Making her Smile Read online

  Tony lifted his eyebrows again and Phillip’s stomach filled with dread. Tony had sniffed out a problem. Not good!

  “She practically grew up in your house, your mother and hers are best friends, and have been for about forty years. She runs the same kind of business you do, although…” he started to say something, but shook his head. “You guys even think alike.”

  Stephen snorted, leaning forward to pour more whiskey into his glass. “Yeah, that’s a bit creepy, Phil.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Phillip replied quickly and leaned back, trying to feign indifference. “I was just wondering how others perceive us.”

  Phillip didn’t even bother to look at Tony, knowing that the man didn’t believe him worth a damn. “Lillian is smart, elegant, and capable of just about any problem someone puts in front of her.”

  “As long as it has nothing to do with math,” Phillip muttered into his glass with an amused smirk.

  Both men stared at Phillip, stunned by what he’d just said. The guys didn’t know Lillian as well and Tony was the first to express the need for clarification. “What was that?”

  Phillip looked over at Tony. “Lillian hates anything to do with math. I agree with you, she’s fully capable of anything, as long as it doesn’t have to do with math.”

  “I can empathize,” Tony stated firmly with a chuckle. “Math sucks.”

  “Can’t argue with either of you on that issue,” Stephen said, raising his glass and toasting Tony. “We’ll leave all of the math problems to Phillip.”

  Phillip laughed. “Math is just logic. I’m surprised that you guys hate it so much.”

  Tony shook his head. “No. The world is not made up of numbers and formulas. It’s about ideas and feelings. Knowing something in your gut and going back to figure out what your gut is telling you.”

  Stephen nodded. “I’m with Tony. Intuition has saved my butt from a bullet many times.” He turned to Tony and they shared a look. “The hairs on the back of the neck?”

  Tony chuckled. “Wouldn’t be alive today without those warning signs.”

  “Glad you appreciate all the effort I put into getting the two of you through calculus,” said Phillip archly as he drained his second glass of whisky.

  Several hours later, as Phillip pulled off his clothes that night and slipped between the sheets, it wasn’t Lillian’s smile that popped into his head right before he fell asleep. It was Marie’s and her eyes were telling him that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, Phillip’s day was once more interrupted. “Lillian is here, Phillip,” Marie announced, closing the door behind her as she stopped in the middle of his office, glaring at him.

  Phillip looked up, noticed that she was wearing red again. Damn, he loved her in red. It made her skin look pale and her eyes almost green. And all of that dark, luxurious hair just…

  “Phillip! Lillian?”

  He jerked out of his fantasy about Marie’s hair spread out over his pillow…and all of the things he would do to her body once he got her there. But…she’d never be there. He couldn’t dump Lillian only days before their wedding. That was just…wrong.

  He glanced at his computer, pressing a few buttons on the keyboard. “Don’t I have a meeting in five minutes?”

  Marie scowled at him, taking several steps closer, and he almost laughed at the anger springing to life in her beautiful eyes.

  “Phillip, she came by the other day to talk to you and Dan showed up. I know that was an urgent issue, but your meeting in a few minutes isn’t important and…” Marie took a deep breath, dropping her hands to her sides, “Well, it seems like Lillian is determined to talk with you today.”

  Phillip was busy contemplating Marie’s slender waist and full hips. He wondered what the skin on her stomach would feel like. Was it as pale as he imagined? “What about?”

  She huffed, just as he knew she would, and he chuckled. Damn, he loved it when she got all huffy like that. “Talk to her and find out for yourself!” she snapped. A moment later, she stepped out of his office and held the door open for Lillian.

  His fiancée walked into the room with a bright smile and a determined look about her. Phillip had to admire Lillian’s fashion sense. No one could pull off a pink sweater set quite like Lillian. She was like a blonde Jacqueline Kennedy.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked, coming towards her and kissing her cheek.

