KARMA

10. BUSINESS MEETINGS

A Note from Ashleigh

This chapter is mostly new, with a bit of old thrown in.

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LISA

"I drove like a maniac to get here as fast as I could." Maxim cups my face in his warm hands, studies me searchingly.

"Thank you," I say thickly. "They're in Room 1810. I snapped photos of them doing it --- I stood on the balcony. I saw everything." I look at him. "You can see for yourself. Who knows, there might even be a round two..." I indicate the camera on the nightstand, swollen with their stolen, cheating images. "It's all in there. You can watch them at it."

"No." His mouth is a thin line. "I have no interest in them. You are my only concern."

He wipes away my tears gently.

"I told you I hired a private investigator. Why did you subject yourself to this torture, why follow them here?"

"I had to see for myself what they were doing. Watch them betray me --- us --- with my own eyes."

"Oh, Lisa." His eyes are so kind I want to cry. "Have you eaten anything? You look so pale."

"No, I'm not hungry."

Maxim smiles faintly.

"Well, I am. I skipped lunch. I've been at meetings all day. I've already paid for the room and ordered a meal to be delivered to us later."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"It's 10.00 p.m."

My phone is buzzing on the nightstand.

I walk over to the nightstand. Look down at the phone.

Ryan is calling.

I sit down on the edge of the bed. The mattress dips beside me. Maxim has sat down beside me.

I let the phone buzz. It stops, then starts buzzing again. It stops after a minute.

I check my phone. Ten missed calls and twenty unread texts from Ryan. For the past twenty minutes. I hadn't even been aware of it.

Because all my attention was on Maxim.

My phone buzzes again.

I swipe it.

"Hello."

Maxim's arm curls around my shoulder. I lean against his hard, strong, comforting chest for support.

"Lisa?" Ryan sounds frantic. "I have been calling you and texting you, but you never answered. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Why didn't you answer? Do you know how worried I have been?"

Oh, I'd bet you were.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Didn't you read my texts?"

"No."

A short silence.

Then:

"Why not?" He sounds annoyed.

"I've been busy." You've been busy, too.

"Busy with what?"

"Why are you calling me?"

"I'm going to be late. My client wants to have dinner, and then we'll go over some more of the amendments."