Echoes of Summer

by Bastian, Laura D.

  Stephen took the hint and moved his chair closer to the desk. He flipped through the images and nodded at a few, zoomed in closer at a couple, tilted his head at some to get a different angle, and passed it back. “Nice. I think you’re on the right track.”

  Madison pulled her laptop back and turned it to herself, contemplating his words. Right track. What exactly did he mean by that? His voice was deep and warm, just like his eyes, and it hadn’t sounded condescending at all, but it wasn’t a glowing compliment either.

  “Do you have a note pad and pencil I could use? I didn’t bring my laptop today.” Stephen glanced at her desk and at the bookshelf she used mostly as decoration.

  Madison pulled open the drawer just above her lap and passed him a pencil she was surprised to find in there. She hesitated for a second, then turned around and grabbed a sheet of paper from the printer.

  Stephen smiled and took it from her hand, brushing her fingertip with his — completely unnecessarily since the paper was a standard eight-and-a-half by eleven, and she’d handed it to him the long way. Madison pulled her hand back and wondered awkwardly what to do with it. Part of her wanted to tuck it behind her back and rub the sensation off on the fabric of her skirt; the other part of her wanted to caress that spot with her opposite hand to see if anything was different, and why his touch still affected her so much.

  She did neither and instead adjusted her chair before sitting down again. As Stephen began jotting down notes to himself he suggested some ideas and how they could incorporate her ideas in a way that would impress Doewin the most. He elaborated on a few of her ideas to take to the Internet, suggesting the same things she had thought of doing, yet hesitated on because Robert didn’t want to go that direction.

  At first, Madison wondered if he would take all her ideas and change them, but as he laid out a plan as to which ideas had the most merit and which ones could be used to pitch potential commercials and ad spots for radio, television, magazines, and social media sites, Madison knew they had a better chance at landing Doewin with Stephen’s help.

  And that annoyed her to no end.

  Stephen had helped himself to a few more papers from her printer and continued scribbling things to himself, sharing a couple ideas on occasion. Madison took the sane approach, opened a document on her laptop, and made notes of what they discussed. She’d need it on there anyway for when they presented the plan to Mr. Carlson.

  A knock on her office door was followed by Robert’s head popping in. “Do you have a second? I just saw Howard—” He caught sight of Stephen, and his demeanor changed immediately. He stood straighter and squared his shoulders as he entered the room and moved over to Stephen with his hand out. “I’m Robert Noyes.”

  Stephen put his pencil down and stood up to shake Robert’s hand. “Stephen Kohalohini. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Robert. I’m sorry to hear about your daughter.”

  Robert’s eyes turned sad. “Thank you.”

  Stephen led Robert over to a chair and began asking him about how things were going, if he had any suggestions on what to do with the Doewin’s proposal so they could add them, and talked about how much time would be freed up for Robert to spend time with his family.

  Robert’s postured relaxed. “Howard’s a good man. It will be good to be home more to support Melissa and the kids.” He turned to Madison. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you any warning about this change. There’s just been so much on my mind lately.”

  Madison shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Robert. You need to do what’s best for you and your family. I hope you’ll be back with us soon.”

  Robert nodded and got up to leave. “Thanks for all the help you’ve been on these projects. I couldn’t have made it this long without you.” He walked out the door, and Madison turned to find Stephen studying her.

  A knock on the office door announcing the pizza delivery saved her from speaking to Stephen.

  Stephen paid him with cash and didn’t keep the receipt to turn in for work expenses, and Madison wondered if he had ulterior motives. She pushed the idea out of her mind. He didn’t even remember her, so he wouldn’t be trying to impress her or anything. She wished she could forget him as easily.

  But now he was in front of her in the flesh, and that flesh was so fine he put every memory of his teenage self to shame. She turned away, hoping to gain some control over herself if she was going to be forced to work with this man. At least it would only be temporary. She prayed Robert’s daughter would get better soon so he could be back to get the training from Stephen. She needed to stay far away from Stephen, and working with him made that impossible.

  She pulled out a slice of pizza and sat on the edge of her desk to look at the notes on Stephen’s papers but couldn’t understand what any of it meant. She took a bite and sighed at the taste. So much better than a handful of mini candy bars.

  ***

  Stephen stopped short before the slice of pizza reached his mouth. The sigh of pure pleasure coming from Madison sent a sensation through him he hadn’t expected. It was as if it were a memory, but he was sure he’d never met Madison before. Or had he? He studied her for a moment, looking at the curve of her cheeks and the blond hair that framed her face. She was beautiful sure, but in a solid and comfortable way. Nothing flashy that would draw you in, but intriguing in her own unique way. A face that looked much like a lot of women, but something about her seemed to indicate she’d be a woman who would be good to introduce to your parents. Of course, he’d never told his dad about any of the women in his life. Their relationship had been strained after his mother’s death. His mom would have wanted to know about them, but she’d been gone for almost eight years. He pushed those memories of that dark time out of his mind.

