Chapter Four
On Saturday, Alyssa treated Caroline to fun and excitement, Manhattan-style. At Rockefeller Center, Alyssa showed her where the ice skaters would appear once the weather turned cold, and promised they’d return. Wandering the blocks for almost an hour caused a gnaw of hunger in their stomachs.
“Want a pretzel?”
Caroline blinked, looking around. They were walking down 76th Street on the west side of Central Park, glorying in the chill bite of a sunny fall Saturday. “Where?”
“Right here, sweetie.” Alyssa pointed to a street vendor standing behind an old fashioned cart painted crimson, with big wheels and a push handle. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a big hot pretzel straight from a street vendor.”
Caroline’s eyes danced with anticipation. Alyssa bought a five pretzel chunk, which the vendor stuffed into a brown paper bag, and turned to her daughter.
“I’ve never seen pretzels that look like that before! They’re all, like, smooshed together.”
Alyssa nodded. “These are east coast pretzels. They’re baked in an oven in connected lines, salted while still warm, then distributed to street vendors all over the city.” She pulled them out of the bag and broke off a chunk, handed it to Caroline. “Take a bite.”
Caroline bit into the salty soft dough and smiled through her chewing. “Mmm. It’s good, Mommy.”
Alyssa chuckled. “You’re already a city girl, Car. Now you’ll be a New York girl.”
“Because we’re here to stay, right Mom?”
Alyssa glanced down at her little girl, grabbed her free hand and squeezed it. “That’s right.”
They walked through the park, stopping at a duck pond to throw bits of pretzel and watch while the birds practically came to blows over their offerings. “Don’t fight! There’s enough for everyone,” Caroline announced with a frantic edge to her voice, grabbing more and more pieces of pretzel and pitching them into the water.
On the sidewalk, they came across a young woman struggling to handle six dogs at once, all on different leashes, all apparently wanting to head in different directions. The blonde sweatsuit-clad girl was getting tangled in the leashes when Alyssa kneeled down in front of a few of the dogs, calming them with her voice and strokes.
Caroline followed her mom’s lead. “Hey now, pay attention and do as you’re told.” She stroked the heads of a cocker spaniel and a fuzzy poodle-looking mutt simultaneously.
Alyssa concentrated on a German shepherd and a black lab, the biggest two of the bunch while the blonde hopped out from amidst the leashes entrapping her legs. She took the chance to separate and organize the leashes and got a better grip on them.
“Thanks. I would’ve been in trouble if you two hadn’t come along.”
Caroline, still patting the dogs’ heads, said, “What are you doing with all these dogs?”
The young woman laughed. “It’s my job. I’m a dog-walker.”
Caroline gazed at her wide-eyed. “A dog-walker, huh?”
The girl nodded. “Yeah. Dogs that live in the city don’t get much exercise unless their owners take them on walks. When their owners are too busy to walk them regularly, the dogs get into trouble in their apartments, so they hire me.”
“Every day?” The tone in Caroline’s voice made it clear that she thought this was the most wonderful job in the world.
“Yep. And now I have so many clients that I have to walk multiple dogs at the same time. It gets a little crazy.”
Waving to the dog-walker as she hiked off, Caroline turned to Alyssa. “That’s what I want to do when I grow up.”
Alyssa laughed. “Well, maybe as a part-time job through high school or college, sure…” Alyssa caught herself. Inappropriate response, she chided internally. She always had to resist the temptation to raise Caroline to be as driven as she herself was. There was more to life than accomplishments. So, she amended, “That looks like a fun job.”
Caroline nodded happily, her world complete.
Later that night, Caroline fell asleep on the couch while a Disney movie played on their DVD player. Alyssa switched it off and nudged her daughter awake just enough to trudge down the hallway to her bedroom. Alyssa pulled the covers up to Caroline’s chin, stroked the hair strands out of her face and sang “Put On a Happy Face,” the same happy little song she’d sang every night of Caroline’s entire childhood, never missing a night.
