Not Strictly Business!: Prodigal Son / The Boss and Miss Baxter / The Baby Deal

Had his father spoken about him with everyone in the firm? “I’m here now,” Jack said. “Which is why I wanted to talk with you. We’re making some changes.”

“I heard about them,” Roger said. “I’ve been on vacation and when I got back, everyone was buzzing. The Internet, eh? Are you sure about that?”

“Very sure.”

Roger took off his glasses and pulled out a handkerchief. “Arnie’s been filling me in on your plans. Very ambitious. Very ambitious. A bit too much, if you ask me.”

Jack leaned back in his chair. “Are you saying we’re not capable of expanding our Web sites?”

“Expansion is one thing, but what you’re proposing is something else. But then it’s not you, is it? It’s that new girl. Samantha something.”

“Edwards. And she has my full support.”

“Of course. She’s very energetic, but in my experience, it’s better if we take things slowly. Sort of feel our way. Technology is all fine and good, but this company was founded on print media.”

“Magazines are expensive and change slowly,” Jack said. “We don’t have any publication that has circulation over a million. We’re barely breaking even on thirty percent of our magazines and we’re losing money on the rest. The Internet is a significant part of our culture. It’s not going away. Changes can be made there relatively inexpensively.”

Roger nodded. Jack felt as if he’d just stepped into an alternative universe. If Roger was the head of IT in the company, shouldn’t he be pushing for more technology, not less?

“Arnie mentioned all of this to me,” Roger admitted. “But he’s young and he tends to get ahead of himself. I hope he wasn’t filling your head with a lot of nonsense.”

Jack was willing to respect those older than him and he was certainly willing to listen to qualified opinions; however, he wasn’t willing to be treated like an idiot.

He straightened and stared directly at Roger. “Let me be as clear as possible,” he said. “This company is on the brink of financial ruin. I’m sure you’ve read about our recent problems. The announcement that my father kept a second set of books wasn’t happy news. Doing business the old way isn’t going to keep this company going. We need change and we need it quickly. I believe that technology is our best solution. Now you can get onboard with that program or you can find another company that is more to your liking.”

Roger blinked. “That’s very blunt.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve heard good things about you and I hope you’ll decide to stay, but if you do, be aware that we have a new direction and I expect everyone to be excited about it.”

“All right. I’ll consider what you said. As far as the Internet expansion, I’m concerned about the safeguards. Your target market is children and there are many predators out there.”

Jack wasn’t sure how to read him. Still, the truth would come out quickly enough. Either Roger was with him or Roger was gone.

“Protecting the children using our site is our first priority,” Jack told the other man. “Samantha’s first presentation was on Internet safeguards. She and Arnie are working very closely on that project. I appreciate your concern as well and I would ask you to oversee their work. Feel free to report back to me on any weak areas.”

Roger seemed surprised. “Why should you trust me?”

“I believe you’re genuinely concerned about the children,” Jack said. “You’re also slightly mistrustful of the changes. That will make you a good custodian of the security programs. You won’t let anyone cut corners.”

“Thank you for that. Let me think about all that you’ve said and get back to you.”

“Of course. Thanks for coming in.”

Roger shook hands with him, then walked to the door. Once there, he turned back. “I wish you could have seen your father at work here, Jack. He was brilliant. Simply brilliant.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Restless after his meeting with Roger, Jack headed to Samantha’s office.

“Got a minute?” he asked as she hung up the phone.

“Sure. Have a seat.”

He glanced at the light wood furniture, the bright prints on the walls and the purple sofa by the corner. In a matter of a week or two, Samantha had taken the space and made it her own.

“Interesting decorating,” he said as he settled in a chair.

She grinned. “You hate it.”

“Hate is strong.”

“There’s a lot of really cool stuff in the company storage facility.”

“Some of it dating back to the sixties,” Jack murmured.

“You’re right. I didn’t want to get too wild, but I like having color to inspire me.”

Which, apparently, applied to her clothes, he thought as he took in the orange-and-gold tunic top she’d pulled on over black slacks. Her hair was loose, in a riot of red curls that tangled in her beaded dream weaver earrings.

