by Kira Blakely
“Restroom break,” I hastily mumble, not stopping. “I’ll be right back.”
Mattie frowns. I can tell she’s considering accompanying me to make sure I do come back and in time but then the hen talks to her, making her discard that idea.
Now, I just have to worry about Casey.
I go through the gap and make my way through the hedge maze. At the end, I reach a pool and I sit on a chair, out of breath.
Well, it seems I’ve lost Casey.
Why am I even running away from her? I didn’t do anything wrong. Nathan kissed me without my permission. I didn’t want him to.
And what about the kisses after? And the sex? You didn’t want those, either?
I sigh.
Right. Even though I shudder to think of it now, no matter how much I regret it, I ended up being one of Nathan’s women.
Whereas Casey never was.
And she probably blames me for it, so it’s best to stay away from—
“There you are.”
Casey emerges from behind the hedge with her friend right beside her.
I quickly stand up, a lump forming in my throat.
“M-Miss Rockford?” I say, stuttering.
“This is the woman Nathan dumped you for?” her friend asks with raised eyebrows.
Dumped?
I swallow. “I think there’s been some misunderstanding, Miss Rockford.”
“Really?” Casey puts one hand on her hip. “Are you saying you weren’t the one Nathan was kissing at that gala earlier this month? And don’t you dare say you didn’t enjoy it.”
“I was but I didn’t—”
“She doesn’t even deny it.” Casey’s friend steps forward, interrupting me. “What? Do you actually have feelings for Nathan?”
“I don’t. I—”
“Do you think he’s going to marry someone like you?” Casey’s friend stops right in front of me, grabbing my ID. “Samantha Willis, huh? Prima Vida magazine. Archibald Media.”
“Archibald?” Casey asks.
Shit. Now, she knows who I work for. Not good.
I snatch my ID away.
Her friend just chuckles, her nose turned up as her gaze sweeps me from head to toe.
She’s a snooty hawk — no, a duck pretending to be a hawk.
And she’s starting to get on my nerves.
“You’re not from a rich family, are you?” she asks.
Are you? I want to ask. I don’t even know who she is, after all.
I hold myself back, though.
Calm down, Samantha. Show some class. Don’t stoop down to her level.
“No, but—”
“What’s with this thing around your neck?”
Duh? “Um, it’s a camera.”
“A camera? You’re a spy?”
Um, spies don’t have big cameras hanging from their necks. Besides, didn’t she read from my ID that I work for a magazine? Either her short-term memory is much shorter than average, or she didn’t understand what she read.
She’s even stupider than a duck.
“No, I’m a photographer.”
She snorts. “So you say.”
Bitch.
“For all I know, you’re just using that camera so you can get close to Casey and Nathan.”
So, she admits she’s not one of the rich and elite.
“You mean like you’re pretending to be rich, smart and classy just so you can be friends with people like Casey?” The words slip.
I can’t help it. A person can take only so many insults.
Once I start, I can’t stop.
“You’re just trying to impress her, aren’t you? That’s why you’re acting all sassy with me. Why? So she’ll keep taking you on shopping sprees? So you can keep getting manicures and massages for free?”
She gasps.
Yup, she’s not the only one who knows how to say something insulting.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I actually am a professional photographer,” I continue. “If you want, I can take a picture of you right now. Not that I think it will get published. After all, I’m not really sure anyone knows who you are.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “I’m Denise Glenn, Casey’s friend.”
I mirror the gesture. “Oh, is that all?”
Her arms fall to her sides, her fists clenching along with her jaw.
Boy, is she mad now!
What? Is she going to slap me? Pull my hair? If she does, she better be ready because I’m not going to back down.
This squirrel is going to bite and scratch.
She doesn’t do any of those, though. Instead, she takes a deep breath, her gaze going to my camera.
“Give me that thing.”
I step back, my hands instinctively shielding my camera.
Anything but my most prized possession.
“No.”
“Come on.” Denise steps forward. “I just want to make sure it’s working. What’s there to be afraid of? Unless, of course, it’s not working and you’re really lying about being a photographer.”
Lying? Didn’t she see my ID?
“Well?” She extends her hand.
Liar or no liar, there’s no way I’m going to hand over my camera, especially not to someone who doesn’t even know what a camera is.
“No,” I repeat. “Surely, you’ve had enough education to understand those two letters.”
Again, she seethes. “Give it to me.”
“No.”
“I said give it to me.”
“And I said no.”
“Why, you…”
She reaches for the camera around my neck, and I do my best to hold on to it while freeing it from her fingers.
“Give it to me,” she demands, tugging.
“Let go.” I pull back, holding my camera tighter.
That goes on for a few seconds — her pulling and me pulling back harder.
You can do anything you want to me but no one, and I mean no one, takes away my camera.
She sure isn’t giving up. Shit, she’s strong.