  He brought the pizza to his mouth and knew why she’d moaned like that. It took a lot of self-control to keep one of his own from slipping out. He took a second bite, as big as he could manage without shoving the whole thing in his mouth, and closed his eyes to focus on the flavors. As he chewed, a chuckle came from Madison, and he opened his eyes to see her grinning at him.

  “Good, isn’t it?”

  Stephen shook his head. “Good doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

  Madison nodded and took another bite then looked down at his notes. She wiped her lip to get some of the sauce then licked her finger, which Stephen thought was incredibly sexy.

  “Do you have a Rosetta Stone for this?”

  Stephen chuckled. “It’s not that bad. You just have to think like me.”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We’ve got two-and-a-half hours to get this proposal top notch. How about you start sharing your scribbles, and we’ll get this done.” She put the pizza box on the corner of her desk then sat down. “Bring your chair over to this side where we can both see the screen.”

  Stephen didn’t waste time grabbing his chair and setting it next to hers. She scooted over a little as he sat down, making him back up a bit to make sure he didn’t come on too strong, and she seemed to relax. As the evening progressed, he was impressed with how quickly she took his ramblings and made a polished presentation. They finished at six forty-two with only a short pause for a run to the breakroom’s fridge for Madison’s private stash of Dr. Pepper.

  Most women he dated would never have admitted they drank two cans of soda and ate that much pizza in a couple hours, and he was pleased Madison was comfortable enough with him to be herself. He couldn’t wait to get to know more about her.

  She looked at her clock and saved the presentation then sent a file of it to his email and one to Mr. Carlson. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Stephen reluctantly walked out the door and nodded to the night crew who were cleaning the office. He glanced around the area, still not sure where his office would be, and made a mental note to ask in the morning. Tonight, he’d go home and figure out a way to get Madison away from whomever she was meeting at seven.

  Chapter Three

  Mr. Carl
son was smiling when Madison entered his office. He looked down at his monitor on the desk and nodded with approval. “I knew it was a good idea to put you two together. We’ll be meeting with Doewins’ reps this afternoon. Let Stephen know, will ya?”

  Madison looked around the room, surprised she was being dismissed without them even going over the proposal in detail like they usually did. Was it because he thought, with Stephen as her project companion, he didn’t have to double-check her work?

  “I don’t know where Mr. Kohalohini is at the moment. I’m not even sure where his office is.”

  Mr. Carlson lifted his head from his work and narrowed his brow at her. “Office, right.” He pressed the button on his phone. “Mrs. Donahue.”

  His secretary’s voice answered, “Yes, Mr. Carlson?”

  “Did you get the northwest corner conference room set up as an office for Mr. Kohali-ee, uh… Stephen?”

  “Yes, there are a few things still on order but should arrive within the week.” She paused for a moment. “Mr. Kohalohini is walking toward me. Would you like me to show him where the office will be?”

  Mr. Carlson shook his head and spoke into the phone. “No need. I’ll have Madison do it.”

  “Very good, sir,” Kathryn’s voice spoke. “Would you still like to see him this morning?”

  “Sure, send him in.” Mr. Carlson turned off his phone and turned his attention to the door.

  Madison turned as well with mixed emotions. He was temporary but was being given a huge office while he was here, making the little green monster inside her roar with jealousy. When he opened the door and slipped inside, her heart hurt a little. After how well they’d worked together last night, she figured she could handle being in the same office with him, but seeing him again after going home to Milo reminded her of everything he’d just thrown away.

  It would have been incredibly awkward for them to try working together if he had to explain why he’d dumped her so abruptly after they’d had sex. He had completely avoided her soon after, and it hurt. When she found out she was pregnant and told her parents about it, they’d been hugely disappointed in her and livid that Stephen was the father.

  They’d always thought his carefree attitude and teenage antics were a bad influence on her. The fact that he was twenty to her eighteen made them even angrier, and they’d threatened to have him thrown in jail if she didn’t stay away from him. Little did they know she had loved him from afar every summer he’d come, and that the last summer she’d finally had the courage to tell him how she felt. And she definitely didn’t want to let him know how naive she had been, thinking he’d be the one she’d spend the rest of her life with. He obviously had just taken her willingness as a perk for that last summer in Montana, and then, once he’d gotten it, he’d been no longer interested. She should have known better.

  As her pregnancy progressed, she’d wanted to contact him a couple months later to tell him about Milo, but her parents had made it clear what a bad choice he would be for a father. When he hadn’t called or answered her calls — when she could sneak one in against her parents’ wishes — she’d finally realized they were right. They’d shown her all the things they’d dug up on him by hiring a private investigator. Some of which he’d already told her himself, but she’d come to realize she didn’t want him to help her raise a baby if he couldn’t be responsible back then. But she just hadn’t been able to give Milo up and had decided to raise him on her own, even though her parents had suggested placing the baby for adoption.

  Her parents had agreed to help her with expenses and college tuition if she broke off all contact with Stephen, and now, seeing him here, she wondered if she’d made the right choice. He seemed to have grown up to be a responsible adult. Enough Mr. Carlson was hiring him to do what she could have done anyway, if he’d only given her the chance.