By contrast, his suit that day was gray, his shirt white and his tie a traditional burgundy. They couldn’t be more different. Which is what had always made their relationship interesting, he reminded himself.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Have you met Roger Arnet?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Arnie’s boss, right? I shook hands with him in passing, but we haven’t spoken.”

“Be prepared. He’s not one to move with the times. He’s opposed to the Internet expansion on many levels. He thinks the plans are too ambitious.”

“Great. Just what I need. The person in charge of a critical department for me not getting onboard.”

“I know he’s going to be a problem. I told him he could get with the program or get out.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s not subtle.”

“It’s my style. I think he’s a little more willing to compromise now. He does have one legitimate concern and that’s to keep the site secure. Children are vulnerable.”

“I agree and I’ve been working with the IT guys on different ideas for that. We’re going cutting edge. No stalkers allowed.”

“Roger felt very passionately about it, as well. You might want to put him on the team.”

Samantha recoiled physically. “Do I have to?”

She sounded more like a twelve-year-old than a responsible adult.

“No, you don’t,” he said, holding in a smile. “It’s your show. You can do what you like. I’m simply pointing out that sometimes it’s better to find a way to work with those who don’t agree with us. If you make Roger feel important and really use him on the project, you’re more likely to win him over. I’ll fire him if I have to, but I would prefer not to. He knows the company and he knows his job. All my reports about him are excellent.”

“Good point,” she murmured. “I’ll do the mature thing and work with him. But I won’t like it.”

“No one is asking you to.”

“Good to know.”

She stood up and walked to a coffeepot on a low table by the window. When she held it out to him, he nodded. She poured two cups.

He took the one she offered and watched her walk back to her seat. He liked the way she moved and the way her clothes swayed with each step. When she sat back down, she sniffed her coffee before sipping, as if making sure no one had accidentally changed her drink for something else.

She’d been doing that for as long as he could remember. He used to tease her about it, which always sparked a furious argument during which she denied the action. Then he would hand her coffee and she would sniff and they would both laugh.

But this time he didn’t say anything. A couple of nights ago, at the pub, she’d shut him down good. She’d been doing it in various ways ever since they’d first met. At some point he was going to have to accept the truth. Samantha simply didn’t want him.

In his world, chemistry usually went both ways, but she was the exception to the rule. No matter how powerful the need inside of him, she didn’t feel it. It was time to accept that and move on.

“Nothing about this job is boring,” she said. “You have to admit that.”

“Right now I’d be happy with a few days of boring. That would mean no new crisis.”

She sighed. “You’ve been going from one to the other. That can’t be easy.”

He shrugged. “It is what it is. I’ll deal with it. Are you still enjoying your condo?”

“Very much. You were right—the location is fabulous. Have you had pizza from that place across the street?”

“I’m a regular.”

She sipped her coffee, then sighed. “I ordered it the other night. It’s amazing. It was so good, I actually had some for breakfast. I’ve never done that in my life—not even in college. Until I tasted their pizza, I never really understood the whole deep-dish thing. But now I get it. Heaven. Pure heaven.”

“Wait until you order their pasta.”

“Really? I might do that tonight. I’m hoping to get out this weekend and explore a little more of the neighborhood. So far all I’ve seen is work and my building.”

He consciously had to keep from offering to be her guide. He generally spent Saturday mornings with Charlie in the park, but a walking tour would give his dog plenty of exercise. They could—

No, he told himself. Samantha had made her position incredibly clear. He wasn’t going to push anymore.

“You can go online,” he said. “There’s lots of information about the city there. Points of interest, planned walks, that sort of thing.”

“Thanks,” she said, sounding a little puzzled. “I’ll do that. But if you’re not busy we could—”

Mrs. Wycliff knocked on the open door. “Mr. Hanson, you have a call from Mr. Baynes.”

He rose. “I need to take that,” he told her, aware she’d been about to suggest something for the weekend. While he wanted to accept and spend more time with her, he knew it would be a mistake. He’d spent too much time wanting what he couldn’t have where Samantha was concerned. He needed to move on.

