I wondered if Rainer would have the same devilish twinkle in his eyes when he got older.
Stan slipped into my office and closed the door most of the way. "You know, I really shouldn't be meeting with you behind closed doors. The office might talk," he said.
I jumped as if he'd caught me and then I laughed. "Isn't that exactly what you want?"
"Amy, honey, come in here," Stan called out the door. Then he caught up my hand and kissed it. "How could you stand me up at the opera like that?"
I tugged my hand away from him but not soon enough. Amy gaped at us from the doorway.
"You know I was working on the product launch," I told Stan.
"She's always ditching me for work," Stan complained to Amy. "Did you tell her about those wine-tasting tickets?"
Amy blinked then nodded. "She already turned them down."
"Of course." Stan sighed. "I guess that's why she's my prodigy. Can't have your successor running off to Napa or Sonoma any chance they get."
I swatted him after my dazed assistant returned to her desk. "She's going to assume we're having an affair," I said.
"Exactly," Stan said. "Tasha, darling, you're going to have to learn to play people's assumptions. It's the easiest way to get them to believe what you want."
I stacked up my reports and headed for the office door. "I'm not sure what I got out of that play. All you did there was give my temp some juicy gossip to spread."
Stan blocked my way. "Trust me. Now she'll have more respect for you."
"You mean you," I said.
"No, you." Stan grinned. "Because she thinks you've got me, and I am quite a catch."
"You’re quite something," I muttered and tried to move past him.
Stan sighed. "That's the problem, Tasha. You're too honest to play the game. Don't get me wrong; your honesty has garnered you a lot of respect around here. The only problem with respect is that it keeps you at a distance. People want to know that you're real, that you have your own wants and desires. That you're human."
I stood up straighter, at least an inch over him in my heels. "I'm inhuman now? I suppose you'd rather I acted like Rainer Maxwell. All dimpled, devilish smiles and no work?"
"Rainer?" Stan stepped back and bumped my office door closed.
"Yes," I said. "Rainer. You know, the junior executive you and your cronies let on to my project at the last minute? His charming face is all over the headline news."
"I know who he is," Stan said. "I'm just surprised to hear you mention him. Men like Rainer don't really seem like your type."
"No. No, I'm not really into the type who jumps in and takes the credit for someone else's hard work. Just because he likes to flirt with the camera and make little mini-speeches does not mean he's contributed to GroGreen." I clutched my reports tight to my chest.
Stan reached out and gently laid his hands on my shoulders. "Tasha, honey, everyone knows the hard work you put in on this. Rainer was just a way to make things a little easier on you. You really don't like him?"
"He kind of reminds me of you," I said.
Stan laughed at my sharp tone. "I'm going to take that as a compliment for me and him. Now that I think about it, you two would be an unstoppable pair. Like us, if only we'd met when I was younger."
I shook my head and smiled at him. "Rainer Maxwell is a poor substitute for you."
"Now you're just trying to make an old man feel good," Stan said. His thumbs rubbed gentle circles over my shoulders.
"As far as I can tell all Rainer's good for is shaking hands, smiling, and picking up the tab at lunch. On the company credit card, of course," I said.
Stan lifted his hands and held them up. "Don't look at me; I didn't hire him. I also had nothing to do with letting him onto your project. Admit it, though; you're glad someone else handled the P.R."
"Maybe," I admitted. "I just don't like being on camera."