Once they were both inside, Lucy turned to Logan. “I can’t believe you’re mad. Don’t you see what this could do to me?”
Logan stared at Lucy for long moments and then turned away. Gripping the steering wheel, he bit back words. As crazy as many might think him, he’d made a decision this weekend. He loved Lucy and wanted to marry her.
“What I see is you overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Lucy said incredulously. “How can you say that? What if she tells someone?”
He turned just his head to look at her. “Then you tell them we were working.”
“But we weren’t.”
Now she wasn’t making sense. “No one knows that but us.”
“Lori knows. I know she does.”
“Lucy, I’m not sorry we’re seeing each other. Gossip happens. Whatever she says I’ll deal with it.”
She glowered at him. “It’s not the same for you as it is me. You’re the boss!”
Drawing a breath, Logan counted to ten in his mind. The chances that he might be less than objective about this situation were high and he knew it. Lucy had valid reasons to be concerned. Yet, a part of him wanted to just say, “marry me” and shut them all up.
“At what point will you be willing to disclose our relationship?”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that.” Crossing her arms in front of her body, she angled her body away from him. “When would you if you were in my shoes?”
He forced himself to take a mental step backward. “You’re right, Lucy.” His hand went to her arm. “I know how it would look for you.”
She turned to him then. “I have a lot to lose,” she whispered.
He brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “I know, sweetheart. I know.
Glancing at the clock. “I have to go to the airport. I’ll call you tonight and we can talk.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “You don’t have to. I’m fine.”
“I want to,” Logan said. “Now kiss me like you’re going to miss me.” But he didn’t give her time. He kissed her with everything he had. A long, passionate kiss meant to tell her how special she was to him.
* * * * *
Lucy shut her office door thankful for the escape to privacy. Watching Logan drive away had almost brought her to tears. What the heck was happening to her? She didn’t cry over men.
Before she could even make it to her desk, a knock sounded on her door. Damn it. “Come in.”
Lucy settled into her chair as Celia walked into the room looking more than a little distressed. “Why do I know I’m going to hate what you’re going to tell me?”
Celia shut the door and crossed the room before she responded. Once she was seated directly across from Lucy, she asked, “Are you seeing Logan?”
Lucy’s eyes fell shut. This was not happening. She forced herself to make eye contact with Celia. “Why would you ask me something like that?”
Celia cleared her throat. “Lori saw you two together.”
The office had been open all of a half-hour and already Lori had spread the gossip. It made Lucy mad. “Tell Lori if she comes up with a good idea for the BG account she might just get invited to coffee as well.” It wasn’t like Lucy to be snide, but she was really ticked. And hurt.
Celia smiled. “I thought it was something like that. I’ll pass the word.” She made a face. “I better start with Greg, who loves trouble almost as much as he does his own looks.”
Lucy would have laughed if she didn’t feel so much like screaming. “Great,” she muttered. Then, louder to Celia. “I’m going to look like dirt before this is over.”
Celia sighed. “I wish I could say that wasn’t true.”
Lucy waved a dismissive hand. “But you can’t, so don’t bother.”
“Sorry sweetie,” Celia said as she stood up. “I’ll do what damage control I can.”
Lucy nodded. “I know.”
But the truth was, Lucy had made her own bed, and now she had to lie in it. And this time without Logan.
The writing was on the wall. You play, you pay. Lucy had to end things with Logan if she had any hope of making a living in advertising.
As she had known from the beginning, he would survive the end of their affair, but her career might not. If she had any hope of salvaging her future in advertising, she had to get busy rebuilding what was left of her reputation.
Which meant she had to leave Carlson.
Chapter Twenty-Four
On Friday morning, Lucy sat at her desk, absently tapping a pencil on the wooden top, and trying to figure out how to get out of that night’s BG party. Logan would be arriving back in town just in time to make a showing with the guest of honor from BG by his side.
Seeing Logan would be hard enough without doing it in front of the entire staff. Logan had called every night he was away. Each time she hadn’t answered, letting the machine pick up. By Thursday his messages weren’t so nice anymore. He knew she was avoiding him, and actually demanded she call him.