Calendar Girl

by Georgia Beers

  “That sounds great. But if I show up in sweats and you’re wearing heels, we are going to have words. You get me?”

  Addison chuckled that lovely chuckle. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good.”

  “Hey, Katie?”

  “Mm-hmm?”

  “Thanks for making me eat.”

  Katie stopped her gathering and looked at Addison. “You’re welcome,” she said softly. “Thanks for eating.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You will.”

  Once downstairs and in her car, Katie sat back in her seat and just absorbed the afternoon. It had been unexpected and weird and awesome—none of which had been on her plan for the day.

  “Never a dull moment with that one,” she said into the empty interior. She had one more day of this. Another day of being home rather than in the office. I wonder how that’ll go. Shifting the car into Drive, she muttered, “I guess we’ll find out.”

  Chapter Nine

  “You’re not in your pretty clothes today.” Noah’s observation was astute for a four-year-old, and Katie smiled down at him as they waited for the bus on Friday.

  “You’re right,” she replied.

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t have to today.”

  “Cuz jeans are more cum-ter-bul?”

  “That’s exactly why.” She touched his blond head as the bus pulled up.

  “Ready, Noah? Come on!” Simon gave his brother a tug and Noah went willingly, but not before turning to wave at Katie. Their “byes” came in unison, which only made her heart swell as she waited for them to take seats, then waved to the bus driver as they pulled away.

  Once she’d gathered her things and was in her car, Katie’s phone rang. She hit the hands-free feature when she saw it was Samantha. “Hey, Sam.”

  “You can’t answer my texts? Are you breaking up with me?” Sam’s tone was playful enough, but Katie knew her well, recognized the slight hint of hurt in her words.

  “I’m so sorry, Sammy. I worked a little late the past couple of days, and my mom’s been having a hell of a time with my dad.”

  Sam’s attitude sobered instantly. “Oh, man. I’m sorry, Kate. That was insensitive. Ignore me.”

  “No way. You’re my BFF. I will never ignore you. Deal with it.”

  “How’s the job? Still working for Miranda Priestley?”

  Katie chuckled, then said, “You know what? For the first time since I started, I’m actually looking forward to seeing her today.”

  “Really. Explain.”

  Katie detailed the past couple of days as she drove, told Sam about Addison’s insult and her response to it, how they’d actually worked as a team yesterday. “Not only that, I’m in jeans and a hoodie.”

  “Whaaa?” Sam gasped into the phone so dramatically, it made Katie laugh.

  “Right?”

  While Addison didn’t dress quite as down as Katie did (and Katie wasn’t really dressed as down as she could’ve been), she was definitely more casual than Katie had ever seen her. Her jeans were washed to a very light blue, the worn—though more likely “strategically placed for fashion purposes”—hole in the right knee somehow making them seem sexy. Addison was barefoot, her toenails polished a surprisingly fun shade of blue. Her top was a much-loved—judging by the frayed cuffs—black sweatshirt with the faded Adidas logo in white. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a style that was simultaneously beautiful and fun, and Katie found herself standing in the entryway of the loft, simply staring.

  Addison shifted from one foot to the other, her smile unsteady as she scratched at the side of her neck. “I know. I look like a slob,” she said quickly. “I just—”

  “No,” Katie interrupted, probably more vehemently than she should have as she held up a hand to stop her. “No, not at all. You look gorgeously comfortable.” At Addison’s steady gaze, she thought it better to just push forward and not dwell on—or try to correct—what she’d just said, as that would only draw more attention to it. “Which is exactly what you should be. Perks of working from home, am I right?” She forced a laugh, hoping Addison hadn’t heard the gorgeous part.

  “You are.” Addison visibly relaxed and they got to work.

