“You’re the big cheese in this organization. Get used to being in demand.” Carrie grinned and then added, “Is this the mystery gift?”
Max nodded. “Mr. Morgan has a three-year-old. I thought I’d do better buying him a gift than his dad, but one that his dad will hopefully appreciate.”
“Clever woman,” Carrie said approvingly, taking the gift-wrapped package from Max. “No wonder they made you the boss.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me,” Max said, laughing, “but you might want to practice on some of these people who’ve come tonight. We can use all the extra funds they can spare. Go sweet talk them!”
“No problem, boss,” Carrie said, “but you need to go mingle in the ballroom. I understand that the CEO of EM Media will be a little late, and that he may be bringing his son.”
Max looked at Carrie in surprise. “That would be…different. I wonder what happened to the nanny? I mean, I can’t imagine a man like that doesn’t have a nanny for his kid.”
“Beats me,” Carrie answered. “I’ll just go put this with the other gifts. See you at seven.”
Max turned and made her way to the ballroom, which had been transformed into a dining and dancing space. Doors on either side of the large room opened to a full bar and to a wide balcony. The press of people was growing as she made her way forward, stopping to make nice and press the flesh like a good politician, smiling so hard her cheeks ached. When Carrie gave her the signal, she made her way to the head table while Carrie stood at the podium and spoke into the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” When the guests turned her way she went on, “Please make your final cocktail choices and make your way to your places. Our evening is about to begin.”
The chatter gradually quieted as people made their way to their assigned seats. Max noted that the place on her left was still empty when Carrie began to speak. She knew who would be sitting there, and her nerves twanged as she tried to concentrate on what her assistant was saying.
“Hope For All is happy to welcome you to our annual holiday gala. We have enjoyed a very successful year, but none of it would have been possible without the generous support of all our benefactors. This is the event where we celebrate our partnership with all of you, and where we show you the depth of our appreciation. This year saw a change in administration, and we are pleased to introduce to you our new Director of Development and Philanthropic Programs, Dr. Maxine Cousins. Dr. Cousins, let the guests see your face, please.”
Max stood up just as the last guest walked through the doors with a little boy in tow. Max felt all the color drain from her face, and she steadied herself with a hand on the table, forcing a smile to her lips. Polite applause greeted her, and she sat down hastily, wondering where the child would sit as there was only room for his father at the table. She needn’t have worried. Everett Morgan walked around behind the guests to his spot and sat down, keeping the chair far enough back that he could seat his son on his lap. He showed no signs of having recognized her, for which she was grateful, but she knew that her reprieve wouldn’t last long.
Carrie introduced the others at the head table, including their chief benefactor who waved to the assembled guests without standing. Then dinner was announced, and while the soup was being served, Max racked her brain for something to say to break the ice, to begin the apology she knew she had to give before it was her turn to speak. She finally hazarded a glance to her left and found Everett Morgan’s son staring at her.
“Daddy, the fish lady!” he exclaimed after a long pause in which Max had been transfixed by his gaze.
His father turned his head and looked directly at her for the first time and answered his son without taking his eyes off her.
“That’s a silly thing to say, buddy! You can see she’s not a fish.”
His face showed no expression until his son said, “But Daddy, you said…” He smiled then, a sardonic thing that made Max cringe as he interrupted the boy.
“I didn’t call her a fish, buddy! I called her a fish wife. That’s a whole other thing. Now, stop staring at the lady and eat your soup.”
Max felt anger and shame warring inside her. She had brought this whole mess on herself, and now she had to sit quietly and bear the humiliation of it. How was she to make it through the evening when she wanted a hole to open beneath her chair and swallow her? She had to do something to counteract her body’s reaction, which at the moment was a trembling she could not seem to control. She pushed her chair back, excusing herself, and walked away, finding a side door so she could exit the room and catch her breath.
Once in the hallway, she heaved great gulps of air and clasped her hands tightly together, hoping the shakes would subside. After about five minutes, when her heart had stopped its mad racing and her hands were cold but steady, she went in search of Carrie and pulled her aside. She would begin to make amends first by finding a suitable seat for Everett Morgan’s son. And she knew just the place.
“Whom did you contact to set up this space? I need a chair suitable for Mr. Morgan’s son,” she told Carrie when she found her.
“I’ve got the chair. I set that up as soon as he showed up. What I don’t have is a place to put it.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Max said. “Take me to the chair.”
Chapter 3: Apology Accepted
Maxine Cousins…that was the fish wife’s name. The director of Hope For All. Ev wondered if these people knew just who they had hired to run their show. If she worked for him and acted like that, she’d be out on her ass before sunset. Not that he had told anyone about the incident. He hadn’t known who she was then, and he’d been so preoccupied with Danny that he had only been focused on her for the moment of their meeting. He hadn’t even really registered what she looked like. Trust Danny to remember her. His son was very observant and had a memory like a steel trap. So now he was stuck sitting next to the woman and wishing he could be anywhere but there.
