Kyle nodded. “Then have it in my inbox by noon so I have time to edit it.”
“Noon?” She looked at her watch. “It’s almost eleven.”
“It’s five minutes after ten.”
So he was already starting with his over-picky corrections? Clearly, working with him was going to be a constant stream of fun and delight. Where was the easy camaraderie they’d had three years ago? He hadn’t micromanaged her then. They’d just brainstormed together and created an amazing campaign that had been New Age’s first big deal.
He set the article on her desk, and she noticed the tense set to his jaw. “I want the first draft in my inbox by noon. And make it happy, cheerful and full of the Christmas spirit and romance. Got it?”
And to think she’d cried for three days when he’d shared that cab home with her sister that night. Hah. Who had time for arrogant, controlling, domineering men? “You’re really going to review all my work?”
“I’ll read it, then bring it down and we’ll discuss the changes I want made. And the process will continue until you get it right. Any questions?”
“Yes, I have a question. Why can’t you trust me? Give me one more chance before launching into the micromanaging thing which really isn’t all that popular with employees, in case you haven’t read any ‘how to manage so your employees don’t hate you’ books lately.”
He didn’t even flinch at her comment. “I can’t trust you because New Age’s future is resting heavily on whether we get Swift as a client. They called me this morning and said they were canceling the contract for the rest of the season.”
“What?” Swift was firing New Age because her story was so horrible? A hard lump congealed in Angie’s stomach. How could she have written something that awful? Her head began to pound, and she pressed her fingers into her temples. “I can’t believe this. What did you say to them?”
“I talked them into giving us one more chance, which means tomorrow’s article better be the best thing you’ve ever written. And that means “happy. Feel good. Inspiring. Waxing poetic about love and the holidays. Got it?”
“I know what I need to do. Trust me, I’ll get it right.” She injected as much confidence into her voice as she could, meeting his gaze so he could see that she meant it.
He studied her for a second, then nodded. “Okay. How about I give you until one? Then I’ll be back to go over what you’ve done so far. Just to check if you’re on the right track. Okay?”
To see if she was on the right track? Could he be more insulting? Granted it was a step up from him editing it, but she could still feel his lack of trust. Dammit. She was better than this. She didn’t want him looking over her shoulder, and quite frankly, she didn’t want him in her office. It was her space, her personal oasis of space. Heartbreaking, domineering men weren’t allowed to contaminate it. “Why don’t I just email it to you when I’m finished? It’s much more efficient, and I promise it will be perfect, just like all the other work I’ve done for New Age.”
“Nope. I’ll be back.” He pulled the door open. “Three hours.”
And then he was gone.
Well, physically gone. His aura was still hovering in her office. And the faint scent of aftershave that she would now forever associate with him.
She decided to ignore it as she turned back to her computer. She’d show him how talented she was. He’d be down on his knees, begging forgiveness for ever doubting her talent. And while he was down there, he’d also apologize for making the biggest mistake of his life when he’d passed her over in favor of her sister with the fake breasts. She still couldn’t believe that Kyle was the kind of man who would have fallen for Sheila. He seemed so much more real than that. So much more grounded.
Apparently, she was a whiz at misjudging men.
She let out her breath, realizing that she was still holding in far too much negative emotion to write a happy story about love. Dammit. She had to get into a better space. Quickly, she pulled out a blank piece of paper and scrawled a picture of Kyle genuflecting at her feet, tears rolling down his face. She added a text bubble with her denying him forgiveness for failing to see her merits in any area and condemning him to a life of being constantly corrected on everything he ever did.
Then she sketched a picture of Roger pinned under the legs of her desk.
She tacked the picture up on her bulletin board for inspiration.
There. She was feeling much better now. Her negative energy was now on her corkboard and no longer in a place to taint her writing. She was finally ready to create a marvelous story of love, laughter and evocative passion.
