Baby in the Boardroom

by Michele Dunaway

  “It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other. Even better.”

  “I’ll…I’ll—”

  “You won’t fire him or I’ll testify against you in court myself. If you don’t want us together, you can send me back to my department, and Mark or Brett can handle the PR angle.”

  “So that’s what this is really about.” Kristi heard her dad sputter.

  “Dad, I’m a grown woman and I’ll date who I want.”

  She chuckled as her dad hung up on her. She flipped the phone closed. Mitch had whitened, which was near-impossible as his skin was permanently sun-kissed. “You told him you were interested in me?”

  “Yeah…Sorry, he and my mom are once again trying to marry me off.”

  “You didn’t even ask me if you could get me into this.”

  “No, and I really am sorry, but maybe it’s the perfect solution. The more he thinks about it, the more he’ll want us apart. I could be back in my department by Monday morning. And you’d be free from his scheming.”

  Mitch yanked a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Kristi. This might backfire in a major way.”

  Kristi winced. She’d opened a really big can of worms. Worse, she hadn’t even thought of Mitch’s feelings. “I really screwed up, didn’t I? I’ll figure out a way to fix it. I promise.”

  Guilt overtook her and hot tears prickled her eyes. She stood up.

  Mitch was immediately at her side and he gathered her into his arms. “Hey, it’ll be okay.”

  “No, it won’t. My whole life has become one big, giant mess.” Months of changing hormones had her weeping and tears dripped onto his shirt. He lifted her chin.

  “It’s not that bad and not worth crying over. I don’t mind. As long as I don’t lose my job, the world won’t end.”

  She’d never realized how much she’d taken for granted. “Your job is really that important. I mean, not just because you like it or have to pay the bills. It’s more than that.”

  Pressed chest to chest, she felt the vibrations of his exhale. “My dad’s been out of work for a year. I’ve been quietly slipping him money to pay the bills. My mom doesn’t know that I’ve been helping. I don’t want her to worry about the money. And I want Lauri to have the best wedding possible.”

  “You are a good man. Whoever that girl is, she’s stupid if she doesn’t realize how perfect you are.”

  Mitch tightened his grip. “No, she’s not.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not right that I dragged you into this. I’ll tell my dad the truth tomorrow.”

  “No, don’t.”

  Kristi blinked. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “Yep. You started this, but I’m okay with it. Let’s let it play out. Things might work the way you want, with your father loosening up and sending you back to your old job.”

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  She reached out to touch his face. “You constantly surprise me.”

  He smiled. “If you don’t stop the compliments, you’ll enlarge my ego so much that my sisters will feel the need to take me down a few pegs.”

  “Sorry.” A strange shyness overtook her. This was Mitch. She’d worked with him, kissed him and spent the night in his arms, but tonight had proved that she didn’t really know him. Perhaps she should get to know him better. After all, he was the father of her child.

  Chapter Nine

  Mitch folded his hands in his lap and tried to project an air of calm. Larry Jensen’s secretary picked up the phone. “Mr. Jensen will see you now.”

  After a twenty-minute wait, Mitch was finally ushered into the CEO’s inner sanctum. Here the carpet was plush, the paneling mahogany and the leather rich. No expense had been spared; even the artwork was original.

  Larry remained seated and motioned Mitch toward a chair in front of his desk. Mitch sat and readied himself.

  “How did dinner go?” Larry asked without preamble.

  “We discussed business and I brought her up to speed. She’s not happy being moved to the negotiations team, but Kristi’s a fighter.”

  “She is.” Larry seemed pleased by that fact, Mitch noted, although the reprieve was fleeting. “What is your timetable to get her to resign?”

  “Sir, I just began.”

  “Can the sir. Makes me feel old. Hell, maybe I am old.”

  Larry’s gaze narrowed. “Last night my daughter told me she’s interested in you. To say I’m a little bit concerned is an understatement.”

