Well, at least that was one thing he hadn’t lied about.
The elevator silently rushed them to the top floor and opened with a ding. Lacey swallowed a flurry of butterflies that attempted to exit her stomach as she followed Dawn through a tastefully decorated lobby with a plush Oriental carpet and a smiley receptionist whose greeting was almost too perky.
“Welcome to Newsom Industries, Miss Ames.” The girl could not have been much younger than Lacey, but there was something about her wide eyes and bubbly personality that made her seem like a teenager.
She smiled at the friendly girl before following Dawn further into the office and down hushed hallways with glass walls. She passed office after office, glancing in at the employees like they were animals at the zoo. She kept waiting to see Alex behind one of these desks, but his office must have been in a different area.
At the end of the hallway, Dawn ushered her into a large conference room. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just let Mr. Newsom know you’re here.”
Lacey kept herself busy by pouring a glass of water from the pitcher at the head of the table and perusing the magazines that were laid out on a counter nearby. So the grandfather—the grand poobah himself—wanted to see her. That was oddly encouraging. Having met Alex, it was hard to imagine just why he would need a public speaking coach. He was so not the timid, self-conscious type.
But now it made sense. Her being here was his grandfather’s idea. A little added security that his grandson would succeed. She might be new to the business world but paranoid, overprotective family members were her forte.
All she had to do was give Alex a bit of gentle prepping—the standard “keep eye contact and don’t say the word um” speech—and reassure his nervous grandfather that it would all be okay.
Easy peasy. If she played her cards right, there was every possibility she would be on the next flight home to celebrate her success with her best friend and then head off to her new assignment.
“So you’re the woman who’s going to transform my grandson into a leader.”
Lawrence Newsom’s booming voice seemed to echo off the walls. She spun around to find herself face to face with an older version of Alex. Though he sported wrinkles and gray hair, the old man had the same piercing green eyes and the sharp features of a Roman soldier.
“Hello, Mr. Newsom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He lowered his eyebrows as he took in her appearance. “You look awfully young.”
The look he was giving her now was nothing short of a challenge. He doubted her abilities. He didn’t think she was the right person for this job. Understandably. She was young, inexperienced and had absolutely no right telling anyone what type of cereal they should be eating let alone how they should address their board of directors.
But this was her job. And Lacey had never backed down from a challenge.
She lifted her chin and gave the older man her best poker face. “I may be young, Mr. Newsom, but I know what I’m doing.”
His challenging stare lost a bit of its aggressiveness. Clearly he hadn’t expected her to have a backbone. “Your employers did say you’ve had quite a bit of success so far. How long have you been working as a consultant, Miss Ames?”
“Long enough to understand that what you really want to know is whether or not I can deliver results.” She noted the old man’s surprise with satisfaction. It was one thing for her to doubt herself and to feel incompetent but she absolutely hated it when anyone else hinted that she might not be up to a task.
“All of the consultants at Ackland have been well trained in the company’s methods. I’m sure a man such as yourself did his homework before hiring us. You must know the kind of results you can expect.”
Mr. Newsom nodded in acknowledgment and pulled out a seat. It was only as she watched him slowly struggle into the chair that she remembered she was speaking to a man who was well past his prime.
He gestured for her to take a seat across from him. “You’re right, Miss Ames, I’ve done my research. I’ve heard all about your company’s failproof methods. But I have a hard time believing that my grandson will fall into the same category as every other client you and your colleagues have worked with in the past.”
“No, of course not. Each client is different. Our methods vary depending on the individual’s circumstances but we always—“
“Have you met my grandson?”
“Yes, sir. He was the pilot for my flight out here.”
The older man nodded as though she’d just told him more than she knew. She felt heat creeping into her cheeks at the memory of the night before and ordered her mind to stop before she gave herself away.
“Of course he was flying,” the old man muttered.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing, nothing. Tell me, how does all of this work? Where do we start?”
“We start every client off with the same initial review so I can get a good feel for what kind of work needs to be done. I’ll film your grandson as he gives a short speech in front of a small group of friends and colleagues.”
She could see Mr. Newsom about to interject and hurried on. “I’ll then review the footage with your grandson so we can go over what he needs to work on. After this initial review, I will confer with my colleagues to custom-tailor Alex’s training program.”
He nodded slowly. “All right. But I want you to keep me informed of his progress every step of the way. The board meeting is in two weeks, Miss Ames, and I need Alex ready. The future of my company and my employees relies on it. They need to be confident in my choice of successor or the board will elect someone else to run the company that I built from the ground up.”
He hesitated for a brief second. The hesitation was barely there, but she noticed. “I need you to turn my grandson into the man I know he can be. Not just for my sake--this is not just my vanity speaking here. There are members of the board who would steer this company in the wrong direction. They don’t share my feelings of loyalty to the employees or to the community. There is a lot riding on Alex right now, Miss Ames.”
