Read Online Her Man Friday by Elizabeth Bevarly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Bevarly
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Man-Woman Relationships, Love Stories, Authors; American, Romance fiction, Embezzlement, Women Authors; American
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foresight to store the work on diskette before allowing Schuyler use of the modem. For someone who was so astoundingly brilliant, Schuyler Kimball had absolutely no idea how to get around a basic home computer.
But there was more than Mr. Freiberger's amazing facility with computers that bothered Lily. She still couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't presenting himself in a way that was particularly, oh… honest. His frumpy awkwardness had only lasted as long as it had taken him to overrun Schuyler's office, and now, suddenly, he was like a man who was in total control. Of his professional role, of his thoughts, of his surroundings. Somehow Lily couldn't quite put aside the sensation that he was trying to overrun her, too.
But what was genuinely mind-boggling was that, truth be told, she really wouldn't mind being overrun by the man. And that, furthermore, she kind of wanted to overrun him in return. It made no sense. Certainly she had experienced immediate attractions to men before, and she'd enjoyed one or two intimate relationships in her life. But those relationships had come about
after
she'd gotten to know the men in question, not the moment she had opened the door to them. She didn't know the first thing about Leonard Freiberger, except that she didn't think he was being honest about something. Yet she found herself responding to him on a level that was anything but professional.
And now he was asking the oddest questions. Wanting to know the most unusual things. Giving her looks that went well beyond suspicious and into outright accusation. What on earth was going on?
When she remembered that he was still awaiting a response to his question about what she did for Schuyler—and how could he have possibly made such an inquiry sound so blatantly sexual?—she lifted one shoulder and let it drop in what she hoped looked like a careless gesture. Even though careless was the last thing she felt at the moment.
"I run things for Mr. Kimball here," she said simply. "I keep things organized, keep track of what needs to be taken care of. Although he also has a secretary at his office who attends to the things that come up there, I make sure that all the things that need to get done here at Ashling do in fact get done. And sometimes, when it's needed, elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?"
"At Mr. Kimball's other residences," she clarified. "As I mentioned, I do travel with him from time to time. This time of year, however, with the holidays coming up, I tend to keep close to Ashling."
"Mr. Kimball celebrates in a big way, does he?"
"You could say that."
"Lots of parties?"
"Well, lots of guests," she said, evading the question.
"And just how did you… oh… get this position with Mr. Kimball?"
Once again, he'd made a simple word like
position
sound sexually charged, and it finally, finally hit Lily that Mr. Freiberger thought she played a much different role in Schuyler's life than social secretary. She almost laughed out loud at the suggestion, so appropriate was it in its own strange way. Still, she supposed that the kind thing to do would be to set him straight. Well, straighter, anyway. There was no reason to tell him the entire truth. It would only serve to get her into trouble.
"Mr. Kimball and I have known each other for some time," she began. "Since college, in fact. I met him, oh, let me think… It was twelve years ago, I guess. I was nineteen at the time, trying to beat the Xerox machine in the school library into submission because it had stolen my fifteen cents. Schuyler came up behind me and fixed it in a snap. I was immediately taken with him. He's a very arresting individual on first contact. And, naturally, I was impressed by how mechanically capable he was."
"Oh, I bet that was what impressed you."
She narrowed her eyes at Mr. Freiberger's tone of voice. But his expression was completely impassive, so she had no idea if he had just made a disparaging comment or not. Deciding to give him the benefit of the
But there was more than Mr. Freiberger's amazing facility with computers that bothered Lily. She still couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't presenting himself in a way that was particularly, oh… honest. His frumpy awkwardness had only lasted as long as it had taken him to overrun Schuyler's office, and now, suddenly, he was like a man who was in total control. Of his professional role, of his thoughts, of his surroundings. Somehow Lily couldn't quite put aside the sensation that he was trying to overrun her, too.
But what was genuinely mind-boggling was that, truth be told, she really wouldn't mind being overrun by the man. And that, furthermore, she kind of wanted to overrun him in return. It made no sense. Certainly she had experienced immediate attractions to men before, and she'd enjoyed one or two intimate relationships in her life. But those relationships had come about
after
she'd gotten to know the men in question, not the moment she had opened the door to them. She didn't know the first thing about Leonard Freiberger, except that she didn't think he was being honest about something. Yet she found herself responding to him on a level that was anything but professional.
And now he was asking the oddest questions. Wanting to know the most unusual things. Giving her looks that went well beyond suspicious and into outright accusation. What on earth was going on?
When she remembered that he was still awaiting a response to his question about what she did for Schuyler—and how could he have possibly made such an inquiry sound so blatantly sexual?—she lifted one shoulder and let it drop in what she hoped looked like a careless gesture. Even though careless was the last thing she felt at the moment.
"I run things for Mr. Kimball here," she said simply. "I keep things organized, keep track of what needs to be taken care of. Although he also has a secretary at his office who attends to the things that come up there, I make sure that all the things that need to get done here at Ashling do in fact get done. And sometimes, when it's needed, elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?"
"At Mr. Kimball's other residences," she clarified. "As I mentioned, I do travel with him from time to time. This time of year, however, with the holidays coming up, I tend to keep close to Ashling."
"Mr. Kimball celebrates in a big way, does he?"
"You could say that."
"Lots of parties?"
"Well, lots of guests," she said, evading the question.
"And just how did you… oh… get this position with Mr. Kimball?"
Once again, he'd made a simple word like
position
sound sexually charged, and it finally, finally hit Lily that Mr. Freiberger thought she played a much different role in Schuyler's life than social secretary. She almost laughed out loud at the suggestion, so appropriate was it in its own strange way. Still, she supposed that the kind thing to do would be to set him straight. Well, straighter, anyway. There was no reason to tell him the entire truth. It would only serve to get her into trouble.
"Mr. Kimball and I have known each other for some time," she began. "Since college, in fact. I met him, oh, let me think… It was twelve years ago, I guess. I was nineteen at the time, trying to beat the Xerox machine in the school library into submission because it had stolen my fifteen cents. Schuyler came up behind me and fixed it in a snap. I was immediately taken with him. He's a very arresting individual on first contact. And, naturally, I was impressed by how mechanically capable he was."
"Oh, I bet that was what impressed you."
She narrowed her eyes at Mr. Freiberger's tone of voice. But his expression was completely impassive, so she had no idea if he had just made a disparaging comment or not. Deciding to give him the benefit of the
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