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At least he didn’tfire her. His strange mood was perhaps something he indulged in,something that was part of him. He should keep it to himself, shefumed, and not take it out on his employees. It’s not like wedon’t have our own problems.
Deciding to cast hisstrange behavior aside, she dove into the article she was trying tocome up with. The entire team had been brainstorming for hours tryingto come up with a positive spin for the beleaguered airline. Her ideaof free trips, a raffle, and a complete overhaul of the company wasbeing ‘considered’ by the board.
In her experience,the crusty old men who sit on the board of a company make it a pointto veto any idea that didn’t come from them. It wasfrustrating, but apart from storming the room and getting them to payattention, she just had to wait.
She could go and seeNash, but the idea of going back to face him sent shivers down herspine. He was too everything. Too masculine, too virile, too big andlooming. Those were the only terms she could find to describe him.The attraction she’d felt since she first laid eyes on him hadonly gotten stronger.
“Oh, Lord.”She whispered. She was alone in her office and grateful for thepeace. Pushing away from the desk, she went over to the cabinet toget another much-needed cup of coffee. Taking the cup, she wanderedover to the window to look out at the icy blue sky.
Christmas was almosthere and she planned on having her Mom home for the holidays. Theidea of letting her stay in the nursing home was something shecouldn’t contemplate. She was going to get them a big tree andcook up a storm. Some Southern fried chicken, potato salad, collardgreens, everything.
Wrapping her fingersaround the cup, she absorbed the warmth and took a deep breath. Shewasn’t going to lose this job, she thought fiercely. No matterhow nasty and contrary the boss was. She was going to stick it out.
*****
“Perhaps weshould go and have something to eat.” Miriam watched as hecontinued to pace the length of the living room. He’d calledand asked if he could stop by. She’d felt the rush ofexcitement and had said yes immediately. She was preparing for ashowing at her gallery for the weekend and had a lot to do, but shecouldn’t say no to Nash. #
“I’m nothungry.” He told her abruptly, striding over to the mantle ashe gazed into the fire.
“Something istroubling you.” She hated she was required to be like a mother,but something told her he didn’t need a lover right now.
“Business.”He said briskly, disliking the fact he was taking out hisfrustrations on her. The slam of lust had left him reeling. He’dnever had a relationship with an employee before and there was areason for that. He’d seen businesses go bankrupt for lesserthings.
He’d built hiscompany from scratch and there was no way he was going to let hiscock dictate his movements right now. He was too smart for that. Thiswould pass. If he had to use Miriam to make that happen, then so beit.
She wouldn’tmind. He hated himself for what he was thinking. She was a decentwoman, the most decent person he knew, and didn’t deserve himusing her to slake his sudden, vicious thirst for another woman.
Forcing himself torelax, he turned toward the liquor cabinet. “Tell me about theupcoming show.”
Opening her mouth,she started to insist on him telling her what was bothering, butdecided to wait for him to tell her.
“I was in themiddle of choosing some paintings to take to the gallery.”
He frowned over ather. “Did I interrupt you?”
“Oh, don’tbe silly.” Her light green eyes sparkled. “You can helpme choose.”
“I’m notsure-“
“You owe methis.” Taking his free hand, she led him from the sitting roomto the bright yellow and white room she used as her area to create.It was a maze of colors, with some paintings leaning on canvases andothers stacked carefully against the walls.
“Excuse themess.”
“Isn’t italways this way?” He asked her teasingly. The transformation tohis usually hard, cynical face was breathtaking.
“You’reright.” She said with a laugh. Letting go of his hand, shepicked up a painting depicting a man leaning against the thick trunkof a Redwood tree and looking across the river in contemplativesilence. A woman was in the background, standing inside the doorwayof an old decrepit cabin, staring at him.
Moving forward, hetook the painting from her to get a closer look and the memory of themeeting inside his office hit him like a ton of bricks.
“’You canalmost feel her misery.’” The soft voice sounded insidehis head.
“This lookslike the one you gave me, the one hanging inside my office.” Helifted his head to stare at her. “What’s the significancehere?”
She whirled to go tothe window to fidget with several of the paintings there.
“Miriam. Lookat me.”
Closing her eyesbriefly, she turned around.
