been right.
“Then four years after the divorce my ex called and said he and his very young wife were taking some family relationship seminars. Their instructor insisted it was imperative that we all have closure so they could become better parents to Angelina.
We
were ancient history, but as you said, none of it was the child’s fault.” She shrugged. “Long story short. We met. Angelina walked in, plopped herself on my lap for the duration of the visit. Very strong like at first sight for both of us. Whenever I get extra tickets to Broadway shows coming to town, I send them to her. This picture was taken when Pauline and I took all three girls to see
The Lion King.
”
Their eyes locked, and the strongest sensation of tenderness he’d felt in years flooded over him. He rammed his hands into his pockets and stepped back to put some space between them. “You surprise me, Rebecca.”
Her blush made her brown eyes large and luminous in her beautiful face. “Well, then, I hope I keep surprising you. Starting with dinner. It’s served.”
With the table between them it was easier for Rebecca to regain control. To try to forget the brain-chemical reaction or whatever it was between them that made her comfortable enough to tell him about Angelina. She needed to rekindle her dislike of him.
“Delicious soup,” he complimented like a well- behaved guest. “This is from your first recipe column with a gossip note?”
Good. Let’s get to the point of this evening.
“Of course.” Settling back in her chair, she sipped champagne instead of her soup. “You wanted to talk about my column?” she asked sweetly and took another gulp.
Mirroring her, he leaned back in his chair, sipping the Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc Harry had read would be the perfect accompaniment to spinach soup and fowl.
“I wanted to get to know you. Discuss the reasons I made changes at the
Daily Mail.
Particularly how they affect you.”
Affect me? You pulled my world out from under me.
It was safer to feel angry at him than drawn to him. Widening her eyes, she tried to disguise her disgust with interest. “Do tell.”
The cool, calculating gaze from his suddenly narrowed eyes charged the air with so much tension she could have sliced it with her granny’s priceless sterling silver butter knife.
Damn it. Now he knows I’m angry.
He leaned forward. Instinctively, she pressed back into her hardwood chair.
“Let’s lay our cards on the table, Rebecca. I chose Shannon over you because I’m taking the newspaper in a new direction. Reality journalism. I want Shannon out at parties all night. Climbing over people to get the pictures and interviews with local and national celebrities playing in Chicago. If someone famous is dancing topless on a bar, I want Shannon there to share the sexy excitement with the reader. It isn’t a job I believe you can do.”
Of course I don’t want that job!
Oddly unsure what to say or do next, she jumped to her feet. “I smell something burning in the kitchen. Excuse me.” She grabbed their bowls and escaped.
There was no need to deliberately slop food around the kitchen to make it look real. She took out her frustration by slapping the Baja Chicken and rice onto dinner plates. She was furious at him for taking the paper in a direction she believed wrong, but she was even more angry at herself for being so confused about him. Tonight she’d glimpsed someone in him she might actually like.
When sauce splattered on her apron, she stopped to look down. In despair, she tried to wash off the huge red spot. When she failed, she took the apron off and hung it over a kitchen stool to dry.
Sorry, Harry. About everything. I am going to be myself, but David will not be enchanted. He may be handsome and he may have noble tendencies, and I might feel an odd kind of connection to him, but he turned my world upside down for all the wrong reasons and I’m going to tell him so.
David stood when she returned to the table
“Then four years after the divorce my ex called and said he and his very young wife were taking some family relationship seminars. Their instructor insisted it was imperative that we all have closure so they could become better parents to Angelina.
We
were ancient history, but as you said, none of it was the child’s fault.” She shrugged. “Long story short. We met. Angelina walked in, plopped herself on my lap for the duration of the visit. Very strong like at first sight for both of us. Whenever I get extra tickets to Broadway shows coming to town, I send them to her. This picture was taken when Pauline and I took all three girls to see
The Lion King.
”
Their eyes locked, and the strongest sensation of tenderness he’d felt in years flooded over him. He rammed his hands into his pockets and stepped back to put some space between them. “You surprise me, Rebecca.”
Her blush made her brown eyes large and luminous in her beautiful face. “Well, then, I hope I keep surprising you. Starting with dinner. It’s served.”
With the table between them it was easier for Rebecca to regain control. To try to forget the brain-chemical reaction or whatever it was between them that made her comfortable enough to tell him about Angelina. She needed to rekindle her dislike of him.
“Delicious soup,” he complimented like a well- behaved guest. “This is from your first recipe column with a gossip note?”
Good. Let’s get to the point of this evening.
“Of course.” Settling back in her chair, she sipped champagne instead of her soup. “You wanted to talk about my column?” she asked sweetly and took another gulp.
Mirroring her, he leaned back in his chair, sipping the Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc Harry had read would be the perfect accompaniment to spinach soup and fowl.
“I wanted to get to know you. Discuss the reasons I made changes at the
Daily Mail.
Particularly how they affect you.”
Affect me? You pulled my world out from under me.
It was safer to feel angry at him than drawn to him. Widening her eyes, she tried to disguise her disgust with interest. “Do tell.”
The cool, calculating gaze from his suddenly narrowed eyes charged the air with so much tension she could have sliced it with her granny’s priceless sterling silver butter knife.
Damn it. Now he knows I’m angry.
He leaned forward. Instinctively, she pressed back into her hardwood chair.
“Let’s lay our cards on the table, Rebecca. I chose Shannon over you because I’m taking the newspaper in a new direction. Reality journalism. I want Shannon out at parties all night. Climbing over people to get the pictures and interviews with local and national celebrities playing in Chicago. If someone famous is dancing topless on a bar, I want Shannon there to share the sexy excitement with the reader. It isn’t a job I believe you can do.”
Of course I don’t want that job!
Oddly unsure what to say or do next, she jumped to her feet. “I smell something burning in the kitchen. Excuse me.” She grabbed their bowls and escaped.
There was no need to deliberately slop food around the kitchen to make it look real. She took out her frustration by slapping the Baja Chicken and rice onto dinner plates. She was furious at him for taking the paper in a direction she believed wrong, but she was even more angry at herself for being so confused about him. Tonight she’d glimpsed someone in him she might actually like.
When sauce splattered on her apron, she stopped to look down. In despair, she tried to wash off the huge red spot. When she failed, she took the apron off and hung it over a kitchen stool to dry.
Sorry, Harry. About everything. I am going to be myself, but David will not be enchanted. He may be handsome and he may have noble tendencies, and I might feel an odd kind of connection to him, but he turned my world upside down for all the wrong reasons and I’m going to tell him so.
David stood when she returned to the table
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