Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love 1)

Paige reached for her phone. “I could have set those meetings up myself.”

“I had to speak to the lawyer anyway. Economy of time and effort.” Matt scrolled through his emails. “He’ll go through the business with you. You need to get that part right.”

“So we have to trek into Manhattan?”

Jake glanced at her. “I can give you a ride on the bike if you like.”

“Yes!” Paige didn’t hesitate. “I’ve always wanted to go on your bike!”

“No.” Matt glanced up, his expression stony. “You are not taking my sister on the back of that damn machine.”

Paige opened her mouth but Jake spoke first, his tone mild.

“That ‘damn machine’ is a top-of-the-range piece of artistry. Its engine is—”

“Its engine is precisely why my sister isn’t going on the back of it.”

Jake raised his eyebrows. “I have a spare helmet. I’ve given women rides before. They’re still alive.”

“They’re not my sister. Are we doing movie night on Saturday?”

Exasperated, Paige glared at him. “Matt—”

“Of course we’re doing movie night,” Eva interrupted, soothing the choppy atmosphere. “Can we watch something romantic for a change?”

“I was thinking horror.” Matt typed a reply to one of his emails. “Silence of the Lambs, or maybe some Stephen King—”

“No way!” Eva recoiled. “I hate horror. Unless you want to wake up and find me shivering in your bed because I’m too scared to sleep alone, you’d better pick something else. No serial killers. No dead children. Those are my rules. Can we watch Sleepless in Seattle?”

“Not unless the reason they’re sleepless is because there’s a serial killer on the loose.” Matt’s phone rang. “I need to take this.” He strolled away to answer it, leaving Paige simmering.

“What is wrong with him?” She turned to Jake. “I’ll take that offer of a ride.”

Jake gave a faint smile. “No way. If the two of you are going to fight, that’s great. Always invigorating for the rest of us, but don’t put me in the middle of it.”

Making a mental note to take it up with Matt later, Paige opened her laptop. “The event part of our business is straightforward, but on top of that I’ve written down everything a corporate concierge should do.” While Matt was occupied on his call, she showed Eva. “Anything I’ve missed?”

Jake glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see sex anywhere on that list.”

“You’re not funny. I’ve made a list of companies whose executives are all cash-rich and time-poor.”

Eva poured coffee into mugs. “But why would they use us?”

“Because we’re going to make their employees more productive. And their lives so much easier they’re going to wonder how they ever survived without us. I did some research online last night—do you know how many working hours are lost because employees are sorting out their personal lives at work?”

“Mine don’t.” Jake accepted a cup of coffee from Eva.

“I bet they do. You don’t know about it because you’re the boss. The moment you walk into the room they minimize the screen.”

“You’re suggesting I’m not in touch with what’s going on in my own company?”

“I’m suggesting that most people are now working such long hours and their work/life balance is so totally skewed that they’re forced to sort out personal issues while at work. We can help with that.”

“Work/life balance? What the hell is that? I need to go,” Matt said as he hung up the phone, straightened his tie and checked his reflection in the gleaming surface of the microwave oven. “I’ll see you later.” He paused as Frankie walked through the door. She was wearing cargos and a clean T-shirt, her hair a tumbled mass of fiery curls over her shoulders.

Paige saw her brother’s eyes linger on Frankie’s hair. Then he scanned her face, taking in her taut expression.

“Everything all right?” He spoke quietly and Frankie said something that Paige couldn’t hear, but she saw her brother nod and move away without pushing the subject further.