Soft laughter came through the receiver. “Have you been chewing on gravel again?”
“Paige? Is that you?” Nate’s mumbled into the phone.
“Haven’t had your coffee yet?”
Nate inhaled deeply and groaned, trying to wake himself up. He pushed up on one elbow and looked at the clock. “It’s two in the morning. I don’t usually drink coffee at this hour.” He smiled into the dark. “How are you? Is something wrong?”
Her voice shook. “I feel like a little baby Nate. I’m in this gorgeous country and I should be thrilled, but I’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours straight and it feels like I’m going crazy.”
“It’s just jetlag. Happens to everyone.” Nate sniffed and wiped a hand over his face. “It’s perfectly normal.”
“It’s not normal Nate. I’m freaking out over here! I can’t breathe and I’m shaking all over.”
Nate suddenly came fully awake. “Did something happen? Did Frank do something that triggered you?”
“No, he’s fine. We just flew all night and I couldn’t sleep and then I did fall asleep for like a half hour in the lounge in London, but now we’re here and I’m in this beautiful hotel room and I’ve never felt so alone in my whole life.”
“You’re not alone. I’m right here.”
“I don’t know if I can sleep without you next to me.” Her voice broke.
“I miss you too.” A comfortable silence spanned the miles between them. Nate propped himself up on a few pillows and turned on the light. “You know, I was thinking about that same thing last night. I don’t think we’ve spent even one night apart in the last two years. It was strange, going to bed without you. I didn’t like it either.” I love you so much it hurts…
She started to cry.
“Hey, hey! It’s ok. Listen, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He looked at the clock and tried to do the mental math but his brain didn’t feel like cooperating. “What time is it there? Aren’t you late for work and stuff?”
“We just got into Bern, but I think I’ve got a couple of hours. We’re meeting some people for lunch at one. God, this hotel is gorgeous.”
“Where are you staying?”
“You mean those flowers were from some other Nate who’s crazy about me?”
“Right! Sorry. I’m a little out of sorts. The Bellevue Palace, right? Swanky.”
“You’re telling me. You should see this view.”
“The only view I want is of you walking toward me in the airport.”
“I’m so tired Nate, and I can’t sleep at all. My mind keeps on swirling and I know it’s daytime but it feels like three in the morning. You’ve done the jetlag thing before. What’s the secret?”
“Going barefoot in the grass.”
“Pardon me?”
“Don’t ask me why it helps, it just does.”
“I’m too tired to find grass.”
“Ok, in that case, first I need you to set an alarm, because once you fall asleep your body’s not going to want to wake up again.”
“You got that right.”
He waited while she fiddled with the buttons on the clock.
“Ok, done.”
“Good. Now, lay down on the bed.”
“Are we going to have phone sex?”
Nate laughed. “I’m being serious here. Now I want you to take all the extra pillows except the one your head is on and stuff them behind you, all up and down your back and behind your knees.”
“Hold on.” It took some doing and she had to put the phone down but she finally got situated. “Ok…Now what?”
“Pretend I’m there, holding you.”
“Mmm. Seriously–what do I do now?”
“Just close your eyes and let me listen to you breathe.”
“Are you crazy? Do you know how much it’s going to cost you to just lay there and listen to me breathe?”
“Do you know how much it’ll cost me if I can’t? This will work. Trust me. Just imagine what it’s like when we lay together, here in our bed, the warmth of my body wrapping you up and holding you tight.”
He could hear her crying softly on the other end of the line, but eventually it worked. He listened for the change in her breathing, and then ended the call. For a long time afterward he stayed awake, half a world away, and came up with a plan.
__________
Paige woke up with a pounding headache, red-rimmed eyes, and twenty minutes to get ready. The phone was still lying on the bed next to her pillow. She’d been a complete basket case. Slightly embarrassed, she decided to email Nate and thank him, but her fingers stalled on the keyboard. Instead she changed her clothes and put on a little fresh makeup, trying all the while to psyche herself up for the day.
After a strategy-session lunch with Frank and two of his associates, they took a chauffeured car from the hotel to the Swiss corporate offices of Evans and Associates. The long lines of traffic typical to New York didn’t seem to translate here, ensuring they made it in plenty of time for the three o’clock meeting. Just like in New York, Frank introduced her around and made it plain that he expected their full cooperation for the duration of her stay.
A large conference room had been converted into an enormous office for her and the staff he assigned to assist her. The last five years of archived paper records had been pulled and were stacked neatly in one corner, in chronological order. The conference room came complete with coffee and pastries, breads and cheeses. The fortitude was a welcome buffer against the unavoidable jet lag.
Paige sat back in her chair and nodded dumbly. For some reason she hadn’t expected help, especially bilingual help. They all spoke excellent English and were very polite. Every roadblock she’d anticipated became a non-issue. Frank seemed smugly satisfied by her astonishment.
