Calendar Girl

by Georgia Beers

  Another knock.

  “Yes?” Addison stuttered, then cleared her throat so the word was more than a croak, tried again. “Yes?”

  The door opened and Janie stood there, a tentative smile on her face. “Hi there. Sorry to interrupt. This just came for you.” She held out a FedEx envelope, which Addison blinked at for a beat before reaching out to take it.

  “Oh. Yes. Thanks.”

  Janie looked from her to Katie, who was now staring at her shoes, and back again, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Then she smiled weakly and left, pulling the door shut behind her.

  Silence reigned for several moments before either of them spoke. Katie opened her mouth three times as if she was about to say something. Then she closed it again and just stood there with that wide-eyed stare, eyebrows raised expectantly, eyes almost black.

  “Yeah,” Addison said, nodding. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. That probably shouldn’t have happened.”

  Something crossed Katie’s face. Was it disappointment? Addison didn’t give herself time to look or analyze. She turned quickly and moved back around behind her desk. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “That won’t…that can’t…that won’t happen again.” She sat, so many emotions racing through her right then, she thought she might faint. Her stomach cramped painfully, and she clenched her jaw to keep from showing it.

  Several more beats of silence went by before Katie spoke. “So, um, do you have a list for the store?”

  Addison squinted at her, not following, her brain still a haze of panic, embarrassment, and Katie’s mouth.

  “You said you needed some things from Office Max.” When Addison still didn’t seem to follow, Katie’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I have to get out of here. Please.” The pained confusion of her expression squeezed at Addison.

  “Oh. Right. Okay. Sure.” Addison picked up her cell, grimaced at the missed call from her mother, and pulled up her list app. “There. I texted it to you.”

  Katie gave one nod and turned to gather her things. She stayed turned away from Addison.

  “Katie,” Addison said, not at all sure what to say next, but Katie held up a hand, forestalling any further words.

  “No. It’s fine. It’s totally okay. I just…I need to get out of here.”

  And just like that, she left the office and was gone.

  The office felt empty. Not only of Katie’s presence, but of light. Of color. Of air. Addison tried to focus on work. She turned to her computer, looked at the sheer volume of email that had come in within the past fifteen minutes, and she wanted badly to concentrate on it. That proved to be next to impossible because of the one question that kept running through her head.

  What the hell do I do now?

  Chapter Eleven

  What the hell do I do now?

  The question plagued Katie as she sat in the parking lot of Office Max.

  Kissing her boss had been a bad idea. No, she hadn’t made the move, but she’d thought about it. Oh, how she’d thought about it. Played it out in her head. Over and over. Which didn’t mean it still wasn’t a very bad idea. “A really, really terrible idea, Cooper,” she whispered into the emptiness of the car. Shifting her gaze to her reflection in the rearview mirror, she pointed angrily at it as she said, “You’re a smart girl. Smarter than most. You know better.”

  She’d also tipped her hand when she was giving her little speech to Addison. Saying she thought they might have something had been as much a surprise to Katie as it had to Addison. She’d had no idea those words were going to slip out, and when they did, she felt inexplicable relief. Had she been holding that in and hadn’t even realized it? Regardless, it seemed like saying the words had unleashed something in Addison as well.

  God, the look on her face, in her eyes when she crossed the office toward me? That want? That crystal-clear desire? It doesn’t get any sexier than that.

  Katie swallowed hard as her blood seemed to speed up in her body and a slight throbbing began—or rather, started up again—between her legs.

  And let’s talk about that kiss.

  No. She shouldn’t dwell on it. She knew that. Addison had said as much. It shouldn’t have happened. They couldn’t do it again. What if people found out? Samantha had regaled Katie with many stories of what a stickler Meredith Fairchild was about her employees fraternizing with a subordinate.

  “God, it was one kiss,” Katie said to her reflection. “Doesn’t have to mean anything. Relax about it.”

  But what a kiss it was.

