Free Spirit Page 9

  “You’re looking a little serious there,” Priory said, her voice still tinged with a hint of passion. “What’s wrong?” Jacey looked down at her and bit her lip. “You’re not worrying about work again, are you?”

  “A little.”

  “We’ll face whatever comes together.”

  Jacey suspected that whatever she faced, Priory would be nowhere to be seen.

  †

  Priory dropped Jacey at her apartment before heading off to return the U-Haul. Despite their best intentions, traffic made a hole in what time they had left to be ready for work. Jacey dashed upstairs to her apartment, changed, and grabbed some toast to tide her over until lunch. She caught a bus and arrived twenty minutes late. As she rode the elevator to her floor, she braced herself for the avalanche of questions about her weekend. If the water-cooler gossip was working as she knew it would be, her weekend spent with the boss would be all over the company.

  Jacey settled at her desk, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn’t been tackled to the floor and interrogated as soon as she stepped off the elevator. Maybe she could get a reprieve until lunch, which would give her time to settle back into the normality of her working life.

  “So, how was your weekend?”

  Jacey jumped in her seat. “Jeezus, you scared the life out of me!” She glanced up at her co-conspirator at work.

  Lisa laughed. “That good, huh?” She perched on the corner of Jacey’s desk.

  “About what I expected.” Jacey replied had thought about this conversation on her way from her apartment. Now all she had to do was keep calm and wipe off the silly smirk lurking around her lips.

  “Come on, spill it. Give me all the juicy details,” Lisa insisted.

  The conversation attracted Rachel to Jacey’s little cul-de-sac outside Priory’s office.

  “Nothing to tell.”

  Lisa shifted closer. “You spent an entire weekend with that bitch and you have nothing to tell? I don’t believe you.”

  “Come on, guys. I’m really tired. I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

  Rachel giggled.

  Jacey could nearly read her mind. “What?” she said innocently.

  “A fun weekend, huh? Who would have thought?” Rachel said, then glanced at Lisa. They didn’t believe one word she told them.

  “I wish. Moving boxes all day. I had to go back to her apartment yesterday to collect more stuff.”

  “You did? Where does she live?” Lisa wasn’t about to give up.

  “Yeah, come on. Give us the dirt,” Rachel added.

  Jacey thought about that. Last week she would have jumped at the chance in a heartbeat. But now? “What’s the point? She doesn’t live there anymore.”

  “No, but it’ll give us an idea of how much she’s getting paid.”

  None of your damned business, Lisa.

  Good one, Jessie.

  Jacey’s girls decided to make an appearance and this helped to settle her rattled nerves. “Why do you care? You’re not getting your hands on it.”

  “What’s the matter with you? You would have given your eye-teeth to know this stuff last week,” Lisa stated.

  Lisa was right, she would have. Jacey felt herself giving in when a familiar voice rose above the conversation.

  “Why are you all standing around lollygagging? Back to work! Jacey, coffee!”

  “Yes, Ms McAllister,” Jacey answered meekly. She glanced up at her colleagues, giving them a frustrated look. Inside, she was mentally clapping her hands. Priory had saved her just in the nick of time. She stood and walked off toward the small kitchenette located in one corner of the office floor.

  “And two of those cookies,” Priory called.

  Jacey moved around the small alcove with an easy familiarity. She prepared a tray with two coffee cups: one for her boss and one for herself. Jacey leaned against the bench waiting for the coffee maker to warm up.

  “How did it go?” A tall, lanky young man approached her with mug in hand.

  “Hey, Tim. About as well as could be expected.”

  “Did you find your ghost?”

  “Lots of them, since it was Halloween. It was a busy neighborhood.” He remained silent as he watched her. “Apart from that it was pretty quiet.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Oh, come on. You don’t believe in that stuff, do you?”

  “Do you?” he replied.

  “No, I didn’t see any doors opening and closing, or hear any boards rattling, although the toilet was making a racket from time to time.” She turned her back on him. “Which reminds me, I have to call the plumber.”

  Jacey could feel Tim’s gaze boring into her back. She knew he didn’t believe her and, besides, she was a lousy liar. She remained silent while she poured out two coffees and grabbed two cookies. When she turned around, he was leaning against the wall with an indulgent smile on his face.

  “What do I care? I’m not living there.”

  “So there are ghosts.”

  “I didn’t say that. It’s a creaky old house, Tim. Things go bump in the night. I wouldn’t put too much faith in the rumor it’s haunted.” Jacey found a tray and loaded it up with cups, plates, and food. As she brushed past her co-worker, she muttered, “If there was a ghost, I couldn’t think of a person more deserving of its presence.” She left Tim laughing.

  She’d hoped she laid the matter concerning the weekend to rest, but somehow she doubted it. This was something that would hang around like a bad smell—no one knew where it was coming from and it would grow more pungent every day.

  When she reached Priory’s office, the door was closed. Jacey put the tray on her own desk and knocked on the door.

  “Come!”

  A shiver went down her spine. Was this the same woman who, hours ago, made love to her so tenderly? Who promised to be more considerate? Who apologized for any future infraction she may incur, including abrasive words? She hoped to God it was.