Saturday, Samantha dressed for the cool, clear weather, then collected what she would need for a morning spent exploring. As she stepped out of her condo, she thought about going up to Jack’s place and asking him to join her. Except she had a feeling he would say no.

Not that she could blame him. She’d been so careful to shut him down time and time again, shouldn’t she be happy that he finally got the message? It was better for both of them if they were simply work colleagues.

She walked to the elevator and hit the down button. It was better, she told herself. Sure Jack was a great guy, but he was also the type of man to push all of her buttons and not in a good way. As much as she liked him, she was also wary of him. He was too much like her father and Vance. Too much in charge. She’d been fooled already—she wasn’t willing to go there again.

Not that she was even looking for a serious relationship, she reminded herself. The best thing would be to find rebound guy and make that work. If only Jack weren’t so sexy and smart and fun to be with.

She stepped out into the crisp morning and drew in a deep breath. Enough, she thought. For the rest of the day, she refused to think about Jack. She would simply enjoy herself and—

Something bumped into the back of her legs. She turned and saw Charlie. The border collie gave her a doggy grin, then barked. Jack smiled.

“Morning,” he said, looking delicious in worn jeans and a sweatshirt.

“Hi.”

“Out to see the sights?”

She tugged on the strap of her purse/backpack. “I have everything I need right here. Maps, water, money for a cab in case I get lost.”

“You picked a good day. It won’t get too hot.”

Was it just her, or had things taken a turn for the awkward? “So you and Charlie are headed for the park?”

He nodded. “Every Saturday, regardless of the weather.”

She rubbed the dog’s ears. The smart choice was simply to walk away. But she was lonely, she liked Jack and she wanted them to be friends.

“Can a non-dog owner come along?” she asked.

He hesitated, but before she could retract the question, he smiled. “Sure. When I get tired of throwing Charlie the Frisbee, you can take over.”

“I’d like that.” She fell into step beside him. “So how did you get Charlie? Did you grow up with dogs in the house?”

“No. I wasn’t actually looking for a pet. Then a buddy from my law firm invited me over for dinner. I learned later it was with an ulterior motive. His dog had six-week-old puppies he was looking to sell to unsuspecting friends. Charlie and I bonded over a game of tag.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought a hotshot-attorney type could be influenced so easily.”

“Don’t tell anyone. He moved in a couple of weeks later and I quickly found out that puppies are a ton of work. For a year he chewed everything he could get his teeth on. Then I took him to obedience training and now we understand each other better.”

They stopped at the red light on the corner. Charlie waited patiently until the light changed, then led them along the crosswalk.

“Have you been reading the papers?” Jack asked.

She had a feeling he didn’t mean the fashion reports. “I’ve noticed there was some local coverage on Hanson Media Group, but I could only find a couple of articles in the national papers. You’re right—there wasn’t all that much press.”

“Sometimes it’s good to be small, relatively speaking. Now if we were one of the networks, it would be a different story.”

“I’m surprised no one ever made any offer to buy the company out,” she said. “So much of entertainment is now controlled by conglomerates.”

“For all I know my father’s been fighting off offers for years. He wouldn’t sell and risk losing his name on the letterhead.”

He sounded bitter as he spoke. “You don’t agree?” she asked.

“It’s not my thing. I don’t need to be the center of the universe, at least as my father defined it.”

They’d reached the park.

“The dog zone is on the other side,” he said. “Hope you don’t mind the hike.”

“Exercise is my friend,” she said with a grin. “At least that’s what I tell myself.”

“There’s a gym in the building.”

“They showed it to me on my tour. Very impressive.” There had been several treadmills and ellipticals, along with weight machines and three sets of free weights.

“I work out every morning,” Jack said. “It’s pretty quiet at five.”

“In the morning?” She shuddered. “That’s because more normal people are sleeping. I can’t believe you get up that early.”

“I’m lucky. I don’t need a lot of sleep.”

“Apparently not. Most of the year, it’s dark at that time.”

“They have lights in the gym.”

