“Is this even ethical?” Simon cleared his throat uncomfortably. “After all, Heather and I are in a relationship now.”
“Well, the board knows about your relationship,” Agnes explained. “And if the relationship were to be dissolved, we would do the ethical thing and transfer Ms. Hall to a different department if it came to that. But the truth is, this is really up to Ms. Hall. She can turn this down and work with another team.”
“Didn’t you want Simon and me to keep a low profile?” Heather asked. “If we work together again, won’t that get the media talking again?”
“If you work together, you’ll both work extra hard to keep your relationship out of the papers,” Agnes said smoothly. “Try to think of it as mutually shared destruction. Neither of you will go to the press if your jobs are dependent on each other’s success.”
Heather’s eyes widened. Agnes might work quietly in the shadows, but she definitely had a ruthless streak.
“You know, I could learn a lot from you, Agnes,” Heather said, not even bothering to hide how impressed she was.
“And Simon could learn a lot from you,” Agnes said. Heather swore she saw a hint of a smile on the woman’s face.
She bit her lip. “I don’t want to take this job if Simon isn’t comfortable with it.”
“Heather, stop right there,” he said firmly. “Look, the media has been a thorn in my side, but you can’t make professional decisions based on our relationship or my feelings.”
“So, there won’t be any hard feelings if I agree to take this job with you?” Heather asked.
He shook his head. “None. I’m a professional. And I know that you are as well. Don’t let things get personal in deciding what’s best for your career.”
She took a deep, calming breath. This promotion was a chance to show the skills she had learned at her former job and during her time working with Linda at Dover. Corporate politics wasn’t something she understood, but she knew how to get the media on Simon’s side. He might resist dealing with the press, but if anyone could get him to try to cultivate a better relationship with reporters it was her. “Okay. I’ll take the job.”
Agnes gave a faint smile. “Excellent. I’ll send over an updated employee handbook for you, and I’m always here if you need to discuss anything. Linda also said that you’ll be working with her quite a bit in your new position and that you can always talk things over with her.”
“Thank you so much.” Heather stood up and looked expectantly at Simon. “I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, don’t we, Simon?”
With a sigh he stood up. They both said their goodbyes to Agnes and made their way to Simon’s office.
She glanced around the familiar space. Simon’s office looked exactly the way it did when she had last seen it. As expansive as the place was, it had a calming air to it. It felt good to be back. “I guess I’ll be moving back into my old office now. Gosh, this is exciting.”
Simon shook his head and sank into the chair at his desk. “Whatever ideas you have, Heather, I expect you to run them by me before you go to Linda.”
“Of course.” Her eyes locked on his and she lifted her chin. Simon wasn’t going to like her methods, but if he expected her to be professional then she was going to follow through on that. Even if her ideas were going to drive him insane. “The first thing we need to discuss is re-establishing you with the public. And I think publishing your biography is a wonderful way to do that.”
Chapter 10
He was in a nightmare. They had only been back to work at Dover for two days and Heather had already turned his life upside down.
Right now, she was reading aloud from one of those high-end men’s magazines, going over an article about the new CEO of VLA, Thomas Wright, one of Dover’s main competitors. Her gorgeous auburn hair was piled high in a bun as usual but one lock had escaped, a tendril brushing against her delicate face.
Going back to work with Heather had sent a mix of emotions through him. Part of him was irritated that the board had found a way to get him to be friendlier to the media. The other part of him was elated at getting to work with her again. Especially if she insisted on looking so mouthwatering in a blouse that buttoned up all the way to her neck and a tight skirt that stopped right below her knees. Her usual sensible, conservative look had a way of being totally provocative in a way she probably didn’t intend. Or maybe he was letting his fantasies get away with him.