One Night with the Boss
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Teresa Southwick
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Harlequin🏰 Historical
HarlequinChapter One
Olivia Lawson would rather walk naked in a hailstorm than say what she had to say to her boss.
Again.
She hesitated outside his office—which also happened to be in his house, because it was a really big house. Brady O’Keefe owned and headed an internet conglomerate and, except for her, all of his one hundred plus employees worked remotely from leased office spaces in L.A., Chicago, New York and Austin. He managed everything effortlessly from his six-thousand-square-foot command center in a very exclusive, very upscale housing development in Blackwater Lake, Montana.
Her parents still lived in the house where she’d grown up, several doors down from the O’Keefes. She’d known Brady since they were kids and had worked as his administrative assistant for the last five years. Delivering the news that the professional relationship was about to end wouldn’t be easy. She knew that because she’d tried to do it twice before.
As much as she loved her job, and dare she say it, cared for her boss, she had to make a break. She saw Brady not as her boss, but as a man. A handsome, charming, intelligent man. The problem was, he hadn’t noticed her as a woman. As far as Brady was concerned she could be a piece of office furniture. She was as necessary as a computer, desk or stapler. The reality had finally hit her that this wasn’t going to change and unless she wanted to end up a spinster with too many cats, she had to leave.
His door was open, so she knocked on the frame of the doorway separating their offices and heard the usual grunt that meant she should come in. He was at the familiar spot behind his L-shaped desk, staring at the computer screen. His back was to her and, as always, he didn’t look up.
“Brady, I need to talk to you.” His focus was extraordinary and normally she was awed by it. Not today. “There’s a fire in the kitchen and I called nine-one-one.”
“Uh-huh.”
In the spirit of today, this was the first day of the rest of her life; today was the day she was going to tell him that everything was going to change. But she couldn’t do that until he was listening. Time to get creative.
She walked over to his desk and picked up the orange foam rubber ball that he squeezed when deep in thought. After crushing it in her palm, she threw it at his head. Hard.
He glanced over his shoulder. “The kitchen’s not really on fire, is it?”
“So you heard me.”
“I always do.”
If only that were true. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
“I guess it’s important enough to hurl spheres at me.” He slid his chair away from the computer, swiveled and faced her. Then he picked up the orange ball that had landed on his desk. Squeezing it he said, “Okay. You have my undivided attention.”
Since turning fifteen years old, she’d wondered how it would feel to have all his concentration focused on her. This token of his interest wasn’t what she’d had in mind, but sadly, it was all she would ever know. And that wasn’t enough for her. But this was a poor substitute. She had to get away before her spirit shriveled and disappeared.
“I’m giving my notice.”
“Of what?”
For a smart guy, he could be irritatingly dense. Or he was deliberately deflecting, hoping to get her off message. Not this time. This time was going to be different.
“I’m tendering my resignation.”
“You’re leaving me? There’s nothing tender about that.”
“Not you.” That was a lie of self-protection. No way could she tell him how right he actually was. “I’m leaving your company.”
“You’re abandoning me?”
“You’re so melodramatic. Not everything is about you.”
He squeezed the orange ball until his knuckles turned white. “Didn’t we just go through this?”
“Not just.”
“Same time last year.”
“Pretty close,” she allowed.
It was exactly the same time. There was something about being a few weeks into a new year that made a person want to change their life. And she should have known better than anyone that this man would remember, because he had a mind like a steel trap.
Not to mention a face and body that could make him a model or movie star instead of the megasuccessful businessman he was. Dark brown hair, short and carelessly mussed, complemented the scruff on his cheeks and jaw. He probably hadn’t shaved because he didn’t have to. There were no outside meetings today. No hot date later. Since she kept his calendar, she knew about things like that.
He certainly wasn’t trying to impress her. She thought he looked amazing no matter what. Not that he cared.
Olivia secretly sighed over the scruff—and everything else about her boss. Piercing was the only way to describe his green eyes, which snapped with intelligence and wicked humor. The casual white cotton shirt and worn jeans perfectly showcased his broad shoulders, muscular chest and flat abdomen that were the result of disciplined workouts on the state-of-the-art equipment in his upstairs gym. He could be People magazine’s sexiest CEO and most eligible bachelor.
She would miss the view when she was gone, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.
“Okay.” He nodded as if he’d made up his mind. “Based on past data from this time last year, giving notice is your way of asking for a raise.”