Wiping his son’s lips to get the soup off, he glanced around at a sound near his elbow. He had been vaguely aware that Dr. Cousins had left, but he had been too focused on helping Danny eat and had forgotten about her for the moment. So he thought she was returning and didn’t bother to watch. He was surprised, therefore, when someone bumped into his arm and then apologized.
“Pardon me, Mr. Morgan. We’re just putting this chair here for your son. I’m sure he’ll be much more comfortable here than in your lap, and you’ll be happier, as well.”
The young man smiled at him and placed the modified high chair at the table in the spot that his hostess had occupied. He put a hand on the man’s sleeve.
“Wait a second. Where’s Dr. Cousins? This is her spot.”
“Dr. Cousins is the one who requested it, sir,” the young man said. “With her compliments.”
He slipped away before Ev could say anything further. He set Danny in the chair, strapped him in, and pulled his own chair back to the table. Then he looked around, trying to see if he could find the woman in the dining room. He scanned every table, but she wasn’t seated at any of them. He caught the eye of the woman who had been speaking when he entered the dining room, and she smiled at him. He returned her smile and beckoned her over.
“Good evening…” he hesitated, not knowing her name.
“I’m Carrie, Mr. Morgan. Good evening! How may I help you?”
You might try teaching your boss some manners. Did she think giving up her seat and disappearing from her own party was any way to apologize for being a shrew? He blinked at the thought, but said aloud “I was just wondering where your boss is?”
She looked puzzled. “My boss?”
“Dr. Cousins? The director of Hope For All? She seems to have given up her place at the head table for my son.”
“Yes, sir, she did. If she had known you would be bringing him, seating would already have been arranged for him.”
The woman sounded as though she were gently c
hiding him, but he let that slide. He should have known he wouldn’t be able to find a babysitter on such short notice, not with the way he was picky about who watched his son. Expecting that his neighbor’s kid would have managed to get his ass back home in time to come over and watch Danny had been too much to ask. The boy was notorious for being late, and for getting into trouble that made him even later. Ev sighed.
“No, no, I should be the one apologizing. I should have let you all know sooner.” He smiled again and said, “Whereabouts is she sitting now?”
“At the moment, she’s not sitting, sir. But I expect she’ll find a seat by the time the program portion of the evening begins.”
A waiter arrived just then with the next course, and Carrie smiled at him. “Enjoy the rest of your meal, sir.”
She smiled at Danny as well, ruffling his hair as she stepped away and went back to her place. Ev watched the waiter clear the soup bowls away and then return with the next course. He helped Danny cut up the salad on his plate, and then let the child feed himself while he ate his own. The woman who was now occupying his thoughts did not make a reappearance, and for some reason, that made his ire rise. He didn’t want her making any sacrifices for him, especially not as a way to apologize for being rude.
It wasn’t his way to hold a grudge, and even if she did owe him an apology, he didn’t want her to debase herself in the process. He was sure she had done a lot of work to plan this event, and he had heard that she had a lot of fresh ideas that had already begun to bear fruit. So even if she could sometimes be a shrew, she was clearly more than her bad behavior on Friday night. It bothered him to think that she felt the need to bow and scrape to him because of who he was. He kept looking for her throughout the meal but never managed to see her. Which meant she was not in the dining room. Where the hell was she?
By the time the main course was served, Ev was seriously pissed off, and for a different reason. He didn’t want any self-sacrificing female making him feel guilty about something she had started. He caught Carrie’s eye again and when she came over once again, he said,
“Would you mind sitting with Danny for a moment? I need to do something.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Morgan.” She waited until he stood up and then took his seat. He crouched next to his son and said,
“I’ll be right back, okay? This nice lady’s name is Carrie. She’s going to look after you till I come back. Is that okay, buddy?”
Danny looked up into Carrie’s pretty face, serious as a judge, and Ev knew he needed to wait until his son decided the woman could be trusted. He swallowed his impatience and then smiled when Danny said,
“Okay, Daddy. Look for the fish lady?”
Ev laughed. “Sure thing, buddy. I’ll see what I can do.”
He carefully avoided looking at Carrie. He wasn’t about to disclose any information regarding fish ladies or anything else that would let her know he had had a previous encounter with her boss. The fewer people who knew about that, the better for Dr. Cousins, he was sure. And as the evening wore on, he found himself less inclined to lose her her job over one unfortunate incident. But he also wanted to tell her off for making his evening so stressful with her disappearing act.
He strode out to the hallway and stopped the first person he saw.
“Excuse me. Do you know the director for Hope For All? They’re the organization running this party. Her name is Dr. Cousins?”
The young woman thought for a second and then said, “I heard someone speaking to a Dr. Cousins in the small conference room across the hall maybe about fifteen minutes ago, sir. But there’s no one in there now. The lights are all off.”
Not helpful at all. Ev ground his teeth together, remembered to say thanks, biting off the “for nothing” part, and turned away. He’d probably have to open a few doors to find her. He set off to do the rounds when he caught sight of a whisper of green and blue that reminded him of what she had been wearing. He turned in the direction of the color but whoever it was had disappeared. Hurrying to catch up, he turned into an empty hallway. He followed it for a step or two until he came to a ladies room. This must be where she had gone. Not wanting to be caught standing in front of the ladies restroom like some kind of stalker, he went back to the end of the hallway and leaned against the wall. When the door opened, he straightened up and waited for her to reach him.