  “I was just telling Madison what a fine job the two of you did on this proposal,” Mr. Carlson said, smiling at Madison again. “You’ll be meeting in the large conference room with Doewin at three. Madison will show you your office, and the two of you can fine tune this.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Carlson,” Stephen said. “It was easy working with such talent.” He smiled at Madison, and she was glad he hadn’t winked. Most guys would have. The old Stephen would have.

  “I’ll see you both at two-thirty,” Mr. Carlson said, turning away from them back to his files.

  Madison knew when she’d been dismissed and turned around, not even bothering to wait for Stephen. If he didn’t follow her, he ought to be smart enough to find a corner of the building. There were only three others besides the one Mr. Carlson was in, and the other two had conference rooms and distinct labels on the door.

  Stephen caught up to her before she had passed Kathryn’s desk, but he must have seen something of the secretary’s that caught his attention. “Have you been to Hawaii, Mrs. Donahue?”

  Kathryn’s face lit up. “Yes, we just got back from a two-week vacation on the Big Island.” She put the souvenir away. “I just can’t stop thinking of it.”

  Stephen put his hand on his heart. “Everyone loves Hawaii. Did you island hop at all? I’m from Oahu.”

  As much as she wanted to leave him there, Madison wanted to hear more about Hawaii and what Kathryn had done. Besides, she had to go over the proposal with him once more to make sure they hadn’t missed anything in their rush to get it ready.

  Kathryn gushed over all the beautiful things they’d seen, and Stephen told her of his childhood, growing up in a small town just outside Honolulu.

  Kathryn sighed. “Southern California is similar in many ways, but nothing can compare to the variety on Hawaii.” She looked at Madison. “You really should go, dear.”

  “Someday,” she agreed.

  “I’d be happy to show you around,” Stephen said.

  Madison had heard that from him before and was sure this time was just as empty of a promise. She would never explore any of the Hawaiian Islands with him.

  “No, thank you. I’ll manage on my own.” She took a step away from Kathryn’s desk, refusing to look at either of them since she didn’t want to feel guilty for the rudeness of her comment. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where your office is.”

  She didn’t wait for him, but he said his goodbyes to Kathryn, making her giggle with his “Aloha” as he walked away then easily matched Madison’s stride on the way to his office. As soon as she opened the door, he whistled low. “Nice.”

  Madison kept her teeth tight together to prevent any more negativity from escaping her. Mr. Carlson had obviously prepared for Stephen’s arrival, even if he hadn’t told anyone else about it before yesterday. The desk was equipped with everything he needed from pencils, pens, computer, phone, and the project-display screens for wowing any clients who came to his office.

  “Do you have any questions about your office, any of the equipment, or anything else about the agency?” Madison asked.

  Stephen walked around the room and moved over to the large windows that gave him a perfect view of the city below. “Only one.” He took a deep breath. “How do you like this view?”

  Madison stared at his back then turned on her heel and marched out of the room without saying a word. Her mother’s advice to never say anything mean warred with her desire to tell him exactly what she thought, and she knew if she stayed there a moment longer, she’d let him have it.

  ***

  Stephen turned around to discover he was alone. Madison hadn’t even said goodbye. He shrugged and wandered around the room for a minute, testing the height of the chair, moving a few things around on the desk for easier access, and turning on the computer to familiarize himself with it.

  He found the file Madison had sent and looked it over. She had a knack for design, and that would help them as they pitched this afternoon.

  After making sure he had what he would need and jotting down a note of what to get from the supply room, he grabbed his laptop and heade
d to her office. Since the door was open, he knocked on the doorframe then walked in. Madison’s eyes narrowed at him, and he made a mental note to wait next time until she gave permission to enter.

  She was a woman with rules, and if he wanted to get to know her, he needed to learn them and follow them.

  “Are you available to go over the proposal?” Stephen asked.

  Madison looked back at her computer. “I have a couple other things to take care of first. How about we meet in an hour? That should give us plenty of time.”

  Stephen nodded. “Sounds good.” He grabbed one of the mini chocolates in the glass bowl on her desk, noting she’d refilled it from last night. When he moved the Snickers, he saw a Butterfinger. He snagged that one too, and when she didn’t comment or respond in any way, he put that little bit of info in his mind. Knock and wait for permission, but candy is okay.

  “Shall I come back here, or would you prefer to come to my office?” he asked as he reached the door.

  Madison kept her eyes on her computer. “Here would be fine.”

  Stephen put another clue to her in his mind. She prefers the familiar.

  Chapter Four

  The nerve of that man. Madison fumed that he had taken her candy. Two of them, and he hadn’t even asked. Her clients were polite enough to ask first, even though they were there for eating. It was just common courtesy. She forced thoughts of Stephen out of her head again.

  If she didn’t get this done soon, he’d be back again, thinking his project was the only thing worth working on. And if Mr. Carlson expected her to take over for Robert while he was gone, why was she still running the accounts? Doing all that extra work had been just to help out Robert, but she figured it was only for this project. She needed to catch up on all her clients’ accounts and make sure everything was on schedule for the shoots and ad launches.