“I need to take this.” He strolled away to answer it, leaving Paige simmering.
“What is wrong with him?” She turned to Jake. “I’ll take that offer of a ride.”
Jake gave a faint smile. “No way. If the two of you are going to fight, that’s great. Always invigorating for the rest of us, but don’t put me in the middle of it.”
Making a mental note to take it up with Matt later, Paige opened her laptop. “The event part of our business is straightforward, but on top of that I’ve written down everything a corporate concierge should do.” While Matt was occupied on his call, she showed Eva. “Anything I’ve missed?”
Jake glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see sex anywhere on that list.”
“You’re not funny. I’ve made a list of companies whose executives are all cash-rich and time-poor.”
Eva poured coffee into mugs. “But why would they use us ?”
“Because we’re going to make their employees more productive. And their lives so much easier they’re going to wonder how they ever survived without us. I did some research online last night—do you know how many working hours are lost because employees are sorting out their personal lives at work?”
“Mine don’t.” Jake accepted a cup of coffee from Eva.
“I bet they do. You don’t know about it because you’re the boss. The moment you walk into the room they minimize the screen.”
“You’re suggesting I’m not in touch with what’s going on in my own company?”
“I’m suggesting that most people are now working such long hours and their work/life balance is so totally skewed that they’re forced to sort out personal issues while at work. We can help with that.”
“Work/life balance? What the hell is that? I need to go,” Matt said as he hung up the phone, straightened his tie and checked his reflection in the gleaming surface of the microwave oven. “I’ll see you later.” He paused as Frankie walked through the door. She was wearing cargos and a clean T-shirt, her hair a tumbled mass of fiery curls over her shoulders.
Paige saw her brother’s eyes linger on Frankie’s hair. Then he scanned her face, taking in her taut expression.
“Everything all right?” He spoke quietly and Frankie said something that Paige couldn’t hear, but she saw her brother nod and move away without pushing the subject further.
Her brother, Paige knew, had a seriously low opinion of Frankie’s mother.
On the few occasions she’d come to see Frankie in the apartment, Matt had made it his business to be there. Frankie would probably rather have endured the humiliation of those moments in private, but knowing how it affected her, her friends tried to be present whenever Gina Cole made one of her impromptu “parent” visits.
Paige was touched that Matt insisted on being there to support Frankie. She’d even occasionally wondered if there was more to the gesture than another example of her brother’s protective nature, but that thought hadn’t lasted long.
Matt needed, and expected, trust in a relationship.
Frankie trusted no one. She was the first to admit she was so twisted when it came to relationships she could have been used as a corkscrew.
“Are you sure you won’t stay, Matt?” Eva gestured to the table. “I declare this breakfast meeting in session. Anyone still in this kitchen in two minutes will be eating my oatmeal.”
Matt and Jake bumped into each other in their attempt to make a quick exit.
“Why are men so averse to healthy eating?” Offended, Eva spooned creamy oatmeal into bowls and added almonds and berries.
“Probably because diet cola tastes better.” Frankie sat down and picked up a spoon. “If I eat this, will you stop nagging me?”
“Maybe.”
Paige pushed her laptop across to Frankie. “Take a look at my list.”
Frankie dug her spoon into her bowl and read. “Damn, we’re good. And you’re good, putting all this together so fast. Are you sure we can do all
“What is wrong with him?” She turned to Jake. “I’ll take that offer of a ride.”
Jake gave a faint smile. “No way. If the two of you are going to fight, that’s great. Always invigorating for the rest of us, but don’t put me in the middle of it.”
Making a mental note to take it up with Matt later, Paige opened her laptop. “The event part of our business is straightforward, but on top of that I’ve written down everything a corporate concierge should do.” While Matt was occupied on his call, she showed Eva. “Anything I’ve missed?”
Jake glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see sex anywhere on that list.”
“You’re not funny. I’ve made a list of companies whose executives are all cash-rich and time-poor.”
Eva poured coffee into mugs. “But why would they use us ?”
“Because we’re going to make their employees more productive. And their lives so much easier they’re going to wonder how they ever survived without us. I did some research online last night—do you know how many working hours are lost because employees are sorting out their personal lives at work?”
“Mine don’t.” Jake accepted a cup of coffee from Eva.
“I bet they do. You don’t know about it because you’re the boss. The moment you walk into the room they minimize the screen.”
“You’re suggesting I’m not in touch with what’s going on in my own company?”
“I’m suggesting that most people are now working such long hours and their work/life balance is so totally skewed that they’re forced to sort out personal issues while at work. We can help with that.”
“Work/life balance? What the hell is that? I need to go,” Matt said as he hung up the phone, straightened his tie and checked his reflection in the gleaming surface of the microwave oven. “I’ll see you later.” He paused as Frankie walked through the door. She was wearing cargos and a clean T-shirt, her hair a tumbled mass of fiery curls over her shoulders.
Paige saw her brother’s eyes linger on Frankie’s hair. Then he scanned her face, taking in her taut expression.
“Everything all right?” He spoke quietly and Frankie said something that Paige couldn’t hear, but she saw her brother nod and move away without pushing the subject further.
Her brother, Paige knew, had a seriously low opinion of Frankie’s mother.
On the few occasions she’d come to see Frankie in the apartment, Matt had made it his business to be there. Frankie would probably rather have endured the humiliation of those moments in private, but knowing how it affected her, her friends tried to be present whenever Gina Cole made one of her impromptu “parent” visits.
Paige was touched that Matt insisted on being there to support Frankie. She’d even occasionally wondered if there was more to the gesture than another example of her brother’s protective nature, but that thought hadn’t lasted long.
Matt needed, and expected, trust in a relationship.
Frankie trusted no one. She was the first to admit she was so twisted when it came to relationships she could have been used as a corkscrew.
“Are you sure you won’t stay, Matt?” Eva gestured to the table. “I declare this breakfast meeting in session. Anyone still in this kitchen in two minutes will be eating my oatmeal.”
Matt and Jake bumped into each other in their attempt to make a quick exit.
“Why are men so averse to healthy eating?” Offended, Eva spooned creamy oatmeal into bowls and added almonds and berries.
“Probably because diet cola tastes better.” Frankie sat down and picked up a spoon. “If I eat this, will you stop nagging me?”
“Maybe.”
Paige pushed her laptop across to Frankie. “Take a look at my list.”
Frankie dug her spoon into her bowl and read. “Damn, we’re good. And you’re good, putting all this together so fast. Are you sure we can do all
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