Business and Pleasure (Lavender Lace, Book One) by Lynn Lafleur Page B

.”
    “I’m thirsty. How about you?”
    Marci stood and walked to the small refrigerator before Peggy had a chance to answer the question. Assuming it would be yes, she took out two Pepsis.
    “You do realize I’m not leaving your office until I get answers.”
    “Yeah, I realize that.” She handed Peggy one of the cold sodas. She popped the top on hers and took a long drink. “I really screwed up.”
    “Why? You said he was amazing.”
    “He was. He is. He’s an amazing lover and a wonderful man. Kind, charming, funny, considerate.” She sat in the chair next to Peggy. “He said he wants to keep seeing me.”
    Peggy opened her can of soda. “I fail to see the problem.”
    “I told you the problem.”
    “You told me some bullshit about not getting involved with an employee.”
    “It isn’t bullshit, Peggy. It isn’t professional for me to date an employee.” She laughed without a trace of humor. “I shouldn’t talk to you about my personal life. That isn’t professional either.”
    “That’s even more bullshit, Marci. You and I were coworkers and friends before you ever became my boss. You know you can tell me anything and it’ll never be repeated.”
    “Yes, I know that. You’re a very special friend.” She ran her thumb through the condensation on the can. “I can’t get involved with Keefe. You know what happened with Ben. Everyone in the building knows what happened with Ben.”
    “That’s because he was an asshole and made sure everyone knew. He never should’ve told anyone what the two of you did in private.”
    Marci looked down at the can of soda resting on her thigh. Heat filled her cheeks to remember how humiliated she’d been by Ben’s betrayal…and how hurt.
    Peggy squeezed Marci’s arm. “Keefe isn’t Ben. I doubt if he would ever publicly embarrass you the way Ben did.”
    “He’s six years younger than I am.”
    “So what? That sounds like a bonus to me. You’re at your sexual peak right now. A younger man can satisfy you a lot better than an older one.”
    “William is two years older than you. You told me he’s an incredible lover.”
    “He is, but I’ve had twenty-one years to train him. It wasn’t easy at times, believe me. Men can be really dense when it comes to what a woman needs in bed.”
    Lauren stepped through the doorway. “Marci, Tyler Wilson is on line two.”
    “Thanks, Lauren,” Marci said over her shoulder. She looked back at Peggy. “I need to get that.”
    “I know you do.” She gave Marci’s arm another quick squeeze. “We’ll talk more later.”
    Once Peggy left, Marci took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Pushing thoughts of Keefe out of her mind, she picked up the telephone receiver.
    “Mr. Wilson, this is Marci Bayne. How can I help you?”
    * * * * *
     
    Keefe shook his head in amazement as he gazed at the figures on the spreadsheets fanned out over his desk. “And you do all this for every project?” he asked Dara Nash.
    She nodded. “I compute every cost, right down to the paper clips.”
    “I’m impressed. This is a lot of work.”
    “Marci has no problem with a generous budget, as long as we stick to it. If costs start going over, she wants to know why and what we can do to get back on track.”
    “Do projects go over budget a lot?”
    “Not a lot, but it does happen. So many factors go into making a movie. Some we have no control over, like the weather. Sometimes Mother Nature likes to show us she’s still boss.”
    Keefe chuckled. “She can be a bitch, huh?”
    “And then some. Plus there’s always the chance that people won’t like the movie. Not even huge stars stop the box office flops.”
    “Like Genius Takes All ?”
    Dara winced. “Don’t remind me. That one barely paid for the paper clips, much less anything else. Luckily, that’s a rarity. Marci is wonderful at spotting a hit. She’s an incredible president.”
    Finally, Keefe had found someone willing to talk about Marci. He knew he had to be