  Mitch’s surprise wasn’t faked. While Larry never minced words, he hadn’t expected him to be quite so blunt. “Oh.”

  “That’s all you have to say?”

  Being a double agent in real life was harder than it looked on TV. “I’m not really sure what to tell you.”

  “Do you like my daughter?”

  “She was a wonderful boss.”

  Larry snorted. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. She’s using you to get back at me. She’s mad so she’s decided to date someone I won’t approve of.”

  Mitch tried to bite down a retort. Just because he came from a large South Side blue-collar family did not mean he was a social pariah. “I can promise you that I won’t touch her.” Again, Mitch amended to himself.

  “No, that’s the opposite of what I want you to do.”

  “Sir?” Mitch caught himself. “Mr. Jensen?”

  “Larry. No, here’s the new plan. If she wants to date you, go out with her. Tell her I gave you my blessing. It’ll drive her nuts.”

  Mitch had never seen a father-daughter relationship so convoluted. He knew they loved each other dearly, but they were both far too stubborn for their own good. And he was now clearly in the thick of it all.

  “What if things progress?”

  Larry shrugged, unconcerned. “I doubt Kristi’s going to keep you around that long, Mitch. She’s using you as a smoke screen to get her mother and me to stop matchmaking. Once we start accepting you into the family fold, she’ll run for the hills. I’m amending our deal. Let her work until she gives birth. If you can get her to stay home permanently once the baby’s here, you can have your pick of jobs.”

  Mitch had the sudden impression he was far out of his league. He’d agreed to Kristi’s scheme mainly because it would give him a chance to win her over. Now her father had upped the ante. Kristi wasn’t going to like this.

  As for Mitch, the girl of his dreams had been handed to him on a silver platter—sort of—but this wasn’t the way he wanted things.

  The door to Larry’s office burst open with a slam that vibrated several objects on a nearby shelf.

  “Don’t you dare fire him.” Kristi glared at her father as she entered the room. “I can’t believe you’d do this.”

  “Do what? You told me you liked him, so I called him up here to lay down the ground rules for dating my daughter. That’s what any good father would do.”

  She planted her hands on her hips, the shirt she was wearing tightened, revealing a stomach beginning to round. “I can run my own social life.”

  Larry stood and walked over to his daughter. He placed a hand on Mitch’s chair. “Yes, but Mitch is too valuable an employee to lose. Marvin thinks the world of him, and I figured, why not give him a chance? Your mother will be thrilled you’ve met someone.”

  Kristi’s mouth dropped open. “So you’re saying you’re okay with this? My dating Mitch.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? He has an MBA and tons of potential. I can see why you’re falling for him.”

  It was like watching one of those scenes where you wanted to look away, but kept staring, because if you didn’t you might miss something important. Kristi wasn’t good at reining in her emotions, and everything from rage to shock flickered across her face. Her dad had called her bluff and this was something she hadn’t prepared for.

  Larry didn’t let Kristi speak. “I’m going to call your mother and tell her the good news. How about di
nner at the club tonight? I’m sure she’ll want to meet Mitch in this new context. We should get to know him person ally, right?”

  Mitch stood then, seeing an opening. “Larry—”

  Kristi’s eyes widened at his familiar use of her dad’s name “—how about we do dinner later in the week?

  This is all new to us and I’d like some time to romance Kristi properly.”

  Larry nodded as he went behind his desk. “I can live with that. See how smart he is?”

  Mitch dropped his arm on Kristi’s shoulder. She looked shaken. “Do you mind if I take Kristi for some food and we can continue this later?” he asked.

  “No need. We’re good. In fact, why don’t you take the day off? Both of you. Go have some fun. The weather’s finally turned.”

  As Larry picked up the phone, Mitch guided Kristi into the hallway and down to her office. She started yelling the moment he safely shut the door behind them.

  “He’s a demon. He…He…” She began to hyper-ventilate, and Mitch helped her into a chair. She buried her head in her hands. “He wasn’t supposed to go for this.”