  For the next five hours, they worked steadily, just as they had yesterday, and it didn’t escape Katie’s notice that they’d really seemed to gel, that they worked smoothly and solidly as a team. What had escaped her notice—and apparently, Addison’s, too—was how they’d shifted their bodies. They’d begun the afternoon on opposite ends of the couch, each with a laptop, tossing suggestions back and forth, asking each other questions about various things. But now, as Katie finished up a spreadsheet she’d been detailing, she looked up and realized the two of them were still at opposite ends of the couch, but now facing each other, their feet in the center and touching. Katie’s gaze was captured by the sight, her own feet in black socks, Addison’s still bare, all four moving slightly as they worked, touching, rubbing against the others, as if neither woman realized it.

  Addison was typing, but when her typing abruptly stopped, Katie shifted her eyes up and saw Addison’s gaze riveted on their feet. Surprisingly to Katie, Addison didn’t look horrified or shocked or angry or embarrassed. She looked…amused. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face when she looked up and caught Katie’s gaze, held it. Something passed between them in that moment, something Katie felt right down to her center. It was both exciting and alarming, and she wasn’t sure what to do with it. After a beat, she cleared her throat and spoke.

  “I have an idea for the Fairchild Rentals charity donation this quarter. Want to hear it?” Did her voice have a nervous tremble to it? She wasn’t sure. She cleared her throat a second time.

  “Absolutely.” Addison closed her laptop and focused all her attention on Katie, and what was weird was that Katie could feel it. In her blood. Along her skin. Everything suddenly tingled, and a hard swallow forced itself down her throat.

  “How do you feel about animals?”

  Addison’s brow furrowed. “Is that a serious question?”

  “Um…yes?”

  “I love them. Really, are there people who don’t?”

  Katie smiled. “Only idiots. So, have you heard of Junebug Farms?”

  “The animal shelter? I have. I love that place.”

  “I know one of the volunteers, and her girlfriend is in charge of adoption there. I’m sure she could get us in to see the right person about donating, but I also thought maybe we could donate some time. Maybe walk some of the dogs or offer to help with the horses or goats.”

  A tiny gasp escaped Addison’s lips and she covered her mouth with her fingers as if it startled her. “They have goats there?”

  Katie grinned because, seriously, a week ago? She never would have described Addison Fairchild as cute. Or adorable. But she was both right then, with her wide, hopeful eyes. “They do.”

  “Then we must go there.”

  Katie’s smile got wider; she could feel it stretch across her face. “It’ll be great for you to show your face there. I’ll take some photos and we’ll put them up on the website.”

  “And I’ll get to play with goats.”

  “And you’ll get to play with goats. Yes.”

  “I’m in.”

  “Good. I’ll make the call.”

  Again, their gazes held for a beat or two extra before Katie’s focus went back to her laptop and Addison’s phone began to ring. Each woman returned her attention to work.

  Neither of them moved her feet.

  * * *

  Growing up a Fairchild, family dinners were very uncommon. After all, Meredith Fairchild was the CEO of a multimillion-dollar real estate firm that she’d built from scratch. Where was she supposed to find the time to cook and eat dinner every night with her family? Her husband had done his best to be around for her and the kids, but once the kids had reached high school, he’d decided to spend most of his time in their Flor
ida home. After that, dinner together was as rare an occurrence as the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl.

  Therefore, when there was a request for family dinner like there was that Sunday, everybody did their best to show up.

  Meredith didn’t cook. She’d never had the desire to learn, so simply didn’t. Fairchild family dinners were always held in the same place: Scartelli’s. It was a small but locally famous Italian restaurant that was on its third generation of Scartellis. Meredith had grown up with Peter Scartelli, and when she was forming her company, Peter was learning the ropes in the kitchen from his father, Joe Jr., who had learned the ropes in the kitchen from his father, Joe Sr. Eventually, Peter had decided to move the restaurant to a bigger location, and Meredith had helped him find the perfect building. Their fifty-plus-year friendship was solid as a rock, and they met often to discuss business, politics, and family.

