. He also had in his possession the divorce papers with her signature on them. He thought he would've been happy about this day, but now that it was here, he wasn't so sure of himself.

"James Landolt is here for your ten a.m."

Gray glanced up at Simon. He was so glad to have him as his personal assistant. He was much more efficient than Lina for a start and as a happily married man, he certainly wouldn't take his clothes off in his office. Gray had hired him a week after the incident with Lina in the hope that Quinn would see that he was trying to make an effort for her, but she'd never come back into his office. Maybe he should've hired Simon before the Lina incident, maybe then he'd still have a marriage.

Gray glanced at his schedule. He didn't normally meet with James on a Thursday but apparently this was urgent.

"Send him in," Gray said. He scribbled the last bit of what he had been writing just as James walked in the door.

"James, you said it was important. Talk to me," Gray said by way of greeting.

James took a seat and placed a folder on the desk before him. "I thought you might want to have a look at this."

Gray frowned and opened up the folder. "These are the applicants for the foreign correspondent position."

"Yes."

"So, why are you showing me? I trust you to make a sound decision."

"Have a look at the last applicant."

Gray flicked through to the last application letter and realised just why James had wanted to show him. "Quinn's applying for it?"

"It seems so."

"Have you spoken to her about it?"

"Gordy did. He asked her what her reasons were for applying. He suggested maybe it was only because she wanted to get away." He paused. "From you."

But Gray shook his head. "No, she's always wanted to be a foreign correspondent. But her timing his interesting." Gray tapped his pen on the desk, thinking. "Has she been shortlisted?"

"Yes."

"Let me know when her interview takes place. I'd like to be present."

"I thought you might," James said. "It's tomorrow morning."

"Great."

Gray looked at James for a moment, wondering if was going to say anything else about Quinn, still desperate for any information about her.

"She's also been taking time off work to go to appointments. I'm not sure what for, she's kept that personal, but thought you might want to know that also," James said.

Appointments. Was she pregnant? "I'd like to know what the nature of these appointments are if she is doing this during work hours."

"I'll do my best to find out. Gordy might be able to get it out of her, she seems to respect him, but legally she is not obliged to disclose."

"I know. Maybe I'll raise it at her interview. Thanks, James. Was there anything else?"

James opened up another folder containing all matter of general business items on the Daily Times. Gray tried to focus on what James was saying even though he was thinking about Quinn. And despite how much he told himself he hated her, he couldn't help but feel that familiar stab in his heart that seemed to happen every time he thought of her. Except right now it was intensified because the thought of Quinn leaving the country just to get away from him was a hard pill to swallow, even harder when she might actually be pregnant with his child. This was definitely something he had a right to know about and if she was pregnant, then she had a snowball's chance in hell of becoming the next foreign correspondent.