They’d need more than that to get her there. Coffee, for starters. And bagels.

“I’m not really into the whole sweat thing,” Samantha told him. “I’ve been lucky. I don’t seem to gain weight.”

It sort of went with what was kindly referred to as a boyish figure. She decided it was a trade-off. Sure she didn’t have anything to fill out her bras and padding was required to hint at anything resembling cleavage, but she’d never counted calories or given up carbs. She could eat what she wanted and still have the world’s boniest butt.

“Exercise isn’t just about weight loss. It keeps you healthy.”

“So does getting enough sleep. Besides, I’m a big walker. I can go for miles.” As long as there was plenty of food along the way. One of the things she missed about New York. All the street vendors and little delis where a pretzel or ice-cream craving could be instantly satisfied.

They walked through a grove of trees and came out in a huge open area. There were already a half-dozen dog owners and their pets running around. Jack found a spot in the sun and set down his backpack.

“Equipment,” she said. “So what exactly is involved in your Saturday-morning ritual?”

He pulled out a blanket. “For me,” he said. Then a ball. “For Charlie. We start with this and work up to the Frisbee.”

He unclipped Charlie from the leash, then threw the red rubber ball what seemed like at least a quarter mile.

Charlie took off after it, grabbed it and raced toward him.

“Impressive,” she said. “The dogs don’t get crabby with each other?”

“Not usually. Most people know if their dogs are social or not. There have been the occasional fights, but it’s rare.”

Charlie bounded toward them and dropped the ball at her feet. She winced.

“I throw like a girl,” she told the dog. “You won’t be impressed.”

Jack laughed. “Come on. He’s not going to be critical.”

“Uh-huh. You say that now, but neither of you has seen me throw.”

She picked up the slightly slobbery ball, braced herself and threw as hard as she could. It made it, oh, maybe a third of the way it had before. Charlie shot her a look that clearly asked if that was the best she could do before running after the ball. This time when he returned, he dropped it at Jack’s feet.

“So much for not being critical,” she said.

Jack laughed and tossed the ball again.

They settled on the blanket. The sun felt good in the cool morning. She could hear laughter and dogs barking. Families with children in strollers walked on the paved path that went around the dog park. There was the occasional canine tussle, but as Jack had said, no real trouble.

After about fifteen minutes of catch, Charlie came back and flopped down next to them.

“He’s just resting,” Jack told her. “Soon he’ll be ready for the Frisbee. Then watch out. He can catch just about anything.”

She rubbed the dog’s belly. “I can’t wait to see him in action.”

“He’ll show off for you.”

“I hope so.”

Charlie licked her arm, then closed his eyes and wiggled in the sun.

“What a life,” she said. “I used to see dogs in New York all the time. I wondered what it was like for them to be in a city, but Charlie is hardly suffering.”

Jack narrowed his gaze. “Is that a crack about the doggy day care?”

“No. Of course not. Why would I say anything about that?” She was careful not to smile as she spoke.

“Somehow I don’t believe you, so I’m going to change the subject. Do you miss New York?”

She crossed her legs and shrugged out of her jacket. “Sure. It’s a great city. But I can already see the potential here. The feeling is different, but in a good way. In New York I always felt I had to be going or doing or I’d miss something. I don’t feel so frantic here.”

“I like it. And the people. Are you missing your ex?”

A subtle way to ask about her divorce, she thought. It was a fair question. “No. The marriage was over long before I left. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice.”

“Did he agree with that?”

“No. Vance wasn’t happy about me leaving.” She ignored the memories of fights and screaming. “I just couldn’t trust him anymore and once trust is destroyed, it’s over.”

“He cheated?”

The question surprised her until she realized it was a logical assumption, based on what she’d said. “Nothing that simple. I met Vance through my work—a fundraiser I worked on. He’s a cardiologist. He has an excellent reputation and everyone who knew us both thought we’d make a great couple. So did I. He was divorced, but was still really close with his kids. I thought that meant something.”

Jack frowned. “You wanted kids.”

“I’m surprised you remembered.”

“You used to talk about it.”