Chapter Three
Nothing ruins a holiday season more than seeing your lecherous true love salivating over his new woman. Protect yourself by keeping title to the diamond. He leaves, you get the goods.
–Angie Miller
Two and a half hours later, Angie’s optimism had seriously declined. She’d gone through her files on couples she’d already interviewed and no one was remotely inspiring her. She refused to accept that her lack of inspiration was because she was bitter or emotionally destroyed by Roger. It had to be that she hadn’t chosen her subjects well…right?
She scowled at her folders, a heavy feeling settling over her despite her best efforts to talk herself out of it. Was it really that she’d failed so utterly in her interviews? Surely there was electricity somewhere in those files. She didn’t have time to interview anyone else in the next half hour, so she’d better find a way to make magic out of nothing.
That’s what they paid her for, right? Her talent with the written word.
Angie took a deep breath to renew her energy, then she sat up and randomly picked one of the files from an interview she’d done last week while life was still good. She couldn’t quite keep from grimacing at the candy canes she’d doodled in the margin.
She stared glumly at the notes in front of her, getting increasingly annoyed. What a jerk Roger was. Timing the breakup so to ruin her Christmas and render her incapable of writing a good story? How dare he steal her joy and her talent?
Okay, so maybe Kyle had been right that her bad story was the result of her breakup with Roger. It was. She accepted it.
But now that she’d recognized it, she was going to overcome it. Time for an immediate rebound. From now on she was going to enjoy this stupid holiday season and write uplifting stories about love.
And she was going to be happy, even if she had to staple her face into a perpetual smile.
Angie turned on the computer and began typing, after shooting off a quick email to Kyle asking for an extension to five o’clock and a promise that it would be perfect.
At precisely five o’clock, she handed her masterpiece to Kyle. It was the best work she’d ever done, and in one short afternoon. She’d been truly inspired by her anger toward Roger. Obviously, it was the sign of a genius to be facing such difficult times and still be able to rise above them.
She settled back in her chair and waited for the apologies.
Kyle read for about ten minutes, then he picked up her pen and started writing.
And writing.
And writing.
With each stroke of the glittery red pen she’d bought for signing Christmas cards, she felt lower and lower.
By the time he looked up, she was nothing but a muddy puddle on the floor of her office.
“Maybe you should put on some cheerful music when you write,” he suggested. “I have some CD’s you could borrow.”
He could have told her she sucked.
He could have shaken his head and declared her useless.
He could have taken her off the assignment.
But instead he’d offered her music.
It was too much.
Criticism she could have handled, but sympathy? Kindness? Music? She was going to cry.
Dammit.
She really hated crying in public.
*
Kyle had no idea what to say when the tears
welled up in Angie’s eyes. “Um…sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She waved him off and stood up. “This always happens when I chop onions.”
“Onions? You aren’t chopping onions.”
“No, but I will be in about a half hour. I have to go to my mom’s for the Miller holiday party. It’s the anticipation that’s getting to me.” She stood up and pushed by him, her thigh brushing against his leg. She didn’t seem to notice the accidental contact between them, but a sudden rush of awareness flooded Kyle at the touch.
Son of a bitch. She still affected him. How was that possible?
“You remember the party, don’t you?” she asked. “If I recall, you came to one the year you were dating Sheila.”
Oh, yeah, he remembered. Angie had been wearing a red silk dress that had almost ruined his oath not to get involved with one of his employees. He’d never forget that dress. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I don’t recall the party. It was a long time ago.” He suddenly realized that she was shrugging on her overcoat. “Where are you going?”
“To the party.” She pulled a red hat over her head. “I need a new hat, don’t you think? Black maybe. None of this red crap. Too much like Christmas.” Then she scowled. “I mean, I need a new hat that’s even more festive than this one! Maybe I’ll stop and pick up a Santa cap on the way. Maybe I’ll go shopping with Heidi next time she supplements her holiday outfit arsenal. Because I am excited about the holiday season, dammit!”
“Angie!” She was leaving? That was completely unacceptable.