  “I know.” Mitch ran his fingers through her hair in a soothing motion.

  “I’m a horrible person.”

  “No, you’re not.” Mitch inhaled her floral scent and sighed. Life had gotten so complicated. It should be so easy. Meet, fall in love, live happily ever after. “Why don’t we play along with your father for a while?”

  “What about your dream girl? I can’t ruin things between you.”

  Mitch continued to stroke her hair and she leaned into him. “Maybe it’ll make her jealous. Make her wake up and see me for who I really am, a guy who’s crazy about her.”

  “She’s a fool for not knowing that already.”

  Mitch kissed the top of Kristi’s head. Silly thing.

  Someday he’d tell her the truth, but not yet. No need to play all his cards too soon. He’d loved Kristi for far too long to blow this chance to win her heart.

  “So what do you say we take your dad’s advice? It’s nearly eighty out there and sunny. Let’s go to Forest Park.”

  “I haven’t played hooky from work in years.”

  Mitch grinned. “Then it’s time you did.”

  THEIR FIRST STOP was the St. Louis Zoo. Located off Hampton, the zoo consisted of ninety landscaped acres.

  “It seems like everyone else has the same idea,” Mitch said as a couple passed them on the raised walkway of the 1904 free-flight bird cage. Kristi watched while a bird landed. Then she and Mitch wandered their way to the structure’s south exit, neither in any hurry. All around, mothers pushed strollers, and young children shouted when they saw animals they liked.

  “Still upset about your dad?” Mitch asked.

  She nodded. “Why does he do this? Why can’t he act like a normal father?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t say my dad is normal, either.”

  “Compared to mine he has to be.” They passed the giraffes as they made their way toward Big Cat Country. She leaned over to look at the leopards. They lay around with nothing to do. “I can understand how you feel, buddy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Trapped. This is their life.” She indicated the third-of-an acre habitat the animals inhabited.

  “So you feel trapped?”

  She shouldn’t have brought it up. “It’s my mess and I’ll fix it. But yeah, sometimes being me isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Poor little rich girl. Sounds so pitiful, doesn’t it? But despite all the privileges I had growing up, I worked hard to get where I am at Jensen. My job is important to me. I don’t want anyone taking that away.”

  “It’s not all of who you are. You might find that things change when you hold your child in your arms.”

  Kristi couldn’t see that happening, and switched subjects by pointing out the lions. All the animals were enjoying spring’s arrival.

  “It’s hard to believe Easter is around the corner,” Mitch remarked.

  “Does your family do anything special?” Kristi asked.

  “We go to church on Saturday night and have brunch at my parents’ house at noon the next day. My parents took us to a sunrise service once when we were little, but once most of us were teens we wanted to sleep in. You?”

  “We usually go to Palm Springs. That’s where my mom’s parents retired.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “Not really. Brunch at the club. See and be seen.”

  “No one in your family cooks?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He dropped an arm over her shoulder, a friendly gesture and one she liked. “I’ll have to teach you to cook. But first, let’s eat lunch.”

  They left the zoo, but not Forest Park, and ate at the Boathouse, which was a new structure designed to resemble early-twentieth-century Midwestern boathouses. Their table overlooked the lake. “Should we rent a paddleboat?” Mitch asked as they polished off some chocolate cake.

  “I’ve never been out on this lake.”

  “Neither have I, which means we have to go.”

  Although the paddleboats looked like fun, they opted instead for the familiarity of a rowboat. The day was perfect, and the hour-long journey gave them fantastic views of the St. Louis Art Museum, the World’s Fair pavilion, a few turtles and several flocks of migrating geese.

  “That was fun,” Mitch said as he rowed them back to the dock.

  “You see people go rowing in movies all the time and we forget we can do it right here in St. Louis. Now where to?”

  “Your choice,” Mitch replied. They ended up visiting the art museum before strolling along the bike path.