“Not really.” When she tried to quit last year, he’d offered her more money, but that wasn’t why she’d stayed.
“Let’s call it a cost-of-living increase. When you do the paperwork, give yourself however much you think is reasonable.” The right corner of his mouth quirked up, unleashing a rogue dimple.
Damn that dimple. It opened the incredibly insubstantial door that was holding back all her insecurity and weakness. Determination, don’t desert me now, she silently begged.
“What if I think the majority share of the company is a reasonable increase?” she asked.
“You don’t.”
“How do you know?”
“There’s not an unfair or dishonest bone in your body.”
So, he’d taken note of her bones. Should she be flattered? Just thinking that made her pathetic. “You can’t be sure I haven’t turned demanding and greedy.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
The grin punctuating his words was proof that he saw her as a Goody Two-shoes. Wow, warm fuzzy from that.
Back on task. “I’m not here for a raise. I just want to resign.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “Giving notice is the courteous thing to do when one is leaving one’s employer.”
The smile curving his mouth disappeared and those green eyes narrowed, as if he’d finally noticed something different this time. “You can’t be serious about leaving.”
“Sure I can.”
“Well, I don’t accept your resignation.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t,” he said stubbornly.
“That’s up to you.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her slacks to hide the shaking. “But you’re on notice that two weeks from now I’m not showing up.”
He stood and walked around the desk. This was the part she dreaded, the part where he invaded her personal space without any clue how his blatant masculinity threatened to chase off her determination.
She turned away and concentrated on the fireplace, where wood was burning and crackling. The fire, the furniture, the man—everything—made a person feel warm and cozy inside as a dreary rain soaked the world on the other side of the window.
“Two weeks’ notice is all you’re giving me?”
“It’s standard.” She turned to face him.
“I can’t find a replacement in that short a time. You need to give me a month. Two would be better.”
She shook her head. “I know you, Brady. If I don’t give you a deadline, you won’t even look for anyone.”
“I don’t have time. You know that.”
“So you better get cracking on my replacement.” She turned away again, because the look on his face showed it was starting to sink in that she was completely serious this time. Feeling sorry for him was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
“Don’t do this, Liv.”
The nickname chipped away at her defenses, weakened her resolve. “I have to.”
“Why now? Nothing’s changed in your life.”
She whirled around to look at him. “How do you know?”
“I just do.”
It was his cocky confidence that had anger coiling in her belly. The smug expression in his eyes conveyed his utter belief that her world revolved around him and he was very nearly right about that. Twice before she’d caved after giving notice, and if she didn’t have anything to fight back with she’d cave this time, too.
She could barely breathe, almost as though she needed an oxygen mask, which was why she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind.
“You’re wrong, Brady. Something in my life has changed, and it’s big.” She looked him straight in the eye and told the biggest lie ever. “I met a man and I’ve fallen in love. I’m moving away from Blackwater Lake to be with him.”
There was some satisfaction in the fact that he was sincerely shocked. “You’re leaving town?”
That’s what got his attention? Not the fact that she was in love? “Yes. For a man.”
She felt compelled to add that last part in case there was any question.
“Where did you meet this man?” His tone was neither suspicious nor curious. Mostly he sounded irritated.
Clearly Olivia hadn’t thought through the made-up boyfriend exit strategy. It never crossed her mind that Brady would ask questions, and she wasn’t particularly good at spontaneous deceit.
“It’s none of your business.”
He folded his arms over his chest and stared her down. “I couldn’t disagree more. You’re not just a valued employee, you’re...”
“What?”
“My friend.”
Olivia made sure the expression on her face didn’t change. For just a second she’d felt hope that he might think of her as more. After five years of not being more it was silly, foolish and stupid to be disappointed, but none of that stopped her. Still, she was determined that he wouldn’t know, not even by the barest flicker of an eyelash.
“You’re my boss,” she corrected him. “That’s all. Our working relationship doesn’t entitle you to information about my personal life.”
“I just asked where you met him. How is that personal?”
“It’s prying.”
“I’m curious. So take me out back and flog me.”
“Tempting,” she said. “But it’s raining and I don’t want to get my hair wet.”
“Oh? Do you have a hot webcam date?” She gave him a look and he held up his hands. “The least you can do is tell me his name.”
“Again—prying.”
“Are you ashamed of him? Ichabod? Aristotle? Sven?” He tapped his lip thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s a girl name. Lindsay? Lynne? Carroll?”
