32aa by Michelle Cunnah Read Free Book Online

church. Despite the cruel January wind, she stands by the open door to personally thank everyone for coming. I think she really did love Johnny, no matter what anyone else thinks.
    “Mrs. Cray,” I say, when it is my turn to speak to her. “I’m so sorry for your loss. If there’s anything I can do…”
    “Thank you,” Babette says, fresh tears springing to her eyes. She takes hold of my hands, which surprises me, because I don’t know her that well. And then she shocks me even more when she hugs me like a long-lost friend.
    “Johnny was very fond of you,” she tells me between sobs. “He said you were the best secretary he ever had.”
    This is stunning news. I didn’t think that Johnny even knew my name. Oh, how sweet. What a lovely man. I’m so overcome by warm thoughts of Johnny that fresh tears course down my cheeks, ruining my makeup.
    “Would—would you like me to pack his personal effects at the office?” I ask her. It’s the least I can do to save the poor woman even more pain.
    “Oh, I should never have married him,” she wails. “If only we’d stayed just friends, this would never have happened. He’d still be alive…”
    I am dying (forgive the pun) to ask more, but don’t feel that this is my business.
    “I thought he was just old-fashioned, wanting to wait untilour wedding night to consummate our love. If only he’d told me that his doctor had warned him against having sex…And now he’s dead and it’s all my fault…”
    Oh. This is more information than I wanted, but I pat her back in a comforting way.
    “You mustn’t blame yourself,” I tell her. “Johnny obviously loved you and wanted to have…” Have what? I grope for the right words. “He wanted to have a special night with you because he loved you so much.”
    “Yes. Yes he did love me. At least I have that to hold on to,” she tells me, straightening and wiping away her tears.
    “We’ll all miss him,” I say, as Adam guides me firmly away.
    “Bit pointless, Emmeline,” Adam tells me as he steers me down the church steps. “You know, Babette can’t help your career.”
    How cynical of him. He obviously needs me to restore his faith in womankind.
    “I like her,” I tell him. “I just feel so sorry for her. She really did love him, you know.”
    “You really are a tender-hearted little thing, aren’t you?” Adam says, smiling rather condescendingly down at me. “I know exactly what you need to make you feel better.”
    Adam takes me for a very long lunch, during which he plies me with delicious delicacies and very good wine. To get to know me, and, of course, to forge a bond between us to establish our working relationship. And to help me cope with my grief for losing Johnny.
    We don’t make it back to work that afternoon.
    As I’m about to get into the cab he’s hailed for me, he leans forward and kisses me full on the mouth.
    No tongues are involved.
    Damn.
     
    On the first day of our life together (in the office, of course) Adam calls a staff meeting. And as he is telling his accountmanagers about his expectations, I cannot help think about my own expectations as his foot accidentally finds my leg and he rubs my ankle with it.
    Ooh…This is really nice, but I mustn’t read too much into it. Just in case he’s a serial-flirter-with-secretaries, rather than a man interested in me, personally. He is my boss, after all. I dreamily allow myself to replay the moment he kissed me last night…
    And when he is instructing his team that he wants fresh, new ideas for the possible new Perfect Pantyhose account (only if they like our fresh, new ideas), just as I am hoping for another kiss from Adam in the not-too-distant future (but with tongues this time), I have a fresh, new idea. I have an epiphany. It comes to me in a blinding flash.
    I have a plan for the Perfect Pantyhose account.
    Now, I’ve had lots of great ideas for other accounts we’ve dealt with, but Johnny wasn’t interested in his secretary