  For somebody who was so good at projecting herself as cool, aloof, untouchable, Addison Fairchild knew exactly what to do when it came to kissing. Holy good God, Katie had never been kissed like that. Never in her life. She could have stayed there forever, Addison’s hands cradling her face, Addison’s tongue doing indescribably sexy things to her mouth. Katie hadn’t wanted it to end.

  But it had.

  That knock on the door was like a slap, and the panicked look on Addison’s face washed away any sensuality in an instant, like a bucket of ice water thrown on them, the regret clearer than if it had been written across her forehead. All eye contact disappeared.

  Katie blew out a breath of disappointment as she pulled into the parking lot of Office Max. What a fucking mess. She wanted to talk to Sam about it, but since she worked for Fairchild, Katie didn’t want to put her in the position of knowing something damning. Not that she’d blab. She absolutely wouldn’t; Katie trusted her with her life. But this was something she had to deal with on her own. She’d opened this door. It was her responsibility to close it again. And lock the damn thing.

  * * *

  The ringing of the phone on her desk startled Samantha out of a daydream, and her body flinched at the sound. She picked up the handset but continued to gaze out the window. The gray and rain of earlier had traveled on to its next stop, and now there were cute, puffy clouds moving along an electric-blue sky at a fairly good clip, aided by the gentle wind she could see rustling what few leaves remained on the trees.

  As she told the caller that Jack was out of the office for a meeting, her eyes caught the clock in the corner of her computer screen and she marveled at how it could possibly only be 3:00. God, the day was dragging.

  She jotted a message for Jack—he was old school and preferred handwritten messages on those little pink slips over voice mail—and then glanced toward the hallway coming from the lobby. Walking toward her at a rather quick pace was none other than Addison Fairchild.

  God, she was gorgeous. Sam was a devout heterosexual, loved everything about the male form, but she was not blind. She could absolutely appreciate the beauty of a woman, and Addison Fairchild was nothing less than beautiful. She wore a black pantsuit—she was always dressed like she was headed to a job interview any time Sam had seen her—and it was as if it had been tailored for her. Maybe it had, Sam had no way of knowing. All she was sure of was that it fit her like a glove. Her long coat was thrown over one arm, her purse over the other shoulder. Her heels were of modest height. Sam wondered if that was because Addison was already fairly tall or if she had trouble walking in anything higher. Sam loved super-high heels, but only if she was sitting or standing. Walking in them could be such a challenge…

  Expecting her to pass on by, Sam was surprised when Addison stopped at her desk. Up close, she was even more stunning, and Sam absently wondered what her skin regimen was, Addison’s face was so smooth, like she was made of porcelain.

  “Hi, Samantha,” Addison said, her voice low, but her eye contact steady. “Do you have a minute?”

  Sam furrowed her brow, as this was a very unusual request—and also, she was surprised Addison even knew her name—but nodded anyway. “Of course.” She folded her hands on her desk and waited.

  Addison’s eyes darted around the room as if looking for something, and she pointed toward an empty conference room. “Can we go in there?”

  Sam followed her gaze, puzzled. “Um, sure.”


  They walked in silence until they arrived at Conference Room C, which was about half the size of A and B. It was used for client meetings or small committee gatherings. Sam flipped on the lights and Addison closed the door behind them, looking a bit…out of her element. Uncertain. But she seemed to shake it off and pulled out a chair, then took a seat at the small rectangular table.

  “Tell me about your friend Katie.”

  Well, that was a surprise. A weird one. Samantha sat down as well. “What do you mean?” The trepidation in her voice must have been clear because Addison held up a placating hand.

  “No, no. Don’t worry. She’s doing great. She just…” Addison raised her blue eyes toward the ceiling and seemed to search it for a beat or two. “She seems kind of stressed out and I don’t want to pry. Is she okay?”

  Relief washed through Sam. Okay, Addison was concerned about Katie. That, she could deal with. “She’s okay, yeah. She’s got some stuff going on at home and she nannies in the morning for two little twin boys. She adores them, but they can take some energy. She’s got a lot on her plate.”