She almost laughed, almost succumbed to the charm. Instead, she decided to run for cover. She turned away and headed for the door. “You’re incorrigible and listening to this isn’t in my job description.”
“Why can’t he move here to Blackwater Lake?”
Because he doesn’t exist, she thought. “It’s just easier if I go there.” That was sort of true.
“Easier on who?”
“Me.”
“So where are you moving?”
“Again—prying. Look, I did what I had to do. You’ve got your two weeks’ notice. Now I’m going back to work. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up.”
Behind her he said, “Most administrative assistants would be eager to give their boss all the juicy, gossipy details of a love affair.”
“I’m not most assistants.”
“Tell me about it.” He sounded like a petulant little boy, pouting about not getting his way.
That should have reinforced her decision, but as always, she found the behavior oddly endearing.
She stood in the doorway between their offices. “So, I’ll advertise my position and hopefully you can promote from within the company. I’ll also contact an employment agency and recruiters we’ve used in the past. I’ll work over the weekend and on Monday there will be a slate of candidates for you to interview.”
“Whatever.”
Olivia closed the door, then walked over to her desk and sat behind it. She let out a long breath and realized the last few minutes in Brady’s office were just a preview of what she could expect from him for the next two weeks. Giving him her resignation was a walk in the park compared to the prospect of actually working with him every day until she left.
He wasn’t going to make this easy on her.
* * *
Three days after Olivia had given her notice, Brady leaned back in his desk chair and squeezed the orange ball. It was Monday and she’d kept her word about lining up people for her job. He’d just completed the second of two interviews she’d scheduled for today and she was seeing the applicant out.
“Olivia must be really anxious to get out of here,” he said to himself, crushing the round foam rubber in his palm.
Who was this guy she’d met?
He’d never thought about her dating, let alone getting serious. And he wasn’t sure what bothered him more—losing the world’s best assistant, or the fact that she was leaving because she’d fallen in love. He hated change—and the thought of her with a guy made him want to rip what’s-his-name’s head off.
The situation basically sucked.
He swiveled in his chair and looked out the big arched window. No rain today. It was beautiful outside, with the sun turning the surface of Blackwater Lake to sparkling diamonds. The other window had a view of the mountains and he knew that from her desk just a few feet away Olivia could look at the same beautiful surroundings.
Was there mind-blowing scenery where what’s-his-name lived?
“So, what do you think about the interviews?”
Brady knew Olivia’s voice, but he’d realized she was in his office before she’d said a word. The scent of her filled the room and always made him think of flowers. A garden. Serenity.
But not anymore. Now she was going to turn his life upside down to move somewhere he didn’t know with a guy she wouldn’t name.
He swiveled his chair around and looked at her. She was wearing a very businesslike, conservative navy pantsuit and matching pumps. Today her strawberry-blond hair was pulled away from her face in a ponytail, emphasizing her high cheekbones. Her big blue eyes filled with eager anticipation when she sat in one of the club chairs on the other side of his desk.
She wasn’t tall and willowy or classically beautiful, but her smile always brightened the room on a cloudy day. And there was something about her voice, a huskiness that wasn’t quite a lisp but tapped into his devilish streak and made him bait her into saying S-words.
She was staring at the rubber ball in his fist. “You’ve clearly been giving the interviews some thought.”
“Sort of. In a manner of speaking. But only because you forced me into this.”
She rolled her eyes, then looked at the yellow legal pad in her lap that she used for notes. “Okay, then. Let’s start with candidate number one. Shannen Dow.”
The corners of his mouth curved up. “I like her name.”
“That’s a good start. The recruiter says she’s one of their strongest applicants.”
“Of course they would. Commission is their revenue stream.”
Olivia ignored that. “I thought she was very bright, with a solid background in computers and business. That’s really important so she can hit the ground running. The sooner you hire someone, the more training I can do before my last day.”
The last day part hit a nerve. “She was okay. But it has to be said—not a fashion plate.”
Her blue eyes narrowed on him. “I didn’t list accessorizing as a qualification you were looking for. Since when do you care about that?”
“Since always. She’ll have to meet clients and there will be meetings.”
“Not often. When I interviewed, you told me that since your corporate office is in your home, I could wear jeans to work.”
Because jeans look good on you, he thought. But Shannen Dow was skinny and her voice wasn’t the least bit gravelly or interesting.
“But you never did go casual and that’s set a very high bar for your replacement.”
