The Wrong Man by Delaney Diamond Read Free Book Online

guilty she hadn’t taken the project seriously in the first place. She saw how the single mothers struggled, and even the married ones tended to be the primary caregivers and had a hard time balancing work and their kids. How many of them had been overlooked for promotions and special projects because of assumptions they didn’t have the same work ethic as the men or couldn’t accommodate the late night work schedules and the trips out of town?
    Lillian danced toward the door, and speak of the devil, Jay came in as she was leaving.
    “Hi, Mr. Santorini,” Lillian sang, grinning from ear to ear as she closed the door behind her.
    “What’s going on with her?”
    “She’s excited about a project she’s working on.” Talia stood. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Italy?”
    Jay Santorini wore a white pullover shirt and dark pants. Not part of the typical office dress code, so she knew he’d only dropped in for a short visit. His father had started the company and turned over control to Jay when he retired. Despite rumors of being a playboy and a slacker, the company flourished under Jay’s leadership.
    “Change of plans,” he answered. Every year he took whichever woman he considered his latest girlfriend on vacation to his family’s villa on Lake Maggiore in Turin, Italy, for two weeks including Memorial Day weekend. “But don’t worry, I won’t be in your hair all week, either.” He waved his hand, indicating she should reclaim her seat and after she did, he settled into the guest chair across from her. “What’s the latest with JBC?”
    The acronym JBC stood for Johnson Brewing Company out of Seattle, Omega’s most recent and well-known client. Omega held the position of largest ad agency in the Southeast, but under normal circumstances they couldn’t compete against the national advertising firms out of New York and Los Angeles. Winning JBC’s business was a major accomplishment.
    Johnson Brewing Company was African-American-owned and one of the largest breweries in the country. For years they’d worked with the same ad agency, but after a loss in market share three years in a row, the family had decided to try other companies and implement a new marketing strategy.
    Omega beat out five other firms to win the contract to work with them. Talia supervised the entire creative department and her responsibilities included making sure all the ad campaigns fit within client guidelines. She knew Jay trusted her, but because of the massive rebranding of JBC, he paid closer attention to the goings on than he normally did.
    “We’re making headway,” Talia said. “Cyrus, the oldest Johnson son and the head of the company, is due in town on business in a couple of weeks and wants to come by the office to meet the team.”
    “Does he like what we’ve presented so far?” Jay asked.
    “So far so good.”
    “All right. Keep me informed.” He rose from the chair and walked back to the door but stopped halfway there. “Everything okay with you?” he asked.
    She glanced up in surprise. Generally speaking, Jay didn’t get personal, but she had no doubt his question referred to Carter bringing Paula to the company picnic, a topic she didn’t want to discuss with her boss. “I’m fine.”
    “You don’t need time off? Because if you do, I’d understand.”
    “We’re in the middle of an important campaign, Jay. Why would I take time off?” She didn’t take time off. Even more so now because she couldn’t afford the luxury of sitting idle with her own thoughts. Then she’d have to admit how empty her life was.
    He shrugged, looking at the far wall. “I guess you’re stronger than me. When my wife and I divorced nine years ago, I took a week off. I didn’t come to work and didn’t want to see anyone. Lucky for me, we didn’t work together.” His gaze met hers again. “Something to think about.”
    Talia kept her features neutral. “Thank you.”
    He opened his mouth, apparently to add an