“Would you like a drink?” Daniel waved his hand and motioned to his mini bar in the corner of the room. His face softened and a huge smile graced his lips. “It's after lunch. Would you care for a sherry, scotch…?” He walked to the bar and glanced down as if taking inventory of the beverage selection.
There was no need to recite a menu. She kept his bar stocked.
“Perhaps a glass of wine?” he asked.
That was it. He was going to dismiss her. No matter what the government said about employment rates getting better, layoffs were occurring all over the city. She should have seen this coming.
She felt a lump in her throat, a heavy one that made it hard to breathe. “I don't drink, Mr. Ellington. But water would be nice.”
He picked up the bottle of scotch. “Do you mind if I enjoy something a little stronger?”
“Of course not, sir.”
Her heart raced as he poured himself a drink, the glass of the bottle clinking against the tumbler. He then sat back down and handed her a chilled bottle of water.
She felt the cool wetness of the bottle against her palm as she opened the container and took a sip. A drop of condensation dripped to her skirt, and she brushed it away.
Closing the bottle, she realized she had no coaster so she held on to it, playing with the label.
Whatever this was about, she needed to make everything right. Her son Josh needed the company's scholarship, otherwise…well, she'd have to find a job that paid more money. A lot more money.
And with a new job she would need to learn a new routine with limited vacation days. Any possibility of writing, except maybe on weekends, would be lost.
A frenzied chill shot through her. She didn’t want to leave this job. She loved coming to work here.
“Here you go.” Daniel tossed her a coaster for her water.
A man who actually cared about the furniture and knew how to use a coaster?
She was going to miss Daniel. There had never been so much as even a flirtatious smile between the two of them, but, on some level, he was her work husband.
A tear threatened to escape, but she held it back.
She didn’t need a man in her life. Taking care of Daniel’s routine, his house…his little puppies.
Her face pinched, and she told herself not to cry. She really loved those puppies. She had helped him pick them out and gave them their names.
She needed to focus on work and this moment. She’d have to clear out her desk, then she’d likely be escorted from the building—as though no longer trusted by anyone. And she’d have to return the office and house keys. Daniel was only her boss. She could find another job.
“How long have you been with the company?”
Her heart jumped and settled in her throat. “Nearly twenty years, sir,” she said, her voice cracking. He knew how long she had been with Ellington-Weston. This was just small talk to lighten the blow.
He only nodded slowly. A nod that elevated her worry level from yellow to red and then to purple.
“You started as my father’s secretary, right?”
She knew she was an older assistant. Maybe not as youthful and pretty as some of the younger women these days, but she had experience. That should count for something.
Actually, it should count for everything, but this was still a man’s world.
“I worked for your father for nearly a year. Back when the company struggled with venture capitalist funding.”
His nodding quickened. “I remember those days. So long ago.”
She didn’t want to remanence down memory lane. If only he’d get to the point. “Mr. Ellington, before you continue….”
“How is your son doing in college?”
The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach hit rock bottom.
Mr. Ellington had approved Josh's scholarship application. Secretly, she believed he’d chosen her son not only because Josh had interned for the company but also because of who he was. If Daniel were bringing the topic of Josh up, she must be losing her job as well as his scholarship.
“Josh is doing well,” Her voice sounded shaky, so she steeled her resolve and firmly said, “He is studying hard, and the Ellington–Weston scholarship is going to good use.”
The smile on his face didn't reassure her.
“He's a good kid,” Daniel said with what she believed to be genuine sincerity. “With a good work ethic. Many people around here like him.”
A blush came across her face. Josh had picked up the office routine quickly as an intern and had made some good friends around the office. “He's a good boy.” She then corrected herself. “A fine young man.”
His hand fidgeted with a document on his desk. The papers were turned over, and she assumed it was a separation agreement. She now understood why his lawyer had been here this morning without a scheduled appointment. How much severance did a person get after nearly two decades of loyal work? Two weeks? Maybe a month?
A bead of sweat formed on her brow so she wiped the moisture away. She had done nothing wrong. At least, nothing she could think of to risk her career with the company. She shouldn't criticize herself for getting caught up in a layoff. Things like this happened all the time.
But then again, if Scott needed to personally take care of the separation agreement… She felt a heaviness in her chest, and it became difficult to breathe. She was probably being dismissed as both Daniel’s work and personal assistant. Simply wiped from his life like she never existed. This felt more severe than she could ever have imagined. Why, all of a sudden, would…And then a sinking feeling overcame her. Had Mr. Ellington found out about the incident?
Not able to make eye contact with her boss, she shifted in her seat. It had been years since that one indiscretion. No one knew about it.
Total secret.
One mistake.
She bit her tongue. No, Josh was never a mistake. Only his father was.
Maybe she should take that drink now.
Pretending to ask someone to marry you was much harder than Daniel realized. His hands were sweaty and staining the paper he held.
