Love by Assistant (The Harringtons Book 3)

by MacKenzie Shaw

  “Yes, please put him through.” He heard the click of her receiver going down to allow Greg’s call to be transferred. “Hey Greg, long time no speak. What do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Alex, it’s good to speak to you. We do need to catch up soon, but this isn’t really a social call. It’s a bit awkward actually.”

  “O-kay” he replied, stringing out the word, not quite expecting that answer.

  “As you may know, I’m taking over from my father in the next few weeks and his assistant is retiring at the same time. My current assistant has decided not to come back after her maternity leave so I’m in need of a new assistant.”

  He’d better not be looking to poach Melody.

  “Uh-huh,” he replied, not sure he liked the direction this call was taking.

  “Well, we’ve been interviewing a few candidates and we’ve just made an offer to the successful one. She’s got an excellent resumé and by far the best I’ve seen but I thought it was only fair, as we’re old friends, that I let you know that the assistant I’m looking to hire is currently yours … Melody Chambers.”

  Alex was speechless. How did he reply to that? She wanted to leave him?

  “Hello Alex, are you still there?”

  “Ah yes, I’m still here …”

  “The only reason I offered her the job was because she said she wasn’t kept busy enough there and, there is no delicate way of saying this, she wanted a bigger challenge. I always thought you’d kept Mary really busy so wasn’t sure if there was an issue with Melody that I’m not aware of?”

  “Thanks for letting me know Greg. I’m really sorry but I’ve another call coming in that I really need to take. I’ll have to call you back,” he said, then promptly hung up.

  She hadn’t said anything. Maybe he’d come across too strong. Maybe, maybe, maybe. It was all speculative. He needed facts. Facts never lied. Before he could second guess himself he pressed the intercom button to speak to Melody. “Melody would you mind coming into my office for a minute.” He hung up before giving her any time to refuse, or for him to change his mind. He needed to deal with this head on. There was one thing he knew with one hundred percent certainty - there was no way he was letting her go. If this had been the nudge for him to do something about his schoolboy crush then he’d received the message loud and clear. He was going to make Melody his.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Melody stared at the intercom system. He knows. She pulled out the compact from her purse to make sure she was looking her best and not too flushed. She stood up and straightened her cream blouse and dark gray pencil skirt and turned to Mary, “I think Mr Harrington has just found out about my new job offer and has called me in to see him.”

  Mary looked up at her with a huge grin on her face, “Good! Let’s see if he finally stops ignoring what is right in front of his face. If not, I’ll be having words.”

  She started walking towards the double oak doors that led to Mr Harrington’s office. Taking a deep breath, she knocked, then pushed the handle down to make her entrance. Here goes.

  “You wanted to see me Mr Harrington?” she asked, while trying to read his face on why she’d been called in. He looked flustered.

  “Yes, Melody, please sit down,” he told her as he motioned to the chair opposite him.

  She sat down and placed her hands on her lap, trying not to fidget while she waited for him to continue. Her hands started to sweat slightly and she wiped them on her skirt, making out there was a bit fluff she was trying to get off. Please get this over with.

  “Are you happy here?” he asked, not able to make eye contact with her.

  “Yes, Mr Harrington,” she replied. She wanted to keep her answers short to stop her turning into a blubbering wreck.

  At that he looked flustered, “You are? Then I don’t understand. I … I’m not sure the best way to put this, but it’s come to my attention that you may be looking for other employment opportunities and I wondered why you wanted to leave. If I’d done anything to upset you.” He definitely looked upset as he told her.

  Floor just open up and swallow me now. “Oh no, it’s not you Mr Harrington. I just figured that as you are giving me less and less tasks to do, there wasn’t really enough work for me anymore. I have offered to help you with other tasks but you always refused so I began to wonder if I was doing something wrong.”

  “Wrong? Melody you’ve done nothing wrong.” He took in a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. “I have to apologize to you for my unprofessional behavior.”

  “What?” Melody gasped. “You haven’t been unprofessional.” What was going on?

  “Yes, I have and I can only apologize. It’s taken a few days away to see the error of my ways and I’m hoping you’ll accept that apology. There is no easy way of saying this, and I’ve been putting this off for far too long, so here goes. Melody, would you like to go out with me?”

  Melody stared at him in shock. She never in a million years expected this. “What?”

