dreadful today. You really shouldn’t burn the candle at both ends. A good night’s sleep does wonders for your appearance.”
“It really is sweet of you to express your concern.” Kathleen bit her tongue to keep from telling Ashley she spent the night with Mac just to see her reaction. She absently pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. It definitely had a mind of its own this morning, and she knew she looked a sight. But she didn’t need Ashley to clue her in, and she found it quite easy to adopt Ashley’s venomous tone. “But honestly, Ashley , you must know how difficult it is to look your best when you’ve been out all night.”
“No.” Ashley looked bemused. “I always get at least eight hours of sleep.”
“You’re so very fortunate.”
Ashley grinned, then aimed her eyes at the article she had scanned earlier. “I do hope you weren’t working on that.” She frowned just the slightest bit, as though her face might permanently wrinkle if she used too much expression.
Kathleen thought about what she had written, deciding her evening with Mac had been too special to trivialize in a magazine article. She looked at the paper, then back at Ashley, who stared, curiously, at Kathleen’s quiet, pensive face. “This,” she said, wadding up the paper and tossing it in the trash can, “was just a fleeting thought, one that wasn’t going anywhere.”
“Mac wouldn’t be pleased if he knew you were wasting your time.”
“I rarely waste my time, or anything else, Ms. Tate, except when people barge into my office, unannounced, with absolutely nothing constructive to say.”
Ashley stood in a huff. “Everything I’ve said to you, Ms. Flannigan, has been constructive. And I think you should remember that my words should be accepted as though they were coming from Mac himself.”
“And when did McKenna O’Brien appoint you as his spokesperson?”
“I’ve always spoken on Mac’s behalf. I know he’s not happy with the magazine, I know he’s not happy with you, and I think you know it.”
Kathleen gripped the edge of her desk and leaned forward. “No, I don’t, Ms. Tate. Mac and I had a long discussion about this magazine and my position at McKenna Publishing. It was a private discussion, one I don’t believe he would discuss with staff, or anyone else for that matter.”
“He discusses everything with me.”
“Is that so? I was under the impression your relationship was over.”
“You’re mistaken. Mac’s in love with me, and he always will be.”
Kathleen chose not to believe Ashley’s words, and she wanted her out of her office. “I don’t care what your relationship is, but I doubt even you know Mac’s true feelings about this magazine, this company, or anything else.”
Ashley stuck her chin high in the air, looking down her nose at Kathleen. “You seem terribly edgy this morning. Perhaps you should start sleeping at night instead of gallivanting around till all hours.”
“What I do with my personal time is none of your business, Ms. Tate. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
oOo
Ashley slammed the door and smacked into several staff members clustered outside Kathleen’s office, apparently listening to the boisterous exchange that had gone on inside. She pushed them aside and stormed down the hall, taking the e levator to the penthouse office Mac occupied.
Grace looked up from the paperwork on her desk. “I’m sorry, Miss Tate, but Mr. O’Brien isn’t in today.”
“Good,” Ashley retorted, walking past Grace’s desk and pushing open the door to Mac’s office. “I need some privacy. I’m sure he won’t mind me using his office.” She closed the door and locked it before Grace could do or say anything else.
She hated this room with its dark oak paneling and bookshelves, buckskin leather upholstery, and the big, ugly, ancient oak desk. She had managed to decorate Mac’s home, but he wouldn’t let her touch a thing in his
“It really is sweet of you to express your concern.” Kathleen bit her tongue to keep from telling Ashley she spent the night with Mac just to see her reaction. She absently pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. It definitely had a mind of its own this morning, and she knew she looked a sight. But she didn’t need Ashley to clue her in, and she found it quite easy to adopt Ashley’s venomous tone. “But honestly, Ashley , you must know how difficult it is to look your best when you’ve been out all night.”
“No.” Ashley looked bemused. “I always get at least eight hours of sleep.”
“You’re so very fortunate.”
Ashley grinned, then aimed her eyes at the article she had scanned earlier. “I do hope you weren’t working on that.” She frowned just the slightest bit, as though her face might permanently wrinkle if she used too much expression.
Kathleen thought about what she had written, deciding her evening with Mac had been too special to trivialize in a magazine article. She looked at the paper, then back at Ashley, who stared, curiously, at Kathleen’s quiet, pensive face. “This,” she said, wadding up the paper and tossing it in the trash can, “was just a fleeting thought, one that wasn’t going anywhere.”
“Mac wouldn’t be pleased if he knew you were wasting your time.”
“I rarely waste my time, or anything else, Ms. Tate, except when people barge into my office, unannounced, with absolutely nothing constructive to say.”
Ashley stood in a huff. “Everything I’ve said to you, Ms. Flannigan, has been constructive. And I think you should remember that my words should be accepted as though they were coming from Mac himself.”
“And when did McKenna O’Brien appoint you as his spokesperson?”
“I’ve always spoken on Mac’s behalf. I know he’s not happy with the magazine, I know he’s not happy with you, and I think you know it.”
Kathleen gripped the edge of her desk and leaned forward. “No, I don’t, Ms. Tate. Mac and I had a long discussion about this magazine and my position at McKenna Publishing. It was a private discussion, one I don’t believe he would discuss with staff, or anyone else for that matter.”
“He discusses everything with me.”
“Is that so? I was under the impression your relationship was over.”
“You’re mistaken. Mac’s in love with me, and he always will be.”
Kathleen chose not to believe Ashley’s words, and she wanted her out of her office. “I don’t care what your relationship is, but I doubt even you know Mac’s true feelings about this magazine, this company, or anything else.”
Ashley stuck her chin high in the air, looking down her nose at Kathleen. “You seem terribly edgy this morning. Perhaps you should start sleeping at night instead of gallivanting around till all hours.”
“What I do with my personal time is none of your business, Ms. Tate. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
oOo
Ashley slammed the door and smacked into several staff members clustered outside Kathleen’s office, apparently listening to the boisterous exchange that had gone on inside. She pushed them aside and stormed down the hall, taking the e levator to the penthouse office Mac occupied.
Grace looked up from the paperwork on her desk. “I’m sorry, Miss Tate, but Mr. O’Brien isn’t in today.”
“Good,” Ashley retorted, walking past Grace’s desk and pushing open the door to Mac’s office. “I need some privacy. I’m sure he won’t mind me using his office.” She closed the door and locked it before Grace could do or say anything else.
She hated this room with its dark oak paneling and bookshelves, buckskin leather upholstery, and the big, ugly, ancient oak desk. She had managed to decorate Mac’s home, but he wouldn’t let her touch a thing in his
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