Page 55 of The Perfect Secret
“Hannah, I’m Barbara James.”
A small, plump, friendly looking woman held out her hand. Hannah rose, grasped it, and couldn’t help but smile in return. “Nice to meet you.”
“Come on back to my office. I’m impressed with your résumé. You’ve experienced some wonderful opportunities for someone so young.”
Barbara’s office credenza was filled with photos—people Hannah assumed were family, friends, and clients. On the walls were more magazine covers and articles.
“I remember that campaign.” Hannah pointed to a start-up technology company. “I loved the way you turned the tide from a cold technology company to a company whose products reflected the need to care for the community.”
Barbara smiled. “It was one of my favorites. I try to convey warmth and connection in both my personal and professional life. My employees are like family, as are my clients. If I can’t relate to a person, I don’t want to hire them or work with them. We specialize in what I like to callHallmarkmoments, although I shouldn’t call them that since they’re not our client.” She grinned and pointed Hannah to a seat across from her blond wood desk.
Hannah crossed her legs. “So you create stories for your clients that convey emotions.”
“Exactly. We want the public to patronize a company because it makes them feel good, because they admire their values—whatever those may be—because they’re more than an economic beast.”
Hannah bit her lip. This was exactly what she wanted, but she’d tried to do it with Fortex and look where that had landed her. If Barbara did any investigating into her previous job, she’d never hire her.
Barbara reviewed her résumé and asked questions about her experience. When she reached the end, she laid it on her desk,folded her hands and pinned her gaze on Hannah. “So, why are you leaving your current position?”
Hannah’s neck grew warm and a drop of sweat dripped down her back. How honest could she be? An image of Jim flashed through her mind. If she couldn’t be honest with her boss, and if her boss couldn’t believe her, she didn’t want to work with him or her. With a deep breath, she told Barbara about Fortex, leaving out the names of everyone involved.
Barbara leaned back in her chair. “Based on what you just told me, I think you’re a perfect fit.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped.
“While I understand the difficult situation your boss was in, the difference is, here I will always back my employees. While the client isalways right, it doesn’t mean my employees are always wrong. I am selective in what companies I take on and I do an exhaustive check into their backgrounds before I agree to represent them. In your boss’ position, I would have dropped the client, not you.”
“But how can you run a business that way?”
“You’d be surprised.” She slid a folder across her desk to Hannah. “Take a look at who we are, what we do, and what you would do if you worked here. Let’s both take a few days to think and talk again on Friday. In the meantime, I’ll check your references.”
Speechless, Hannah nodded and left the office.
Later that night, she reviewed the company folder. Her favorable opinion of the boutique firm increased. She’d gain valuable experience by broadening her duties and responsibilities. The campaigns the firm created and the companies they represented were impressive. And she’d be getting a pay raise to boot.
She’d be on pins and needles until she heard back from Barbara. For the first time in a long time, she was excited about her job.
Dan scrolled through financial statements, but his brain wasn’t focused on numbers. It had been two days since he’d seen Hannah—two days too long. He missed the touch of her hand—the way her skin felt smooth beneath his, the unexpected delicate feel of her bones when their fingers were intertwined. She was strong, stronger than she looked. The contrast intrigued him.
He missed the closeness he’d experienced when he was inside of her, arms and legs entwined. Their breaths mingled, their hearts beat together and their bodies moved as one. They connected in a way he hadn’t shared with anyone in a long time. She was the first person he’d wanted to have sex with since his wife.
He missed her vanilla-scented perfume when he buried his face in her neck, the berry flavor of her mouth when he kissed her. He missed the peace that settled over him when she leaned into him. Hell, he missed how she pushed him to test his physical limits and made his leg ache when he was with her, how she was solicitous yet not pitying.
Dammit, he missed everything about her, which was ridiculous, because they’d been together on Monday. And they would see each other this coming weekend. He was a grown man. Why couldn’t he be away from her?
Fear settled in the pit of his stomach. His hands grew cold. He wasn’t dependent on her, was he? It was one thing to care about someone. It was a different thing to be unable to be away from them. He’d been drawn to her from the start—it was a reliefwhen he realized she felt the same way. But was this something more? Like someone testing a wound to see how painful it was, he poked and prodded at his feelings for Hannah and his desire to be with her. Maybe not seeing her for the next few days was a good thing.
He pushed away from his desk in disgust and ran a hand over the top of his head. His phone rang. Spinning around in his chair, he banged his leg against the desk. With a muttered oath, he answered the phone.
“Dan Rothberg.”
“Whoa, it’s Lisa. Not sure who you’re mad at, but it can’t be me.”
He let out a whoosh of air. “Sorry, Lisa. What can I do for you?”
“Did you look at the affidavits from the charities?”
“Yeah, I did. Great work. We’ve got everything lined up. Thanks.” He massaged his knee.