  Addison pressed her lips together, her forehead creased with what looked like worry as she nodded subtly. Sam didn’t know her well enough to make that call, but that was how it appeared; she seemed…worried.

  Addison said, “She mentioned something about her father being sick.”

  Sam sighed. “Yeah. He’s got dementia. Early onset. It’s moving really quickly and it’s been tough for her mom, emotionally and financially. We used to share an apartment, but Katie moved back home to help out.”

  “Does she have siblings?”

  “No. Only child.”

  “I see.” Addison seemed to take it all in. Sam could almost picture the wheels and cogs in her head churning. She wondered why, what this information was for. Addison shifted then, seemed almost to come back to life somehow. She rapped her knuckles on the table, the worried expression gone. “Okay. That helps. Thank you.”

  That was it? “Oh. All right. You’re welcome.”

  They stood together. Addison opened the conference room door and waved for Sam to leave ahead of her.

  “Do you know if my mother is in?”

  “I believe she’s in her office,” Sam said and gestured with her chin.

  “Thanks.”

  Sam watched as Addison walked away, all tall and gorgeous and commanding. Seeing her worried, if that’s what it was, was an odd experience, and she wondered what exactly that was all about.

  She’d have to call Katie tonight.

  * * *

  Well. That was enlightening.

  Addison walked toward her mother’s office, knowing she probably shouldn’t have asked Katie’s friend to spill details about her personal life, but also understanding that Katie was a private person. Addison had flashed back to Katie telling her how much she needed her job, and at the time, that hadn’t seemed like anything Addison needed to delve into.

  Things were different now, though.

  They’d kissed.

  No. They hadn’t kissed. They’d made out.

  In a very big, very sexy, very memorable way.

  And now she found herself wanting to know more about Katie, little details, things that made her tick.

  Which was bad. Very bad. Addison knew that. It was a path she shouldn’t even glance at, let alone venture toward or walk along. Nothing could happen. Nothing. Not one single thing. The kiss was a mistake. End of story.

  And yet.

  Thank God she reached her mother’s office and put the brakes on this unproductive train of thought. She rapped on the doorframe, and Meredith looked up from her computer and over the rim of the glasses perched on the end of her nose.

  “Addison. Hello, sweetie. Come in.”

  Meredith’s office was about three times the size of Addison’s and appointed with expensive furniture and knickknacks that she’d acquired throughout her three decades of business. Her desk was huge and deep cherry, the chair she sat in burgundy leather that looked buttery soft. The wall behind her was all shelves and covered with books, framed photos of Addison and her siblings, and various awards Meredith had received from the city and its organizations over the years. Curtains hung from the windows in a cream and pink pattern, giving the room a splash of femininity. A wet bar had been built into the corner within the past couple of years, and it always amused Addison, as she’d only seen such a thing on television. She’d grinned as she’d asked Meredith, “What, are you on Mad Men now?”

  Meredith’s glasses were on a sparkling chain around her neck, and she took them off, let them dangle. “This is a nice surprise,” she said as Addison took a seat. With a gesture toward her computer, Meredith told her, “I’m dealing with another of those sexual harassment cases, this time at Riverview.” She was referring to one of the malls owned by Fairchild Enterprises.

  Addison’s stomach rolled. “Staff trying to date?”

  “No, no. This one’s an actual sexual harassment case. One of Jared’s senior security guards has been accused by his female new hire of making unwanted advances.” She blew out a breath, as if this happened all the time and she was feeling overwhelmed by it. Which wasn’t exactly untrue. “It’s his word against hers, and Jared’s having some trouble figuring out how to handle it.”

  “I can imagine.” Addison knew her brother well, knew he could handle conflict when he had to, but it stressed him out. He’d been a tenderhearted boy growing up and he was a tenderhearted man now.

  “Maybe you can talk to him.”

  Addison’s eyebrows went up. “Me?”