A silent pause filled the office, and he didn't know how to continue. Breaking the ice by talking about Deborah’s son seemed only to make everything more awkward. Deborah wasn't even making eye contact with him anymore.
She’d been pregnant when he first met her, and he assumed divorced before Josh was even born. He had never heard her mention the father again, or, for that matter, another man in her life. She worked hard, raised her child alone, and did an excellent job with both.
He never thought of her dating. Never thought of her as being in a relationship. Never—well, rarely—allowed himself to think of her as a woman.
She was just a mother juggling a career. A mother he employed. A woman completely off limits.
And that was the category his mind had put her into: off-limits employee.
But if she were seeing someone, his plan wouldn’t work.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to go for broke. “Are you seeing anyone?” he asked.
She had just taken a sip of water and now nearly choked.
“Me? Seeing someone?” She put the cap back on the bottle. “That's a personal question.” She glanced around the room nervously as if expecting to be on camera and being punked. “There might be someone, but nothing concrete as of yet.”
His jaw slipped open. So, there had been men, he’d just never noticed. He had never seen flowers on her desk, but then again, he’d never thought to look. Deborah was always available. On hand for late-night meetings, early morning conference calls, last-minute business trips…always available for him and whatever he needed.
His head nodded like a jack–in–the–box as he thought how to proceed. She wasn’t dating anyone right now. She was available.
“I gave much thought to our discussion earlier, and I think you're right.”
Her eyebrow lifted. “I was, sir? Which discussion?”
His finge
r tapped his temple. “You have a good head for contemplating all the little details.” He let out a slight chuckle, trying hard not to show how nervous he was. “I ran through every scenario in my head I could think of, and I have a proposition for you. I'm hoping you'll agree to the arrangement.”
Deborah sat straighter and leaned in toward him, the leather of her chair seat squeaking. “Of course, sir. Whatever you need.”
His finger danced around the paperwork on his desk in nervous little circles. “I need you to agree to be my wife.”
She dropped the water bottle, and the plastic container made a thud when it hit the floor. Thankfully, the cap was still on. “You, you need me…you want to marry me?”
“No.” His eyes widened, and he realized he had phrased the request poorly. “I need you to pretend to be my fiancée. Temporarily. Just so I won’t be listed on the top ten bachelor list.” He flipped over the paperwork and explained to her the terms of the agreement. She held each sheet of paper and carefully read the terms as he described them.
She appeared numb as he went over the details. He could tell she was trying hard to wrap her mind around the entire farce.
“So, I'm not being fired?” she said, her voice wavering.
“Hell, no,” he quickly blurted out. He studied her face and eventually relief showed in her eyes. He couldn’t function without her as his assistant. Why on earth would she assume he was letting her go?
“I'm giving you a paid vacation for doing me this favor.” He pointed to the third page of the document. “You can even stay at the Langtham Hotel.”
“The Langtham?”
Her jaw dropped and he wondered if she had ever stayed in such an elegant place before. Her expression told him that she was completely taken aback by his request.
“That's a nice hotel.” The tone of her voice was low, and she sounded unsure of the proposal.
“Only the best. This lie needs to look real.”
She fidgeted in her seat. “This seems so complicated. Telling the truth and getting out of this lie gracefully might be better.”
He was already in too deep. He needed a miracle, and that miracle was named Deborah. “The truth will make me look bad. Trust me, I can't think of any other way out of this situation.”
“I hate lies.” Her voice was deep and she enunciated each word, emphasizing the word hate.
He was sinking, with her taking away the life line.
“I hate lies, too. If you know of anything else I can do, now would be the time to tell me.”
He watched as she wrung her hands and appeared deep in thought.
She eyed the paperwork. “For years I've been at your side. I don't think this is appropriate. I'm your assistant.”
“You’re the only one I can trust.”
He never realized just how true that statement was before now. Crossing this line may put a strain on their work relationship, but he’d make it up to her. More time off. More pay. More…well, fewer personal errands. Less ignoring her. Less last-minute trips with her putting everything together for him.
He really needed to start treating her better. She was a staple in his life. He needed her and because of that, he needed to treat her a lot better.
He would make it all right. Somehow.
“You'll need me during those few weeks off. You have the new release coming out, all your appointments…the merger. How can I just take off?”
Remembering Scott's suggestion, Daniel asked, “Can't you hire me a temp employee?” He stood and came around the desk, taking a seat on the corner of it. “Other assistants take vacations that don't coincide with their boss's schedule. I'm sure temporary agencies are busy hiring out people to fill that role all the time.”
She gave him what looked like a forced smile. “I'm sure that's true, but surely you could hire a temp employee to pretend to be your fiancée.”
“I need someone I can trust.” His voice sounding more needy than determined. He then pointed to the contract. “This document will keep a hired temp worker quiet, but…” He took a small box out of his suit’s breast pocket and opened it, feeling his chest slightly tighten at seeing his grandmother’s ring.
“The ring also has to look real. This was my grandmother's. I know I can trust you not to pawn it, or trade it, or lose it on purpose.”