Gazing at her sleepy daughter in the darkness, she mused over memories of Caroline as an infant, singing the song while she sucked down her bottle of formula. All through Caroline’s years of pre-school, all over the country, no matter where they were, she maintained traditions her daughter could rely on. Even on the rare night when Alyssa was away on business, she would call at bedtime and sing. A grin tugged at her lips as she remembered several times she had to leave late-night business sessions at exactly 8:30 PM, excusing herself for a few moments not to use the restroom or refill her drink, as her business colleagues most likely assumed, but to make sure that her covenant was carried through. Caroline counted on it.
A drowsy “Night night” and a tiny snore escaped her daughter’s mouth and Alyssa planted a kiss on her forehead before rising from the bed and leaving her bedroom, the door ajar to allow a sliver of light in.
Alyssa walked to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She’d need the caffeine to keep her awake as the night rolled on. Ideas for the Calibrite account had percolated in her brain all day, and now it was time to develop them into the eye-catching materials she’d promised Grant Fontaine. Billboards, TV and radio ads all touting the top-rate products made by Calibrite Electronics, straight from the genius of Grant Fontaine, the youthful, successful, sexy CEO. She smirked. All she’d have to do was splash a huge photo of a shirtless Fontaine up on billboards and she’d cause countless rear end collisions on freeways across the country. At least those cars driven by females. For what red-blooded American female could resist sneaking a peek at the gorgeous executive of the biggest up and coming electronics company in America? Dark wavy hair, smoldering eyes an unusually light shade of brown, a tanned and fit body broadcasting hours spent in the gym, and custom-fit clothes that clung to every buff muscle.
Her pulse was racing and she felt rather warm. She stood and waved a hand in front of her face. Fontaine had never been featured in his company’s advertising campaigns before. Just because he was gorgeous, hot and sexy didn’t mean he’d make a successful campaign model. She was losing her professional distance and perspective here.
She must be more tired than she thought.
Sitting down with her briefcase, she pulled out materials. She had a lot of work to do before their next meeting. She would dazzle him with her professionalism and creativity. Whether attracted to the man or not, she wouldn’t let him see anything but a professional and competent advertising professional.
She needed to snag this big client so she could make a splash at McDunn and Early. She wasn’t about to let a little harmless attraction stand in her way.
* * * *
Grant punched a familiar number into his cell phone. “Hi, Tom.”
“Hi, boss. What’s up?”
Grant gazed around his quiet office. He’d gone downtown on a Sunday morning for several reasons. One, to escape the emptiness of his penthouse. Two, there was always work to do, and generally he could immerse himself and forget the things that he couldn’t stop thinking about in his empty penthouse.
Such as, Alyssa and Caroline, and what they were doing this fine day.
However, this time the trick didn’t work. Instead of pounding out productive hours in his office, he sat halted with Caroline on his mind. And what his next step was for making contact with her. And how he would get Alyssa to trust him enough to let him in.
“Alyssa came to visit me. She wants to do Calibrite’s advertising.”
Tom’s silence meant he was still struggling with their sudden change of strategy. But it was a runaway train now, and
Tom knew it. The anonymity of the past was gone. They had a new direction. “How’d that go?”
Grant let his mind wander back to the meeting a few days ago. “Not sure. I mean, she’s really good at this advertising gig. That much is certain.”
“Yeah.” Tom drew the word out like the observation was obvious. “She’s been working in the industry a while and keeps making moves up the ladder.”
“I know. I’m just saying that I could do worse than getting Calibrite hooked up with her.”
“Okay. What about the other purpose of the meeting?”
Grant stared at nothing. Yeah, what about it? If only he knew. “Well, as far as she knows, I’m just some guy with a big company with the potential to spend lots of dollars on her firm. Except …”
Tom waited. He knew better than to rush Grant.
“I may have made one mistake.”
“Which is?”
“I gave her the go ahead to work up some prototypes. We had talked about a lot of advertising, and she seemed really psyched to get going on it. She offered to have it done by next week for our meeting. I told her to slow down and take an extra week.”
