deafening level, Charlotte came to stand beside Leah. Or, rather, she came to hide behind her. As shy as she was in the office, it was no wonder that Charlotte was intimidated by the rowdy crowd.
"Have some champagne, Charlotte," Leah urged, reaching behind her to grab a bottle and refill Charlotte's glass. "Loosen up a little."
Charlotte made a face and swallowed a big gulp of the wine. "Are they always so wild?" she asked, her blue eyes darting nervously around the room.
Leah grinned. She had forgotten that this was her secretary's first campaign. "You think this is wild?" Leah said. "Wait a couple of hours until they have a few gallons of champagne under their belts. That's when Leonard Posner takes off his clothes and does the Hustle on the conference table."
Charlotte's plain features paled slightly, but behind her glasses, the blue eyes were just a little intrigued. "Really?" she whispered.
Leah put an arm around the other woman to give her a laughing hug. "You silly baby," she said. "Leonard is most likely hiding in the hall, like he does every year. No one gets more than a little high at these things—or, if they do, it's on excitement, not the champagne. Relax and have a good time... but don't
let anyone pull you into a closet, and take any vows of undying love with a grain of salt. No one will remember a word they've said tomorrow."
"Not only beautiful—brilliant as well."
Both women turned to find Lester Walker standing on the other side of Leah.
"Hello, Les." Leah smiled stiffly at the stocky blond man. She hadn't forgotten the scene in his office, but apparently he had. Or maybe he thought she wouldn't embarrass him in public. It wouldn't be the first time Lester had been mistaken about her.
"I take it you liked the commercial," she said, her expression indifferent.
"As I said—brilliant." He raised his champagne glass in a smiling salute. "There were a couple of minor things I might have changed, but, on the whole, it was brilliant. I can't help wondering what it would have been like if we had combined our talents—brilliance added to brilliance, so to speak." He lowered his gaze to the bare flesh that showed above the white camisole Leah wore under her pale blue silk jacket. "You might keep it in mind for next time."
Leah sighed with exaggerated weariness. "You've been thinking again, Lester," she said regretfully. "You know that always gives you a headache. Oh, look." She gestured with her glass toward the other side of the room. "That redhead from the ad agency is wiggling her hips at you. Better hurry, before she realizes she doesn't have her contacts in."
Leah rolled her eyes as he dived into the crowd, making his way toward the unfortunate redhead.
Charlotte leaned closer to whisper, "Do you suppose he's really so.. .so trivial? Maybe it's just an act."
"Act my foot," Leah said, giving an unladylike snort of derision. "Scratch Lester's surface, and you'll only find more surface."
Charlotte started to giggle; then suddenly she stiffened, her gaze trained on something just beyond Leah's shoulder. An instant later, like the Cheshire cat, the brunette simply faded into the surrounding crowd.
Swinging around, Leah found Paul standing behind her. "Is Walker giving you a bad time?" he asked calmly.
"Les Walker is a bad time," she replied dryly; then, bracing herself, she met his eyes. "Well, what did you think?"
"It went well."
She relaxed, giving him a radiant smile. "Knowing you—and since I've had two glasses of champagne— I'll interpret that to mean it was a dazzling success." She closed her eyes briefly, drawing a deep breath. "I feel like there should be fireworks lighting up the sky, crowds throwing streamers, people dancing in the streets."
He studied her face silently, his features as composed as always. "Tomorrow you'll come down with a thud. You'll most likely wake up with a hangover due more to an excess of exhilaration than an excess of champagne."
She raised her gaze to
"Have some champagne, Charlotte," Leah urged, reaching behind her to grab a bottle and refill Charlotte's glass. "Loosen up a little."
Charlotte made a face and swallowed a big gulp of the wine. "Are they always so wild?" she asked, her blue eyes darting nervously around the room.
Leah grinned. She had forgotten that this was her secretary's first campaign. "You think this is wild?" Leah said. "Wait a couple of hours until they have a few gallons of champagne under their belts. That's when Leonard Posner takes off his clothes and does the Hustle on the conference table."
Charlotte's plain features paled slightly, but behind her glasses, the blue eyes were just a little intrigued. "Really?" she whispered.
Leah put an arm around the other woman to give her a laughing hug. "You silly baby," she said. "Leonard is most likely hiding in the hall, like he does every year. No one gets more than a little high at these things—or, if they do, it's on excitement, not the champagne. Relax and have a good time... but don't
let anyone pull you into a closet, and take any vows of undying love with a grain of salt. No one will remember a word they've said tomorrow."
"Not only beautiful—brilliant as well."
Both women turned to find Lester Walker standing on the other side of Leah.
"Hello, Les." Leah smiled stiffly at the stocky blond man. She hadn't forgotten the scene in his office, but apparently he had. Or maybe he thought she wouldn't embarrass him in public. It wouldn't be the first time Lester had been mistaken about her.
"I take it you liked the commercial," she said, her expression indifferent.
"As I said—brilliant." He raised his champagne glass in a smiling salute. "There were a couple of minor things I might have changed, but, on the whole, it was brilliant. I can't help wondering what it would have been like if we had combined our talents—brilliance added to brilliance, so to speak." He lowered his gaze to the bare flesh that showed above the white camisole Leah wore under her pale blue silk jacket. "You might keep it in mind for next time."
Leah sighed with exaggerated weariness. "You've been thinking again, Lester," she said regretfully. "You know that always gives you a headache. Oh, look." She gestured with her glass toward the other side of the room. "That redhead from the ad agency is wiggling her hips at you. Better hurry, before she realizes she doesn't have her contacts in."
Leah rolled her eyes as he dived into the crowd, making his way toward the unfortunate redhead.
Charlotte leaned closer to whisper, "Do you suppose he's really so.. .so trivial? Maybe it's just an act."
"Act my foot," Leah said, giving an unladylike snort of derision. "Scratch Lester's surface, and you'll only find more surface."
Charlotte started to giggle; then suddenly she stiffened, her gaze trained on something just beyond Leah's shoulder. An instant later, like the Cheshire cat, the brunette simply faded into the surrounding crowd.
Swinging around, Leah found Paul standing behind her. "Is Walker giving you a bad time?" he asked calmly.
"Les Walker is a bad time," she replied dryly; then, bracing herself, she met his eyes. "Well, what did you think?"
"It went well."
She relaxed, giving him a radiant smile. "Knowing you—and since I've had two glasses of champagne— I'll interpret that to mean it was a dazzling success." She closed her eyes briefly, drawing a deep breath. "I feel like there should be fireworks lighting up the sky, crowds throwing streamers, people dancing in the streets."
He studied her face silently, his features as composed as always. "Tomorrow you'll come down with a thud. You'll most likely wake up with a hangover due more to an excess of exhilaration than an excess of champagne."
She raised her gaze to
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