Chapter 12

TWO WEEKS LATER

I fully expectthat to be the end of it.

That is, until Ian decides his resident chef, aka. Trinity's big sis, is too isolated.

Savannah's NDA meant she couldn't talk to anyone about her employer or about Ian. No leaking to press or the gossip columns. No gossiping about him to her friends or family. And I wrapped the NDA up in a nice pretty bonus at the end of her one-year contract.

But now, Ian is talking about getting rid of the NDA altogether, because this just happened.

I need you to amend Savannah's contract to take out the clause that says she can't google me.

It's Savannah now, is it?

What? No response? You can't take a little teasing?

I didn't realize that required a response.

You're no fun.

That's not news to anyone.

OK, you want me to amend the contract. Am I allowed to ask why?

She's afraid of me.

What?

It makes sense. She's a single woman, living in an isolated area, on my property. The situation was making her uncomfortable. So I gave her permission to do whatever research she wanted.

Got it.

Also, take out the NDA. She should be able to talk to whoever she wants.

What? What the hell is going on over there?

Did you sleep with her?

No.

Jesus. Why would you even ask that?

Because you just told me to burn her NDA.

Your point?

You've always been fierce about employees signing NDAs.

Even before this shit with Ava.

Given this sudden, drastic change in attitude, I think it's a reasonable question.

Fuck off.

If you've slept with her, I need to know. As your lawyer, I need to be able to protect you. If you'd brought me into the loop with Ava, before things got serious, I could have helped.

Fuck.

Off.

I'm serious.

So am I.

Okay then, as your friend.

I'm worried. This isn't like you. Even with Ava, you had an NDA.

You're the one who hired her. You're the one who refused to fire her when I came to you last week.

Is that supposed to make me less worried that my best friend and most important client is acting out of character?

Fine.

No, I didn't sleep with her.

Okay. Then why not just tell me that?

Because it's a stupid fucking question.

I just don't want her to be afraid of me.

Despite what Ava thinks, I'm not an insensitive monster.

I thought we agreed Ava was the monster.

Also, I'm not burning the NDA. But I think she has a sister she's close to. I will amend the NDA to give her permission to discuss you and her employment with her sister, contingent on the sister also signing an NDA.

As though I didn't stand by and watch his previous girlfriend, who had a NDA, bad mouth him all over late night just because she'd insisted on a clause about the NDA not interfering with her job. Because apparently when you're a shitty actress, the only reason people invite you on talk shows is to get gossip about your rich boyfriend.

So I write up an NDA for Trinity to sign so that Savannah has someone to talk to. I send my paralegal over to her office on campus for her signature. While I'm waiting for a response, I drink Pepto Bismol like I'm a teen doing shots over spring break.

This should be it, right? The thing that brings Trinity back into my orbit.

Instead the NDA comes back. Signed, witnessed, and notarized. And I hear nothing.