  Chapter 4

  Marie sat down in her chair, her fingers trembling as she typed up the letter, refusing to give in to procrastination any longer. She didn’t want to, but it had to be done. She had to leave. There was no way she could work with Phillip after he married Lillian Sousier. The lady was elegant and perfect, always immaculately groomed, wearing the most beautiful clothes, all perfectly matched up with understated jewelry that were probably heirlooms and cost more than her annual salary.

  A spike of jealousy hit her but she pushed it away. She had no right to be jealous of Phillip and Lillian. They’d become engaged several months ago and, well, they really did make a beautiful couple. They had been friends for a long time and, as the story went in the newspaper article she’d read about their engagement, their friendship had simply grown into love over the years.

  It was the stuff fantasies were made of, she thought, as she deleted yet another spelling error. She muttered a curse under her breath, irritated that she couldn’t seem to stop making errors today.

  There was nothing to do about it. Phillip would be married in a few days and off on his honeymoon the day after. By the time he came back from a luxurious two weeks in Aruba, she would be gone. She’d already accepted another job in Chicago, far away from the beautiful city of New Orleans. Her apartment was completely boxed up except for the clothes she’d pack into a suitcase for the drive up there. Movers were scheduled to pick up all of the boxes in ten days. She didn’t have an apartment in Chicago yet, but she had a plane ticket to fly up there this weekend and she’d find a place to live. She already had several appointments scheduled, it wouldn’t take her long to pick a suitable place.

  The timing worked out perfectly. She’d be in her new apartment just in time for Christmas. If that holiday was going to be painfully lonely this year, so be it. Marie would simply busy herself between Christmas and New Years unpacking boxes and getting her new life organized. She’d then start her new job right after the New Year and begin the painful healing process. Eventually, she wouldn’t feel this brutal, aching pain whenever she thought about Phillip. Eventually, this gaping hole in her chest would heal.

  At least, she hoped.

  Today, she’d hand in her resignation and she already had several potential replacements scheduled to interview with Phillip tomorrow. While he was on his honeymoon, she could teach her replacement about the job and he’d come back to a fully trained assistant with minimal impact to his day.

  Yes, there would be a learning curve, but the men and women she had pre-screened came highly recommended. Marie had complete faith that whoever Phillip chose could fill her shoes with ease.

  “Hey Marie,” Joan Henshaw greeted as she stepped up to Marie’s desk. “Remember that legal issue with the guy who was flashing employees coming into the building last month?”

  Marie grimaced. “Yes. He was disgusting.”

  Joan laughed, nodding her head in agreement. “In more ways than one,” she said. “Anyway, the lawyers called today and they want to go over a few more issues, just to make sure the employees are protected. Does Phillip have time today to talk with me?”

  Marie clicked a few keys on her keyboard, trying to guess how much longer he’d be in there with Lillian. “Well, he’s leaving Friday afternoon and won’t be back for two weeks. But…”

  “I’d need to talk with him today. It’s important, but just a few…”

  Marie understood and nodded. Standing up, she stepped over to Phillip’s door. “I’ll just see if he can talk to
you before his next meeting. Just a sec,” she knocked quickly before opening the door.

  Unfortunately, she should have avoided entering his office. Phillip and Lillian…they were…

  Gasping, she closed the door once again, pain ripping through her chest area. She stood there for a long moment, trying to breathe through the pain.

  It wasn’t working.

  “Are you okay, Marie?”

  Marie looked up, startled to see Joan standing there. She’d forgotten that the woman was waiting to speak with Phillip. “Oh. Um…” she looked around, trying to think. Her eyes shot back to the door, then to Joan. Nothing came to mind.

  “Is he in his office?” Joan prompted.

  Marie blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears. Turning away, she dug through the files next to her desk, pretending to be searching for one of them. It was a ruse to hide her threatening tears, probably wouldn’t work since Joan was a smart woman, but she tried anyway.