As the day wore on it was all she could do to stay awake, much less concentrate. Two years of high school French and a smattering of German were of little help in identifying and categorizing documents, and she ended up leaning heavily on the staff for clarification. Luckily, numbers were numbers the world over, but by six o’clock their time she felt like she’d pulled an all-nighter and no longer trusted her ability to do basic math.
“I’m beat, Frank. I’m going to have to pick back up in the morning. Should I just take a taxi back to the hotel?”
Frank spun his high-backed leather chair toward her and put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. “I’ll be with you in a second.”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were-”
When he started talking again he snickered like a schoolgirl. Perhaps Kelly had taken an earlier flight after all. So, this was what the upper echelon did for fun? She walked out of his office and asked one of the clerks the easiest way back to the hotel. The girl stole a look toward Frank’s office. His feet were up on the desk and he was making no moves to end the conversation.
“What? I can’t even leave without Frank’s ok?”
“Mr. Evans said that-”
“Look, I don’t know what he told you, but I’m tired. I want to go back to my hotel, take a bath, and go to sleep. So, could you give me the number of a cab company, or just point me in the direction of the subway station?”
“Oh, no! I will take you by car. Just let me get my keys.”
“Thank you.”
A draft circled up her spine as Frank showed up behind her. He brushed the back of his hand up and down the length of her upper arm. “Where’s the fire Ms. Hadley?”
One never quite got used to that crawling feeling. “You run a tight ship, Frank. You must be very proud.” When she turned they were nose-to-nose and her heart was threatening a mutiny. “I just want to go home.”
“Home’s a very long plane ride away.”
“I meant the hotel, Frank. I’ve only slept two out of the past twenty-four hours. I can barely see straight.”
“Well then, all the more reason to give you a ride.”
“Fine. Whatever. Thank you.” She slung her ba
g over one shoulder and tried to rub the tension out of her neck.
“They have a wonderful masseuse at the hotel. You should give him a try.”
She thought about another man’s hands groping her muscles and cringed inwardly. “I don’t think so. Listen, I know I’ve only been here a few hours, but good call on those paper records. I think I’ve got a thread to pull on, so I’ll get back on it first thing in the morning and we’ll see where it leads.”
Frank’s face brightened. “Well, that is good news.”
“He covered his tracks really well. Seems he created a crack in a wall you never even knew existed.”
Frank looked confused. “What kind of a wall?”
“Metaphorically speaking, it seems he could create a wall–like a false front–then slap a little spackle between the cracks, get what he needed, and then take it back down at will.”
Frank looked pleased. “I look forward to a full report.”
“I’ll need another few days to trace it all the way down, but now that I’ve found the false front, knocking a hole in it is just a matter of time.” She smiled confidently, pulling her hair out of the back of her coat. “And Frank? Don’t touch me like that.”
The girl with the keys in her hand stood speechless in the background, looking to Frank for direction. The subtle nod and slight inclination of his head was all she needed.
“Right this way, Ms. Hadley.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as they were out of earshot the girl laughed loudly, clapping her hands in an encore-style salute. Paige stopped walking and kicked one hip out to the side. “What? What is so funny?”
“I have never seen anyone talk to Mr. Evans that way.”
“Well, maybe if more people talked to him that way he wouldn’t have such a God complex.”
The girl looked overly impressed. “How long have you been working for him?”
“A couple of weeks, I guess. What was your name?”
The girl shook her head and laughed some more. “Elena. Come on. My car is this way.”
When they pulled up in front of the hotel, Paige thanked the girl and went in. The concierge handed her a list of messages, one of which was from Frank, reminding her that dinner was at eight in the hotel restaurant. The soaking tub was calling her name, so she headed to her room, reading the other messages in the elevator on the way up. Someone in the clerical staff had found a stack of documents she’d requested, there was a message to call Kevin, and one was from Nate–“Can’t wait to see you again.” One day down, nine to go.
The door to her room shut behind her with finality. She started the tub and kicked off her shoes in the bathroom. By the time she reached the bedroom she’d also discarded her pants and peeled off her sweater, dropping them wherever they fell, and popped her laptop open to check email while the bathtub was filling.
“Do you always check your mail partially naked? Cause if you do, I should stay home from work more often.”
Paige spun around to find Nate sitting quietly in a chair by the window, watching her with an enormous grin on his face.
Her mouth dropped open and she let out a high-pitched squeal. “Oh my God!”
He stood up just in time to catch her as she jumped into his arms. When he spun her around, they fell onto the bed.
“I am so glad to see you! What are you doing here?” She pulled back. “How on earth did you get into my room?”
“Didn’t you get my message? I told you I couldn’t wait to see you again.” His kiss was tender and affectionate. “I wasn’t kidding.”
“I can’t believe you did this! You’re a nut, you know that? With entirely too much disposable income!”
He couldn’t stop grinning. “I’m glad you’re happy about it.”
“Of course I’m happy! Why wouldn’t I be happy?”
He rolled her over so they were lying face to face and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “I wouldn’t want to cramp your independent spirit.”
“Not a chance, cowboy.”
He traced the side of her cheek with one finger. “I couldn’t sleep last night after we talked.”