  Whenever Meredith scheduled a family dinner, Peter closed off one of his private rooms and took care of the Fairchilds and their people like they were royalty. When Addison arrived that Sunday evening, she was the last one. Meredith was seated at the head of the table with Jack Saunders and his wife to her right—Jack wasn’t technically family, but as family dinner discussions often turned to Fairchild Enterprises business, it was handy for him to be present. Plus, the Fairchild kids had known him almost all their lives—and Ed Hayes and his wife to her left, Ed falling into the same category as Jack. Katrina and her husband, Evan, sat to Ed’s left, and across the table from them was Jared Fairchild, the youngest and the only boy. Addison hadn’t seen him in several weeks, so she went to him first as he caught her eye and stood with a smile.

  “Addie,” he said tenderly, as he wrapped her in a hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.” He was taller than Addison, younger, and boyishly handsome. His light reddish-brown hair was always a bit too long, swooping across his forehead just enough to be charming but not enough to make him look sloppy. The freckles that dotted his face made him look even younger than his twenty-eight years.

  “Same,” Addison said, as she let go and looked past at the small blonde next to him. “Hi, Laura,” she said to her brother’s wife, and held out her arms for a second hug.

  Laura Fairchild was quiet and reserved, which meant she was also underestimated. The youngest partner in her advertising firm, her soft-spoken manner and calm demeanor often took people by surprise. Jared had been a handful as a college student, but when he’d met Laura, it was as if every bit of the reliable, strong, intelligent man he could be came screeching to the forefront. Addison had never met a couple who complemented each other the way her brother and his wife did.

  Moving around the table, Addison greeted both Jack and his wife, then moved on to her mother, kissing her on the cheek. Meredith grabbed Addison’s hand and squeezed it before letting her pass by so she could greet Ed and his wife.

  Grabbing the chair next to her brother, Addison sat. The din of conversation went on for a few more moments as a waiter came in to take Addison’s drink order. She asked for a glass of Malbec and was rewarded with one what seemed like mere seconds later. She took a sip as her mother spoke up.

  “I’m so glad to see you all. It’s been too long since we’ve had dinner together, so I’m glad everybody could make it.”

  Two waiters came in with large bowls of pasta and salad and a platter piled high with meatballs. Scartelli’s served its food family style, in large bowls for passing along and sharing with the others at the table. A plate in the center of the table was piled high with slices of warm Italian bread, and Addison grinned when Evan reached for it first. He smiled sheepishly when he made eye contact with her.

  “No worries, Evan. I am well acquainted with your love affair with bread.”

  “Don’t tell my wife,” he stage-whispered, and Katrina rolled her eyes.

  “Please. I’ve met you,” she said, and bumped against her husband.

  Conversation picked up and leveled off and shifted, as it always did when they were all together, and it was always a mix of personal and business discussion.

  “Jared, how are the Brits doing?” Meredith asked, twirling her spaghetti on a fork.

  Jared nodded as he finished chewing, then said, “Great. All five stores are on schedule to open next week.”

  “Great. They’ll catch the tail end of the Christmas rush,” Meredith said, with a nod.

  Jared ran the arm of Fairchild Enterprises that oversaw four shopping malls in two counties. “Have you seen any of the ads?”

  “I saw one on a local channel yesterday,” Katrina commented.

  “And I heard one on the radio on my way in last week,” Jack added.

  “Good. Perfect.” Jared went back to his salad.

  “Katrina?” Meredith didn’t need to elaborate. Her daughter knew what she was asking.

  Katrina gave an elaborate update regarding the hospital and research center, including current construction, donations, an upcoming Christmas fund-raising gala—“You’re all coming, yes?”—and some ideas she had for the upcoming new year.

  Meredith gave a nod of approval. While she was not one to be overtly congratulatory, the expression on her face said she was impressed with all Katrina’s accomplishments. “And yes, I do expect each of you to make an appearance at the gala,” she said, pointing with her fork. Nods went around the table. “And have you taken care of the issue with that doctor and his subordinate?” Her voice hardened.