  “He’s in with Lillian, his fiancée, at the moment, Joan. Can I call you when he is finished with his conversation?”

  There was a chuckle from the woman, but Marie didn’t lift her head.

  “Sure. When they’re finished ‘conversing’, just give me a ring.”

  A moment later, Marie heard the other woman walk away and breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, it was bad that she’d allowed Joan to think that some sort of hanky panky was going on in Phillip’s office when, in reality, they were merely talking. Lillian’s beautiful, blonde head leaned endearingly against Phillip’s shoulder – a completely innocent pose. But it had appeared heartbreakingly sweet and intimate, causing that ache in Marie’s chest to throb. The picture of them like that…it only reinforced her decision to leave.

  And with that in mind, she…

  The door burst open and Marie swung around, unable to avoid looking at the two of them. But this time, she pasted a professional smile on her face and stood up, mentally bracing herself for their goodbye kiss.

  “Thanks Phillip,” Lillian called behind her as she left. Walking through the doorway, Lillian was still shockingly beautiful, with her blonde hair and her immaculate sweater set. And pearls! Could the woman be any more perfect?

  Another stab of jealousy hit her and she glared as Lillian made her way towards the elevators.

  “If looks could kill!”

  Marie gasped and swung around. Phillip was leaning one shoulder against the door frame, watching her. Immediately, Marie straightened her shoulders and smoothed the jealousy from her features. “Joan stopped by while you were in with Lillian. She wanted to discuss the…”

  “Forget about Joan. Come on into my office. We have some things to discuss.”

  Marie stared after him, wondering what was going on. He hadn’t kissed Lillian before she’d walked away. In fact, he had barely even touched her. And although Marie was grateful for not having to witness affection between the two of them, she was still very confused.

  Picking up the file Phillip would need for his next meeting, she grabbed her notebook as well.

  “Here is the information for…”

  “Marie, let’s talk,” he announced.

  Marie swung around, finding him over in the sitting area instead of behind his desk. She blinked, not sure what was going on. He was always behind his desk. In fact, she couldn’t remember any time she’d seen Phillip sitting on the couch or one of the leather chairs.

  He gestured to the couch, but she remained frozen in place. “Talk?” she parroted, still unsure of what was going on. “What do you need to talk about?”

  Phillip stared at the lovely brunette for a long moment. Her hazel eyes blinked at him from across the room and he knew that he was acting out of character. But Lillian had just walked out after breaking things off with him and he felt…free! Damn, he hadn’t even realized how much he’d been dreading the wedding until it was no longer looming in his future.

  And now that he was once again a single man, he could allow his mind to consider alternatives. Marie was definitely the woman that his mind wanted to focus on. But he acknowledged that she had never been an alternative. She’d been the focus of too many dreams to be an alternative.

  Damn, how had he been so blind? How had he let things with Lillian get out of hand? “Did you know that my mother is actually how I ended up engaged to Lillian?” he started off, wanting Marie to understand.

  She blinked again, staring at him with those huge, hazel eyes. Eyes that he loved. Eyes that he wanted to see when she was…

  Clearing his throat, he focused on his plan. One step at a time, he told himself.

  “Your mother?” she asked, her voice sounding strangled. A giggle burst from her and she quickly slapped her hand over her mouth. “Phillip, tell me you’re teasing me.”

  He shook his head, laughing himself. “Nope. My mother and Lillian’s mother have been friends for…well, as long as I’ve been around. They sort of collaborated and worked things out.”

  Another laugh and he could see her eyes twinkling with her amusement. “Did she get down on one knee to propose for you as well?”

  His head tilted slightly and he tried to give her a punishing look, but he was just too happy at the moment. He couldn’t let her get away with that though.

  “Ah, now you are maligning my masculinity,” he replied. He walked towards her until he was less than a foot away. “I can’t have you thinking I’m not a strong man, now, can I?” he asked softly. He kept his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t reach out and touch her. The temptation was too strong. “What could I do to prove my manliness?” he teased right back.