Tom paused. “Which I’m assuming she took as a brush-off?”
“Well, yeah.” Grant leaned forward in his chair, his voice more urgent. “But I know how much work it’ll be for her. No way could she get it all done in a week during normal business hours. I just didn’t want her to get so gung-ho that she was working evenings and all weekend on it. It wouldn’t be fair to Caroline. The girl’s just getting used to things and needs her mom to help her with the adjustment.”
“Grant …”
“The first few weeks will make a difference in Caroline hating this place, or accepting it as her new home.”
“But …”
“I know!” Grant exhaled a frustrated breath. “If I truly were just interested in Alyssa for her advertising ideas, I wouldn’t give a shit about how many hours it would take to come up with the proposal. I would want it as fast as she offered to get it to me.”
Tom said quietly, “How did Alyssa react?”
“Confused. Suspicious.”
“Tread carefully.”
Grant sat quietly for a moment, and realized he’d come to a decision. All the pondering about Alyssa and Caroline had led him to a new approach. “I have a new strategy.”
“Oh yeah?” He detected the hint of doubt in Tom’s voice.
“I’ve come to a decision, so I want you to get on board. I’d like to befriend Alyssa and Caroline. I’ll get to know them both and then, when the time is right, I’ll reveal that I was her donor, and that I want Caroline to take her place as my daughter, and her part in the future of Calibrite. I no longer want to wait till she’s an adult.”
“What do you mean, when the time is right?”
Irritation rattled inside him at Tom’s questions. “At a time determined by me, depending on how the friendship is going.”
Tom’s pause extended beyond the norm. “No. I think you should either tell her now, or continue to keep it a secret.”
“I want to see if she’ll warm up to me first, before telling her the truth.”
He thought he detected a scoff from Tom. “How could she take this well? Once you finally reveal this bombshell, she’ll be furious at you for keeping this from her. She’ll think you lied to her. Deceived her. It may turn out disastrous.”
Grant pushed a lock of hair off his forehead with a too-heavy hand. “Not if I do it right. Not if I become her friend, and then reveal the whole truth at the right time. She could be happy to know she could have help with Caroline. Or, happy that Caroline has a secure future ahead of her. It could be an answer to her prayers.”
“Hmm, could be.”
“I’ve decided, Tom. I always appreciate your advice, but this one’s a dead end.”
Tom cleared his throat. “The only other thing I have to report is that Alyssa and Caroline spent most of the day out and about yesterday. Strolling around Central Park, lunch on a sidewalk café.”
“Great.” He couldn’t help smiling. He imagined that his daughter loved the day.
His imagination wandered for a second and suddenly it was the three of them enjoying the park and the city. He held Caroline’s hand and laughed with her as she discovered the joys his city could offer. They were a family.
He tore it back. “In light of the new direction, I want you to stop doing the surveillance. It’s not necessary anymore.”
“I understand.” Tom’s tone was unreadable. “So… that’s it then?”
Grant took a breath. “I suppose it is. It’s been great working with you and I owe you a lot. But in my new plan, I just won’t need the work you’ve been doing. I’ll keep you on retainer, of course.”
“Good luck, Grant.”
Grant ended the call and his mind whirred. An unaccustomed emotion took hold of him and it took a moment to identify it.
He was afraid.
Fear of making a mistake, fear of losing the chance to keep tabs on his daughter, fear of pushing the envelope. Fear of eventually ending up in jail if this whole thing blew up in his face. Fear of deceiving the mother of his child. Even if it was the right thing to do.
He sat another hour and stared into the quiet. Afterward, he was more determined than ever. When had he ever shirked from a challenge? Just follow the plan.
Chapter Five
Alyssa stood in the doorway of the conference room, peering at the interior with a fresh eye. She wanted to see the room as if for the first time, although in reality, she’d spent the last hour and a half arranging the seating, place cards, promotional items, the computer that would deliver the graphics projected on to the huge screen and the mini-buffet of coffee, drinks and continental breakfast items in the corner.
