to tidy everything away.
"After yesterday I didn't know whether to call first, or just to come around," Nate said.
"Have you brought the file with you?" Jenni fumbled in the cutlery drawer for a spoon, determined to keep the conversation on a professional level. Okay, so she was attracted to him. It was fine, everything was cool. She could deal with this.
He reached in the inside pocket of his jacket for a long fat envelope which he placed on the counter. "All present and correct. I'll run through it with you so you'll know where things stand."
65
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
"We'll go in the lounge and you can brief me on everything."
* * * *
Jenni sat in the seat furthest away from his. Her blue eyes wide as she sipped her drink, the ruffled edges of her hair made her look as if she had just tumbled out of bed.
The unexpected thought caused Nate to slop a little of the hot coffee over the edge of his mug onto his thumb. He put the drink down quickly and sucked the burning fluid off his hand. What was the matter with him?
He opened the envelope he had brought with him to begin briefing her on who she should expect in the delegation.
Jenni made cryptic little squiggles on a notepad. After she read back over her notes, she made a few suggestions about the plans he'd outlined. She rested her pencil against the corner of her mouth when she paused.
Nate's attention strayed to where the pencil eraser pressed against the soft pink skin of her lips. Lips which had aroused feelings he had thought he could no longer feel.
"Nate?" Jenni frowned at him. She must have asked him some question he simply hadn't heard.
"Sorry Jen, I didn't hear you. I was thinking." Good job she didn't know what he'd been thinking, or he suspected he would have been thrown out of her flat with the same speed that he had been told to leave the previous night.
"I see." She frowned again and placed her pad down on the coffee table. "Nate, about what happened last night..."
66
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
Her eyes were troubled. A chill of foreboding ran through him.
Please don't let her resign.
"Jenni..."
She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. "I think we should forget about what happened between us last night.
It was a mistake and won't ever happen again."
"It won't?" He should feel reassured by her statement, relieved that she didn't appear to want to change the basis of their friendship. Instead, depression settled over his head like a rain cloud that refused to go away.
She flushed and her eyes met his. "It won't," she confirmed. She tucked her hair back behind her ears and surveyed him levelly. Her words hit him with the same physical impact as a thump in the stomach. Nate struggled to find the right words to express how he felt.
"You're right, Jenni. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation. I'm sorry." He had to focus, remember Jenni was his secretary. He should be pleased with her decision.
"Then the sooner we both forget about it the better, we need to go back to a normal working relationship." Her eyes looked a little over-bright when she made her statement, but she sounded determined.
"In that case, I'm taking you out for Sunday lunch. I owe you for all the extra work you've done this morning and a civilized lunch would help restore things to the proper perspective." He told himself he should be pleased that Jenni didn't want to get involved with him romantically. His life would become simpler. Things would go back to normal.
67
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
She looked doubtful, as if she wasn't sure about his motives. In fairness, he couldn't blame her.
"We are still friends, I hope, Jenni." He prayed she wouldn't refuse. It was important to him that he got their old easygoing friendship back. Then everything would settle down again and he could carry on as he had before. A bleak sense of loneliness filled his soul as he snuffed out the tiny flame of hope that flared
"After yesterday I didn't know whether to call first, or just to come around," Nate said.
"Have you brought the file with you?" Jenni fumbled in the cutlery drawer for a spoon, determined to keep the conversation on a professional level. Okay, so she was attracted to him. It was fine, everything was cool. She could deal with this.
He reached in the inside pocket of his jacket for a long fat envelope which he placed on the counter. "All present and correct. I'll run through it with you so you'll know where things stand."
65
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
"We'll go in the lounge and you can brief me on everything."
* * * *
Jenni sat in the seat furthest away from his. Her blue eyes wide as she sipped her drink, the ruffled edges of her hair made her look as if she had just tumbled out of bed.
The unexpected thought caused Nate to slop a little of the hot coffee over the edge of his mug onto his thumb. He put the drink down quickly and sucked the burning fluid off his hand. What was the matter with him?
He opened the envelope he had brought with him to begin briefing her on who she should expect in the delegation.
Jenni made cryptic little squiggles on a notepad. After she read back over her notes, she made a few suggestions about the plans he'd outlined. She rested her pencil against the corner of her mouth when she paused.
Nate's attention strayed to where the pencil eraser pressed against the soft pink skin of her lips. Lips which had aroused feelings he had thought he could no longer feel.
"Nate?" Jenni frowned at him. She must have asked him some question he simply hadn't heard.
"Sorry Jen, I didn't hear you. I was thinking." Good job she didn't know what he'd been thinking, or he suspected he would have been thrown out of her flat with the same speed that he had been told to leave the previous night.
"I see." She frowned again and placed her pad down on the coffee table. "Nate, about what happened last night..."
66
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
Her eyes were troubled. A chill of foreboding ran through him.
Please don't let her resign.
"Jenni..."
She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. "I think we should forget about what happened between us last night.
It was a mistake and won't ever happen again."
"It won't?" He should feel reassured by her statement, relieved that she didn't appear to want to change the basis of their friendship. Instead, depression settled over his head like a rain cloud that refused to go away.
She flushed and her eyes met his. "It won't," she confirmed. She tucked her hair back behind her ears and surveyed him levelly. Her words hit him with the same physical impact as a thump in the stomach. Nate struggled to find the right words to express how he felt.
"You're right, Jenni. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation. I'm sorry." He had to focus, remember Jenni was his secretary. He should be pleased with her decision.
"Then the sooner we both forget about it the better, we need to go back to a normal working relationship." Her eyes looked a little over-bright when she made her statement, but she sounded determined.
"In that case, I'm taking you out for Sunday lunch. I owe you for all the extra work you've done this morning and a civilized lunch would help restore things to the proper perspective." He told himself he should be pleased that Jenni didn't want to get involved with him romantically. His life would become simpler. Things would go back to normal.
67
The Cinderella Substitute
by Nell Dixon
She looked doubtful, as if she wasn't sure about his motives. In fairness, he couldn't blame her.
"We are still friends, I hope, Jenni." He prayed she wouldn't refuse. It was important to him that he got their old easygoing friendship back. Then everything would settle down again and he could carry on as he had before. A bleak sense of loneliness filled his soul as he snuffed out the tiny flame of hope that flared
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