“Of course not. A good secretary is responsible—’’ “I get the picture, Miss Coulter.” He cut her off and continued to scan the mail, his concentration centering on the neat stack of letters she’d previously sorted. “I’ll need you to take notes during a luncheon meeting, if that would be convenient.”
“Of course,” she replied sweetly. “Are there any files I should read beforehand to acquaint myself with the subject?”
“Yes.” He listed several names and businesses, but for all the notice he gave her, she could well have been a marble statue decorating his office. “One last thing.” For the first time he raised his eyes to hers. “Contact personnel and find out how much longer Ms. Westheimer will be out.”
It was on the tip of Stephanie’s tongue to tell him his precious “mature” secretary couldn’t be back soon enough to suit her. “Right away, sir.” Her tone dripped honey.
The piercing blue eyes narrowed fractionally. “I think I liked you better when you weren’t so subservient. However, I’m pleased that you finally recognize your place.”
Stephanie was so furious she wanted to explode. Instead, she smiled until the muscles at the sides of her mouth ached with the effort. “It’s only my job, sir.” His eyes sharpened all the more if that was possible. “Exactly, Ms. Coulter.”
It took every ounce of self-control Stephanie possessed to disguise her outrage. She’d never had to deal with such a man. But with everything that was in her, she was determined not to cave in to his dislike of her.
They worked together most of the morning, dealing with the mail first. If Jonas spoke to her, it was in the form of clipped requests. They had a job to do, and there was no room for anything else. Not a smile. Not a joke. No unnecessary communication. He seemed to look upon her as a necessary piece of equipment, like the telephone. She was there to see to the smooth running of his business—nothing else. This puzzled Stephanie. She knew she was reasonably good-looking, and yet Jonas treated her with the same emotion he would his briefcase. She was both amused and insulted.
Stephanie had learned earlier that the game was played byJonas Lockwood’s rules. In every other office where she’d been employed, she’d seen herself as part of a team. With Jonas, she was keenly aware that she was only a small spoke in a large wheel. Jonas Lockwood was the wagon.
Once back at her desk, she took a minute to contact Jan before tackling the long list of requests Jonas had given her.
“Jan? Stephanie here. I won’t be able to meet you for lunch.”
“Do you want me to bring you back something?”
“No, I’m attending a meeting with Mr. Lockwood.”
“Hey, that’s great. He’s never taken Old Stone Face with him before. You must have impressed him.”
“I sincerely doubt that. The man is unimpressable.”
“Don’t be so sure,” she said, a smile evident in her voice. “By the way, did you give any thought to what I said yesterday?”
Stephanie, could only assume Jan was referring to the challenge of making Jonas Lockwood fall in love. The idea caused her to smother a small laugh. “Yes, I did. You’re nuts if you even think I’d attempt anything so crazy.”
“He doesn’t so much need to be put in his place as to find it. And from what I saw yesterday, you’re just the woman to do it.”
“Maybe.” However, Stephanie sincerely doubted that someone as unemotional as Jonas Lockwood was capable of falling in love. Part of her wanted to rebel at the way he treated her. Rarely had a man been so indifferent toward her. With her even features, smooth ivory skin and soft golden hair, Stephanie was aware that men found her attractive. Jonas Lockwood’s blatant indifference was a surprise. When Jonas looked at her, all she felt was a chill that cut straight through her bones.
“Steph? Are you there?”
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”
“I hope that means what I think it means. Listen, I’d like to get together with you soon. There’s something we—I—want to talk over with you.”
“If it has to do with you-know-who, forget it!”
Chuckling, Jan said, “I’ll see you later.”
“Right.”
Replacing the telephone receiver, Stephanie wheeled her chair to the typewriter and inserted a piece of paper. She worked with only a few interruptions for the next two hours. A half hour before the scheduled luncheon, she sorted through the list of files Jonas had recommended in order to familiarize herself with the people she’d be meeting.
She felt mentally prepared and alert for the coming luncheon. When Jonas appeared, she stood wordlessly and followed him into the elevator. Knowing that he was a man who didn’t appreciate unnecessary conversation, Stephanie kept her comments and questions to herself. She would have her answers eventually.
