they’ve only come into our radar lately, and whether it’s just a flash in the pan.”
He nodded through her whole little speech, his dark hair framing sincere eyes that she couldn’t look directly into for fear she’d get lost and never find herself again. His eyebrows rose. “Shouldn’t I come with you then? See how it’s done and all?”
“No.” She shut that down as fast as she could. Where he was concerned, she needed space, not proximity. And she couldn’t do what she needed if she had him hanging around. But that didn’t change the fact that he was right; he should see how it was done. So she conceded a little. “Next time.”
He nodded again but didn’t step out of her personal space. Katharine was beginning to wonder what it would take to shake him when he asked, “Should I continue your work on the employee directory?”
She started to tell him no, but then decided it would appear more genuine if they asked the questions of more than just the payroll people. “Yes, get the acquisitions and purchasing departments.”
But she found she then had to spend the rest of the morning explaining what questions she’d been asking the employees and how she’d been recording them. Katharine had no doubt that it would be done, and done flawlessly, when she returned. With two people performing her job these days there wasn’t much left to do–Allistair just didn’t require the expected training. She’d have to start thinking up assignments for the two of them or she’d have to, God forbid, go to her father and tell him she needed more work. That would cause problems when Allistair was removed from her office and she became overloaded.
It was several hours later before she was gathering her things to head to the library. Her intercom buzzed, but she was already on her feet and on the opposite side of the desk. This particular buzz meant that the caller was Lisa, just outside the door, so Katharine stuck her head out. “Yes?”
Her assistant lifted her almost too-blue eyes, the phone still held to the side of her head. Slowly she set it down and gathered a little dignity, pushing her platinum hair behind one ear, only adding to an already polished effect. “You have a visitor.”
“Oh?” That stopped her, as it was unusual. In fact, she couldn’t think of the last time she’d had a visitor at all,.
Katharine straightened. As she did so, she caught Lisa’s eyes darting to her left, and that was when she saw his shoes. Shined to a high gloss, they practically reflected her face at her. The hem of silvery gray slacks broke perfectly across the top of the lace ties, and her eyes traveled the crease up to the belt and the front of a starched white shirt. She already knew who was in that shirt. She smiled all the way to her eyes. “Zachary.”
This was what she needed: a reminder not to focus too much on her assistant of indeterminate age and only so much possibility.
Zachary’s coloring was much like Lisa’s–fair and wholesome. Briefly, Katharine looked back and forth between the two and thought what a fine couple they would make, but then brushed the thought aside. For now, at least, he was here to see her.
His hand extended to take her fingers, the contact sending electric shivers up her arm. Caught in the sensation, she almost missed his words. His voice ran over her, smooth as honey, “I was hoping to take you to lunch today, but my case ran late. Please tell me you haven’t eaten yet.”
When she’d gathered her things to go, she’d had no intention of spending her lunch hour actually eating lunch. But she answered automatically, even as her brain registered somewhere in the back that he hadn’t asked if she
wanted
to go. “I haven’t eaten lunch.”
“Excellent.” His fingers tightened around hers and he pulled her down the hall. The only consideration she made was that her purse was already over her shoulder; the rest could wait. After a few steps she abruptly turned back.
He nodded through her whole little speech, his dark hair framing sincere eyes that she couldn’t look directly into for fear she’d get lost and never find herself again. His eyebrows rose. “Shouldn’t I come with you then? See how it’s done and all?”
“No.” She shut that down as fast as she could. Where he was concerned, she needed space, not proximity. And she couldn’t do what she needed if she had him hanging around. But that didn’t change the fact that he was right; he should see how it was done. So she conceded a little. “Next time.”
He nodded again but didn’t step out of her personal space. Katharine was beginning to wonder what it would take to shake him when he asked, “Should I continue your work on the employee directory?”
She started to tell him no, but then decided it would appear more genuine if they asked the questions of more than just the payroll people. “Yes, get the acquisitions and purchasing departments.”
But she found she then had to spend the rest of the morning explaining what questions she’d been asking the employees and how she’d been recording them. Katharine had no doubt that it would be done, and done flawlessly, when she returned. With two people performing her job these days there wasn’t much left to do–Allistair just didn’t require the expected training. She’d have to start thinking up assignments for the two of them or she’d have to, God forbid, go to her father and tell him she needed more work. That would cause problems when Allistair was removed from her office and she became overloaded.
It was several hours later before she was gathering her things to head to the library. Her intercom buzzed, but she was already on her feet and on the opposite side of the desk. This particular buzz meant that the caller was Lisa, just outside the door, so Katharine stuck her head out. “Yes?”
Her assistant lifted her almost too-blue eyes, the phone still held to the side of her head. Slowly she set it down and gathered a little dignity, pushing her platinum hair behind one ear, only adding to an already polished effect. “You have a visitor.”
“Oh?” That stopped her, as it was unusual. In fact, she couldn’t think of the last time she’d had a visitor at all,.
Katharine straightened. As she did so, she caught Lisa’s eyes darting to her left, and that was when she saw his shoes. Shined to a high gloss, they practically reflected her face at her. The hem of silvery gray slacks broke perfectly across the top of the lace ties, and her eyes traveled the crease up to the belt and the front of a starched white shirt. She already knew who was in that shirt. She smiled all the way to her eyes. “Zachary.”
This was what she needed: a reminder not to focus too much on her assistant of indeterminate age and only so much possibility.
Zachary’s coloring was much like Lisa’s–fair and wholesome. Briefly, Katharine looked back and forth between the two and thought what a fine couple they would make, but then brushed the thought aside. For now, at least, he was here to see her.
His hand extended to take her fingers, the contact sending electric shivers up her arm. Caught in the sensation, she almost missed his words. His voice ran over her, smooth as honey, “I was hoping to take you to lunch today, but my case ran late. Please tell me you haven’t eaten yet.”
When she’d gathered her things to go, she’d had no intention of spending her lunch hour actually eating lunch. But she answered automatically, even as her brain registered somewhere in the back that he hadn’t asked if she
wanted
to go. “I haven’t eaten lunch.”
“Excellent.” His fingers tightened around hers and he pulled her down the hall. The only consideration she made was that her purse was already over her shoulder; the rest could wait. After a few steps she abruptly turned back.
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