by Debby Mayne
She followed him into his office, but she didn’t sit down like she normally did. Instead, she leaned against the wall and watched her uncle as he sat down, still looking smug.
Cissy didn’t even wait for her uncle to speak before launching into her spiel. “Now that this merger is happening, I’ll certainly understand if you don’t want me here anymore. It wouldn’t be fair to let someone else go since they need the money.” She swallowed hard and thought about going back to the town where Spencer still reigned and had more sympathy than she’d ever get. “I can’t move back home for a while, so would you mind if I stay with you and Aunt Bootsie until I figure out what to do?”
Uncle Forest shook his head. “You need to quit jumping to conclusions and find out what’s going on before you speak. Dave obviously didn’t tell you that we’re moving you to a new position.”
“You’re right. He didn’t.”
He stopped fidgeting with his desk supplies and looked directly at her. “You’ll be my personal assistant.”
“Why do you need a personal assistant?”
Uncle Forest gestured toward all the paperwork on his desk. “I’ll be busy with the merger, so it would be nice to have someone running errands, making phone calls, and handling some of the details for me.”
She glanced down as her mind drew a blank. This was all so unexpected she didn’t have any idea how to respond.
“Understand, though, that it’s just temporary, until Tom has the machines retooled. He wants you to be the person who tells him what kinds of decorative accessories he needs to make.” He shrugged. “The man seems to think you might enjoy something more fun than selling sewing notions.”
“What are you saying?”
“Apparently some of the accounts are asking for fancy buttons and beading, and Tom wants to make sure they can get what they want.” He shrugged. “He and I both agreed that he’s not the best person for that job, and it’s too expensive to hire someone who already specializes in that sort of thing.”
Cissy sat down in the chair across from Uncle Forest’s desk before her knees buckled. “Okay, let me get this straight. You and Tom are merging companies, I’m changing jobs for a little while to be your personal assistant, and then I’ll be designing buttons and stuff?”
“Yeah, well, basically you’ll be taking the sketches from the designers and being the liaison between them and the company to make sure they get what they want.”
“Liaison? So I’ll be sort of like . . . the bridge between the new company and the accounts?” Even though she still wasn’t totally sure of what the new job would involve, it sounded like a whole lot more fun than being a salesperson. And she wouldn’t be stuck behind the desk all day staring at a computer screen.
He lifted his hands and let them fall back down on the desk. “That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. It’ll be a whole new thing for you . . . for all of us.” Uncle Forest grinned. “How about it?” His attention was diverted to something behind Cissy. “Come on in, Tom. I was just telling Cissy about our plans.”
Before Tom had a chance to open his mouth, Cissy bounded out of her chair and threw herself at Tom. “Uncle Forest told me about your plans, and I just—”
His rigid body relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around her. “This isn’t the best place for affection,” he whispered.
“Oh, yeah.” Cissy pulled away from him and straightened her jacket as she cast a glance in Uncle Forest’s direction. “Sorry about that.”
Her uncle widened his eyes at Tom. “Do you think you’ll be able to get any work done with her hanging around your office?”
Tom chuckled. “It might be difficult, but I think we can manage.” He turned to Cissy. “So what do you think about our plan? Are you willing to give it a shot?”
“Are you kidding me? This is my dream job.”
“You do realize it’s not all fun, right?” Uncle Forest said.
“Of course, and I don’t mind.” She glanced up at Tom and felt the warmth of his smile before turning back to her uncle. “I love work. It’s just that being a liaison seems more suited to my career goals.” She saw that Uncle Forest was trying his best to suppress a laugh. “In spite of what you might think, I actually do have goals, ya know.”
Uncle Forest held out his hand toward Tom. “There ya go. I have a personal assistant to help with the transition for a few months, you’ll have your accessories and embellishments go-to person, and Cissy will be in her dream job. It’s win-win-win all the way around.” He stood up and started to walk out but stopped at the door. “I was going to let y’all have my office, but I’ve changed my mind. Why don’t the two of you go somewhere for coffee? I’ll be here when you get back, Tom. We can do our planning then.”
Tom gave him a clipped nod before looking down at Cissy again. “Let’s go before he changes his mind.”
“Take all the time you need, as long as it doesn’t go over an hour or two.” Uncle Forest waved.
As she passed Dave’s desk, he looked back and forth between her and Tom and grinned. “Have fun, you two.”
Once they got outside, Tom took Cissy by the hand. “We’re going to brunch in a cozy little diner so we can talk.”
Ten minutes later Cissy sat across a Formica table from Tom, and she couldn’t get over how handsome he was. She’d always thought he was good looking, but now he had a spark she’d only seen when he was doing church work. “So what were you about to tell me on the phone?”
He grinned and took her hand across the table. “I think you know.”
“I think I do too, but I want to hear you say it before I tell you something.”
“Cissy Hillwood, I’m falling in love with you. There are no guarantees, and I don’t even want to pretend I’ll never make you mad again, but when I thought I might lose you, nothing else seemed important anymore.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “That is so sweet.”