A driver was waiting outside the building, and he held open the car door for Jonas and Stephanie as they approached.
Stephanie climbed inside, her fingers absently investigating the smooth velvet interior of the limo. Almost immediately, Jonas opened his briefcase and took out a file.
Sheeyed him curiously. She might have a low opinion ofhim as a human being, but his knowledge and business acumen were beyond question. He was a man born to lead. Just from working with him these two days, Stephanie had witnessed his swift, decisive nature. When he saw something, he went after it by the most direct route. Life had no gray areas for a man of his nature—it was either black or white, with no middle ground.
She found her gaze wandering to his hands. They were large, with blunt nails and short wisps of dark hair curled out from the French cuffs of his shirt. His hands looked capable of forging an empire or tenderly caressing a woman. He could be gentle—his hands told her as much. The thought of his large hands stroking her smooth skin did funny things to her breathing. The ridiculousness of such a notion caused Stephanie to shake her head. A funny sound slid from the back of her throat, and Jonas glanced up momentarily.
Quickly, Stephanie looked out the side window, wondering what was happening to her. She didn’t even like this man.
As the limo pulled up to a huge skyscraper, Jonas announced, “I want you to take notes on the meeting. When we return, type them up and give me your impressions of what happened.”
Stephanie opened and closed her mouth in surprise. She was his secretary, not his personal analyst. But she knew better than to question the mighty Jonas Lockwood. She’d do as he asked and accomplish it with a smile. He’d have no reason to find fault with her.
They rode the elevator to the twenty-first floor of the Bellerman Building. The heavy doors slid open, and Jonas directed her into the meeting room at the end of the narrow hallway. Ten chrome chairs upholstered in moss green were strategically placed around a long rosewood table. Jonas claimed the seat at the end and motioned for Stephanie to take the chair at his side. She was faintly surprised that he wanted her so close at hand. Since she was a mere woman, and a young one at that, Stephanie had expected to sit in a corner and observe the proceedings from there.
Lunch was served, and what followed was a lesson in business that she hadn’t learned in her four years as an executive secretary. There was a layered feel to the meeting. She took meticulous notes of the statements that were made, but Stephanie wondered at the underlying meaning of the words. She was impressed by the role Jonas played. He appeared to be in complete charge of the subjects discussed without speaking himself, determining the course of the meeting with a nod of his head or a small movement of his hand. At first glance, anyone looking in would assume that Jonas was bored by the entire proceedings. The man was unnerving.
At precisely two, it was over. Stephanie looked up from her steno pad and flexed her tired shoulder muscles. As the other men stood, the sounds of briefcases opening and closing filled the spacious room.
“Good to see you again, Lockwood.” The man sitting on Jonas’s right made the comment, and his gaze slid over Stephanie with a familiarity that left a bad taste in her mouth. ‘ ‘Leave it to you to have the most beautiful woman in Minneapolis as your private secretary.”
Jonas’s cutting blue gaze left the man to rest momentarily on Stephanie. “She’s a substitute. My secretary is ill this week.” He didn’t give her a moment more of his attention as he stood and reached for his cane, leaving her to follow him.
Fuming that he would treat her so dismissively, Stephanie reached for her purse. He hadn’t noticed anything about her but her secretarial skills. She was a woman, and if Jonas Lockwood didn’t recognize that, it was his problem, not hers. Yet she was offended by his comment, and she stewed about it all the way back to Lockwood Industries.
The phone rang ten minutes after Stephanie was seated at her desk. “Mr. Lockwood’s office.”
“Steph, it’s Jan. I talked with Bertha Westheimer this afternoon, and I have good news.”
“I could do with some,” she grumbled.
“She’ll be back Monday morning.”
“And not a minute too soon.”
“How’d the luncheon meeting go?”
“I...I don’t know.” She hadn’t sorted through her notes enough to analyze what had transpired. “It was interesting.”
“See, he’s already having an affect on you.”
“He?” she said, teasing Jan. “I can’t possibly believe you mean who I think.”
Jan’s answer was a smothered giggle. “Don’t forget to meet me at five-thirty. On second thought, I’ll come up for you.”
“Fine. And thanks for the
good
news. I could do with a lot more.”
