“I like the way you think Levi Branson.”
“Do you like what I’m thinking right now?” He wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed again.
“I don’t know, why don’t you show me?”
He did just that, and then we returned to work. An hour late.
Chapter 12
Levi
Was twenty-four hours too soon to request another afternoon with Lacey? I didn’t know the rules to our secret relationship, or if there were any rules beyond keeping it secret. I just knew that I wanted to see her again. Hell, after yesterday I was pretty sure that no amount of time would be enough time with her. The woman had done more than turn my head, she’d flipped me on my back with her sensuality, her zest for pleasure—giving and receiving—and her playful nature.
I was a goner.
I’d spent most of yesterday afternoon trying not to stare at her as she walked through the newspaper offices, forcing myself to picture her in the dress she was wearing, instead of the sexy red lingerie I knew was underneath it. It was a Herculean task only made manageable by the fact that her cantankerous father was also seated in the bullpen, ever present scowl on his face. That and I had to leave to pick up my grandson.
Today was a new day, and the first thing on my mind after getting Mickey off to daycare was how to get Lacey alone again for a few hours. I made it into the office later than usual because I had a meeting at Old Country House with Carlotta to discuss a write-up on the venue’s website about the ease of all-in-one venues and foregoing the traditional travel between church and reception hall weddings. It was just past eleven when I started up the steps to the office, but halfway up I heard shouting. Very loud shouting.
I hurried up the steps to find Lacey and GG arguing so fiercely I was sure one of them would end up dead. I was ready to break up the fight, but they were in Lacey’s office, door open just enough to hear everything.
“You can not run a story like this on the first page Lacey! What in the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that this is a beautifully written story that deserves to be told with maximum exposure, since we don’t have an online edition, the front page was the best and only option.”
“That’s no excuse little girl!”
I cringed at his condescending tone and braced myself for hurricane Lacey, only there was silence.
“It is a perfectly valid reason to publish the story, and since you can’t be bothered to actually run this paper, I made a judgment call.”
“Your judgment is off, if that’s the case.” GG snorted derisively and I could picture Lacey rolling her eyes.
“You know what Daddy? If you don’t like the choices I make about the Daily Journal, feel free to do all of this yourself since you clearly don’t trust me to do any damn thing!”
“Hey, you watch your tone when you talk me girl, I’m still your Daddy.”
“No, right now you are a stubborn old man who has an allergic reaction to change.” I can picture her shaking her head in disgust, and then I heard it, the sound of her palms as they smacked against her desk. “I feel like a glorified layout specialist.”
More silence before GG grunted out a response. “What’s wrong with you lately? You didn’t used to have a problem doing things the right way.”
“Your way,” she clarified. “You mean your way, not the right way. And you know what, GG? It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with me. You want what you want, and that’s what I’m giving you. This is a good story, which is why you hired Levi isn’t it?”
“We don’t do these kinds of stories Lacey.” GG’s voice and his tone were tired, almost defeated. “You know that. Don’t you?”
There was a lull in the argument, and though I wasn’t crazy enough to think it was over, I felt the need to intervene. “Is everything all right in here?”
Lacey’s expression softened when she saw me in the doorway but only for a fraction of a moment. “Everything is fine, Levi. GG here was just telling me that this isn’t a newspaper, but a human interest magazine. We don’t report on anything serious, just the goings on in town like the Spring Fling dance and which charity groups reached their fundraising goals. So you see, no problem at all.” She was angry, no it was more like furious.
“That is not what I said and you know it! Don’t put words in my mouth girl.”
“Maybe you just don’t like how your words sound when it’s not your lips saying them. Are we done here?” She stared down her father like a warrior, and she was beautiful with fire shooting from her eyes. “I mean you’ve already told me how much I screwed up, again, and since we don’t have an online version to correct, this is all just an exercise to let you puff your chest out. So, are we done?”