Cracks

Cracks
Monday should have been easier. The crisis over the warehouse was resolved. Vandervoort had approved the Elizabeth site after a second inspection, and the property company had already begun preparing the lease. Willem had returned to the Netherlands, leaving two members of his team in New York to continue working with Revenir.

Juliano had stayed as well. His presence still made sense. The lease involved a company in which Moretti Capital held an interest, and several investment decisions remained unresolved.

By eleven, Catherine had been in meetings for nearly three hours. When Natalie appeared at the conference room door, Catherine almost ignored her.

"Erik is here."

Catherine looked up.

"Erik?"

"He said he only needs five minutes."

Catherine checked the time.

"Tell him I'll be there in ten."

Natalie hesitated.

"I think you should go now."

Something in her expression made Catherine close the folder in front of her.

"Thomas, continue without me."

She found Erik waiting in her office. He stood near the windows with his phone in one hand. His jacket was still buttoned, suggesting he hadn't planned to stay.

"What's wrong?"

He turned.

"Nothing."

"Natalie disagrees."

That almost made him smile.

"I need to fly to London tonight."

Catherine stopped.

"Tonight?"

"Singapore."

"London is a strange route to Singapore."

"One of the investors is there. He's threatening to pull out unless we restructure part of the deal."

"For how long?"

"Two days. Maybe three."

Catherine nodded slowly. They had barely seen each other over the weekend. Erik had spent most of Saturday at the office, while she had worked Sunday afternoon preparing for Vandervoort.

"Okay."

Erik studied her.

"That's it?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

He put his phone into his pocket.

"I came here because I didn't want to tell you by text."

"I appreciate that."

"But?"

Catherine looked away. There didn't need to be a but. London was work. Vandervoort had consumed most of her own time for weeks. Still, disappointment had become uncomfortably familiar lately.

"We keep saying tomorrow."

"I know."

"But tomorrow never seems to come."

Erik's expression changed.

"You think I want that?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

Catherine looked at him again.

"Why are you already defending yourself? I'm not attacking you."

"I'm trying to understand what you're asking me to do."

"I'm not asking you to do anything."

"Then what are we arguing about?"

Silence settled between them. Catherine exhaled and lowered her voice.

"I know you have to go to London."

"Then why does it feel like you're angry with me for going?"

"Because I'm disappointed, Erik. Those aren't the same thing."

He looked tired. For the first time, Catherine wondered if she did too.

"I can't fix the timing," he said.

"I know."

"And I can't walk away from the acquisition now."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Then help me here."

The frustration in his voice caught her. Catherine folded her arms.

"Maybe I just wanted you to say you were disappointed too."

Erik stared at her.

"Of course I am."

"You didn't say it."

"I came across Manhattan in the middle of the day to tell you in person."

"And somehow we're still talking about the acquisition."

"Because that's why I'm leaving."

Catherine shook her head.

"This isn't going anywhere."

"No."

He glanced at his watch. The movement shouldn't have mattered, but it did.

"You need to go."

"Catherine."

"You have a flight to catch. I have people waiting for me."

His jaw tightened slightly.

"Fine."

The word landed harder than either of them intended. Erik stepped closer and kissed her cheek.

"I'll call you tonight."

"Okay."

He left. Catherine remained where she was. They hadn't solved anything. That was unusual enough to bother her more than the argument itself.

Juliano knew something was wrong the moment Catherine returned. He was seated near the far end of the conference table, reviewing the proposed lease terms with Thomas. Catherine entered, took her seat and opened the folder she had left behind.

"Where were we?"

Thomas looked at her.

"Section eight."

"Right."

She turned the page without an explanation or apology. Nothing anyone could reasonably question.

Juliano looked back at the contract. He had seen Erik leave through the glass doors several minutes earlier. That meant nothing. He told himself so.

For the next hour, Catherine was entirely professional. She caught a discrepancy in the maintenance provisions, challenged one of the projected operating costs and rejected a proposed adjustment to the implementation schedule. Only someone paying close attention would have noticed she hadn't touched her coffee. Juliano noticed.

The meeting ended shortly after one. Thomas left with Vandervoort's operations director. Catherine remained behind, gathering her papers. Juliano closed his laptop.

"London?"

Her hands stopped.

"What?"

"Erik mentioned London when he walked past reception."

That wasn't entirely true. Juliano had heard only a fragment as Erik spoke into his phone on his way out. Catherine resumed stacking the documents.

"He's leaving tonight."

"Business?"

"Yes."

Juliano nodded. He could have stopped there. He should have.

"Bad timing."

Catherine looked at him.

"Very."

There was something in that single word he hadn't heard from her before.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

It was the same answer she'd given him after returning from Eindhoven. This time he didn't challenge it. Catherine picked up her laptop.

"We need the revised lease language before tomorrow morning."

"I'll make sure you have it."

"Thank you."

She walked out. Juliano remained seated. He knew very little about what had happened between Catherine and Erik. He hadn't heard their conversation. He had no idea why Erik was going to London or what had been said before he left. What he did know was what he had seen over the past weeks. Catherine returning from Europe to an empty apartment. Erik spending half their dinner answering calls. Plans repeatedly postponed. And now Erik leaving again. Each event had a perfectly reasonable explanation. Together, they were beginning to look like something else.

Catherine arrived home shortly after seven. Erik's suitcase was gone. On the kitchen counter was a note.

Flight moved up. Tried calling. You were probably in a meeting. I'll call when I land.
Love you.

Her phone showed two missed calls from him. Catherine closed her eyes. He had tried. So had she. That was perhaps the most frustrating part. Neither of them was doing anything terrible. There was no betrayal to forgive, no cruel word that could be taken back. Just missed dinners, interrupted conversations and too many moments postponed until tomorrow.

She picked up the note and carried it with her toward the bedroom.

Across the city, Juliano stood at the window of his hotel room, looking down at Manhattan. He had spent fifteen years competing with Erik Statham. He knew how Erik approached business. Relentlessly. Completely. Once he decided something mattered, everything else became secondary until he had won. Juliano had always considered that one of Erik's greatest strengths. Now, for the first time, he wondered what it cost the people who loved him. And whether Erik even noticed what was slowly slipping away.