  Katrina had a moment of looking a bit deer-in-the-headlights, but she recovered quickly, and Addison didn’t think their mother had noticed. “Oh, yeah. All set.”

  Meredith Fairchild was a stickler for rules, especially rules that she’d made and especially around situations that could tarnish the sterling Fairchild Enterprises reputation. “Good. We can’t have fraternizing of any kind. It’s too easy to push it into the realm of sexual harassment, and given the way things are going in this country right now…” She let her voice trail off, most likely knowing she’d said this exact thing to her people a dozen times now.

  “Addison? How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

  “I’m fine, Mom,” Addison said, then opened her mouth to give her own update. Meredith’s voice stopped her.

  “And how is the assistant working out? Are you letting her help?”

  Addison pressed her lips together and counted to five, then spoke slowly, deliberately. “Yes, I’m letting her help. Thank you.”

  “And when is your next appointment with Dr. Garber?”

  “Next week.”

  “Good. Don’t miss it.”

  “I won’t.” Addison tried to keep the frustration out of her voice, and something in her mother’s tone kept her from pushing, kept her from pointing out that she wasn’t a child and that she actually had some progress to report as well. She stayed quiet instead. Her eyes met Katrina’s, and her sister’s sympathy was apparent as she sent a slight grimace across the table.

  Later, as they all sipped after-dinner coffee and the talk had become individual conversations, Katrina scooted her chair around the table so she was next to Addison.

  “She’s just worried about you,” she said quietly, making sure nobody else heard.

  “I know,” Addison said, on a sigh. “But I’m not twelve.”

  “No, you’re not. But you’ve been running yourself ragged for months now, and she’s really concerned you’re going to give yourself a heart attack.”

  Addison cocked her head to the side and gave Katrina a look. “I’m thirty-one.”

  Katrina shrugged. “I’m just telling you what I know.”

  “I was hoping she’d talk a bit about retiring.”

  “Yeah, me, too. I mean, the first of the year isn’t very far away.”

  Addison nodded. What she wanted to say was, “When is she going to decide who takes over?” But she knew that Katrina and Jared both hoped it would be them. Addison wanted it so badly she could taste it. It was the elephant in the room, an
d none of them wanted to point to it.

  “Should you be drinking that?” Katrina asked with a glance at the coffee, her question pulling Addison back to the present.

  “Probably not,” Addison said, then picked up her cup and took a sip.

  Not long after, they all stood and began saying their good-byes. Evan and Jack were talking football while Katrina, Laura, and Jared discussed a new client Laura had been dealing with for several months now. Addison took the opportunity to snag her mother’s attention.

  “Hey, Mom, I was wondering how things were looking for the first of the year.” Doing her best to fix her face so her expression was unassuming, she raised her eyebrows innocently.

  Meredith, of course, saw right through her, as most mothers do. The simple arching of one eyebrow was enough to say, “I know what you’re asking and why you’re asking it and when I’m ready to tell you, I will,” without using any words.

  Addison sighed, needing to let Meredith know she wasn’t happy with this response.

  “You haven’t gotten any pushback from Kyle Bannon, have you?” Meredith asked instead, smoothly changing the subject.

  “No, Mom. He’s the one who chose to leave. He has no grounds for pushback.”

  “He knew better. You can’t be sleeping with your subordinate at work.”

  “It wasn’t harassment, though, Mom. They’re a couple.” Addison was surprised to hear herself defending Kyle, given how easy it had been for her to let him go. What was that about?

  “I don’t care. She was his subordinate. I can’t stand for that kind of impropriety. I won’t. Not when it’s my name at stake.”

  As Meredith turned her attention to Jack’s wife, a flash of Katie Cooper suddenly hit Addison so hard, she found herself taking a subtle step back with one foot to steady herself. Katie at the opposite end of the couch in Addison’s loft. Katie, in her jeans and hoodie, hair in a messy bun, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she worked. Katie, focused on her laptop, completely unaware of Addison’s eyes on her, her feet moving subtly against Addison’s.