  Jacey opened the door before returning to her own desk for the tray.

  “Ms McAllister. Your coffee.”

  “Close the door.” The tinge of authority made it sound like an order rather than a request.

  “Yes, ma’am.” She put the tray on Priory’s desk before closing the door quietly and turning to face her.

  “Relax, will you?” A smile appeared on Priory’s face. “Sit down and have a coffee with me.”

  “But … but….” That word again. Every time she heard it, her mind couldn’t help but fantasize. At least the girls in her head were having fun; it just left her frustrated.

  “What? You’re not about to slap me or something, are you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  Priory reached over to the tray and lifted a small plate. “Cookie?”

  Jacey picked up one. “Thanks. I didn’t get much time for breakfast.”

  “I ate very well, thanks very much.”

  Heat scorched its way across Jacey’s cheeks. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “Well, yeah, it is a bit funny.” Jacey glowered at her. “Okay, I’ll stop.” Priory placed the coffee cup in front of her and leaned back in her chair. “How is the water-cooler gossip out there?”

  “Lots and lots of questions.”

  “Are you able to handle it?”

  “I nearly cracked when you arrived. I don’t like lying.”

  “Just think it’s me you’re talking to.”

  “What exactly do you mean?” Jacey’s irritation turned up a notch.

  “You don’t always tell me the truth,” Priory stated matter-of-factly, “but that’s part of the game.”

  “Game?”

  “Sure. The ‘I’m boss and you’re the assistant’ game. We lie all the time. It could be me trying to hide information you have no need to know in order to spare your feelings, or you protecting your friends. It’s part of life, Jacey. I accept that.”

  “And this is relevant how?”

  “
Relax. Think of this as ‘pretend to play the game’.”

  “That’s what I thought we were doing for the last three years.”

  There was a moment of silence and Jacey wondered if she had gone too far. “I suppose it was. I didn’t like it, but it was necessary. I hope you understand that.”

  She had seen another side of her boss the past weekend: crazy, irrational, and sweet. Certainly not the woman who had badgered her for the last three years. Taking the relationship to the next level had added another layer of complication to their lives.

  “Please don’t regret what happened this morning. I don’t.”

  Jacey nibbled on her cookie as she contemplated Priory’s revelation. Priory moved from behind her desk and placed her hand on Jacey’s shoulder.

  The office door flew open and the CEO stood in the doorway.

  Priory quickly slapped Jacey on the back, sending a blob of macerated cookie flying across the desk to land on a closed file. Jacey coughed violently and Priory placed her empty mug in Jacey’s hand. “Here, take a sip,” she said. “Sir, can I help you?”

  Jacey felt the tremor in Priory’s hand. She knew that her boss would be controlling her aggravation at being interrupted so unexpectedly. But it was the boss, the head honcho, the…. Her girls were busy supplying synonyms to her already-tired frontal lobe.

  I got it!

  He stared at Priory before saying, “Please leave us.” Jacey quickly grabbed the tray and exited by the open door, closing it in haste.

  “Oh shit.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Priory thought she had made some inroads on Jacey’s resistance. Then the unthinkable happened: the boss of the company arrived unannounced. She pounded Jacey’s back in the hope of disguising her proximity to her assistant. Now she had to wipe off some cookie goo from a file awaiting her input.

  “Here, take a sip.” It was a stupid comment, but it was all she could think of. “Sir, can I help you?” She tried to put on her most innocent expression, but it failed dismally. How could she look innocent when she didn’t feel it?

  “Please leave us.” She wasn’t sure who her boss was talking to and she was tempted to leave. Jacey took the decision from her and moved quickly and quietly out of the room. The door closed swiftly and she was left to face the boss, the head honcho, the…. All right already!

  “Silas,” she said brightly as she took her seat behind the desk. That desk was her suit of armor against such foes as Silas Edwards, who was now standing in front of her. That wasn’t strictly true. She barely saw the man, but her rule of thumb was if he was here in person, the news wasn’t good. “What can I do for you?”

  “I just wanted to see if you’re ready for the Christmas celebrations.”

  “Celebrations?” What celebrations?

  He sat down in the chair opposite her. “As you know, it’s your turn to host the executive Christmas party.”

  “But … but … I just moved in yesterday. Besides, it’s in the suburbs and a long drive.”

  “I’m well aware of that and I’m looking forward to seeing your new home.”

  “Couldn’t Sanders—”

  “That wouldn’t be fair and you know it. You knew it was your turn when you bought the place.”

  “But sir—”

  “This year we will have special guests from Australia who are here to complete negotiations for a merger. This will give us the opportunity to get a foothold in the Asian market. It’s very important that we make a good impression, Priory, and I’m trusting you to come through on this one.”

  “What sort of impression?” The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. She had a bad feeling.

  “Ah,” he said as if he had been caught out. She knew he had. “These gentlemen are conservative. Marriage, children, the whole kit and caboodle.”

  “Isn’t that all the more reason to choose someone else? How about Jacobs? He’s a family man.”

  “With two teenage kids from hell. I don’t want World War III from those kids.”

  “Give them money to go out for the night and you won’t see them.”

