Less Than Three: A Romantic Comedy

by Maggie Dallen

  He nodded slowly. “All right. But I want you to keep me informed of his progress every step of the way. The board meeting is in two weeks, Miss Ames, and I need Alex ready. The future of my company and my employees relies on it. They need to be confident in my choice of successor or the board will elect someone else to run the company that I built from the ground up.”

  He hesitated for a brief second. The hesitation was barely there, but she noticed. “I need you to turn my grandson into the man I know he can be. Not just for my sake—this is not just my vanity speaking here. There are members of the board who would steer this company in the wrong direction. They don’t share my feelings of loyalty to the employees or to the community. There is a lot riding on Alex right now, Miss Ames.”

  Lacey met the old man’s stare. “I understand, Mr. Newsom.”

  He studied her a moment before giving her a brisk nod that signaled the end of the conversation. He struggled out of the chair and made his way to the conference room door.

  “Wait here, I’ll send Alex in so you can get started with your work.”

  Lacey let out a giant exhale once the door shut behind him. No pressure. Just the fate of a company and all of its employees. No sweat. Lacey wiped the moisture from her palms and took deep, steadying breaths. First things first.

  Alex was on his way to meet her and before anything else, she needed to give him the speech she’d been preparing. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work with memories of their night together muddling her brain every time he looked in her direction. She had to deal with the aftermath of last night first and foremost. She needed to set some ground rules. Then she could worry about the fate of the company.

  She downed her water as she waited for Alex to walk through the doors. She would be calm, cool and collected. Once she got this speech over with it would be all business all the time. She took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. She needed him to come in soon, while she was still riding high on the false confidence she’d donned for Mr. Newsom’s sake.

  One of the first rules of the job that Rick had taught her was fake it ‘til you make it. She’d rolled her eyes at the time but over the past six months that rule had been the single most important factor in her success. She’d walked into this building acutely aware of her inexperience and feeling totally out of her league. But that little show she’d put on for the old man had left her with a rush of self-confidence. It wouldn’t last long so she needed to take advantage of this feeling while she could.

  The door opened, and Alex walked in. Lacey had to remind herself to breathe. Why did he have to look so good all the time?

  He’d changed into a dark gray suit that fit perfectly, highlighting his broad chest and narrow waist. His dark hair was slicked down, and he looked for all the world like the business tycoon his grandfather wanted him to be. Maybe this gig wouldn’t be so tough after all.

  “Hey, Lace.”

  She felt her shoulders stiffen at the casual use of her nickname. This was it. It was ground rules time.

  She opened her mouth to launch into the well-prepared monologue but was interrupted by the door opening again. This time it was a young-looking Indian man with a brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear. He slapped a hand on Alex’s back before making himself comfortable in one of the chairs at the table. Alex looked just as surprised at his sudden entrance.

  “Hey man, what are you doing here?” Alex asked.

  “Your grandfather sent me in. Aren’t you gonna introduce me?” He was flashing Lacey that mega-watt grin.

  “Uh, yeah, sorry. Raj, this is Lacey Ames. She’s the consultant my grandfather hired to prep me for the board meeting. Lacey, this is Raj. He works in accounting.”

  Raj leaned over the table to shake her hand and rolled his eyes, doing a perfect imitation of Alex. “He works in accounting. Please, man, is that the best you can do?” He turned to Lacey. “Alex and I have been friends since kindergarten. His dad hired me right out of college. And yes, I do work in the accounting department, but I swear it’s not nearly as boring as it sounds.”

  Lacey laughed. “I don’t think it sounds boring at all. Everyone knows that numbers are sexy.”

  “Alex, I think I found the love of my life.”

  Before Alex could respond, the door opened again. Dawn and the receptionist filed in. Raj took it upon himself to make the introductions.

  “Lacey, have you met Dawn and Heather?”

  “We met when she first got here,” Heather said. She made a beeline for the coffee carafe, which in Lacey’s humble opinion was probably not necessary considering the amount of perky energy the girl was already exhibiting.

  “How’s the first day going?” Dawn asked.

  “So far so good, thanks. Did Mr. Newsom ask you two to come in as well?”

  Heather nodded. “He said you and Alex needed our help.”

  So this was how it was going to be. Clearly Mr. Newsom was the hands-on type. Alex was the only one who seemed to be out of the loop, so she explained what the first exercise was and watched as the blood drained from his face.

  “So you want me to just … give a speech? Right now? In front of everyone?” His look of horror would have been funny if her career wasn’t on the line. If he was this freaked out over giving a short talk in front of his friends, how terrified must he be of performing in front of a group of powerful men and women who would decide the fate of his career and his family’s legacy?

  Maybe this job wouldn’t be such a cakewalk after all.

  Oh, good Lord. He was so much worse than she could ever have imagined. There was a moment of stunned silence when he finished. Lacey tried to gather herself and think of something diplomatic and encouraging to say in the face of a public speaking disaster.

  “That was—er—you were—“ she started.

  “A jerk,” Dawn chimed in. She shrugged and gave the room an apologetic look. “Sorry, but it’s true.”