  “I realize that I’ve been very unprofessional, drooling over you like a schoolboy for the past few months and it needs to stop. You’ve handled my behavior like a true professional and thank you for that, however I’d made up my mind, before I knew about your new job, that I had to finally do something about it. I don’t want to lose you. I’d like for you to give us a chance, as a couple. If you want to take the other job then I won’t stop you, but I really hope whatever you decide, that you’ll decide to say yes to a date. So what do you say?”

  “I … I don’t know what to say. I certainly wasn’t expecting you to say that when I came in.” It was time she followed his example in being honest about her feelings, so she just blurted it out, before she could stop herself, “I feel the same. I thought I was the unprofessional one, drooling all over you! You always seemed so cold and aloof towards me, I thought I’d done something wrong.”

  “Oh no, you did nothing wrong. I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position, being your boss, where you felt you couldn’t refuse if I asked you out. I was a coward and I’m so sorry for making you feel like you were at fault. It definitely wasn’t you. I take full responsibility. So what do you say? Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

  She let out a sigh of relief and smiled, “Of course, I’d love to.”

  There was a knock at the door and the door slowly opened. “Everything alright in here?” Mary called out as she walked through the doors, “or do I still need to bang your heads together?” she chuckled.

  Melody looked across at Alex, “I forgot to say, you have a visitor.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Alex slumped back on his chair while taking in the mischievous grin that was on his old assistant’s face. He might not have been the sharpest tool in the box over the past few months but he was quickly catching up. The way Mary had taken over the hiring process and the cryptic reply that Marcus made. It was all making sense now. Mary had been matchmaking.

  “Mary, come take a seat. I think you have some explaining to do.”

  He looked over at Melody and she looked like she wanted the chair to swallow her whole. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Oh Melody is fine, aren’t you dear?” Mary answered as she sat down beside Melody and took her hand. Melody wasn’t looking too great, which concerned him. There was a lot he seemed to be missing out on.

  “Mary, would you care to explain what you’ve been up to and bring both Melody and myself up-to-date with your scheming?”

  She let out a loud chuckle, “Oh Alex, I was wondering if you’d ever catch on. Melody was involved from the start.”

  He sucked in a deep breath as his mind tried to process this information. She was in on it?

  “Oh don’t look so worried. You were always a worrier. Melody here wasn’t going to go along with my plans at all, were you dear? But I knew that you were the perfect match for young Alex here. What I didn’t plan on was how you were both so stubborn. You constantly make sw
oony eyes at each other and it’s obvious to anyone in a ten mile radius that you are both crazy about each other. The only people who couldn’t see it, was you two.”

  “You set us up?” Alex asked flabbergasted at this information. “You don’t even work here anymore, how could you possibly know what was going on?”

  “Ah,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “I have my spies. That is the main reason I’m here today to make sure that you stop with all the nonsense and start acting like adults.” She turned to Melody, “I can’t believe you went for another job without speaking to Alex and telling him how you felt.”

  “Mary, that was my fault. I didn’t make it easy for her to speak me and for that, Melody, I’m really sorry. I was hoping we’d be able to wipe the slate clean and start again … if you’re able to forgive me?” admitted Alex.

  She smiled up at him, “Of course I forgive you. There is nothing to forgive. I was as bad as you. Mary is right, one of us should have said something before now but I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

  “Alex you work too hard. When Marcus started cutting back his hours, realizing there is more to life than work. That should have been a clue for you to do the same. I saw the way you looked at Marcus and Carly, that you too wished for a loving relationship like they have but instead you started to work longer hours, never leaving the office. I was worried about you. That’s why I told you I was ready to retire and you needed to find another assistant. I figured it was the only way you were ever going to meet anyone you that could become your wife.” Mary explained.

  “Wife?” Alex spluttered. He took in a deep breath and looked at Melody who was staring at him with a look of embarrassment on her face. He knew then he was an idiot if he didn’t offer this wonderful woman across from him, anything less than marriage.

  He stood up and walked to the other side of the table and knelt down on one knee, “Melody, even although we’ve never had a real date yet and I’ve been an idiot the past few months. I would be honored if you would agree to become my wife and I promise you a lifetime of amazing dates. I can’t promise that I will never be an idiot again, but if I am, then please tell me and I’ll do my best to stop. So will you, be my wife?”

  Mary started clapping and cheering, “Say yes,” she encouraged.

