by Mia Sosa
Did Karen even realize she wasn’t alone?
“You okay?” Mimi asked.
Karen whipped up her head, straightened, and gave Mimi a tremulous smile. “I’m fine.” She looked around the kitchen. “Any more champagne?”
Mimi slid to the left to reveal the two bottles on the counter behind her.
After a nod, Karen grabbed one of the bottles, removed the foil, and popped the cork. She placed the tip to her lips and drank straight from the bottle.
“Whoa, woman. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just thirsty.”
“Right. And guzzling champagne made more sense than drinking a glass of water?”
Karen raised the bottle. “We’re celebrating.”
“And you’re hiding.” She surveyed Karen, noting her skin was uncharacteristically pale. “From Mark?”
Karen dropped her head. “Yeah. I guess I am.”
Mimi lifted herself and sat on the counter. “Come. Tell Mimi your problems.”
Karen joined her, close enough that their thighs touched. “He asked me to give up my apartment. Before we got here. And when Gracie made her announcement, he leaned over and said, ‘That could be us.’”
“Let me guess. You’re not ready for that?”
“No way. The baby part, I mean. The giving up my apartment part, I’m not sure about. I’m practically living with him as it is, and he renovated his loft to add an office for me. And he’s right that financially it doesn’t make sense for me to be paying rent but…”
“But it scares you?”
Karen took a long breath, as though she were relieved that Mimi understood the problem without her having to say more. “Yes. I’m not sure why, but it does.”
“You want my advice?”
“I’m sure you’ll give it to me anyway.”
Mimi bumped Karen’s shoulder with her own. “True. Keep the apartment.”
“You think?”
“I do and here’s why. Let’s say you and Mark have an argument, or you’re pissed off with him about something. Or worse. What if you find out he’s been with someone else?”
Karen shook her head in dismay. “Goodness, Mimi, you’re a bundle of optimism.”
“I’m a bundle of realism. In any of those situations, you have no place of your own to go to. You’re stuck. Sure, you can call up Gracie, but Ethan is Mark’s best friend. That might cause tension for them. So you come to me, and of course I’ll let you stay, but is that really ideal? There’s something empowering about having your own backup plan.”
Karen looked at her with pleading eyes. “I love him, though.”
“You’re whipped, my dear.”
“And so what if I am?”
“Nothing wrong with it, just as long as you don’t lose your head and start making bad decisions. There are many ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands out there. Someone loved them once, too. Breakups happen.”
“I’m not sure I’d want to live my life waiting for the other shoe to drop, but you’re right that a backup plan never hurts. And sometimes I just want to get away, you know? Med school is kicking my ass, and it’s comforting to know there’s always a place where I can cut myself off from the rest of the world.”
“Well, there you go. Explain that to him. Problem solved. He might not like it, but eventually he’ll come to understand. If he loves you, that is.” She gave Karen a reassuring hug. “And I’m sure he does.”
Karen rested her head on Mimi’s shoulder. “How’d you get to be such a smart lady?”
“I think it’s more accurate to say I’m cautious.”
“You can be both, you know.”
Thinking of her own exchange with Daniel minutes earlier, Mimi agreed. Going forward, she’d need to be both smart and cautious when dealing with him. Otherwise, the man would interfere with her career aspirations, and no way in hell was she letting him do that.
CHAPTER SIX
With a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, Daniel strode into the conference room and plopped into a chair. One of his legs bounced in anticipation of this morning’s meeting with Ms. Mimi Pennington. Damn. Her name alone excited him. As he doodled on his legal pad, he chuckled to himself, picturing Mimi’s horror-stricken face when he’d told her she would have to woo him, too.
He looked up, and three sets of eyes stared back at him.
Jason scrunched his face into a “what gives?” expression. “So what’s the deal with this publicist?”
Daniel feigned a dismissive wave. “It’s nothing. A joke, really. She gave me a hard time at that bachelor auction a couple of weekends ago, so I bid on her consulting package. We get ten hours of her time. Figured I’d waste some of it for a good cause. Just do me a favor. Listen to what she has to say, and then we’re done. Fifteen minutes, tops.”
Amar, the most thoughtful of the bunch, peered at him. “How much did you pay for this little joke?”
“Ten thousand dollars.”
He whistled. “That’s an expensive joke.”
“Not so expensive when you consider it benefits charity.”
“Still, that’s a lot of money,” Amar noted.
“It is,” Daniel replied.
Amar wouldn’t let it go. “Which one?”
Daniel dropped his head in exasperation. “Which one what?”
“Which charity?”
“All of them. It went into a pool to be divided among them. What does it matter?” The irritation in Daniel’s voice caused those three sets of eyes to refocus on him.
Jason grinned at Amar.
Amar widened his eyes and smirked.
And Spencer lifted a single perfect brow. Jesus, did he tweeze them?
These men knew very little bothered him. He’d learned to look at life’s everyday problems as minor irritations in the grand scheme of things, so his annoyance was bound to make them curious. Well, this was just perfect. If he’d revealed too much, they would hound him about his connection to Mimi. Not that there was a connection. He’d wanted one, but after his run-in with her last weekend, he doubted whether that would happen. She’d essentially told him not to fuck with her—literally and figuratively—and now that she’d educated him about her “rules,” he’d have to be a masochist to continue pursuing her.
