Vincent slid his feet out of bed and got up. He didn’t bother dressing, but moved to the door and pulled it open to peerout, eyes widening at the sight of all the men moving in and out of the half dozen open doors off the hallway.
Leaving his room, Vincent started forward, glancing through each open door he passed. There was only one door on the upper floor that was still closed, the door to the room where his aunt Marguerite slept. Wondering how she could possibly sleep through all this racket, Vincent took the stairs, his thoughts scattering as he reached the main floor and found it flooded with light. Every window in the house was covered with a heavy protective curtain that kept the light out and made it safe for him to move around when necessary during the day. Presently, every one of those curtains appeared to have been pulled open to allow sunlight to spill across the hardwood floors.
Growling, Vincent headed for the kitchen, expecting to find Tiny there, but the man was conspicuous in his absence. Turning away from the empty kitchen, he started back up the hall, glancing in each room he passed, searching for Jackie and an explanation for the small army of men who had taken over his home. Vincent found both Jackie and Tiny in his office.
“Morning,” Tiny rumbled on spotting him, then turned back to watch Jackie who was on the phone.
“I’ve already explained who I am. I’m Mr. Argeneau’s new personal assistant and he asked me to call and have you send over this information. Just pull the files and fax the list to me.” Jackie sounded impatient, apparently not appreciating the resistance she was getting from whomever she was talking to. Vincent watched her expression tighten as she listened for another moment, then Jackie clucked with irritation andsnapped, “He’s just walked into the office. Hold one moment, please.”
Leaning forward, she pressed the button to put the call on hold and scowled at Vincent.
“Your production assistant is being difficult. Please tell her to fax over the list of employees on the New York production,” she snapped, then pressed the hold button again and handed him the phone.
Vincent hesitated, not used to being ordered about, but then sighed and took the phone. “Lily?”
“Oh, Mr. Argeneau, that woman claims she’s—”
“Yes, yes,” Vincent interrupted, then tried for a more pleasant tone as he said, “Yes, Lily. Jackie is my new personal assistant and I did ask her to contact you. Just send over whatever she’s asked for and anything else she calls you about in future. Okay? Thanks.”
Vincent handed the phone back to Jackie without waiting for agreement, then listened impatiently as she repeated orders she’d obviously already given several times. Once finished, Jackie hung up. “Thank you.”
When Vincent’s mouth tightened, Tiny considered his exhausted face and then announced, “I think I’ll go check on lunch.”
Jackie watched the giant go and then said, “Really, thank you. Your Lily was being a pain.”
Vincent had intended on blasting her for the noise the men were making, but curiosity got the better of him and, instead, he asked, “How did you find her number?”
“It wasn’t hard; you put her under P for production assistant in your Rolodex,” Jackie pointed out with amusement.“Finding her wasn’t the problem, getting a hold of her was. When I called her office, the switchboard gave me her home phone number. I must have called twenty times before she finally answered.”
“She didn’t have to answer at all,” Vincent muttered. “Lily doesn’t normally start work until I do.”
“Which reminds me, what are you doing up so early?” she asked with a frown. “I expected you to sleep at least until dinner.”
Her question reminded him that he was annoyed and Vincent scowled. “What are all these men doing in my house?”
Jackie appeared surprised at the question. “You know very well what these men are doing here.
Leaving his room, Vincent started forward, glancing through each open door he passed. There was only one door on the upper floor that was still closed, the door to the room where his aunt Marguerite slept. Wondering how she could possibly sleep through all this racket, Vincent took the stairs, his thoughts scattering as he reached the main floor and found it flooded with light. Every window in the house was covered with a heavy protective curtain that kept the light out and made it safe for him to move around when necessary during the day. Presently, every one of those curtains appeared to have been pulled open to allow sunlight to spill across the hardwood floors.
Growling, Vincent headed for the kitchen, expecting to find Tiny there, but the man was conspicuous in his absence. Turning away from the empty kitchen, he started back up the hall, glancing in each room he passed, searching for Jackie and an explanation for the small army of men who had taken over his home. Vincent found both Jackie and Tiny in his office.
“Morning,” Tiny rumbled on spotting him, then turned back to watch Jackie who was on the phone.
“I’ve already explained who I am. I’m Mr. Argeneau’s new personal assistant and he asked me to call and have you send over this information. Just pull the files and fax the list to me.” Jackie sounded impatient, apparently not appreciating the resistance she was getting from whomever she was talking to. Vincent watched her expression tighten as she listened for another moment, then Jackie clucked with irritation andsnapped, “He’s just walked into the office. Hold one moment, please.”
Leaning forward, she pressed the button to put the call on hold and scowled at Vincent.
“Your production assistant is being difficult. Please tell her to fax over the list of employees on the New York production,” she snapped, then pressed the hold button again and handed him the phone.
Vincent hesitated, not used to being ordered about, but then sighed and took the phone. “Lily?”
“Oh, Mr. Argeneau, that woman claims she’s—”
“Yes, yes,” Vincent interrupted, then tried for a more pleasant tone as he said, “Yes, Lily. Jackie is my new personal assistant and I did ask her to contact you. Just send over whatever she’s asked for and anything else she calls you about in future. Okay? Thanks.”
Vincent handed the phone back to Jackie without waiting for agreement, then listened impatiently as she repeated orders she’d obviously already given several times. Once finished, Jackie hung up. “Thank you.”
When Vincent’s mouth tightened, Tiny considered his exhausted face and then announced, “I think I’ll go check on lunch.”
Jackie watched the giant go and then said, “Really, thank you. Your Lily was being a pain.”
Vincent had intended on blasting her for the noise the men were making, but curiosity got the better of him and, instead, he asked, “How did you find her number?”
“It wasn’t hard; you put her under P for production assistant in your Rolodex,” Jackie pointed out with amusement.“Finding her wasn’t the problem, getting a hold of her was. When I called her office, the switchboard gave me her home phone number. I must have called twenty times before she finally answered.”
“She didn’t have to answer at all,” Vincent muttered. “Lily doesn’t normally start work until I do.”
“Which reminds me, what are you doing up so early?” she asked with a frown. “I expected you to sleep at least until dinner.”
Her question reminded him that he was annoyed and Vincent scowled. “What are all these men doing in my house?”
Jackie appeared surprised at the question. “You know very well what these men are doing here.
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