She yanked her green fuzzy mittens over her hands. “I need to buy some that have snowmen on them, don’t you think? This putrid green simply isn’t holiday enough for someone who loves this stupid season as much I do.”
“You can’t leave.” He blocked the door. “We need to work on this.”
She sighed and patted his cheek. Heat immediately cascaded through him, and he snapped back away from her touch.
She glared at him, then yanked the marked up document out of his hand and displayed it with a flourish. “Since you have such a clear idea of what needs to be done, I’ll let you do the editing, so it’s up to your standards. It’s much more efficient than trying to mold me into something I so obviously am not capable of at the moment.” She tossed it on her desk. “Good luck.”
“I can’t do it without you. This is your gig, not mine. I’m not a writer.”
“Well, you better figure out how to do it without me, because if I stay, I’m going to screw it up more. I need some serious infusion of holiday spirit,” she said grimly, with determination that was so fierce that it was almost adorable. “The best way I know how to get that is to hang out with my family. So I’m outta here.”
And then she walked out and shut the door behind her.
If it wasn’t for her tears, he’d march right out there and haul her cute little fanny back into the office to work.
But the fact was, it was obvious Angie was suffering right now. She was super-talented and an asset. So he’d cut her a break. This one time. He knew Roger well enough to know that the guy probably had been pretty merciless in the breakup. Roger didn’t spend a whole lot of time worrying about other people, and it was clear Angie had been hit hard.
For a moment, a surprising sense of empathy for Angie filled him. In that instant, Kyle didn’t see her as an employee temptress, or the woman who’d stolen Roger from the company. He simply saw her as a courageous woman struggling to find her equilibrium again.
He made a decision right then to let her enjoy her holiday party. He’d finish the article. Maybe the old, talented Angie would be back tomorrow.
She better be, because he had no idea how to help a woman get back on her feet. Sensitive and doting weren’t his forte. He wasn’t an insensitive, selfish bastard like Roger, but shit, he had no clue what to say to help her.
But he was surprised to realize that he did want to help her. A lot.
*
Angie flung her arm around Heidi’s shoulders as her friend walked out of the elevator in her parent’s condo building. “I’m so glad you could come at the last minute.” She’d called Heidi on her way out of the office, and Heidi had immediately agreed to meet her in the foyer, so they could walk in together.
Heidi grinned and honked her red Rudolph prosthetic nose. “I wouldn’t miss the Miller holiday party for anything.” She eyed Angie sympathetically. “Are you going to be in trouble for walking out on Kyle? He’s not exactly known to be easygoing when it comes to the company.”
Angie frowned. Now that Heidi mentioned it, he had been pretty placid when she’d walked out. Wonder what that was about? “He was probably glad to get rid of me so he could rewrite it.”
Well, that certainly made her feel better. A finance guy could write a better story than she could? She’d sunk to a new low heretofore previously reserved only for people she pitied. Well, she was not going to feel sorry for herself. She was going to have fun with Heidi and her family and grapple her way back to her old self, so that she would sashay back into the office tomorrow and reclaim emotional well-being and her talent. “So where’s Quinn?”
A tiny bit of the sparkle left Heidi’s eyes as they hurried down the hallway toward the condo. “He had to work tonight.”
“Again? What’s with the hours?”
“I don’t know.” Heidi paused outside the end of the hall leading toward Angie’s parents’ condo. “Do you think it’s something I should worry about? I mean, I don’t want to marry a guy like Kyle who works 24/7.” Then she shifted. “You don’t think he’s having second thoughts and avoiding me, do you?”
“No way!” Angie grabbed Heidi’s shoulders and shook her lightly. Dammit. She would shoot Quinn if he betrayed Heidi. Their relationship was what inspired Angie to believe in love, despite how hard it seemed to be to find it for herself. “You two are a perfect match. True love forever. It’s natural to be getting nervous a month before the wedding. He loves you, you love him, all is good. Right?”