  She giggled again, shaking her head, and causing the wisps of hair to float around her face. “Now that I know your mother got you engaged, I believe your manliness is no longer in question,” she replied right back.

  “Ah, you think it has been blighted forever, huh?”

  Marie felt almost dizzy! He was no longer engaged? He wasn’t going to marry the lovely Lillian? This was…amazing! Shocking! Hard to take in! For months, she’d been mentally preparing for this Saturday, for the day when he would be married. And now…it felt as if she’d been given the key to prison. She’d escaped!

  Standing there, so close to Phillip, closer than she’d ever been before, she was shocked by the power of him. He was…awesome! So powerfully built, tall and…just overwhelming!

  “Um…Phillip, could you just…” she walked away, placing the files on his desk because…well, it was either put them down or drop them on the floor. She preferred order over chaos. Turning back to face him, she opened her mouth to ask him something else but found he was, again, incredibly close.

  “I don’t think I’m going to cancel my honeymoon,” he announced, his voice deeper than normal. Huskier in some odd way that sent shivers of awareness throughout her whole body.

  Huh? Wait, this didn’t…not cancel the honeymoon? “You’re not?” She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the haziness. “Why not? Why would you go on your honeymoon without Lillian?”

  “Because we won’t be married.”

  Still not clear. And that smile tugging at the corners of his lips…what did that mean? She blinked, shaking her head slightly as if she could shake out the cobwebs and finally understand. It didn’t help, and Phillip was still looking at her like…well, like a tiger ready to pounce!

  Goodness, the heat in his eyes…she didn’t understand it, but that look had always caused excitement to simmer in her stomach, twisting her insides into a chaotic mess. Only Phillip had this kind of impact on her! It wasn’t fair!

  Reverting back to business, where she was comfortable, she took a deep breath and pulled her eyes away. “Well, your calendar is still cleared for the next two weeks. Your pilot is standing by tomorrow. I can keep your schedule clear and just…”

  “You have a passport, right?” he asked, moving away. He walked around his desk and Marie breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely back where he should be. The desk betwe
en them was safer. She could think when he was further away. And she wasn’t thinking about how good he smelled or how tall he was or any one of a thousand thoughts that were constantly flitting through her mind, but at least now she could focus.

  “Of course.”

  “Good. Go home and pack a bag.”

  She stared at him, not sure she understood. “Um…Phillip, why would I need to pack a bag?”

  “Because you’re coming with me. We’ll make the next two weeks a working vacation. We can spend a few hours each morning working before doing something more interesting.” He glanced down at his watch. “I’ll go down and see what Joan needs to discuss with me, then head home. You call my pilot and tell him that we’re leaving today instead of Saturday. I’ll call my housekeeper and tell her to pack up for me, then swing by to grab my bags. Then I’ll come by to pick you up at your apartment in…” he glanced down at his watch again. “Two hours.”

  A moment after announcing that, he walked out of his office, assuming that she would fall in line with all of his plans.

  A working vacation? In Aruba?! Was he serious?

  She turned and stared at the empty doorway. Marie knew that he was already gone, but she stood there, waiting for him to pop back into the office and tell her he was just joking.

  Aruba? Wedding canceled?

  This wasn’t happening. Nope, she’d just dreamed the last few minutes.

  Walking back to her desk, she pulled up his schedule for the day. And tomorrow. She had six interviews scheduled for tomorrow. For several minutes, she stared at the schedule, not sure what to do.

  If he wasn’t getting married, then she didn’t have to quit, did she?

  But…no, this was too much to take in.

  The phone ringing by her elbow startled her and she jerked, glaring at the phone for a long moment. But professionalism kicked in and she straightened, picking up the phone by the second ring. “Mr. Martineau’s office.”

  “Marie, you haven’t left yet! If you’re going to get everything packed in two hours, you need to hurry.”