“So take her to the mall.”
Brady ignored the sarcasm. “Didn’t you find the tone of her voice to be like fingernails on a chalkboard?”
Olivia’s expression was wry. “Not until you asked her to make a pot of coffee.”
“Really? I thought the pitch was on the shrill side. Too much of that would give me a headache.”
“No one wants to work for a male sexist pig,” she pointed out.
“She needed to know I’m missing the sensitivity chip,” he defended.
“Making coffee isn’t a skills requirement for this position.”
“Says who? It’s important to me and I’m the one who signs the paycheck.”
“Okay then. Moving on.” She made a note on the legal pad. “Let’s talk about candidate number two.”
“What’s her name again?” he asked innocently.
“Shelly Shows.” She met his gaze. “Did you approve of her outfit?”
“It was lovely.” He added, “But I wasn’t wowed by her, even in plaid.”
“Her letters of reference are glowing. At her current place of employment she’s very well-liked and efficient.”
“Then why does she need this job?”
“It’s closer to home. She’s been working as executive assistant to the administrator of the hospital, which, as you’re aware, is about seventy miles away. Currently she rents a room near work then comes home on the weekends.” Olivia met his gaze. “So, what are your thoughts?”
He thought it would be possible to sympathize if the best assistant he’d ever had wasn’t leaving him. Instead of answering, he asked, “Speaking of distant towns, where are you moving?”
She blinked at his rapid change of topic. “What?”
“When you abandon me, where are you going to live?”
“That’s not information you need in order to hire my replacement.”
Why was she being so stingy with details? “The least you can do is tell me his name.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
He leaned back in his chair and grinned. “See how well you know me?”
“All right. It’s Leonard,” she finally said. “There, go ahead and make fun.”
“Would I do that?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“That’s harsh.” But accurate. He’d almost said it was marginally better than Aloysius. “So, where did you meet Leonard?”
“Out of town,” she said vaguely.
“That goes without saying. If you were dating a guy from Blackwater Lake, it would be all over town.” For a to-the-point person, she was being uncharacteristically difficult. This was frustrating and Brady felt his curiosity picking up momentum. “Where specifically did you meet? On vacation?”
“Vacation?” She laughed. “What’s that? When you’re in the office I am, too. And you’re always in the office. There’s no such thing as time off.”
“Point taken. I’m a workaholic. Would you consider a leave of absence instead of resigning? I could spare you for that.”
“No.” Primly she folded her hands in her lap. “Not everything is about you.”
“So you keep reminding me. And now it’s about Leonard.”
“Exactly.” She brushed imaginary lint from the leg of her slacks.
“If you didn’t meet him on vacation, it must have been a trip for work.”
“Remind me not to try and put anything over on you.”
Sarcasm was one of his favorite things about her. “So, was it in Austin? L.A.? Chicago?”
“I definitely went to those cities. You should know. We were there together.”
She was right about that, but when business hours were over they’d gone their separate ways. He’d picked up women and if Olivia had met men she never said anything to him. Until now. He’d never thought to ask how she filled her time away from work. Clearly she’d found Leonard, and the sense of betrayal Brady felt was out of proportion to the situation. He was being unfair. Not to mention completely irrational.
As crazy as he knew it was, he wanted to know everything. “Do you have a job lined up in Leonard’s neck of the woods?”
“I have an offer.”
“I’d be happy to give you a glowing recommendation.” Well, not happy, exactly, but he’d try not to be spiteful, what with his festering bitterness about her jumping ship.
“But I’m planning to take some time off first.”
“What are you going to do with yourself?”
“Anything that strikes my fancy,” she said, a little defiantly. She stood and walked to the doorway of his office. “Any other questions?”
Why are you leaving me?
Brady didn’t say that out loud, even though the idea of it had preoccupied him way too much since she’d dropped her bombshell. Besides his mother, sister and niece, he had no personal attachments—yet somehow he’d become attached to Olivia. He wouldn’t be making that mistake with his next assistant.
She looked over her shoulder on the way out the door. “Think about Shelly. And I’ll be lining up more candidates to interview. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll approach this process more seriously than you just did.”
“I conducted those interviews very seriously.”
She ignored that. “You need to ask yourself what’s wrong with the two women you saw today.”
“I don’t need to ask myself anything. I already know what’s wrong.”
“Care to share?” She put a hand on her hip.
“Neither of them is you.”