Heidi relaxed and grinned. “I’m being stupid, aren’t I?”
“No, just human.” Angie draped her arm around Heidi as they paused outside the door to the condo. “You saw how Roger dumped me when things got serious, so you’re naturally extrapolating Roger’s horridness to the entire male gender, and that’s totally understandable. Wrong, but understandable. Quinn isn’t Roger, so you’re fine.”
Heidi raised her eyebrows at Angie. “Wow. I’m impressed. How can you be so mellow? I’d have thought you’d be totally bitter and hateful toward all men after the Roger thing.”
Angie managed a grin. “I am, but I’m fighting it. That’s why we’re here. We are going to have a great time tonight and enjoy the holiday season kick off. No talking about men anymore. Deal?”
Heidi grinned. “Deal.” She honked her nose to seal the deal, making Angie laugh.
“What would I ever do without you?”
“Die a miserable and lonely death, no doubt.”
Angie laughed. “Yes, no doubt.” She pulled out her key to the condo, and sudden nerves assaulted her. Could she really pull off a good showing? What would her parents say when she walked in without Roger? Would she have to spend the night explaining? She hadn’t thought about how she was going to handle Roger’s absence. “You walk in first. They think I’m not coming, so it’ll be a surprise.”
Heidi raised a brow. “Why do they think you’re not coming?”
Angie grimaced as she put her key in the lock. “Because I thought I’d be working on that online story until midnight, but since I dumped it on Kyle, I’m free.” She hesitated. “Plus, I haven’t told them Roger and I broke up. My family will be so bummed, because they love Roger. I don’t want to deal with it. We’ll just say he’s working tonight.” Yes, she liked the sound of that plan. It gave her space to just be cheerful and not have to dwell.
Heidi rolled her eyes. “I love your family, but they really missed the boat on that one. When
they start telling you what a great catch you lost, I’ll rattle off all his faults.” She tucked her arm through Angie’s. “But not tonight, I promise.”
“Thanks.” Angie unlocked the door and pushed it open, a huge sense of relief filling her as she followed Heidi inside. This was what the holidays were about. Family. So what if she was single? They would still love her and support her. She could skip all the parties she and Roger had attended last holiday season and stick with her family. Maybe she’d even tell them tonight after all. Tonight would be a cleansing night for her, and tomorrow she’d be the genius writer of seasons past.
See? She could rebound.
“Hi, all,” Heidi said. “I’m here!”
Angie heard the shouts of greeting from her family, and felt a warm snuggle settling in her chest. She was so glad she’d come tonight. Socializing with her beloved family was far better than sitting in her office being lambasted by Kyle-the-autocrat.
She grinned and popped her head around Heidi’s shoulder. “Surprise! I made it!”
All the faces in the room froze, glasses that had been raised in toast to Heidi were suspended in mid-air, and a total silence fell over the room. A look of shocked horror was on every face as they stared at Angie. It was the usual crew: her parents and about forty of their closest friends. Notably, Sheila wasn’t there, but Angie was okay about that.
The room was full of people she knew well, and yet no one was saying anything. They were just gaping at her. For a long moment, Angie stared back, waiting for someone to shout, “Just kidding.”
No one did.
So she carefully wiped the sleeve of her jacket across her nose. Ran her tongue over her teeth to eliminate food that might be stuck. Checked the buttons on her blouse for indecent exposure. Still no one spoke. What the hell was wrong with her? “Hello? Anyone?”
“I thought you weren’t coming.” Angie’s mom finally spoke up, her face still as horrified as before.
“Thanks for making me feel welcome. Cheers to all of you. Happy holidays and all that jazz.” Maybe they were horrified by the look of devastation in her eyes. Yes, that was it. Shocked because they’d expected to see her dance in with her usual holiday ebullience, yet, as family, they were so perceptive they immediately noticed their beloved Angie was carrying a heavy emotional burden.
Jingle This! Page 4
