“Okay.” She walked over to her desk and took a seat. “What can I do for you?”
He explained the details of the Blue Naught acquisition, the trip, and his need for someone with knowledge of the media.
Her eyebrow shot up. “You think I’m the right person for something like this?”
He nodded. “I was hesitant to ask you given our... difficulties. But you have media relations experience and Linda recommends you. Plus, I know how good a worker you are.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m also the newest hire in this department, so they can afford to lose me for a few days.”
There was no way he could spin this. She might have been sweet and innocent, but with this new burst of confidence she was ready to face the cold, hard truth. As guilty as he felt about the uncertainty of her new position, he was proud of her. Proud that she didn’t need to be reassured.
“That’s part of it,” he admitted. “But this could be good for your career. You’d be making a lot of good out-of-state contacts, and you’d get credit for working on Blue Naught’s media campaign.”
“I’d be working with you, though,” she pointed out.
“You would.”
“This isn’t good for my reputation or yours,” she said. “The staff is already talking about us. What do you think they’d say if they knew we were going on a trip together?”
“Are you going to throw away an opportunity like this because of what people might say?” He focused his gaze on her, refusing to look away until he made his point. “This is a damn good opportunity, Heather. It’s the kind of chance people in this department dream of. You’ll be working on a media campaign for the most important startup in California. Maybe even the entire West Coast.”
“The staff will think I got this chance because of favoritism. Because of our history.” Her cheeks went pink again and she lowered her eyes. “Believe me, Simon, I’m grateful for this opportunity, but I want to earn it. I haven’t even worked at Dover that long.”
“You’ve earned it,” he insisted. “You’ve been recommended by your supervisor, you’ve already worked with me, which means we work well together, and you have prior experience with media relations. We have a history, but don’t sell yourself short because of it. You have just as much right to this chance as anyone else.”
“How long is the trip supposed to last?” she asked.
“Five days at most,” he said. “We’ll probably spend some of the time on the beach. Lounging on a beach sipping drinks is my idea of hell, but you’ll get the chance to unwind, and I’ll get to swim some laps. It’s a win for both of us.”
She chewed her lower lip, the sight of her teeth scraping across her full lip distracting him so much forced himself to tear his gaze away. This was the worst time for her to catch him staring at her like this.
Heather let out a shaky sigh. “I probably sound ungrateful.”
“Not at all,” he assured her. “You have the right to ask questions.”
“What about the media?” she asked. “This might just reignite the media firestorm and make them think we’re having an affair again.”
“The media will always be vicious, especially when it comes to women in the corporate world,” he said. “But I promise to stand by you. I know you don’t want my help with your investigation, but when it comes to the media I’ll defend you no matter what.”
“The last time we took a trip out of town things got a little... hot and heavy.” Her blush deepened, staining her cheeks. “Granted, that was mostly my fault, but we have a habit of getting into trouble when we’re away from prying eyes.”
“Do you think we need a chaperone?”
“Tell me you’re joking,” she said with a gasp.
“I am.” He shifted in his seat. “But if you think we need supervision—”
“No, definitely not,” she said. “What about the board? They’ll never accept this.”
“Leave the board to me.”
She paused and then nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it on one condition.”