He held the box up for her to get a better view of the princess cut. Its facets caught in the overhead lighting and sparkled. Two carets exquisitely set in a beautiful setting. “The ring is insured, but it belonged to someone I cared about, and has sentimental value to me.”
Her face paled into a what-have-I-gotten-myself-into expression.
The jewelry was not as fancy or extravagant as what he could afford now. His grandmother had given it to him in hopes that he'd one day ask a woman to marry him. Since he never planned to get married, this would be the closest thing to honoring the pledge.
Plus, his grandmother would have liked Deborah. Both women were strong, dedicated to family, and were trustworthy to a fault.
“It's beautiful,” Deborah said, her voice cracking. With a shaky hand, she took the box.
She pulled her gaze away from the blink and looked up at him. “Your grandmother’s?”
"On my mother's side."
She touched the box and studied the ring for a silent moment, which felt like torture for him.
“My life will need to be put on hold.” She glanced at his desk calendar and then her eyes shifted, deep in thought. “I hadn't made any particular plans…although, I did agree to…”
“Agree to do what?” he asked.
“A date, of sorts.” She bit her lower lip and looked more mentally between a rock and a hard place than he had ever seen her before.
He felt so close to closing the deal, he didn’t need anything to go wrong. “You’ll get some good time off.”
“A vacation would be nice, those dates would be nice,..spending time with you would be...” She made eye contact, and a blush filled her cheeks. “I've never been to the opera before.”
“You'll love it.” He grabbed a pen and handed it to her, hoping that she was in the process of agreeing.
Her eyes narrowed with more unasked questions, which made the hairs stick up on the back of his neck. “There is to be no…” Her soft voice trailed off and she gestured between the two of them. “Nothing physical.”
She was always a separation–of–business–and–pleasure type of person. She saw him as nothing more than her boss, and that was exactly what he needed right now. No feelings, no drama, no relationship.
Things needed to be perfectly clear. “Nothing physical between us.” He pointed to the section of the contract address that. “Hand holding, chaste kissing, just a public show. I won't be joining you at the Langtham.”
“Good.” Her voice sounded decisive and he could see an invisible wall marking off new boundaries. “No hotel stay, no Alaskan honeymoon…. As long as we're clear. Nothing can ever happen between the two of us in any romantic way.”
He stared at her fixed jaw and stiffened body. His reputation as a ladies’ man was something worth bragging about, but Deborah didn’t seem to care. In fact, it looked like the idea of dating him was actually distasteful to her.
The two of them were both roughly the same age, both physically well built, both educated. On paper, they made a good match. He glanced at her shapely body. Her figure was always hour-glass perfect, her clothing professional, and, even though he couldn’t see them now under the table, he knew her legs were tanned and tone. Perhaps in the dating department, she thought she could do better than him?
An odd feeling took hold of him. It wasn’t as though he wanted to be in the running for her affections, and yet, he didn’t like the idea of not being invited to the race.
Then again, no one knew him as well as Ms. Baxter did. She knew about his rotating bedroom door and how women didn’t stick around long enough for an anniversary.
Perhaps her lack of any romantic
interest in him is what had made her such a great assistant all these years.
Her eyebrow rose, and he realized she was waiting for the next contractual commitment to drop.
“Deborah, please do me the honor of pretending to be my fiancée.”
She pulled away, sitting farther back in her seat.
“I'll give you twice your Christmas bonus if you do it. I’ll also make sure the scholarship is renewed each year, even if Josh doesn't take a full course load to meet the requirements.”
Her eyes widened and she leaned forward. “I've always been able to trust you.”
“Is that a yes?”
Her gaze drifted to the floor. “Shouldn’t you be on one knee?”
His heart skipped a beat. Once again, Deborah would get him out of a tight spot. This plan would work. He wouldn’t be the target of a manhunt, he wouldn’t be thrown into the dangerous waters of the general public, and he wouldn’t be alone in any of this.
She would save him.
As he knelt on the floor and held up the ring, a strange feeling—powerful and strong—took hold of him. His mouth went dry, and a tightening in his chest surprised him. This was only a fake proposal. So why did it feel so real?
“Deborah, will you marry me?”
She held out her hand and allowed him to place the ring on her finger—a surprisingly perfect fit. “Of course, sir.”
12
“In this section, Mr. Ellington agrees to pay you this dollar amount,”—Scott pointed to the figure on the page—“for fulfilling the duties of the contract.”
Deborah was mistaken. Asking her to run interference with the press wasn’t the weirdest thing Mr. Ellington had ever asked her to do. This contract and fake engagement were.
She took a deep breath and caught a glimpse of Daniel as he sat next to her. He was calm and collected. Is this how he was with every contract he signed? Dignified, focused, and having an ‘eye of the tiger’ effect? No wonder he did so well in business. He sat there looking like a statue, a very formidable one.
Bachelor Heart Page 8