The remainder of the afternoon was surprisingly peaceful. Stephanie typed up her notes and observations and placed them on Jonas’s desk before she left.
He was writing something; he paused and glanced up. “Yes?”
“I just wanted to tell you that Ms. Westheimer will be back Monday morning. It’s been an education working with you for the past couple of days.”
He leaned back in his chair and looked at her steadily. “Not a pleasure? You filled in nicely. Quite a surprise, Miss Coulter.”
Stephanie supposed that this was as much of a compliment as she could expect from such a man. “Now that’s something I’m pleased to hear,” she said, smiling despite the effort not to.
“I’m convinced you’ll do well at Lockwood Industries.”
“Thank you. And if ever you need a replacement for Ms. Westheimer...”
“I’m hoping that won’t be soon.”
Not as much as I am, Stephanie mused. “Good day, Mr. Lockwood.”
He’d already returned to his work. “Good evening, Miss Coulter.”
Stephanie’s heart was pounding by the time she met Jan Michaels. For an instant there, she could almost have liked Jonas Lockwood. Almost, but not quite.
“I take it the afternoon ran smoothly.”
“Relatively so,” Stephanie confirmed.
“Are you ready to talk?’’
“It depends on the subject. Jonas Lockwood is off-limits.”
“Unfair,” Jan objected. “You know I want to discuss our infamous boss. Come on, I’ll buy you a drink and loosen your tongue.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Stop complaining. Don’t check the olive in a gift drink.”
“What?” Stephanie asked, laughing.
“Oh nothing,I was just trying to make a joke. You know the old saying about not checking the teeth in a gift horse? It’s Friday, and it’s been a long week.” Folding her jacket over her arm, Jan led the way down the elevator and through the wide glass doors of the Lockwood Industries building. The Sherman Street traffic was snarled in the evening rush hour, and Jan wove her way between the stalled cars to a small cocktail lounge a couple of blocks from the building.
A small table of women waved when they entered the lounge. Stephanie recognized several faces.
“Hi, everyone. You all know Stephanie.” Jan placed her arm over Stephanie’s shoulder.
“Hi.” Stephanie raised her hand in greeting.
“Meet Barbara and Toni.” Jan continued the introductions with, “You know Maureen.”
“Well, what do you think, ladies?”
“She’s great.”
“Perfect.”
“Exactly what we want.”
Taking a chair, Stephanie glanced around the small group, shaking her head in wonder. “What are you guys talking about?”
“You!” All four spoke at once.
“Does this have to do with Jonas Lockwood?” Already she didn’t like the sound of this.
“You didn’t tell her?” The brunette, Toni, questioned Jan.
“I think we’d better order her a drink first.”
Still shaking her head with wonder, Stephanie glanced from one expectant face to the other. The four women came in various forms and ages. Barbara had to be over forty, Toni in her mid-thirties, Maureen younger, and Jan, who Stephanie guessed was near her own age of twenty-four.
The cocktail waitress returned with five bottles of sparkling wine cooler.
“Now, what’s this all about?” Stephanie questioned, growing more curious by the minute.
“I think we should start at the beginning,” Jan suggested.
“Please,” Stephanie murmured.
“You see, we all read romances. We’re hooked on them. They’re wonderful stories.”
“Right. And Jonas Lockwood makes
the
perfect hero, don’t you think?” Barbara added.
“Pardon?” To Stephanie’s way of thinking, he made
the
perfect block of ice.
“Haven’t you noticed that chiseled leanness he has about him?”
“And those craggy male features?”
“I suppose,” Stephanie muttered, growing more confused by the minute. To ease some of the dryness in her throat, she took a long swallow of the wine cooler. It was surprisingly refreshing.
“He’s got that cute little cleft in his chin.”
Now that was something Stephanie hadn’t noticed.
“The four of us have decided that Mr. Lockwood is really an unhappy man,” the redhead, Maureen, continued. “His life is empty.”
“He needs a woman to love, and one who will love him,” Barbara said.
“That’s an interesting theory,” Stephanie said, reaching for the wine a second time. She had to watch how much she consumed, or the four of them would soon be making sense.
“It’s obvious that one of us won’t be his true love,” Toni added.
“What about you, Jan?” Stephanie pointed her drink in her friend’s direction.