The voice of their receptionist, Felicia, intruded on the charged moment. “Mimi Pennington is here for her appointment.”
Jason hit the intercom. “Send her in, Felicia.”
Daniel tapped the table with his pen as he waited for Mimi to arrive.
“Stop that,” Spencer said. “It’s annoying as shit.”
“Drink your coffee and stop worrying about me,” Daniel countered. “And sit up.”
Spencer shook his head. “What am I? Twelve? What’s got you so weird, D?”
“I’m not being weird. It’s Monday.”
As though that somehow explained anything. He dropped his head and whipped it back up when he heard the click of Mimi’s shoes outside the door.
He blinked several times, failing to recognize the version of Mimi Pennington who walked into the room.
The form-fitting clothing that emphasized the delicious curve of her breasts and her wisp of a waist? Gone.
The trademark ruby red lipstick she wore on her pouty lips? Gone.
The sassy smirk that made him feel as though he were the butt of every joke she’d ever made? Gone.
Her clothing and demeanor matched the color of the conference room’s walls: gray.
She intended to do business today. The change in her appearance made that clear. This woman wouldn’t engage in verbal sparring or tell off-color jokes. Her transformation intrigued him, because it confirmed what he’d already suspected: He had a lot to learn about Mimi Pennington. And given the chameleon who’d joined them, he would start with the most pressing question: Why did she feel the need to change?
She cleared her throat, and Daniel blinked. Right. Introductions.
He rose and met her at the head of
the conference table. If he hadn’t been so focused on the absence of color on her lips, he would have missed her small intake of breath as he strode toward her. Ah, Mimi. I feel it, too.
But he wouldn’t show it. Not in front of the guys. “Hello, Ms. Pennington. Thanks for taking the time to meet with us.”
She smiled at the guys, but when she returned her attention to him, she adopted a neutral expression. The fact that she’d visibly arranged her face to greet him told him he affected her. Whether he could capitalize on that fact still remained unclear, however.
She held out a hand and offered him a firm handshake. “You’re welcome. And no need to be so formal. Mimi’s fine. It’s good to see you again, Daniel.”
Bullshit. She didn’t want to be here, and for the first time since he’d made the bid at the silent auction, he regretted having forced her hand. Messing with her at a party was one thing; toying with her job was quite another. But it would only raise everyone’s suspicions if he turned her away now. So he’d stick to the original plan: let her talk and then release her from any further obligation to consult for them.
He turned to his partners. “Gentlemen, this is Mimi Pennington of Baxter PR.”
Jason, Amar, and Spencer stood, and she greeted each with a handshake and a friendly smile. “May I sit here?” she asked.
Daniel focused on the slender finger pointing at the seat beside him. “Sure. Here’s fine.”
After she’d settled in, Amar took the reins. “So Mimi, Daniel tells us that you’re here to consult with us. What exactly do you do, and what can you do for us?”
She glanced at the papers in front of her and set them aside. “Baxter PR has three areas of concentration: brand development, publicity, and crisis management. Or as I describe them: show, tell, and bury. I wear different hats depending on my client’s needs. If clients want to manage their publicity—good or bad—they hire a publicist. If they’re going for total image management, a public relations relationship is more appropriate. You with me so far?”
The men nodded in unison.
“Great. I reviewed your website and checked to see what press you’ve received in the past six months. Tell me this: Are you working at full capacity?”
“Our plates are full, if that’s what you’re asking,” Spencer offered.
“It’s not. Are you turning away new clients because you have no time to take on their projects?”
Amar spoke up then. “Not at all. We take on every new client if the project’s the right fit.”
“Then you’re likely not realizing your full potential.”
Daniel sighed and the men turned their attention to him. “Care to be less cryptic, Ms. Pennington?”
She narrowed her eyes. He got the distinct feeling that if they’d been alone, she would have stuck out her tongue at him. Too bad we’re not alone.
“Sure. It’s clear your business is doing well, but you could be doing better. You want demand to outpace your supply. You do excellent work. The client testimonials on your website attest to that, but there are hundreds of architects in the DMV area that do excellent work, too. What makes your firm different? What are you offering that clients can’t get anywhere else? Or if they can get it somewhere else, why should clients get it from you? In short, gentlemen, you need to manage your brand.”
“What does managing our brand entail?” Spencer asked.
“It means looking at your business from top to bottom and figuring out why a client should hire you. It requires me devising a compelling story for you based on those attributes of your business that are unique to you. It means giving your potential clients a sense of who you are as individuals, beyond the degrees, apprenticeships, and awards. Your website provides information about your services and that’s it.”
“Am I missing something? We’re an architectural firm, not YouTube, Mimi. Isn’t that what our website is supposed to provide: information?” Daniel asked.
For a minute, the sparks in her eyes threatened to singe him. Fireworks had reentered the building. And he welcomed her return.