But I’m smarter.
Suddenly, I stop pulling, sending her reeling back. She falls ungracefully to the grass, her arms getting dirty.
Oops.
Casey rushes to her side to help her, then glares at me. “My father and my brother will hear about this, Samantha Willis.”
I smirk, savoring my victory for a moment, but stop once Casey’s threat sinks in.
Oh, shit. I’m in a load of trouble now.
***
“Mr. Archibald will see you now,” Henry’s secretary, Lisa, announces.
I get up from the couch where I have been nervously fidgeting with the tassel of the throw pillow for the past half hour.
I’ve been nervous since last night, actually, hardly able to sleep and eat. I’m even more nervous now as I head inside Henry’s office, doing my best to keep my hands from shaking and my teeth from chattering.
But there’s nothing I can do to keep my heart from pounding.
I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the lecture.
I know there’s going to be one, probably the same one Nancy and Mattie gave me. But this is the most important of all.
After this lecture, I’m going to find out my fate.
“G-good afternoon, Mr. Archibald,” I greet him as I step in the room.
“Ah, Samantha.” He looks up from his phone and smiles.
He’s smiling?
“Please sit.” He gestures to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. “I must say that was quite a party yesterday, wasn’t it? The food was great. The women were fabulous. The wine was divine.”
I feel confused. Isn’t he going to get mad at me?
“As usual, the Talbots know how to throw a party. And I believe you had fun, too, didn’t you?”
I hold my breath. Here comes the lecture.
“Honestly, Samantha, I’m surprised.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—
”
“And impressed.”
Impressed?
“I didn’t know you’d made such strong connections while covering these parties. I must say it’s clever. I told you to use this job as a stepping stone and you definitely have.”
My eyebrows crease. “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He pushes a sheet of paper toward me. “Anyway, you won’t be working for Prima Vida anymore.”
My heart sinks. “I’m not?”
I knew it. He’s going to fire me.
“In two weeks, you’ll be working for Seeker.”
“Seeker?”
I can’t believe it. Seeker is the company’s adventure magazine, focusing on quiet getaways, secret destinations, natural retreats and wildlife encounters.
In short, it’s the magazine I’ve been wanting to take pictures for, the reason why I joined the company.
It’s my dream job.
“You’re assigning me to Seeker?”
It’s too good to be true.
“Yes.” Henry nods. “I believe your first assignment is somewhere in Cambodia.”
“Cambodia?”
Now, my heart is racing for a different reason.
But then my mind catches up.
Wait. Why am I suddenly being assigned to the Seeker?
“Did someone resign?” I ask curiously.
“No. We created this opening just for you.”
Just for me.
“Don’t you want it?”
I do. Oh, God, I do, but there’s something holding me back.
The knowledge that this couldn’t have happened just because of me.
“Does this have something to do with what happened yesterday?”
“In a way,” Henry answers. “Truthfully, Allen Rockford wanted me to fire you on his daughter’s request and I was going to, but then I received another phone call.”
Another phone call.
“Let’s just say your connections paid off.”
I frown.
In all my months covering parties, there’s only one connection I’ve made.
Nathan.
“So, I guess I should congratulate you.” Henry offers his hand. “And clear your desk. You won’t be needing a desk anymore.”
I nod, absently shaking his hand.
Fine. I’ll clear my desk.
But first, I have something else to clear.
Chapter ELEVEN
Lion’s Share
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go upstairs,” says the blonde, snub-nosed receptionist in the lobby whose name tag reads Sarah with another shake of her head.
Ever since I came up to her and told her I wanted to see Nathan, she’s been shaking her head, unconvinced by every argument and plea I’ve presented. Even the one-woman-to-another appeal didn’t work. She’s still cold as ice, straight-laced as that white blouse she’s wearing.
“Fine.” I sigh. “If you can’t let me go upstairs, then ask Mr. Landers to come down here.”
“I’m sorry, Miss.” Sarah still has the same expression. “But that is out of the question.”
“Can you at least tell him I’m here? If you only tell him that Samantha Willis is—”
Another shake of the head. “Sorry, Ms. Willis, but I can’t do that. Mr. Landers is very busy and—”
“Oh, I know he’s busy,” I interrupt, running out of patience. “Though he apparently still has time to send me flowers and try to call me. Do you know how many times he’s tried to call me? I don’t know. I’ve lost count. But if he finds out I was here and you didn’t let me see him, I’m sure he’s going to be very upset.”
“Perhaps you can call him then?”
I pout. Really? If I could, I would have, but I’ve already deleted his number.
“Look, if you can just—”
“Mr. Landers gave strict orders that no woman is to bother him while he’s at work at any time.”
No woman, huh? Now I get it. This has happened before. Sarah thinks I’m another of those annoying women who just can’t get over Nathan.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something, Sarah. I’m not here to try to sleep with your boss or steal a kiss or any of that. I’m here to speak to him about something very important.”