  “Yes,” Melody whispered as she looked down at him on one knee. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Well thank goodness you’ve both finally come to your senses. My work here is done.” She then turned and walked out of the office.

  He stared at the woman in front of him. He couldn’t believe he was about to gain a wife and he couldn’t be happier.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Six months later …

  Melody gazed lovingly at the man standing in front of her. “I do,” she replied. Never thinking she’d ever be standing here, saying her marriage vows to her boss.

  She’d decided to stay working with Harrington Enterprises and had persuaded Alex to give her more responsibility, which she relished. She couldn’t believe the time they’d wasted by not confronting their feelings for each other but was grateful for the time they had in front of them. She’d persuaded Alex to cut back his hours and he was only too happy to oblige. He’d become more productive since declaring his love for her.

  Mary had been given a place at the bridal party table as their guest of honor. They would never have met if it hadn’t been for her meddling matchmaking so it only seemed fitting. Alex had suggested she needed to use his talents on his baby brother, Adam, who spent most of his time creating mobile apps and different types of software, rarely coming out of his bedroom both at home and at MIT where he was a second year student. Mary had laughed, saying her work was done and she wouldn’t be doing any more matchmaking. She was going to enjoy her retirement.

  They’d gone on their first date … to a jewelers and then on to a coffee shop, where Alex had told her the story of how Marcus had met Carly. She had been so excited to meet Carly and they’d quickly become best friends since that first meeting, along with Willow who was engaged to Finn, Alex’s younger brother. Their mother was over the moon having so many women joining the family.

  Alex’s mother had cornered both the single brothers, Adam and Noah and asked them who was next to bring a woman into the family. Nobody had seen them move as quickly as they did after being asked that question. The three brothers who were in a relationship had started a pool on which brother would fall next. The winner of that pool was …

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  The Harrington’s Series:

  LOVE BY FATE

  Carly Hansen’s professional life as a well sought after wedding planner was going from strength to strength, however the same couldn’t be said for her personal life. Her ex-boyfriend of 8 years was now marrying her cousin after a whirlwind 3 month romance and she was expected to attend and wish the happy couple a long and happy marriage; the marriage she was supposed to be having

  Marcus Harrington has just been voted America’s Most Eligible Bachelor which is more to do with his family’s company joining the top five richest companies in the USA than actually being ‘eligible’. He has a company to run and the last thing he needs is a gold digger getting her claws into him. No he’s sworn off dating until he loses the overly publicized title or the line of women looking for a husband.

  If only fate had different ideas for both of them.

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  LOVE BY DELIVERY

  Willow Martin hadn’t seen her mom since she’d got an intern position in another city, six months previously. She had been looking forward to spending the week relaxing and catching up on what she’d missed since leaving home. Unfortunately, her mom ends up with a broken arm and Willow has to step in and help with the deliveries for her mom’s catering business and that’s where she literally bumps into a handsome customer of her mom’s who sets her life on a different, more exciting path.

  Finn Harrington is a professional gamer with a lifestyle that is the envy of many of his YouTube followers. However it’s no longer as fulfilling as it used to be and he’s desperate for a new challenge, not knowing what that could be. He didn’t realize the gorgeous brunette who literally knocked him off his feet on their first meeting would be the one to help him figure out his new path. One that he is determined, includes her.

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  Lakeside House Hotel Series:

  FINDING THE ONE

  Noah Carpenter had grown up being part of the Carpenter urban legend. A family legend where his father, grandfather and great grandfather had all known they’d met ‘the one’ within minutes of meeting them and then lived a long and happy life together. Noah is convinced it’s missed a generation and proof is in the trail of broken hearts he’s left behind with his ‘two date’ rule. At the wedding he begins to question his motives. Could the family legend actually be true?

  Daisy Yorke is attending her best friends wedding at the Lakeside House Hotel. She used to believe she was happy and content with her life after all she’d achieved ‘the plan’ she’d put into place when she was eleven years old. She’d sacrificed everything to first achieve top grades in school and college, then for a fast-track career. When surrounded by her old friends from college she begins to question if it was all worth it. Was there something or someone she was missing?

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  MacKenzie Shaw has been reading romance books since borrowing her mums Mills and Boons books as a teenager so it was no wonder she started writing her own romance books.

  She lives in a small town in the UK with her family and their dog.

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