Lacey met the old man’s stare. “I understand, Mr. Newsom.”
He studied her a moment before giving her a brisk nod that signaled the end of the conversation. He struggled out of the chair and made his way to the conference room door.
“Wait here, I’ll send Alex in so you can get started with your work.”
Lacey let out a giant exhale once the door shut behind him. No pressure. Just the fate of a company and all of its employees. No sweat. Lacey wiped the moisture from her palms and took deep, steadying breaths. First things first.
Alex was on his way to meet her and before anything else, she needed to give him the speech she’d been preparing. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work with memories of their night together muddling her brain every time he looked in her direction. She had to deal with the aftermath of last night first and foremost. She needed to set some ground rules. Then she could worry about the fate of the company.
She downed her water as she waited for Alex to walk through the doors. She would be calm, cool and collected. Once she got this speech over with it would be all business all the time. She took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. She needed him to come in soon, while she was still riding high on the false confidence she’d donned for Mr. Newsom’s sake.
One of the first rules of the job that Rick had taught her was fake it ‘til you make it. She’d rolled her eyes at the time but over the past six months that rule had been the single most important factor in her success. She’d walked into this building acutely aware of her inexperience and feeling totally out of her league. But that little show she’d put on for the old man had left her with a rush of self-confidence. It wouldn’t last long so she needed to take advantage of this feeling while she could.
The door opened, and Alex walked in. Lacey had to remind herself to breathe. Why did he have to look so good all the time?
He’d changed into
a dark gray suit that fit perfectly, highlighting his broad chest and narrow waist. His dark hair was slicked down, and he looked for all the world like the business tycoon his grandfather wanted him to be. Maybe this gig wouldn’t be so tough after all.
“Hey, Lace.”
She felt her shoulders stiffen at the casual use of her nickname. This was it. It was ground rules time.
She opened her mouth to launch into the well-prepared monologue but was interrupted by the door opening again. This time it was a young-looking Indian man with a brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear. He slapped a hand on Alex’s back before making himself comfortable in one of the chairs at the table. Alex looked just as surprised at his sudden entrance.
“Hey man, what are you doing here?” Alex asked.
“Your grandfather sent me in. Aren’t you gonna introduce me?” He was flashing Lacey that mega-watt grin.
“Uh, yeah, sorry. Raj, this is Lacey Ames. She’s the consultant my grandfather hired to prep me for the board meeting. Lacey, this is Raj. He works in accounting.”
Raj leaned over the table to shake her hand and rolled his eyes, doing a perfect imitation of Alex. “He works in accounting. Please, man, is that the best you can do?” He turned to Lacey. “Alex and I have been friends since kindergarten. His dad hired me right out of college. And yes, I do work in the accounting department, but I swear it’s not nearly as boring as it sounds.”
Lacey laughed. “I don’t think it sounds boring at all. Everyone knows that numbers are sexy.”
“Alex, I think I found the love of my life.”
Before Alex could respond, the door opened again. Dawn and the receptionist filed in. Raj took it upon himself to make the introductions.
“Lacey, have you met Dawn and Heather?”
“We met when she first got here,” Heather said. She made a beeline for the coffee carafe, which in Lacey’s humble opinion was probably not necessary considering the amount of perky energy the girl was already exhibiting.
“How’s the first day going?” Dawn asked.
“So far so good, thanks. Did Mr. Newsom ask you two to come in as well?”
Heather nodded. “He said you and Alex needed our help.”
So this was how it was going to be. Clearly Mr. Newsom was the hands-on type. Alex was the only one who seemed to be out of the loop, so she explained what the first exercise was and watched as the blood drained from his face.
“So you want me to just ... give a speech? Right now? In front of everyone?” His look of horror would have been funny if her career wasn’t on the line. If he was this freaked out over giving a short talk in front of his friends, how terrified must he be of performing in front of a group of powerful men and women who would decide the fate of his career and his family’s legacy?
Maybe this job wouldn’t be such a cakewalk after all.
Oh, good Lord. He was so much worse than she could ever have imagined. There was a moment of stunned silence when he finished. Lacey tried to gather herself and think of something diplomatic and encouraging to say in the face of a public speaking disaster.
“That was—er—you were—“ she started.
“A jerk,” Dawn chimed in. She shrugged and gave the room an apologetic look. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
“Dude, how’d you get that stick so far up your butt?” Raj added.
Heather let out a little snort and slapped a hand over her mouth to contain the giggles.
Lacey bit the inside of her cheek. Hard. This was not the time to laugh, even if it was a little gratifying to see Mister Too-Cool-for-School squirming in front of his friends. She had a job to do, and that meant being supportive. But also honest. Sometimes her job was impossible.
“You were stiff.” She finished her initial statement as though the others hadn’t spoken. She kept her eyes on Alex, who was scowling at the room in general. “There is room for improvement, but I think we’re off to a great start.”
All three audience members burst into laughter at the obvious lie.