“Sorry, but it doesn’t matter what the reason is. I just can’t let you go up.”
God, I feel like strangling her. “Now, listen to me, Sarah. I—”
“Sam?”
I turn my head at the familiar voice then sigh in relief. “Abby.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see Nathan. There’s something important I absolutely need to talk to him about. But Sarah here won’t give me a guest pass.”
Sarah looks at Abby. “Mr. Landers’ orders are—”
It’s all right, Sarah,” Abby cuts her off. “I’ll take it from here.” She turns to me. “Well, as it so happens, Mr. Landers’ 5:00 meeting just got cancelled. That’s why he’s sending me home early.” She sneezes. “And because he probably noticed I’m coming down with a cold.”
“Bless you,” I tell her. “You poor thing. Then you don’t suppose you could…?”
“I’ll accompany you upstairs,” Abby says.
I almost jump up and down.
Instead, I hug her. “Oh, Abby, thank you. Thank you so much.”
She gives another sneeze. “Come on. While I can still stand.”
I follow Abby to one of the elevators, taking deep breaths until it reaches the seventeenth floor. At least the elevator isn’t completely enclosed — one side is built of glass and I can look outside the building, so I’m not as scared as I usually am.
Once the doors open at the top floor, Abby steps out, and I follow her all the way down the hall. At the end, sliding doors lead to a large room, comfortable couches and chairs and overflowing magazine racks on either side. There’s a water dispenser as well, along with a coffee dispenser and two decanters filled with bronze liquid. My guess? Whiskey.
A waiting room. Judging from the drinks and the magazines, most of the people who wait here wait a long time.
And some of them probably need something strong before facing Nathan.
That makes me a little scared, but I hold my chin and shoulders high.
I’m already here. I’m not leaving until I speak to Nathan.
There’s another set of double doors — wooden this time. Abby knocks on one of them. Four quick raps.
I hear a beep, and the light on the door just below the knob turns green. Abby pushes it.
“Abby?” Nathan says in a puzzled voice from inside.
At the sound of that familiar voice, my heart skips a beat. And I scold it.
He used you, remember? Now, get a grip.
“There’s someone here to see you,” she says, holding the door open and gesturing for me to come in.
I take a deep breath and go past the doors.
“Who—?” Nathan stops talking as he sees me, his eyes wide. “Sam?”
Why does he have to be so good-looking?
“I’ll be leaving now,” Abby says, closing the door.
Nathan stands up. “Sam, I—”
“Just sit down,” I tell him, stepping forward. “And stay there. I’m not here to kiss and make up or anything. I’m just here to talk.”
“You mean get mad at me.” He sits down and leans back, running his hand through his hair before tucking it under his square chin. “Go ahead. If I recall, you’re most attractive when you’re out of control. I mean, when your temper is out of control.”
That was no slip of the tongue. That was deliberate.
He’s trying to seduce me.
Thankfully, I’m not the frightened little squirrel I was before. This time, I’m an experienced, more confident…
Wildcat.
“I…”
“While you’re at it, you might want to explain why you returned my flowers and gifts but not my call
s.”
So, I’m the bad guy now?
“What? You haven’t figured it out?”
“Does it have something to do with the envelope you found in my office?”
He knows?
“Or more precisely, the pictures and the book inside?”
He does know.
“I can explain.”
There’s an explanation?
I shake my head.
Focus, Sam.
“I’d rather you explain something else,” I tell him. “Why did you tell Henry to assign me to Seeker?”
“Henry? Oh, you mean Henry Archibald.”
I narrow my eyes. “You know exactly who I mean.”
“So, he assigned you to the Seeker? I’m glad he lived up to his end of the bargain.”
“Bargain? What bargain?”
He looks away. “Just business.”
My fists clench. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ugh, he is so infuriating.
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to clean up my mess.”
“You mean the mess you made with Casey Rockford? She’s still pissed, you know, but don’t worry. She won’t bother you anymore.”
I don’t even want to know what he did about Casey.
“Like I said, I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself. And I sure as hell can get my dream job on my own.”
“Really?” He leans forward, elbows on his desk. “It’s a competitive world out there. If you ask me, it’s wise to accept favors. Climb the ladder however you can.”
“Well, maybe that worked for you, but I prefer to climb the ladder with my own hands and feet.”
“Sometimes, you have to sacrifice your pride in order to succeed.”
“Say those who do not have enough pride.”
“Why?” He stands up. “Why is it that you refuse to take anything more from me?”
“You mean more bullshit?”
He comes around his desk toward me. “Is that all I’ve given you? Haven’t I given you something else? Something good?”
He’s in front of me now, so close I can smell his cologne and feel his body heat washing over me.
Too close.
I take a step back, suddenly feeling like a cornered kitten. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away?”