  “Dude, how’d you get that stick so far up your butt?” Raj added.

  Heather let out a little snort and slapped a hand over her mouth to contain the giggles.

  Lacey bit the inside of her cheek. Hard. This was not the time to laugh, even if it was a little gratifying to see Mister Too-Cool-for-School squirming in front of his friends. She had a job to do, and that meant being supportive. But also honest. Sometimes her job was impossible.

  “You were stiff.” She finished her initial statement as though the others hadn’t spoken. She kept her eyes on Alex, who was scowling at the room in general. “There is room for improvement, but I think we’re off to a great start.”

  All three audience members burst into laughter at the obvious lie.

  Oh yeah, this job was going to be so much harder than she’d thought.

  Chapter Four

  OFF TO A great start? She’d been lying. He knew she was lying. She knew she was lying if the bright red spots on her cheeks were any indication.

  Alex gulped half of his beer. The hotel bar was practically empty. Too late for the happy hour crowd and too early for after-dinner drinks. There were only a couple other patrons at the bar, and they seemed just as content to stick to themselves. A perfect refuge for his battered ego.

  His beer sloshed a bit when he set his glass down with too much force. What had he been thinking to sleep with the woman who was supposed to stop him from humiliating himself? She was probably enjoying his agony. And she had every right. He was still kicking himself for not telling her sooner. But if he had, would he ever have gotten the chance to see Lacey with her hair down? Probably not. And he most certainly wouldn’t have seen her without her clothes on.

  The memory of her lying naked in his arms was enough to suck the air from his lungs. He threw back another gulp. Despite the hatred she was clearly spewing in his direction, he still couldn’t bring himself to regret their night together. He’d had a glimpse of heaven, and now he was in hell. But it was worth it.

  He tried to signal the bartend
er for another drink, but the guy was too engrossed in a conversation with another patron about football to notice. Maybe it was for the best. He’d had way too much the night before. He’d only come in for one drink—a little hair of the dog and a well-earned luxury after his afternoon in front of the peanut gallery.

  And tomorrow it would start all over again. That thought made him drain the last of his beer in desperation. He couldn’t handle the thought of two solid weeks of facing his biggest fear. All in the hopes that he could learn to be everything his father was. Talk about an exercise in futility. His grandfather clearly knew it was pointless. But what was the alternative? Let Marcus get control of the company? He couldn’t let that happen for his grandfather’s sake. Or his father’s. Like it or not, he was the company’s only option. He was the last resort.

  For the millionth time that day, Alex cursed fate for stealing his father away from the life he’d been groomed for—from the life he deserved.

  Alex was ready to start yelling for the bartender’s attention when he was distracted by the sound of the door leading to the hotel lobby closing. He glanced over and saw Lacey standing there. She was staring at him with her mouth slightly open as though she wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to speak.

  Lacey was adorable when she was surprised.

  Then her eyes narrowed, and she stalked toward him in her high heels. Uh oh. She was equally adorable when she was angry—but she was also a little terrifying.

  Hands on hips, she stood beside him, so close he could smell the soft floral scent of her shampoo. “Are you following me?” she demanded.

  Alex leaned away in surprise and looked around the nearly empty bar pointedly. “If I were following you, why would I be here first?”

  He watched her cheeks turning pink. She really was charming when she was flustered.

  “Well then what are you doing here at my hotel?”

  “It’s not just your hotel, I’m afraid. I’m a guest here as well.”

  It was a struggle not to laugh as he watched Lacey fume over this piece of news. “But why? Don’t you live in New York? Don’t you have a home here?”

  Now it was his turn to recoil in surprise. Were those tears in her eyes? Oh God, had he made her cry? Again? Pure panic setting in, he made a move to pat her shoulder but stopped when she turned away to ask the bartender for a glass of wine.

  “No Cosmos tonight?” he teased.

  He was rewarded with a scowl.

  “Oookay. Too soon to joke about last night. Duly noted.”

  Whether it was his conciliatory tone or the appearance of a glass of wine, Alex was relieved to see that there were no signs of tears in her eyes, and her scowl had faded to a look of mild annoyance.

  She slipped onto the barstool beside him and took a sip of her drink. “So seriously, what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Seriously, I needed a place to stay. I don’t have a place in the city.”

  This was partially true. He probably could have gone and stayed at his father’s place. It was left to him in the will but he hated the idea of stepping foot in that apartment. There were too many memories waiting to devour him.

  “This just happens to be the only decent hotel within walking distance of the office so, for the time being, this is home.”

  “Oh.” She seemed to be studying him as she took another sip. “That’s kinda sad.”

  He felt his lips twitching into a smile at the reluctant display of sympathy.

  He wanted to be friends with this woman. He wanted to be able to laugh like they had the night before. At the very least, he wanted them to be able to work well together. He wished there was some way to dispel the awkward tension that had come between them ever since she’d discovered his true identity.

  Maybe there was.

  He saw her open her mouth to speak and cut her off. “Listen, Lace, there’s something I’ve meant to say.”

