“I don’t think I’m going to cancel my honeymoon,” he announced, his voice deeper than normal. Huskier in some odd way that sent shivers of awareness throughout her whole body.
Huh? Wait, this didn’t…not cancel the honeymoon? “You’re not?” She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the haziness. “Why not? Why would you go on your honeymoon without Lillian?”
“Because we won’t be married.”
Still not clear. And that smile tugging at the corners of his lips…what did that mean? She blinked, shaking her head slightly as if she could shake out the cobwebs and finally understand. It didn’t help, and Phillip was still looking at her like…well, like a tiger ready to pounce!
Goodness, the heat in his eyes…she didn’t understand it, but that look had always caused excitement to simmer in her stomach, twisting her insides into a chaotic mess. Only Phillip had this kind of impact on her! It wasn’t fair!
Reverting back to business, where she was comfortable, she took a deep breath and pulled her eyes away. “Well, your calendar is still cleared for the next two weeks. Your pilot is standing by tomorrow. I can keep your schedule clear and just…”
“You have a passport, right?” he asked, moving away. He walked around his desk and Marie breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely back where he should be. The desk between them was safer. She could think when he was further away. And she wasn’t thinking about how good he smelled or how tall he was or any one of a thousand thoughts that were constantly flitting through her mind, but at least now she could focus.
“Of course.”
“Good. Go home and pack a bag.”
She stared at him, not sure she understood. “Um…Phillip, why would I need to pack a bag?”
“Because you’re coming with me. We’ll make the next two weeks a working vacation. We can spend a few hours each morning working before doing something more interesting.” He glanced down at his watch. “I’ll go down and see what Joan needs to discuss with me, then head home. You call my pilot and tell him that we’re leaving today instead of Saturday. I’ll call my housekeeper and tell her to pack up for me, then swing by to grab my bags. Then I’ll come by to pick you up at your apartment in…” he glanced down at his watch again. “Two hours.”
A moment after announcing that, he walked out of his office, assuming that she would fall in line with all of his plans.
A working vacation? In Aruba?! Was he serious?
She turned and stared at the empty doorway. Marie knew that he was already gone, but she stood there, waiting for him to pop back into the office and tell her he was just joking.
Aruba? Wedding canceled?
This wasn’t happening. Nope, she’d just dreamed the last few minutes.
Walking back to her desk, she pulled up his schedule for the day. And tomorrow. She had six interviews scheduled for tomorrow. For several minutes, she stared at the schedule, not sure what to do.
If he wasn’t getting married, then she didn’t have to quit, did she?
But…no, this was too much to take in.
The phone ringing by her elbow startled her and she jerked, glaring at the phone for a long moment. But professionalism kicked in and she straightened, picking up the phone by the second ring. “Mr. Martineau’s office.”
“Marie, you haven’t left yet! If you’re going to get everything packed in two hours, you need to hurry.”
It was Phillip and she stared at the wall blankly. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath before she replied. “Phillip, I’m not sure what’s going on. Why would we go to Aruba?”
“Why not? It’s been on my schedule for months. I need a break. You need a break. We’re heading to Aruba. Shut down everything and go home, Marie. Pack a bathing suit, in fact, pack several, and I’ll come by to pick you up. It will be fine,” he promised. A moment later, he’d hung up the phone and she stared blankly at the receiver, trying to process the last ten minutes.
Phillip wasn’t getting married. Okay, she could understand that. He was still taking the two weeks off that he’d originally planned for his honeymoon. Check. That made sense.
He wanted her to go to Aruba with him?
Well, she’d traveled with him before. Many times over the past year. He flew off to various cities and countries, talking with investors, corporate heads, and various groups to get a better understanding of certain investments. That’s what a fund manager does, she knew. And Phillip was brilliant at working the investments under the fund’s portfolio, ensuring that thousands of investors had plenty of money on which to retire. She admired his diligence and his intelligence but…
Aruba?
If there was ever a place to recover from a broken engagement, Aruba was definitely in the top ten. Maybe the top five! A private house, white sands, snorkeling…it was all there.
But he didn’t need his executive assistant there to help him heal.
Her eyes caught on tomorrow’s schedule and she gasped. “The interviews!” Quickly, she lifted the receiver to her ear but before she could dial Joan’s office, Phillip was stepping out of the elevators, walking towards her.
“Phillip!” she gasped, standing up as he approached.
“You haven’t moved since I called you fifteen minutes ago, have you?” he asked. He didn’t stop until he was close. Very close!
Tilting her head backwards, she looked up into those dark eyes, still confused. She remembered the interviews, her schedule, her packing. Her whole apartment was already in boxes stacked up on top of one another. Even her furniture was shifted around, making room for the movers to get things out easily.
“Um…well, I’m not sure that…”
(For more details about “Making her Smile” and links, CLICK HERE)
On the Horizon
Making her Smile is the last of the weekly novellas. The new series, Friends Forever, starts on December 25, 2017 and I’ll get back to my normal monthly release schedule.
A Difficult Man to Love
Hayden’s Story
Book 1 in Friends Forever Series
December 25, 2017
(Click HERE for Details)
Spanish Passions
(This is one of the secret baby stories you ladies have been asking me for!)
Natalie’s Story
Book 2 in Friends Forever Series
January 12, 2018
(Click HERE for Details)
The Russian’s Proposal
Katia’s Story
Book 3 in Friends Forever Series
February 14, 2018 (Yeah – on Valentine’s Day!)
(Click HERE for Details)
The Sheik’s Redemption
(Oooh! We love the sheik stories! And this one has a bit of a mystery to it!)
Arianna’s Story
Book 4 in Friends Forever Series
March 16, 2018
(Click HERE for Details)
Doing the Right Thing Page 8