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Macy was one of the most competitive people he knew. There was no way she was walking away from Beau’s challenge. Her reluctance had nothing to do with throwing together a monster mash in under seven days and everything to do with spending one-on-one time with him.
“What are the rules?” she asked grudgingly.
“No rules,” Beau said. “I want to see what you can do. Think outside the box. Go crazy. Just do it together.”
“What if we fail?Together?” She peeked at Ross from the corner of her eye. “Neither of us gets the promotion?”
“Je ne sais pas.” Beau loved imitating French nonchalance, but BonTemps was his pride and joy. If neither proved to be a worthy candidate for the senior position, he’d look for someone who was.
It was a huge gamble, for Ross and Macy. She was jeopardizing her career, but he was risking his heart.
Was she worth it?
There was only one way to find out. Pushing the single button he knew would trigger her agreement, Ross whispered, “Chicken?”
She whipped around so fast the ends of her long ponytail flew out behind her. Eyes blazing, she ground out, “Challenge accepted, Beau. For the next seven days, Nelson and I will be joined at the hip tocollaborateon a Halloween bash like you’ve never seen.”
3
Macy stalked past the reception desk, ignoring Eleanor’s question about how the meeting had gone. Fury roared in her ears as her blood pulsed with impotent rage. She escaped into the solitude of her office, barely resisting the urge to slam the door.
Damn Beau. He knew she was more than qualified to step into Erika’s position. She worked longer hours than anyone and had a five-star customer satisfaction rating. She was meticulous about details, scouted new and interesting venues on her days off, and networked with all the movers and shakers in the city. Her events had increased revenue at the company by eight percent every year she’d been on staff. Fifteen percent last year.
Part of her anger was recognition that Beau was right. She wasn’t a team player. Yeah, she was willing to help out if needed, but she preferred to work solo. That way if she failed, she was completely accountable. But if she succeeded, no one was going to steal her achievement and pass it off as his.
Damn Gerald. Remembering his betrayal made her sick to her stomach. Queasy and angry wasn’t a good combination.
She twisted open the bottled water on the corner of her desk and gulped down the lukewarm liquid, relieved when the bile burning her throat abated. Sucking in a calming breath, she closed her eyes, lengthened her spine, and exhaled to a count of five.
Damn, damn, damn. Beau knew her and Ross’s schedules were already frantic. Controlled chaos, but still…last-minute complications were a routine part of business. How were they supposed to manage their existing events, troubleshoot problems, and come up with a high-concept Halloween party in one week?
Together.
That’s what Beau expected. That’s what she needed to prove if she wanted to beat Nelson and land on top.
On top. Of Ross Nelson. Her body tingled at the thought.
“God!” she shrieked in a muted voice, squeezing her eyes shut. The image of his long, lean naked body stretched out on black satin sheets as she straddled his hips—
“Got a minute?” Her eyes popped open as Nelson poked his head into her office, his wide smile fading as he inspected her rigid posture. “I can come back if now isn’t a good time.”
Sunday was right. Nelson was a nice guy. For now. Until he whittled away her defenses and persuaded her to trust him. She closed her eyes, memories of Gerald’s flirtatious looks and seductive promises causing her stomach to knot. He’d been so smooth, and she’d been so naïve. It was bad enough he presented her work as his own in order to land a huge promotion and bonus, but the fact that she’d slept with him left a slimy sensation she couldn’t unfeel.
“What?” She pointed to the chair on the other side of her desk as she sank into the executive chair closest to the bank of windows overlooking Central Park. Her eyes lingered on the orange and russet fall foliage as he levered his body into the seat.
She turned her attention back to him, her skin flushing as she reacted to his nice-guy good looks. Six foot or so with a naturally athletic physique, he wore jeans, boots, and a navy t-shirt under a beige pullover topped by a tweed blazer. Short, neatly cropped dark hair, just a hint of stubble along his firm jawline, and warm dark eyes that invited a woman to freefall into bliss.
“How do you want to do this?” He angled one ankle over the opposite knee, relaxed, in control, not at all daunted by Beau’s impossible, ridiculous challenge.
“How doIwant to do this? As in, I can do all the work and you take all the credit?” Visions of Gerald danced at the edge of her vision, creating a red haze.
His demeanor immediately shifted. His foot dropped to the floor, and he moved to the edge of the chair. His smile faded, and his eyes darkened. He propped his hands on his thighs. “Whoa, wait a minute. That’s a serious accusation when I’ve done nothing to earn your distrust. What’s the deal?”
Shame replaced her suspicions. Nelson had done nothing to indicate he would resort to the same underhanded tactics Gerald had employed to advance his career. For all she’d seen, Nelson had a solid work ethic and brought in almost as much business as she did.
Still…
She was a horrible judge of character. She’d been planning their wedding when Gerald sabotaged her career and dumped her. She never saw the betrayal coming, and it took weeks before she finally got it.
