“First you want me to back off from helping her, but now you want me to fly out to California with her?” He drummed his fingers on his desk in agitation. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s work. Helping her is too personal, given your tense relationship, but this is business. She’ll understand how great this will be for her career. It’ll give her a chance to prove herself despite what people think,” she said. “Heather is a professional. So are you.”
He looked at her meaningfully. “Have you seen my track record lately?”
“If you’re worried about this, leave it up to her,” Linda said. “If she doesn’t want to go, then she won’t have to.”
“And I’ll be out a marketing strategy,” he muttered. Blue Naught needed all the media relations help it could get. With a brand-new acquisition, they were going to have to reintroduce themselves to the media. He was good at a lot of things, but handling the media wasn’t one of them.
“Talk to Heather. I can always fill her in on my strategy and give her all the files and materials she needs to help you when you fly out,” Linda said, getting to her feet. “Show her how great an opportunity this is. Besides, you’ll be in sunny California for days. Who wouldn’t jump at that chance?”
With a quick wave goodbye, she left his office.
Even with Linda gone, his pulse began racing like crazy. Going on a trip to California with Heather was exactly what his heart wanted. But his head knew how dangerous a trip like this could be. Spending days with her away from Dover staff was asking for trouble.
The kind of trouble he wanted to get in to but knew he shouldn’t.
HE MET HER IN HER OFFICE later that morning. The space was so small that regret twisted his gut. If he hadn’t behaved like an ass, she would still have her large office instead of this glorified broom closet. She deserved better than this.
As Heather shut her office door behind her, she regarded him warily. “What’s all this about, Simon?”
He glanced around the office, trying not to let the judgment show on his face. “Has Linda talked to you about my trip to California next week?”
Heather shook her head. “No. All she said this morning was that an opportunity had just come up and you wanted to talk to me about.”
“I know you’re probably hesitant to deal with me, so thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes. “Simon, you’re the CEO. You’re my boss. Of course, I would meet with you.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said.
Suddenly she placed her hand on her chest in alarm. “Oh, how rude of me. I haven’t even offered you a seat. Please sit down.” She motioned to the empty chair beside her desk and then opened her office door again. “I can get you something to drink as well. What would you like? The usual coffee?” It was clear that, despite the surprise of a visit from her boss, she was totally unfazed by his presence.
He held up his hands. “Please, don’t worry about getting me coffee. Let’s just sit and talk.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “It won’t take long.”
“I’m fine, Heather.” He sat down. “Really.” After the way he had treated her, the last thing he wanted to do was have her running errands for him as if she was still his assistant. He had wanted to meet with her in her own office for this very reason. Meeting here was his way of trying to respect her wishes to transfer even though he didn’t agree with her decision.
Not to mention, after days of not seeing her even a glimpse of her was heaven to him. She was as beautiful as ever, but he sensed a change in her. Her hair was tied back in that severe bun, as always, and her freckles gave her the same appearance of angelic innocence. But there was something under the surface. An air of confidence perhaps? She seemed to be standing straighter, her gaze more direct. The size of her office didn’t seem to have diminished her at all. If anything, it made her appear more in control. More in charge. There was something thrilling about a shy wallflower like Heather coming into her own like this.