  “Maybe, but these guys will want to see how we handle ourselves.”

  “And you want a single woman in her mid-thirties to represent the company?”

  “You forgot ‘savvy’.”

  Priory blushed lightly. A word of praise from the boss was rare.

  “That’s beside the point. I’m still single and a woman. ‘Conservative’ does not describe me.”

  “All right. I may be overdoing the description of the Aussies, but you’re the logical choice.”

  “How about Hudson Eddles? He’s higher up the ladder than I am. And he’s married.”

  Silas pursed his lips in apprehension. It was a common feeling amongst the employees for her immediate boss. He had a reputation for being a snake, even though he hadn’t been caught at it. There was also that rumor of an affair or two which had all the girls squirming at just the thought of such a thing.

  “I want someone with integrity. Why are you fighting this?” Silas asked. “I thought you would have jumped at the opportunity.”

  “I would have, but, Silas, there’s only six weeks until the party and I have boxes all over the place.”

  “Take whatever time you need to make things perfect. Enroll that secretary of yours.”

  “Personal assistant,” Priory muttered absently.

  “What?”

  “Jacey is my personal assistant, not secretary. She is an important part of my team.” Where did that come from?

  “Whatever. You nail this one and the world is your oyster.”

  “I’ve recently lost the taste for oysters, Silas.” But she could see he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “All right, but only if we review progress in, say, four weeks. If, by then, it doesn’t look like I’ll make it, you’ll look for an alternative venue.”

  “Fine.” Despite the positive word she knew he meant the opposite. “Oh, and make arrangements for transport. I don’t want thirty people landing on my doorstep expecting to be put up for the night.” It was risky making the request, but she knew it would be near impossible to pull off the party anyway. Her ghostly guests would see to that.

  “If you say so.” He grinned in triumph and she wanted to cry. The whole situation seemed all too much to handle. “Four weeks, then.” He left her office with a spring in his step.

  A minute later there was a knock at her door. “Come.”

  When she saw Jacey, she reached for her. “I need a hug.”

  Jacey quickly closed the door and shoved a chair up against it. Priory didn’t wait for Jacey to come to her, instead meeting her at the door. “Oh God,” she moaned.

  “What’s up?”

  Priory proceeded to tell her the predicament while still in her embrace. She felt Jacey’s shoulders slump and she understood the feeling well. “Exactly.”

  “You could always just not be ready in four weeks.”

  “That won’t work, Jace. He’s expecting this party to happen. I’m screwed.”

  “You’re just tired from the weekend. We both are.”

  They remained in the hug for some time.

  “Shut up,” Jacey mumbled.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Priory whispered in her ear.

  “Sorry, it’s the voices in my head.”

  “They have any solution to this dilemma?”

  “No.”

  “What were they talking about?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  Jacey was delaying. Ah. “Sex.”

  Jacey pulled back.

  “You were thinking about sex. Great subject, by the way.”

  “No, they weren’t.” But Jacey’s blush gave the game away.

  “I have to admit it would make me feel better.”

  “But … it’s Monday. We have to work—”

  “Faster,” Priory supplied. “So work faster and I’ll take you to lunch.” She inwardly grinn
ed. Jacey hadn’t said she wouldn’t; she’d only pointed out they were supposed to be working. Maybe there was some hope after all.

  “And how do I explain my boss taking me to lunch? Why not just hang a sign around my neck?”

  “It’s a thank you for all the effort you put in to get me moved. Surely, your fellow workers wouldn’t deny you that.”

  “They won’t believe it for a minute.”

  “It’s either that or flowers. Your choice.” Secretly, she hoped for the extended lunch and possible “nap” later on.

  “Either way, I’m screwed.”

  “You have to stop using that word if you want to get through lunch uninterrupted.”

  “What did I say? All I said was that I’m screw—oh.” The blush that had slowly been fading from Jacey’s cheeks erupted into full bloom. “Stop it.”

  Priory laughed. “Thanks. I needed that.” As she moved away from Jacey, she felt the empty space. When she was with Jacey, anything seemed possible. “Let’s get this work done so we can get out of this madhouse for a while.”

  †

  Priory sat watching Jacey from across the table. It had been a painfully polite lunch and Jacey looked as if she were about to shatter. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea after all. All she had wanted was to spend some time getting to know Jacey and, hopefully, encourage her to loosen up. It wasn’t going to happen. Jacey’s gaze skittered nervously around the crowded restaurant.

  “Will you relax? We’re not doing anything wrong.” Priory took a sip of her crisp white wine. Jacey applied her attention to the dessert in front of her.

  “But … this is going to ring alarm bells.”

  “For Christ’s sake, woman, this is a thank-you lunch for helping me move. Besides, the CEO told me to enlist your help. Even if nothing had happened, we’d be having this lunch.”

  Jacey stopped the spoon inches from her mouth. “Really?”

  “Yes, really.” At least she’d like to think they would have.

  “This is so out of character for you. People are suspicious already.”

  Priory sat there for a minute and thought about that. Jacey had a point. She had relaxed her business persona after what happened at the house, but how could she become the old Priory again without destroying what she had accomplished so far?