  What was important, though, was that they talked. She found Mitch just as easy to get along with outside the office as inside. “So tomorrow, how do we handle things?”

  Mitch paused and an in-line skater went by. “What do you mean?”

  “About us. This dating fiasco we’ve gotten ourselves into. You know how gossip spreads at work.”

  “Let them talk.”

  “I’m worried about that,” she admitted.

  “Why? We can pull it off. We may have to kiss, but you didn’t mind my kisses the night of the Christmas party, did you? Surely you could tolerate a few more…”

  He smiled devilishly, and Kristi’s heart fluttered.

  She had enjoyed his kisses. “Uh, they were okay,” she downplayed.

  “Just okay?” Mitch’s grin widened as he recognized her lie. “Then we’ll have to work on that. It’s been a few months.”

  “Oh, that’s not necessary,” Kristi began, but Mitch’s mouth lowered anyway.

  His lips were firm but gentle and he had that indescribable primal male appeal that would make even the most levelheaded woman swoon. She fought to keep her eyes open, but lost the battle as her lids fluttered closed and a zing began to race through her bloodstream. A light breeze cooled her heated skin, reminding her they were outside in the bright sunlight, in view of everyone.

  She reveled in the sweetness and passion of the moment, savoring every touch until Mitch lifted his lips from hers. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “Tolerable,” she managed to say, not wanting him to realize how much he’d affected her. She blinked as her eyes readjusted to the bright sunlight. “It’ll do.”

  “Good,” Mitch said. He assessed her for a moment, male satisfaction evident in his gleaming brown eyes. “I wouldn’t want us to have to fake that.”

  “Oh, we won’t.”

  “We might need to kiss more. Make certain we’re really comfortable with it.”

  “Uh, not a good idea.”

  Mitch’s eyes twinkled. “Okay, come on. We should get going anyway. If I know you, you’re going to want to check your e-mail and clean out your in-box before you go home.”

  She winced. “Am I that predictable?”

  “Yes, but it’s not a bad thing.”

  But later, as she checked her e-mail, Kristi
wasn’t so sure.

  “THIS IS BAD. Very bad.” Alison shook her head and paced Kristi’s office, which made two of them walking in circles later that evening, after Mitch and Kristi’s lunch date. “How can you go out with Mitch?”

  “I already told you.”

  “Yeah, but I’m still having trouble believing you’d do something this stupid.”

  “Don’t hold back,” Kristi replied bitterly.

  “I won’t. Kristi, you opened Pandora’s box. Nothing can go back in. If Mitch finds out he’s the father of your child, he’ll ask you to marry him.”

  “Well, I won’t. I don’t want to be with someone who’s marrying me out of a sense of obligation.”

  “You’re already on a hormonal roller coaster. What are you going to do if you fall in love with him?”

  “I won’t,” Kristi insisted, although doubt crept in.

  “Well, what if you do?”

  “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” Kristi replied stubbornly.

  “You, the planner, not have a plan? That’s how you got yourself into this mess.”

  Kristi rubbed her temples and took a seat. She had a headache. “The only reason I asked you to drop by tonight was so you’d hear my news before the grapevine fires up first thing tomorrow. I didn’t need a lecture.”

  “So what were his kisses like?”

  “Wonderful.”

  Alison pounced. “Aha! You’re already falling for him.”

  “We’ve always had chemistry.” Kristi rubbed her stomach. She couldn’t believe how her body was changing. She’d already had to buy new underwear and pants. Her pumps were starting to feel tight, as well, and she’d read that her foot could increase by at least one shoe size.

  Alison flopped into an empty chair. “I have no idea what to tell you. I guess just take things one day at a time.”

  “I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying.”

  “AND I THOUGHT THAT we’d do the wedding reception…” Mitch tuned out his sister Lauri as she prattled on about wedding plans. It was now Easter, and down the table, Mitch caught his brother Nick’s amused gaze.

  “More lamb?” Kate asked.