She didn’t see him until she had turned the corner, and then she gasped, startled by his appearance.
“Mr. Morgan? Is everything alright? Do you need the men’s room? It’s further down this hallway, on your right.”
She was nervous. Ev could see it clearly, and part of him was inexplicably pissed by her reaction. The rest of him loved the way her hair fell down over her shoulders, which were a warm dusky brown. She looked soft and vulnerable, and it called to something primitive in him. He wanted to reach out and touch the wavy length, and to pull her chin up so he could look into her eyes.
“I’m fine,” he said, shutting down his man brain. He didn’t need to be finding anything to admire on this woman. She was volatile at best, and a sort of client at worst. They should not get involved. “I was looking for you.”
Now she looked scared. What the hell? Did she think he was going to hurt her? Because she cursed at him on a Friday night in a store?
“Why?” That was all she seemed to be able to say.
“You gave up your seat for my son. You didn’t need to do that. I haven’t seen you since dinner started, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t eaten.”
She drew herself up to her full height — she was still, even then, a good six inches shorter than he was — and looked coolly at him before answering.
“It was the least I could do, Mr. Morgan. And please don’t be concerned about me. I’ll be fine. Once the entertainment portion of the evening begins, I’ll be able to sit quietly somewhere and finish my meal. It’s not a problem.” She paused to catch her breath and then ended, “Thanks for your concern. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Ev had the distinct impression that she was hiding a quiet desperation of ever being able to make up for her bad behavior in the store two nights earlier, and she would do anything he asked to fix things. Unbidden the thought of her on her knees before him, pleasuring him, rose before him in such graphic detail that he had to blink to clear it. He was not looking to start anything with anyone, casual or not, and definitely not with this woman. But he could see that she was not going to come back to sit next to him for dinner, and he knew when to give in.
It struck him, as he stood there trying not to find her increasingly attractive as the scent of her perfume wafted between them, that there was something he could ask of her that would not only help her absolve herself of the guilt and embarrassment she was clearly feeling, but would allow him to see her again without having to make a date with her or be too personal. He needed a new nanny, a reliable one, for Danny. Who better to help him find someone like that than the director of one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the state? She would know who to ask, where to look for help, how to vet candidates. He answered her before he could change his mind, knowing that he was playing with fire.
“As a matter of fact, there is something you can help me with. But I need to get back to my son. Once the event is over, I’ll meet you in the lobby, and we can discuss a time to meet to review the help I need. Will that be okay?”
Her eyes bulged for a second, and she looked poleaxed again, as she had done when he had arrived as the starters for dinner were just being served.
“Um…certainly. Things don’t usually wrap up until around midnight, if you mean once the dancing ends. That might be very late for your son to be out, I suppose. But if you’re leaving after the speeches and gifts, that’ll be about ten. So shall I meet you at ten or at midnight?”
Ev had been distracted by her full lips as she spoke, and by the husky sound of her voice. And her perfume was now definitely making him giddy. He stepped away
from her, saying as he did so,
“Ten will be fine. Thank you.”
Then he walked away, clenching and unclenching his fists to relieve the tension in his arms. He had had to fight himself not to touch her back there, and he didn’t understand the impulse to get handsy with a woman who had been rude to him the first time they met. He made his way quickly back to his table, thanked the longsuffering young woman and resumed his seat.
“Look for the lady, Daddy?” Danny was curious, as Ev expected.
“I did,” he said, and hurried to change the subject. “Do you like your dinner?”
“Yes. More salad.”
Ev laughed. He had no idea why Danny had such a thing for salad, but he would see if he could get him some more. Otherwise, he’d have to make sure to double up on it for the next day. Danny never forgot.
“I’ll see what I can do, buddy. But I can’t promise you. It’ll soon be time for dessert. Eat up.”
While Danny ate, Ev looked around for a server, and once he caught his attention, he asked for a second tiny serving of salad for his son. Then he ate his dinner, trying not to look around for Maxine Cousins. It would be funny if it weren’t so irritating to him that he was suddenly fascinated by a woman who had soured his mood only two nights ago. He thought about her as he made his way through a surf and turf meal. She was tall and stately, with a full, some might even say buxom body. Her breasts were like beacons calling to him, and her shapely figure made it hard to ignore the sex appeal that she exuded. Even though she seemed to be completely unaware of it.
“Here you go, buddy.”
Ev looked up to find the server at his elbow with a minuscule serving of salad for Danny. The little boy grinned like the cat that got the cream and said “Thank you!” in a high, piping voice that had the others close by smiling indulgently. Ev smiled his thanks as well and helped his son cut up the leafy greens. Then he left it to him again. Danny had pushed away his dinner plate, but Ev would have to make sure he ate more than greens for dinner, or he’d be starving by the time they got home. And someone had once told him it was never wise to eat just before bed.
Part of the Family Page 3