with them again." He touched her arm. "Let me introduce
you to some of the executives."
Amanda had no choice
but to go with Logan
and suffer through the introductions . She had to meet the staff if she
wanted to succeed at this job. But she regretted the outfit she'd chosen. What
had seemed inspired in the safety of her apartment was absurd at this elegant
party. The other attendees had dressed in festive Christmas attire, with
shimmering silks, subtle glitter and snappy shoes all showing up her—she had to
admit it—appropriately named, granny outfit. She'd be lucky to make a good
impression on anyone tonight.
Logan introduced her to several people, all of whom were
polite. Except for one woman, a blonde who would have been
pretty if she didn't seem to have a permanent sneer on her face. Amanda
recognized her as the woman who'd been gossiping with Rosie when Amanda had
arrived for her first interview.
Logan introduced her as Phoebe Cattus.
"Director of Entrepreneurial
Services?" Phoebe lifted her thin eyebrows. "That's a new name
for an old job."
"You're right," Logan said so smoothly that Amanda
wasn't sure if he'd heard the snide undertone. "I'm excited about the new
opportunities Amanda can discover for the company."
"We all know what excites you, Logan." Phoebe
lowered her eyelashes in an unmistakable invitation.
"I hope you do." There was an edge to his voice
now. "Hard work and dedication."
He grasped Amanda's arm above her elbow to steer her away.
She managed to step aside without being too obvious. His warm hand was too
alluring, and she had no intention of allowing him any familiarity.
"Sorry about Phoebe," he murmured. "She has
her good points, but she wasn't showing them off just then."
"Good points?" She shot him a look. "Am I
going to run into your jealous exes all over the place?"
"Exes?" He raised an
eyebrow. "Phoebe is an employee. As far as exes go, no, you won't run into
them. When it's over, it's over."
She shivered. That sounded too much like a warning.
"Hey." Rosie walked up, her gold velvet dress
looking medieval, with its crossed corset bodice and deep cleavage. "I see
you met the company sniper."
"Sniper?"
"Verbal shots, but they're usually dead on target.
She's dubbed me the Fashion Maven of the Homeless."
Amanda almost giggled, even as she cringed. "You look
fabulous." She did, too, because the fitted dress emphasized Rosie's hourglass
shape. Rosie had an ability to take unusual, even odd, ideas, and craft them
into an appealing look.
Rosie grinned. "I like it, and that's what
counts." She moved closer and spoke in a low voice. "More
on the sniper, later."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Rosie." Amanda turned to
Logan. "Speaking of which, tomorrow's a work day." She hoped she
sounded like a good employee rather than a boring nerd. "The party has
been fun. Thank you."
"I'll see you home." His face revealed nothing, as
Rosie melted away.
"That's not necessary."
He shrugged. "It's time for me to go. They can't have
fun with the boss around."
"That's up to you. I'll be fine going home alone."
He raised his brows in silent mockery. "Are you afraid
I'll make a pass at you?"
"Afraid? Not likely."
He grinned. "Good instincts."
There was an ambiguous answer.
She lifted her chin. "I'll walk out with you. But
that's it."
"Excellent." He touched the small of her back once
more as they made their way out to the coat check. He held out his hand, but Amanda
gave her claim check directly to the tired-looking woman behind the table. Then
she dug in her wallet for a tip.
Logan placed a hand on her forearm. "Allow me."
The woman lifted Amanda's coat over the barrier, and Logan
managed to take the coat and also pass over a folded bill.
A gasp sounded and Amanda glanced up to see the coat check
lady flush bright red.
"Thank you, sir," she said, thrusting the bill
into her pocket.
Logan smiled as he shook out Amanda's coat while she put her
Christmas sweater back on. When he lifted the coat
you to some of the executives."
Amanda had no choice
but to go with Logan
and suffer through the introductions . She had to meet the staff if she
wanted to succeed at this job. But she regretted the outfit she'd chosen. What
had seemed inspired in the safety of her apartment was absurd at this elegant
party. The other attendees had dressed in festive Christmas attire, with
shimmering silks, subtle glitter and snappy shoes all showing up her—she had to
admit it—appropriately named, granny outfit. She'd be lucky to make a good
impression on anyone tonight.
Logan introduced her to several people, all of whom were
polite. Except for one woman, a blonde who would have been
pretty if she didn't seem to have a permanent sneer on her face. Amanda
recognized her as the woman who'd been gossiping with Rosie when Amanda had
arrived for her first interview.
Logan introduced her as Phoebe Cattus.
"Director of Entrepreneurial
Services?" Phoebe lifted her thin eyebrows. "That's a new name
for an old job."
"You're right," Logan said so smoothly that Amanda
wasn't sure if he'd heard the snide undertone. "I'm excited about the new
opportunities Amanda can discover for the company."
"We all know what excites you, Logan." Phoebe
lowered her eyelashes in an unmistakable invitation.
"I hope you do." There was an edge to his voice
now. "Hard work and dedication."
He grasped Amanda's arm above her elbow to steer her away.
She managed to step aside without being too obvious. His warm hand was too
alluring, and she had no intention of allowing him any familiarity.
"Sorry about Phoebe," he murmured. "She has
her good points, but she wasn't showing them off just then."
"Good points?" She shot him a look. "Am I
going to run into your jealous exes all over the place?"
"Exes?" He raised an
eyebrow. "Phoebe is an employee. As far as exes go, no, you won't run into
them. When it's over, it's over."
She shivered. That sounded too much like a warning.
"Hey." Rosie walked up, her gold velvet dress
looking medieval, with its crossed corset bodice and deep cleavage. "I see
you met the company sniper."
"Sniper?"
"Verbal shots, but they're usually dead on target.
She's dubbed me the Fashion Maven of the Homeless."
Amanda almost giggled, even as she cringed. "You look
fabulous." She did, too, because the fitted dress emphasized Rosie's hourglass
shape. Rosie had an ability to take unusual, even odd, ideas, and craft them
into an appealing look.
Rosie grinned. "I like it, and that's what
counts." She moved closer and spoke in a low voice. "More
on the sniper, later."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Rosie." Amanda turned to
Logan. "Speaking of which, tomorrow's a work day." She hoped she
sounded like a good employee rather than a boring nerd. "The party has
been fun. Thank you."
"I'll see you home." His face revealed nothing, as
Rosie melted away.
"That's not necessary."
He shrugged. "It's time for me to go. They can't have
fun with the boss around."
"That's up to you. I'll be fine going home alone."
He raised his brows in silent mockery. "Are you afraid
I'll make a pass at you?"
"Afraid? Not likely."
He grinned. "Good instincts."
There was an ambiguous answer.
She lifted her chin. "I'll walk out with you. But
that's it."
"Excellent." He touched the small of her back once
more as they made their way out to the coat check. He held out his hand, but Amanda
gave her claim check directly to the tired-looking woman behind the table. Then
she dug in her wallet for a tip.
Logan placed a hand on her forearm. "Allow me."
The woman lifted Amanda's coat over the barrier, and Logan
managed to take the coat and also pass over a folded bill.
A gasp sounded and Amanda glanced up to see the coat check
lady flush bright red.
"Thank you, sir," she said, thrusting the bill
into her pocket.
Logan smiled as he shook out Amanda's coat while she put her
Christmas sweater back on. When he lifted the coat
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