first item on the list was the ability to understand legal terminology. Angie resolved to look into some books on the subject. She was a quick study. In three months, she would be on her way out Garner Holt’s door, with skills she could use to get a job almost anywhere, a job that did not require sixteen-hour days or working every weekend. She would be free to have a
life
.
In the meantime, she’d show him a thing or two. He was going to rue the day he lost such a good secretary.
“Slow down, Angie,” Garner said from the door of his office. “You’re wearing us out watching you.”
She put on her most impersonal smile. “I have a lot of energy.”
Cliff groaned. “Did you hear that? She has a lot of energy. Would you mind telling me what you eat to get all that energy?”
“I’m like the Ninja Turtles. I eat a lot of pizza.” Angie tackled a dust ball behind the leather sofa. “When I can’t get pizza, I eat tacos.”
“Lord, I’m starving.” Cliff headed for the door. “See there, Garner? Pizza is good for you. Carry on, Miss Brownwood. This office needs you.”
“Call me Angie,” Angie said, smiling.
She liked Cliff. Garner, on the other hand, was now Mr. Holt, and she didn’t care what he said. If he wanted his office cleaned and caught up, he’d better go along with her.
She returned to sweeping the moment Cliff left. Opening the door, she swept vast quantities of dirt and dust out, waving as Cliff rode by on his red bicycle.
“He’s on an exercise program.” Garner joined her. “He decided riding his bike ten blocks rather than driving his car will work off a few more calories.”
“Isn’t that what exercise is supposed to do?” she asked coolly.
“When you’re counting every little calorie, they do eventually add up.” Garner studied her a moment while she made a point of ignoring him. “I need to ask a favor of you, by the way.”
“Yes?” Angie stopped sweeping and waited.
“Mindy Adams is going to make my life miserable if I don’t turn up at her party.” He turned his most charming smile on her.
Angie felt the impact of that smile, but her professional demeanor didn’t crack. She lifted her brows and said nothing.
Garner frowned, no doubt detecting a distinct chill in the air. “What I had in mind was bringing you. You’ll have a chance to meet people, and Mindy will think you’re my date. What do you say?”
Angie swiftly drummed up a speech about professionalism and secretarial ethics. The man was out of his mind if he thought she’d pretend to be his date while she was working for him as his secretary.
She opened her mouth to make a speech on high secretarial standards.
“Thank you,” she found herself saying instead. “I’d love to go.”
Chapter 4
Garner arrived at his office at eight the following morning. He still couldn’t believe the sight that met his eyes. Angie Brownwood had spent most of the evening cleaning her own office, then she’d turned her formidable energies toward his.
Cliff followed him inside. “Gawd,” he said, in awestruck tones. “I haven’t seen the place this clean since the day you moved in. What did you offer her?”
“My body,” Garner quipped, and laughed when Cliff turned an indignant glare toward him. “Seriously, Cliff, I don’t know what the woman’s agenda really is, but I’ll tell you one thing. I no longer care.”
“You’ll give yourself? Just like that?” Cliff’s sardonic tones didn’t sit well on his smoothly guileless face. “Wait’ll I tell Mindy she didn’t use the right bait when she went fishing for a husband.”
Garner felt abashed. Perhaps Cliff was right. Perhaps his time in Dallas had warped his thinking.
Still, he couldn’t think of any secretary he’d ever known who would do the amount of work Angie Brownwood had done last night without demanding something in return beyond her salary. Most of them would have flatly refused to touch a broom and would have told him in
life
.
In the meantime, she’d show him a thing or two. He was going to rue the day he lost such a good secretary.
“Slow down, Angie,” Garner said from the door of his office. “You’re wearing us out watching you.”
She put on her most impersonal smile. “I have a lot of energy.”
Cliff groaned. “Did you hear that? She has a lot of energy. Would you mind telling me what you eat to get all that energy?”
“I’m like the Ninja Turtles. I eat a lot of pizza.” Angie tackled a dust ball behind the leather sofa. “When I can’t get pizza, I eat tacos.”
“Lord, I’m starving.” Cliff headed for the door. “See there, Garner? Pizza is good for you. Carry on, Miss Brownwood. This office needs you.”
“Call me Angie,” Angie said, smiling.
She liked Cliff. Garner, on the other hand, was now Mr. Holt, and she didn’t care what he said. If he wanted his office cleaned and caught up, he’d better go along with her.
She returned to sweeping the moment Cliff left. Opening the door, she swept vast quantities of dirt and dust out, waving as Cliff rode by on his red bicycle.
“He’s on an exercise program.” Garner joined her. “He decided riding his bike ten blocks rather than driving his car will work off a few more calories.”
“Isn’t that what exercise is supposed to do?” she asked coolly.
“When you’re counting every little calorie, they do eventually add up.” Garner studied her a moment while she made a point of ignoring him. “I need to ask a favor of you, by the way.”
“Yes?” Angie stopped sweeping and waited.
“Mindy Adams is going to make my life miserable if I don’t turn up at her party.” He turned his most charming smile on her.
Angie felt the impact of that smile, but her professional demeanor didn’t crack. She lifted her brows and said nothing.
Garner frowned, no doubt detecting a distinct chill in the air. “What I had in mind was bringing you. You’ll have a chance to meet people, and Mindy will think you’re my date. What do you say?”
Angie swiftly drummed up a speech about professionalism and secretarial ethics. The man was out of his mind if he thought she’d pretend to be his date while she was working for him as his secretary.
She opened her mouth to make a speech on high secretarial standards.
“Thank you,” she found herself saying instead. “I’d love to go.”
Chapter 4
Garner arrived at his office at eight the following morning. He still couldn’t believe the sight that met his eyes. Angie Brownwood had spent most of the evening cleaning her own office, then she’d turned her formidable energies toward his.
Cliff followed him inside. “Gawd,” he said, in awestruck tones. “I haven’t seen the place this clean since the day you moved in. What did you offer her?”
“My body,” Garner quipped, and laughed when Cliff turned an indignant glare toward him. “Seriously, Cliff, I don’t know what the woman’s agenda really is, but I’ll tell you one thing. I no longer care.”
“You’ll give yourself? Just like that?” Cliff’s sardonic tones didn’t sit well on his smoothly guileless face. “Wait’ll I tell Mindy she didn’t use the right bait when she went fishing for a husband.”
Garner felt abashed. Perhaps Cliff was right. Perhaps his time in Dallas had warped his thinking.
Still, he couldn’t think of any secretary he’d ever known who would do the amount of work Angie Brownwood had done last night without demanding something in return beyond her salary. Most of them would have flatly refused to touch a broom and would have told him in
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