She laughed. “Right. You thought two was plenty. I wanted four. You were uncomfortable with three because an odd number would make travel difficult. Ever practical.”

“It’s true. Try finding a hotel room that sleeps five.”

“Okay. Good point. Anyway Vance knew I wanted children. We discussed it at length.” That’s what got her, she thought. That he’d agreed. “We even discussed names.”

“He changed his mind?”

“More than that. He lied.” She shook her head. “I was such a fool. We decided to wait a little, get settled in our marriage. Then, when I was ready to start trying, he kept putting it off. I never suspected anything. Finally I pressured him into agreeing it was time.”

She paused as she mentally edited her past. There were so many other reasons she’d left Vance, but this was the easiest to explain.

“Nothing happened,” she said. “Months went by. Finally, I spoke to my doctor, who agreed to do some tests. It made sense for me to go in first. After all, Vance had already fathered children. I came through fine and then it was time for Vance to make an appointment. Only he wouldn’t. He finally came clean. He’d had a vasectomy after his youngest was born. He’d been lying the whole time.”

Jack hadn’t known where the story was going, but he sure as hell hadn’t guessed the ending. “Samantha, I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” She ducked her head and rubbed Charlie’s chest. “I was so angry, but more than that, I was hurt. I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t told me the truth when we’d first started dating. It would have been so easy. He lied. Worse than that, he let me believe there was something wrong with me. He even hinted at it by telling me his first wife hadn’t had any trouble getting pregnant.”

He heard the betrayal in her voice and didn’t know what to say. The man’s actions made no sense. Why lie about something that was going to come out eventually? Why marry Samantha knowing she wanted kids and he didn’t?

“What did he say?” he asked.

“Not much. That’s what got me. He never took responsibility for his actions. He never thought he was wrong.” She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I can’t tell you how much it hurt to find out the truth. It was as if I’d never known him. I thought he was different. I thought he was special, but I was wrong.”

There was still pain in her eyes. Jack didn’t know how long it would take to get over something like that. He knew a little of her past—that her father had walked out with no warning and had abandoned her and her mother. No wonder she was wary around men.

“Okay, this is boring,” she said, a smile trembling on her lips. “Let’s talk about something a little more perky. Like you. A lawyer, huh? Who would have thought.”

“That’s me—a man interested in the law.”

“Really? But it’s so stodgy.”

He grinned. “Not to me.”

“I don’t know. All those thick books you have to read. Case law. So not my thing.”

“Not to mention the clothes.”

“Yeah. The dark suits would really depress me. So what’s the game plan? You work your way up to senior partner, then torture new associates for sport?”

“That’s one possibility.”

“And the other?”

He didn’t usually talk about his future plans with many people. Not that he didn’t trust Samantha. “I want to be a judge.”

She stretched her legs out in front of her. “Wow—that’s pretty cool.” She tilted her head and studied him. “I think you’d be good at it. You’re very calm and you reason things through. If only the robe weren’t black.”

He chuckled. “Every career has drawbacks.”

“True, and that’s not a big one. Judge Hanson. I like it. All the more reason to get back to your law firm.”

“Exactly.”

“Which means every disaster is something you can almost take personally,” she murmured. “That’s got to be hard on you.”

He wasn’t surprised that she understood. He and Samantha had never had a communication problem. Their friendship had been based on long nights spent talking, arguing and seeking common ground.

“I’ve agreed to stay for three months,” he said. “When that time is up, I’m going back to my real job.”

“The company won’t be the same without you,” she told him. “But I understand why you want to leave.”

Charlie stretched, then stood and looked meaningfully at the backpack. Jack pulled out the Frisbee and threw it. Charlie raced after it and caught it in midair. Samantha scrambled to her feet.

“Did you see that? He’s incredible. Does he always catch it?”

“Most of the time. Border collies are athletic dogs.”

“I guess.”

Charlie trotted the Frisbee back and put it at Jack’s feet. Jack threw it farther this time.

“Amazing,” Samantha said. “What a fun way to spend your Saturday morning. Do you always come to this park?”