How would Mr. Fontaine perceive the room? That was the question.
Her perfectionist tendencies were emerging, there was no doubt about that. But darn it, this was her day. This was the morning she would wow not only her first big New York client, but her new employer, as well. Tony had assured her that never in the history of the agency had a new Account Executive brought such a huge client to the books after only two weeks on the job. She wanted this so bad she could taste it.
Tony walked in and took the nearest seat to the door.
“No!” She couldn’t help herself.
“What?” He looked up, alarmed.
“That’s not your seat.” She pointed. “See? I have place cards.”
Tony glanced around and extracted himself slowly from the chair. “Assigned seating? What is this, a wedding reception?”
Alyssa strode over to him. “Uh, Tony?” She picked up a McDunn and Early notepad and smacked him on the shoulder with it. “Don’t mess with me today.”
“Okay, okay!” he laughed, his hands up in surrender. “My apologies, oh queen of the conference room. Hmm, let’s see.” He paced around the table. “Here I am. Oh my, I’m seated in the place of honor right next to you. I’m flattered.”
“Actually, I pictured you in the role of gopher. Errand boy. If I need anything, you get it for me. Before I ask for it, by the way.” She pointed at her forehead, then his. “We have to be on the same wavelength. Got it?”
He smiled and stepped behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and began massaging. “Relax. You’ll be fine. I’ve seen your prototypes, remember? They’re brilliant. He’ll love them and you’ll get the account. I promise you.”
Alyssa drew a long, cleansing breath and closed her eyes. As she enjoyed the impromptu shoulder rub, she concentrated on releasing air calmly. She could do this. Tony finished. She turned toward him and squeezed his hands. “Thanks, buddy.”
She took one last look around. Everything was ready. Now she just needed her client. She glanced at her watch and let out a giggle.
“What?”
“Only an hour to go!”
* * * *
Grant cranked the steering wheel of
his Jaguar, nosing his way into openings as they appeared precariously in the tight traffic on 106th Street. Despite his usual wariness about driving a pricey sports car in Manhattan traffic, the vehicle’s small size and the engine’s high performance allowed him to dart in and out of small holes.
Slowing, he allowed a few cars in front of him. In retrospect, he probably should have let Tuck transport him through the city traffic while he sat in relative tranquility in the back seat, planning his next move. The recent turn of events was rather startling, to say the least. Instead of staying anonymous in the background, here he was, driving through town on his way to a meeting with Alyssa.
His strategy was clear, but complicated. Caroline was the prize. If he could get to know his daughter personally without having to reveal his paternity, that would be ideal. At least for now. But of course, there was no way in hell he’d be able to pull that off without making her mother comfortable with him. So, he needed to befriend Alyssa so she allowed him into her private world, where Caroline resided. If he sensed failure, he could always retreat and go back to anonymity until the day Caroline turned 21. Then he’d contact her with the whole truth, and offer her a father and a future with her birthright: Grant Fontaine’s daughter – partnership in Calibrite Electronics. Along with it, professional and financial stability and a guarantee of a bright career. The sky’s the limit.
Grant pulled into the public lot down the street from Alyssa’s office building. His pulse cascaded through his veins, causing an unsettled, racing feeling. He fisted his hands and released them as he walked, shook them out. It was show time.
He gave his name to the security guard in the lobby, who checked a list and pushed a button on the control panel in front of him. “Mr. Fontaine, you’re expected by Alyssa Stark of McDunn and Early. Take the middle elevator to the twenty seventh floor and she’ll meet you there.”
“Thank you.”
The ride was an express, and seconds after stepping onto the car, it arrived on the 27th floor. He settled his facial features into a calm, confident gaze. The elevator door slid open and suddenly he gazed into Alyssa’s expectant smile. “Hi,” he spit out, and worked at not reacting to her beauty.
Hidden Agenda Page 4