“You should’ve stuffed the pillows behind your back–worked like a charm.”
“I’d rather have the real thing.” He cupped her head in his hands and pulled her into his mouth.
“What about my bath?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get there…”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I trust everyone. It’s the devil inside them I don’t trust.”
The Italian Job
Nate caught the scowl on Frank’s face when the two of them showed up for what was obviously intended as a tête-à-tête. He was seated at a small table for two in the back corner of the dimly lit restaurant. They were quickly moved to another table, but Frank was visibly miffed.
Paige looked absolutely stunning in a basic black dress and heels, but if she knew it, she certainly wasn’t taking advantage of it. It wasn’t often that Nate got to see her in action. She was absolutely glowing, sitting there next to him. When she was in her element, talking business, it was mesmerizing. Who would’ve thought a business dinner could be sexy as hell?
Nate listened quietly as Paige filled Frank in on some of the mistakes she’d found so far. Apparently he wasn’t the only one finding Paige’s knowledge and insight attractive.
“You really have a head for business Paige.”
Her professional smile was polite. “So I’ve been told. Thank you.”
Frank swirled the scotch in his glass. “Tell me, what would it take to get you to consider a more permanent working relationship with Evans and Associates?”
Nate squeezed her hand under the table. She stirred her cocktail and looked up at Frank, smiling. “Tempting, Frank. Really. I just-I’m happy where I am. It’s flattering though. Thank you.”
Frank leaned forward. “Let’s say I really make it worth your while?”
“Meaning?”
Frank tipped his head back and forth, considering his explanation. “Meaning I double your salary, throw in full benefits, a pension plan, bonuses, paid vacations–the works.”
Nate couldn’t believe Frank’s audacity. The man’s self-importance was nauseating, and he only played by one set of rules: his own. Nate wanted him in a chokehold, but kept his mouth shut and let Paige handle it.
She stayed perfectly calm. “Why would you do that? You have a very competent staff. On both continents, actually.”
“Because a man like me needs someone he can trust handling his finances, that’s why. In the two weeks we’ve known one another you’ve shown me nothing but good things.”
“Thank you. I–don’t take your confidence lightly. It’s just–”
Frank cut her off mid-sentence. “I like your spunk, although your edges need a little softening.”
Nate’s grip tightened on Paige’s hand as Frank kept up the ridiculous upside-down compliments.
“You think like a man, but you look–very much like a woman, if you’ll pardon me for noticing.”
He gave the appropriate nod to Nate, whose tight-lipped smile, he hoped, was hiding his intent to kill.
“And you do more than just accounting.” Frank continued. “You have this–I don’t know, innate sense of how things fit together and the best way to make them work. That’s rare, my dear. Most accountants are mealy-mouthed little peons that only do what you tell them to and not an inch beyond. They’re boring. They can’t function at board meetings and they’re ridiculous at business dinners. Am I right or am I right?”
Paige was smiling. “I have known my share of socially challenged accountants. But you’re not paying them to schmooze, Frank.”
“Well, what if I want both? You’re different Paige, and I don’t know what to call it, but whatever it is I like it. I want more of it on my team.”
Wow. He really knew how to lay it on thick. Nate took a long drink, convinced that she would decline his offer, but unsure whether or no
t she would do it gracefully.
Paige looked down at the table, then back at his face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll think about it. Please. Seriously consider it.”
Paige hesitated, then took a sip of water. “As long as we’re getting things out on the table, can I be honest with you?”
“Please do.”
“Part of what you’ve said is true. I do see the big picture, and sometimes that works against me as an accountant. Often my clients aren’t looking for advice, so this ‘instinct’ you’re talking about has gotten me into trouble more than once.”
A sly smile spread slowly across Frank’s lips. “Perhaps some men are threatened by brilliant women. I don’t happen to be one of them.”
Nate took another long drink and signaled the waitress for a refill.
“When I doubled my major and paired the accounting with an MBA, I did so because ultimately I wanted to be more than a CPA. Eventually I would like to move into some type of a CFO position, but I’d really like a few more years of broad-based experience before I pursue other avenues. My position with Kevin has me on the exact track I want for now. So, while I thank you once again for the offer, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline.”
Nate squeezed her hand again below decks. He wanted to stand up and cheer.
Frank sighed heavily and raised his glass to the two of them. “Well, I haven’t gotten this far without knowing when I’m beat. To Kevin and Nate.”
“Excuse me?” Paige lifted her glass hesitantly.
Frank held his glass in a high salute. “Currently the two luckiest men on earth. One gets all her brains, and the other gets… everything else.”
They left the restaurant around ten. Nate wrapped Paige in his arm and kissed the side of her head. “You want to walk a little?”
She nodded silently.
They walked the picturesque streets of Bern’s old town arm-in-arm.
“I’m proud of you.” Nate whispered.
“Thanks. Not like it was a tough decision.”
“No, but the way you said no was very diplomatic.”
“I thought so. Especially since he decided to insult me in the middle of offering me a job.”
Letters From The Ledge Page 12