“So now what were you going to tell me?”
She tipped her head and gave him a coquettish grin. “That I’m not falling in love with you.”
He suddenly stilled, and a look of pure shock took over the joyful look on his face. “I—”
She grinned through the tears. “I’m already there.”
“Huh?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t waste much time. I’ve known since our second time together that I was in love with you.”
The waitress had just arrived, but she slowly backed away. Tom got out of his seat and scooted around the table to sit next to Cissy. “This calls for a kiss.”
As he put his arms around her and lowered his face to hers, she was certain she could hear music. The minute their lips touched, she sighed. She could so get used to this.
Coming in 2015 from Debby Mayne,
Book Two of the Uptown Belles series—
Trouble in Paradise
Chapter 1
CHARLENE STEPPED OUTSIDE her apartment building and glanced up at the blue sky peeking out from between the skyscrapers. Here it was a beautiful Friday morning in June, the day before her much-needed vacation, and Charlene still dreaded going to the office. She hadn’t always felt that way. She had the job of her dreams, and she lived in the city that never sleeps. But hoo boy her new boss sure could be a bear.
And today would be extra rough since she had to tie up all the loose ends before her weeklong vacation, which she’d decided to take back home with her mama and daddy, who lived on fifteen acres smack dab in the middle of a sprawling Atlanta suburb. Grandpa had refused to sell his property to the developer, so now her parents lived on the old family homestead surrounded by modern mansions.
As Charlene hoofed it to her office in the heart of New York City’s garment district, she took several deep breaths and then stopped to say a brief silent prayer before entering the building. Lord, give me the strength to get through this day without any tears, or even a sniffle . . . She opened her eyes for a second and then shut them again. And help me keep my
thoughts to myself, because You know how mouthy I can be!
Once she entered her office building, she squared her shoulders and forged ahead, her shoes tap-tapping on the tan marble floor that sure could use a polishing. The white walls—with nothing but a metal directional sign and a list of businesses—seemed even colder this morning. She hopped on the elevator and rode up, hoping she wouldn’t have to face Alan until the Friday morning meeting in a couple of hours.
Her heart sank the instant she stepped off the elevator. Standing there in front of her was the man of her nightmares. Alan glanced at the clock and then tipped his head toward her. “Ms. Pickford, nice to see that you made it on time.”
“I’m always on time.” She forced a smile to take the edge off the clipped tone that escaped her lips. Lord, help me.
He shrugged. “Maybe so, but I thought you might be in vacation mode. That’s what generally happens the day before someone takes time off.” His lips flat-lined, making him look like a marionette as he lifted an eyebrow, looked at her for several long seconds, and then turned around and strode back to his office without another word. She stood there staring after him as all kinds of comebacks flitted through her mind.
Ever since Alan Robards had arrived as the general manager of Paradise Promotional Products four months ago, she’d felt that she couldn’t do anything right. She thought her hard work for the past three years had paid off when her boss and the general manager left and she got a promotion. Unfortunately that career boost came with a brand-new boss she would never have chosen to work for. Mama always said to be careful what you wish for. Now she understood that saying all too well.
Charlene skittered to her office and closed the door behind her. She’d do just about anything to avoid the usual interruptions. This was one day she wanted everything to finish on time so she could go home and pack for her early-morning flight.
As she pulled up different screens to print for the meeting, her mind kept flitting back to Alan. If she’d met him anywhere else, she would have thought he was a looker—until he opened his mouth and showed what a sourpuss he was. His short, sandy blond hair gave him a boyish look, yet his deep blue eyes held something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He was about average height, but when he entered a room, his presence loomed larger than life—and he didn’t have to say a word.
Everyone else in the office chatted about everything under the sun, including where they were from and how they got here. But not Alan. She had no idea of anything about his past, and neither did anyone else. So they made stuff up. Melissa the receptionist came up with the best theory, saying he was in the witness protection program and the government had found him the job with his new identity.
Five minutes before the scheduled meeting Charlene got up from her desk and walked out to the printer to pick up the collated reports, stumbling for a split second as she strained her neck to make sure Alan wasn’t close by. She caught herself, but Rodney’s laughter behind her let her know her near disaster hadn’t gone unnoticed.
She spun around and glared at him. “What?”
“Careful there.” The finance manager lifted both hands to his sides. “Rough night?”
“Nah, it’s just these heels.” Shopping with Cissy was not only dangerous to her bank account, it also killed her feet.
He glanced down at her shoes and then smiled at her. “Is it worth it?”
“Prob’ly not.” She smiled. “Now don’t you have somethin’ important to do, like crunch a few numbers before the meetin’?”
He held up a folder. “Done. See you in a few. I have to grab one more report before I go to the conference room.”
She watched him head toward his office and sighed. She wished she had just a smidge of Rodney’s ability to take things at face value when it came to their new boss. Nothing seemed to faze him, while as soon as she realized what a pill Alan could be, she started fretting and worrying about everything related to work.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Alan entering the conference room. She took her time stapling the pages because she didn’t want to be stuck in a room alone with him. Once other people walked in, she followed and took her usual seat.
