Virtue and Vice

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Wow, you guys! I only posted Chapter 12 yesterday and everyone went to town on voting and commenting. I really appreciate it. This is an exciting time because a lot of the readers are starting to really voice out their take on Sebastian's actions and the split and Cassie's heartbreak. 

Here's the next instalment—what you've all been waiting for with bated breath since less than twenty-four hours ago... =P

I'm being very generous here (LOL!) so please vote and comment! 

***I'm dedicating this chapter to SheldonCooperRules as a thank-you for updating Met His Match (after a short hiatus) which is one of my current favorites because it's funny and endearing.***

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During the week, Tamara put me to work and she wasn’t kidding when she said it was going to be a pretty heavy start.

Bradley and I pored over all of Ruthgard’s financial statements and we sat with Tamara and Bob on a number of conference calls and meetings to determine our position in the bid. 

We also devised a bunch of business proposals to forecast just how profitable Ruthgard would prove to be for us if we successfully acquire them. 

The company wasn’t insolvent but the scandal of its previous CEO over some badly managed investment projects put them in a precarious position. There’d be quite a bit of debt for us to assume but we had a pretty good feeling we would earn every penny back in three years. 

By Saturday morning, I was so dead-tired I didn’t get up until Emma came over and pestered me to go out and get some brunch with her because Ty was out golfing with some of the managers who were prepping him for a promotion at work.

“Speaking of a promotion, I have something to tell you,” I told Emma as I came out of the shower in my underwear. She’d already picked out a light gray sweater dress for me and was now sprawled on my bed, flipping through the weekend newspaper she’d swiped from the floor along the hallway. 

I quickly told her about my conversation with Tamara, the new job offer and a summary of my first week at work.

“Wow, that’s pretty awesome,” she said with a broad smile as she pulled me into a brief hug. “I’m very happy for you, Cass. You worked so hard for this, you know? You deserve it.”

I bit my lip and picked at the hem of my knit dress. “You don’t think it has anything to do with him, do you?”

Emma scrunched up her nose. “Based on your conversation with Tamara, it doesn’t sound like he’s just handing this to you. Besides, you’ve been there a week and he hasn’t shown you his face yet, has he? If he’s doing all of this for you, I expect he’d want something in return and Sebastian Vice doesn’t strike me as the type to wait around.”

I told myself she was right, of course. 

It made perfect sense.

We went out for brunch and a little bit of shopping before I invited her to come with me for drinks with the people from work at Bar None. I was more comfortable with the group now, having spent a few more lunch breaks with them at the cafeteria. Sebastian was still a constant topic but I quickly learned to comment very little when his name came up.

“Actually, that’s perfect!” Emma said brightly. “My cousin Marcus just got back from Maui and he wants to meet up. I haven’t seen him since last Christmas. He can meet us there. You’ll like him.”

I looked at her warily. “Um, I don’t like that expression, Em. It usually means you’re thinking of setting me up with him.”

Emma laughed. “Of course I am, silly. He’s a good guy. A bit friendly with the girls but he’s real nice. He’s twenty-nine, I think. He’s very cute.”