self-preservation, as if closing out the sight of him would allow her lungs to take in the air she needed to breathe.
Michael enjoyed her reaction tremendously, but it only whetted his appetite.
“Meghan,” broke in Henry’s startled voice. “Are you all right? Have you seen Lucy lately? Can I get you anything?”
Meghan was nodding and shaking her head furiously in response to his rapid-fire questions, but she couldn’t speak. She had to concentrate on staying alive.
“Ms. Shay,” came a deep baritone. “You look as if you’re had a terrible shock. Is something wrong?”
The added impact of his voice jolted the air from her lungs, and her emergency life-support system kicked in. She opened her eyes slowly. Immediately, she could see the man was having a very good time at her expense.
He was casually leaning against the doorjamb of her office. With supreme control, he held the laughter in his throat at bay, but his eyes were another story. They were sparkling wildly, laughing exultantly.
For generations, the Shays had had nothing to claim but pride. And Meghan Shay had inherited her share. Determinedly, she straightened her spine and puffed out her chest. Her chin came up defiantly, but she couldn’t quite look him in the eye.
“I’m fine, Henry,” she said, and cleared her throat. Then, since no Shay ever died sitting down, she rose to a standing position and added, “Lucy said I need to get more rest. You must be Mr. Ramsey.”
“Oh, sorry,” Henry apologized. “Meghan Shay. Michael Ramsey.”
“How do you do, Mr. Ramsey. Would you like to sit down?” she asked, sending up yet another silent prayer of thanks for all those poker lessons.
“What does the M stand for?” Michael asked with pleasant enough curiosity. He indicated the name printed on her office door, which still stood ajar.
As Michael made his way across the office and took a chair directly in front of Meghan’s desk, Henry answered him. “Mary. The M stands for Mary. Mary Meghan Shay just drips of saints and virgins, doesn’t it?” Henry teased her, as he had a thousand times before.
“Certainly does,” Michael agreed, his voice cracking with laughter. Giving Meghan a meaningful look, he repeated slowly, “Saints and virgins.”
Blissfully, Henry continued to dig Meghan’s hole as he retold the old office joke about her name. “We were a little surprised when she used an initial for Mary. We always thought it made her sound so incorruptible that it would have made great public relations for the firm.”
Michael laughed appropriately for Henry, but his rebuttal was for Meghan. “It would indeed. But we all know actions speak louder than words. I’m sure Ms. Shay’s reputation says more about her skills than her name does.”
When Meghan gasped, Michael was delighted with his direct hit.
She shuffled papers around on her desk in embarrassment, trying to settle herself.
Meghan was panic-stricken, but the emotion she felt most intensely was pain. She deserved his anger and ridicule, and she knew it, but it hurt nonetheless. She blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes as she pushed papers back and forth on her desk. All she could do was handle the situation with as much dignity as she had left.
With a strange glint in her eyes that Michael couldn’t decipher, she looked straight at him and said, “Mr. Ramsey’s right, Henry,” then she changed the subject. “I understand you’re buying a piece of the Apple, Mr. Ramsey.”
“Yes, I am,” he stated. “Since it’s so close to noon, perhaps we could discuss it over lunch, say … at the Essex,” he zinged her again, then for Henry’s benefit he added, “I’m staying there and have an appointment there later, so it would be convenient, and the food is excellent.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “But I have an appointment with my doctor at one-thirty. So, if you wouldn’t mind, we can discuss it now.”
At this point, Henry the Helpful
Michael enjoyed her reaction tremendously, but it only whetted his appetite.
“Meghan,” broke in Henry’s startled voice. “Are you all right? Have you seen Lucy lately? Can I get you anything?”
Meghan was nodding and shaking her head furiously in response to his rapid-fire questions, but she couldn’t speak. She had to concentrate on staying alive.
“Ms. Shay,” came a deep baritone. “You look as if you’re had a terrible shock. Is something wrong?”
The added impact of his voice jolted the air from her lungs, and her emergency life-support system kicked in. She opened her eyes slowly. Immediately, she could see the man was having a very good time at her expense.
He was casually leaning against the doorjamb of her office. With supreme control, he held the laughter in his throat at bay, but his eyes were another story. They were sparkling wildly, laughing exultantly.
For generations, the Shays had had nothing to claim but pride. And Meghan Shay had inherited her share. Determinedly, she straightened her spine and puffed out her chest. Her chin came up defiantly, but she couldn’t quite look him in the eye.
“I’m fine, Henry,” she said, and cleared her throat. Then, since no Shay ever died sitting down, she rose to a standing position and added, “Lucy said I need to get more rest. You must be Mr. Ramsey.”
“Oh, sorry,” Henry apologized. “Meghan Shay. Michael Ramsey.”
“How do you do, Mr. Ramsey. Would you like to sit down?” she asked, sending up yet another silent prayer of thanks for all those poker lessons.
“What does the M stand for?” Michael asked with pleasant enough curiosity. He indicated the name printed on her office door, which still stood ajar.
As Michael made his way across the office and took a chair directly in front of Meghan’s desk, Henry answered him. “Mary. The M stands for Mary. Mary Meghan Shay just drips of saints and virgins, doesn’t it?” Henry teased her, as he had a thousand times before.
“Certainly does,” Michael agreed, his voice cracking with laughter. Giving Meghan a meaningful look, he repeated slowly, “Saints and virgins.”
Blissfully, Henry continued to dig Meghan’s hole as he retold the old office joke about her name. “We were a little surprised when she used an initial for Mary. We always thought it made her sound so incorruptible that it would have made great public relations for the firm.”
Michael laughed appropriately for Henry, but his rebuttal was for Meghan. “It would indeed. But we all know actions speak louder than words. I’m sure Ms. Shay’s reputation says more about her skills than her name does.”
When Meghan gasped, Michael was delighted with his direct hit.
She shuffled papers around on her desk in embarrassment, trying to settle herself.
Meghan was panic-stricken, but the emotion she felt most intensely was pain. She deserved his anger and ridicule, and she knew it, but it hurt nonetheless. She blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes as she pushed papers back and forth on her desk. All she could do was handle the situation with as much dignity as she had left.
With a strange glint in her eyes that Michael couldn’t decipher, she looked straight at him and said, “Mr. Ramsey’s right, Henry,” then she changed the subject. “I understand you’re buying a piece of the Apple, Mr. Ramsey.”
“Yes, I am,” he stated. “Since it’s so close to noon, perhaps we could discuss it over lunch, say … at the Essex,” he zinged her again, then for Henry’s benefit he added, “I’m staying there and have an appointment there later, so it would be convenient, and the food is excellent.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “But I have an appointment with my doctor at one-thirty. So, if you wouldn’t mind, we can discuss it now.”
At this point, Henry the Helpful
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