Oh yeah, this job was going to be so much harder than she’d thought.
Chapter Four
OFF TO A great start? She’d been lying. He knew she was lying. She knew she was lying if the bright red spots on her cheeks were any indication.
Alex gulped half of his beer. The hotel bar was practically empty. Too late for the happy hour crowd and too early for after-dinner drinks. There were only a couple other patrons at the bar, and they seemed just as content to stick to themselves. A perfect refuge for his battered ego.
His beer sloshed a bit when he set his glass down with too much force. What had he been thinking to sleep with the woman who was supposed to stop him from humiliating himself? She was probably enjoying his agony. And she had every right. He was still kicking himself for not telling her sooner. But if he had, would he ever have gotten the chance to see Lacey with her hair down? Probably not. And he most certainly wouldn’t have seen her without her clothes on.
The memory of her lying naked in his arms was enough to suck the air from his lungs. He threw back another gulp. Despite the hatred she was clearly spewing in his direction, he still couldn’t bring himself to regret their night together. He’d had a glimpse of heaven, and now he was in hell. But it was worth it.
He tried to signal the bartender for another drink, but the guy was too engrossed in a conversation with another patron about football to notice. Maybe it was for the best. He’d had way too much the night before. He’d only come in for one drink—a little hair of the dog and a well-earned luxury after his afternoon in front of the peanut gallery.
And tomorrow it would start all over again. That thought made him drain the last of his beer in desperation. He couldn’t handle the thought of two solid weeks of facing his biggest fear. All in the hopes that he could learn to be everything his father was. Talk about an exercise in futility. His grandfather clearly knew it was pointless. But what was the alternative? Let Marcus get control of the company? He couldn’t let that happen for his grandfather’s sake. Or his father’s. Like it or not, he was the company’s only option. He was the last resort.
For the millionth time that day, Alex cursed fate for stealing his father away from the life he’d been groomed for—from the life he deserved.
Alex was ready to start yelling for the bartender’s attention when he was distracted by the sound of the door leading to the hotel lobby closing. He glanced over and saw Lacey standing there. She was staring at him with her mouth slightly open as though she wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to speak.
Lacey was adorable when she was surprised.
Then her eyes narrowed, and she stalked toward him in her high heels. Uh oh. She was equally adorable when she was angry—but she was also a little terrifying.
Hands on hips, she stood beside him, so close he could smell the soft floral scent of her shampoo. “Are you following me?” she demanded.
Alex leaned away in surprise and looked around the nearly empty bar pointedly. “If I were following you, why would I be here first?”
He watched her cheeks turning pink. She really was charming when she was flustered.
“Well then what are you doing here at my hotel?”
“It’s not just your hotel, I’m afraid. I’m a guest here as well.”
It was a struggle not to laugh as he watched Lacey fume over this piece of news. “But why? Don’t you live in New York? Don’t you have a home here?”
Now it was his turn to recoil in surprise. Were those tears in her eyes? Oh God, had he made her cry? Again? Pure panic setting in, he made a move to pat her shoulder but stopped when she turned away to ask the bartender for a glass of wine.
“No Cosmos tonight?” he teased.
He was rewarded with a scowl.
“Oookay. Too soon to joke about last night. Duly noted.”
Whether it was his conciliatory tone or the appearance of a glass of wine, Alex was relieved to see that there were no signs
of tears in her eyes, and her scowl had faded to a look of mild annoyance.
She slipped onto the barstool beside him and took a sip of her drink. “So seriously, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“Seriously, I needed a place to stay. I don’t have a place in the city.”
This was partially true. He probably could have gone and stayed at his father’s place. It was left to him in the will but he hated the idea of stepping foot in that apartment. There were too many memories waiting to devour him.
“This just happens to be the only decent hotel within walking distance of the office so, for the time being, this is home.”
“Oh.” She seemed to be studying him as she took another sip. “That’s kinda sad.”
He felt his lips twitching into a smile at the reluctant display of sympathy.
He wanted to be friends with this woman. He wanted to be able to laugh like they had the night before. At the very least, he wanted them to be able to work well together. He wished there was some way to dispel the awkward tension that had come between them ever since she’d discovered his true identity.
Maybe there was.
He saw her open her mouth to speak and cut her off. “Listen, Lace, there’s something I’ve meant to say.”
She clamped her mouth shut and gave him a nod to continue.
“I am sorry about last night. I swear, I never intended for things to get so out of control. I never meant to lie to you or put you in an awkward position.” He paused for a moment to rub a hand over his eyes. He saw her take a quick, nervous sip from her glass. “I would like it if we could put last night behind us,” he continued. “It’s obvious that I have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks, and I need you, Lace. I need your help. Could we please put last night out of our heads and put business first?”
Lacey was watching him, her beautiful blue eyes wide with surprise. She gave a jerky nod. “Yes, I think that’s a great idea.”
The Morning After: Starting from Zero Box Set Page 34