  “Yes, you. You handled your issue so well a few weeks back. Jared doesn’t know how to be firm when it comes to people he knows personally. I’ve told him a hundred times not to become friends with his employees, but he doesn’t seem to hear me.”

  “He likes everybody, Mom. That’s how he is. He’s a nice guy.”

  “Still. You’re great at maintaining distance. Maybe you can give him some pointers.”

  “Sure.” Addison smothered a scowl, not liking the description but knowing it was true. She’d made it a rule not to socialize with her staff. She kept herself apart from them. Above them, if she was being honest. She threw holiday parties for them but didn’t attend. She rewarded them with company dinners when they’d earned it, but made a quick appearance, then left them to it. No, she didn’t socialize with her staff because doing so would inevitably cause problems. And just like that, her brain tossed her an image of her standing in her office, kissing Katie Cooper senseless—Katie Cooper, her personal assistant—and she suddenly felt overheated. Uncomfortable. And very much like a fraud.

  “How are you feeling?” Meredith asked, thank freaking God, and Addison was able to refocus her attention on something that wasn’t cranking her body temperature to dangerously hot levels.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Standard answer from my oldest daughter.” Meredith’s half-grin took any sting out of the words. “Are you taking care of yourself? Have you lightened your load? Given some of it to your assistant?”

  Addison flashed first to the dozens of emails she needed to deal with, as well as the three meetings she had tomorrow. Then she thought about Katie, wandering the aisles at Office Max, doing meaningless errands Addison could easily give to an intern or an admin. She kept her sigh internal as she nodded and lied to her mother. “I am.”

  “Good.” That seemed to appease Meredith, as she moved on to a new subject. “Your sister’s Christmas gala is in three weeks. You’re going, yes?”

  It wasn’t really a question and Addison knew it. “Yes, of course.”

  “You should bring a date.”

  Addison blinked at her, taken aback by the odd suggestion. “I should bring a date?”

  “Absolutely. I think it would be good for people to see you with someone on your arm. Or you on someone’s arm. There will be investors and such there, you know. Important people.”

  Addison’s mind
began to race. What was her mother saying? Was this a subtle hint to prepare her for taking over F.E.? Was her mother telling her without telling her that appearances would matter at the gala? And also, a date? She did her best not to groan out loud. Maybe she could talk Sophie into accompanying her.

  “And not Sophie,” her mother said as if reading her mind. “A real date, not a pal. You must have dozens of women who’d jump at the chance.” She smiled warmly.

  Sweet Jesus, how was she going to manage to find a date to a ritzy gala event in less than three weeks? The ideas of an online ad or maybe an escort service popped into her head and her eyes went wide for a split second when she realized it. She stood up quickly, the sudden need to get the hell out of there almost too much to bear.

  “Going already?” Her mother’s voice held a tinge of disappointment.

  “Yeah, I still have some things to do.” Not a lie. Not a lie at all. There were always a million things to do when it came to her job.

  “Well, it was nice to see you anyway.”

  “You, too. Talk to you later.” And with that, Addison was free. She hurried through the open area, past Samantha’s desk without looking at her, down the hall and out the front doors. She reached for the handle of her car door when a stabbing pain ripped through her abdomen and nearly doubled her over. She clenched her jaw molar-crackingly hard, squeezed her eyes shut, and braced herself against the car with one hand, willing her breaths to continue. In and out. In and out. She breathed through the pain until it eased up enough for her to actually drop into the driver’s seat of her Mercedes with a groan of relief.

  Okay, that was bad.

  She remembered that she’d forgotten to take her antibiotics that morning. She’d also forgotten to eat today. Probably not helping the situation at all, but she was rarely hungry. She vaguely recalled the doctor telling her that a loss of appetite was a symptom of an ulcer and that she still needed to get some food into her system.

  Once she’d started the car, she leaned her head back against the headrest for a moment to let it warm up on this cold November day. Out of nowhere, she thought about Katie making her eggs last week and how nice it was to have somebody take care of her like that. Without warning, her eyes welled up and a lump formed in her throat.