Alan had already taken his place at the head of the long table. His face remained expressionless as he scanned the room, clearly doing a silent head count. His right-hand man, George Foster, sat beside him, appearing to do the same thing.
Rodney gave his financial report first. Since it was all positive news, no one had any questions. Then Alan looked around the room before settling his gaze on her. “Ms. Pickford?”
Just then a loud crashing sound erupted from outside the conference room door. Charlene jumped, but not nearly as quickly as Alan, whose face turned a sickly shade of pale. A nervous giggle threatened to escape her throat, but she caught herself and cleared her throat. He glared at her.
When he didn’t say anything, she stood. “Uh . . . this quarter’s marketing program has barely gotten started, so I don’t have any of the results in yet, but last quarter’s number are—”
“Sit down, Ms. Pickford,” Alan snapped. He lifted a shaky hand but quickly dropped it to his side. “This meeting is now over. Please submit your reports to the management team via e-mail.” He picked up a stack of papers on the table and walked out of the room, leaving everyone sitting there looking around, confused.
After an uncomfortable few minutes, Rodney grimaced. “I wish I knew what that was all about. That’s the second time this week he’s walked out on a meeting.”
George lifted a hand to silence him. “This is not open for discussion. You heard what Alan said. Now go on back to your offices and send your reports in an e-mail to all the department managers. If we have any questions, we can handle them through e-mail or a one-on-one.” His firm tone left no room for questions.
After the rest of the management team left mumbling, Rodney looked at George and then turned to Charlene, shrugged, and gave an I-don’t-get-it-either smile. She nodded and went through the motions of gathering her things, hoping George would leave so she could talk to Rodney. When she realized that wouldn’t happen, she got up and took off for her office, wondering why she even bothered coming in today. She could have e-mailed the reports at the end of the workday on Thursday and taken Friday off to finish getting ready for her trip. She certainly had accrued plenty of vacation time.
A knock at the door yanked her back to the moment. She glanced up as someone pushed her door open a few inches, and Melissa peeked in. “Mind if I come in for a minute? I asked one of the admins to fill in at the front desk for a few minutes.”
“Sure, come on in.” Charlene gestured toward the chair across the maple desk. “What’s up?”
Melissa shook her head. “Sorry I messed up your meeting when I dropped those boxes. You know how clumsy I am.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Charlene said. “It was just an accident.”
Instead of accepting that and leaving, Melissa remained seated with her head down, shifting in her chair, obviously itching to say something else. Charlene watched the fresh-out-of-college office receptionist squirm for a moment before speaking up herself.
“Is something else bothering you?” Charlene asked.
Melissa sniffled and slowly raised her head, and that was when Charlene noticed her eyes were rimmed in red. “George gave me a warning.”
“A warning?” Charlene repeated. “What kind of warning?”
“Apparently my little accident can cost me my job.” Her chin quivered and she swallowed hard. “I really want this job to work.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Charlene frowned as she remembered herself when she was Melissa’s age and willing to take any job just to get her foot in the door. “Want me to talk to George?”
A look of panic shot across Melissa’s face. “No. I mean, I don’t think that would be good. They’ll think I’m blabbing, and it’ll make things worse.”
“I understand, but if you ever feel tha
t your job is in jeopardy, let me know, and I’ll see what I can do to help. You are probably one of the most valuable people in this office. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Melissa forced a quivering smile as she stood. “Thank you, Charlene. I better get back to the desk before someone comes looking for me . . . if you know what I mean.”
After Melissa left her office, Charlene leaned back in her chair and thought about the past four months. The former marketing manager and general manager of the office had left, leading to her promotion, and leaving her and Rodney with an office full of new people, including Alan and George, who arrived as a boxed set. It quickly became obvious that these two men had a history together when they finished each other’s sentences during meetings. It was odd, though, because George was clearly old enough to be Alan’s father and seemed to have more business experience than Alan, but he always deferred to Alan. This only added to the intrigue in the office.
She worked at her desk all morning, but her mind kept wandering to the trip ahead. In spite of the fact that she knew Mama loved her with all her heart, tension hovered between them, creating tiny skirmishes that, once one of them realized what was happening, they ended. Abruptly. So abruptly that they’d sometimes spend hours in silence to prevent it from happening again, and that only made their time together uncomfortable.
Charlene sighed. In spite of knowing what she had to look forward to, she was still eager to get back home and sleep in the bedroom Mama hadn’t changed since she’d moved out almost ten years ago. “Just in case,” Mama had said. Just in case what, Charlene wasn’t sure, but she still appreciated the fact that she had a place to stay when she visited her parents.
Lunchtime arrived, but Charlene waited until she saw Alan leave to grab her bag and head for the place where she met her best friend Cissy most Fridays. And today she was happy to see Cissy sitting on the bench in the middle of a small patch of grass waiting for her.
