Chapter 45

He didn’t bother to pick up the handset, choosing instead to swivel towards the desk and punch the hands-free button. It seemed, somehow, like less effort that way. “What’s up?”

It wasn’t the voice of his assistant that answered, but the voice of their receptionist. “Mr. Lawrence? My apologies for disturbing you, sir. I tried to get hold of Emma first but she’s away from her desk. You know I hate to call you directly, but I wasn’t sure what to do. If you’re busy I can have—”

“It’s fine, Rachel,” Mason said quickly, hopefully stopping her before the usual five-minute tirade of how painfully guilty she felt about having to speak with him without the shield of his assistant, Emma. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no,” Rachel said. Then her voice fell. “Yes. Well, maybe. I’m not sure.”

Mason rolled his eyes, let his chair fall forward, and slumped over his desk. “Perhaps you could be just a wee bit more detailed?”