  She clamped her mouth shut and gave him a nod to continue.

  “I am sorry about last night. I swear, I never intended for things to get so out of control. I never meant to lie to you or put you in an awkward position.” He paused for a moment to rub a hand over his eyes. He saw her take a quick, nervous sip from her glass. “I would like it if we could put last night behind us,” he continued. “It’s obvious that I have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks, and I need you, Lace. I need your help. Could we please put last night out of our heads and put business first?”

  Lacey was watching him, her beautiful blue eyes wide with surprise. She gave a jerky nod. “Yes, I think that’s a great idea.”

  She raised her glass to his and grinned. “To business.” He clinked his glass against hers and tried to smother the free-fall feeling in his gut that her smile seemed to trigger.

  There was a moment of silence as they sat beside one another, unsure of how this new business relationship should commence. Alex made a valiant attempt to push aside all images of an incredibly gorgeous, and extremely naked Lacey in his bed. Like trying not to think about a pink elephant, the more he tried, the more he saw the fantastic sight until he was so thoroughly aroused, he thought he’d have to race up to his room for a cold shower.

  He cleared his throat loudly, startling Lacey and a stranger at the other end of the bar. “So, my little speech today,” he started. “Just how bad was I?”

  Lacey’s mouth flapped open and closed a couple of times as she struggled for a diplomatic answer. He held up a hand to stop her. “You can stop being so polite. I know I sucked.”

  She breathed out a little sigh of relief and gave him a sympathetic look. “You were pretty bad,” she agreed.

  They both started to laugh, and the tension eased considerably. He saw her shoulders drop, and she propped her elbows on the bar. This was the most natural and relaxed he’d seen her since the night before.

  Nope. He was not going there. No thinking about the night before.

  When she turned to him, she was wearing a look of determination. “I don’t want you to worry. Your performance today might not have been the best, but that’s why I’m here. You’ll be ready in time, I promise.”

  Her confidence was mildly reassuring. He still wasn’t convinced, but it was nice to hear that someone else was. “So I take it you know about the board meeting?”

  She nodded. “Your grandfather told me.”

  Alex felt his jaw clench. He could only imagine what his grandfather had to say about the upcoming disaster. “What else did he tell you?”

  Lacey was watching him with open curiosity, and he tried to relax his death grip on the new pint of beer in his hand.

  “He said it was crucial that you were a convincing leader when it came time for you to address the board in two weeks.”

  He gave her a sideways glance. He had a feeling she was leaving out some parts out of kindness. There was no way his grandfather hadn’t made a comment about how ill-equipped he was to be taking over. About how it should have been his father and not him who was addressing the board.

  “I’m not ready,” Alex said. The admission seemed to come out of his mouth of its own accord.

  “You will be.” There was no doubt in her voice and she looked stubborn as hell.

  “In two weeks?”

  “Yes, in two weeks. Less than that, in fact. We’ll have time to spare. Despite all of the things I may have said last night, I am good at my job, Alex.”

  Her cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink at the mention of last night. He leaned over and lowered his voice to a near whisper. “I thought we were going to pretend last night never happened.”

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance. “I know, I know. I just—I need you to know that. I need you to know that I’m good at my job. You can trust me.”

  He swallowed a joking retort. She looked so incredibly sincere, it would have been cruel to laugh it off.

  “I do know that, Lace.” She looked unconvinced. “My grandfather only ever hires th
e best, so the only logical conclusion here is that you are the best.”

  That made her smile, which in turn made Alex foolishly happy.

  “So then you believe me that I can make you ready in time for the meeting?”

  He rolled his eyes and groaned melodramatically. “Not unless you’re a miracle worker.”

  “Just call me Mother Teresa.”

  He laughed. “Maybe if I had more time, but two weeks? You’ve got to admit, we’re cutting it pretty close.”

  “Can’t you push back this meeting”

  “Not unless we want the board to start doubting our stability.” At her look of confusion he explained, “My grandfather’s health has been failing. It’s not a secret but ever since my dad died … my grandfather never fully recovered.”

  She reached out a hand and laid it on his arm in sympathy. “I’m so sorry about your father.”

  People had been telling him how sorry they were for the past six months and he always just waved them off, but Lacey’s soft words seemed to cut right through him. He felt a surge of pain as though he’d just buried his father all over again. He took a long sip of beer to hide the onslaught of emotion.

  “You know it was supposed to be him, right?” The words came out of his mouth unbidden. But she should know the truth—her reputation was at stake here too. What should have been a no-brainer of an election was now a gamble, and it was all riding on him.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  Alex turned to face her. “My dad was supposed to be the one standing before the board at the next meeting, taking over the family business. He’d been groomed his whole life to take over. The board loved him, the employees worshiped him … He was supposed to be the next leader of the company.”

  He turned away from the empathetic sadness on Lacey’s face.

  “You know, Grandfather and my dad always talked about me taking over the company one day. One day. As in, many years from now.” He let out a loud sigh; he couldn’t believe he was pouring his heart out like this, but it felt good to voice the thoughts that had been eating him alive. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”