“Yes, information is one piece of the puzzle. But this isn’t an assembly line, gentlemen.” She locked eyes with him when she said the word gentlemen, stressing the word in a way that suggested she didn’t include him in that category. “You’re highly skilled individuals who each contribute something to the firm’s persona. That’s what attracts clients: the people behind the business.”
Daniel trailed his index finger over his bottom lip as he considered her. She glanced at him then and paused as though her thoughts had scattered around her. If only he could get her to acknowledge her attraction to him.
“Each of you has a story,” she continued. “Tell the world your story, and make it a good one.”
Daniel wanted to ask her about her story. She’d impressed him with her knowledge and insights. He was familiar with her ever-present smirk, but he’d never encountered her in a professional setting. Seeing her in business mode added a delicious layer to a cake he already wanted to eat. Apparently he was a masochist.
So where did that leave him? He had a feeling he could overcome her concerns about dating someone she’d met through her friends. In fact, he could point to Mark and Karen as a successful example. Hell, he’d even be willing to date her in secret for a short time if that would ease her concerns. And her ridiculous assertion that he reminded her of her father was based on a host of assumptions she’d made about him. Over time, he could show her how faulty those assumptions were. So as he saw it, if they weren’t working together, he might have half a chance of convincing her to date him.
Daniel glanced around the table, eager to wrap up the meeting.
Spencer stared at the legal pad in front of him and twirled a pen in one hand. From experience, Daniel knew the movement meant Spencer was going over Mimi’s words and wanted to ask more questions.
“Let’s say we were interested in hiring you to help us with brand management, what would you do for us?” Spencer asked.
Mimi gave Spencer a warm smile, and Spencer returned his own—at full wattage.
Wait. What the hell? Spencer’s interested in hiring her?
Daniel leaned forward. “Well, I know you likely don’t have time for us, Mimi, so the ten hours of consulting should suffice, and I’m guessing you’ve already used most of them reviewing information about the firm, so—”
“Ms. Pennington probably has a handle on her own schedule, Daniel,” Amar said.
Daniel wanted to smack the smug grin off his face. This was what happened when you went into business with your roommates from grad school: They fucked with you any chance they got. Once they’d seen each other in their skivvies, the dynamic had changed forever.
Daniel resigned himself to continuing this farce a few minutes longer. He sat back and smoothed his tie. “You’re right. Sorry for the interruption, Mimi. Feel free to continue.”
Mimi licked her lips and addressed his friends. “Well, because you all provide a personal service, I’d want to get personal with you. I’d like to know a little more about each of you. How did you start the business? What drives your designs? How do you work together? Get underneath the gloss, so to speak. And I’d need access to your past work, you know, the stuff that isn’t reflected on the website. Using that info, I’d present you with a brand strategy. Suggest a redesign for the website. Discuss ways to get your name out to media outlets. Perhaps a business development event for past and prospective clients.”
Jason’s head bobbed up and down. Yeah, this was going to be a problem. The guys were hooked, and Daniel couldn’t blame them. She knew her shit.
Hell.
Unless he did something soon, he’d be forced to work with her.
A woman who didn’t like him.
A woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.
A woman who’d made it clear that she wouldn’t entertain the idea of dating him if they worked together.
Mimi gathered her papers and place
d them in her leather portfolio. “Any questions, gentlemen?”
Jason, who rarely spoke in firm meetings, chose this moment to channel his oratorical gifts. “Mimi, this has been very helpful. I’m sure I speak for all of the partners when I say that you’ve presented a compelling case for us to hire you. We’ll discuss your services and get back to you. Do you have a retention agreement with your company’s hourly rates?”
“I do. I can send that to you as soon as I return to the office.”
“Wonderful. Anyone else have anything to add?” Jason didn’t wait for an answer and rose from his seat. “I’ll walk you out.”
Mimi smiled. “Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate your time.”
Spencer and Amar voiced their thanks like she was a foreign dignitary visiting their country for the first time. Damn. These men needed to chill.
Before she walked out the door, Daniel stopped her. “Thanks for the time you spent on us. You obviously took this seriously, and I appreciate it.”
She cocked her head and regarded him with a frown. “Well, of course I took this seriously. I’m a professional.”
“Right. Of course.”
“Have a great day, Daniel.”
“You do the same, Mimi.”
He could have sworn he glimpsed a smirk as she turned toward the door.
Minutes later, Jason returned, his huge grin setting off alarm bells in Daniel’s brain.
Had he and Mimi exchanged words while she waited for the elevator? Daniel had to know. “What the fuck are you grinning for?”
Jason cocked his head and glared at him. “What the fuck is your problem?”
Daniel threw his pen on the table and jumped up from his seat. “Never mind. I’m just a bit jumpy today. Didn’t get much sleep.”
Spencer cleared his throat. “Let’s just finish this up. To me, it’s an easy decision. We’re doing well, but we could be doing better, and Mimi will help us. I say we hire her.”
“Agreed,” Amar said.
“Same,” Jason said.
Daniel dropped back onto his chair. “Wait, wait, wait, guys. This is not how we operate. We don’t know her hourly rates. We haven’t seen an engagement letter. We have no idea what she’s going to recommend for a brand strategy. Let’s not jump into this.”
