phones
never stopped ringing."
"Great."
"The Stryker campaign is starting to panic." Todd broke off, his glance shifting
to the outer room. "Here come Eleanor and Dixon. The staff meeting must be over."
Olivia looked over her shoulder and watched Eleanor rise to her feet. The
volunteers clustered around her for a few last words of encouragement.
Tall and statuesque, her jet-black hair pulled back in a sleek knot, Eleanor
Lancaster was a commanding presence in any room. She had a strong, stunning
profile that would have looked good on an ancient gold coin. She also had a way of
focusing the attention of those around her. Charisma is the word you're looking for,
Olivia told herself. Eleanor pulsed with it.
Olivia felt Todd's eyes on her. "What?"
"I know what you're thinking," Todd said. "You still don't like the idea that
Eleanor and I have a relationship, do you?"
"What do you want me to do, lie?" She turned her head to look at him. "I just
don't want you to make the same mistake I made. Don't get yourself into a classic
marriage of convenience. You and Eleanor have a lot in common, but don't mistake
your mutual interest in her career for something deeper."
Todd's jaw tightened. "Damn it, Olivia, don't try to big-sister me. I'm not your
little brother any more. I know what I'm doing."
He was not her little brother these days, but he would always be her younger
brother. She decided not to point out that fine distinction. Instead she summoned
up a smile.
"You're absolutely right. I'll do my best to keep my mouth shut." She paused. "It
won't be easy, you know."
Todd relaxed. He grinned briefly. "Yeah, I know."
In the outer room, Dixon Haggard left his boss to the gaggle of volunteers and
walked toward the inner office. He was in his shirtsleeves.
Olivia smiled at him through the window. She had met him several times since
Todd had gone to work for the campaign. Haggard was a narrow-faced,
high-strung man in his mid-thirties. His light brown hair was thinning rapidly. The
skull that was in the process of being revealed was as narrow as the rest of him. He
carried his tension in his shoulders, and he was always tense.
He opened the door, nodded at Olivia, and headed straight for the coffee
machine in the corner. He consumed coffee the same way she did these days, Olivia
noticed. By the gallon.
"Thought we'd never get finished with that meeting," Dixon said as he poured
himself a cup of the thick, dark brew. "You know how Eleanor is, Todd. Hard to
stop when she's got an agenda."
Todd's eyes glinted with satisfaction. "One of the things that makes her a born
winner."
"True." Dixon gulped coffee. "How's it going, Olivia? I hear you've got some
problems at Glow."
"I don't know where you got that impression." Olivia shot Todd a warning
glance. "Things are under control. The transition is going very smoothly."
She knew Dixon was only displaying friendly interest in her affairs, but her
instincts toward Glow, Inc., were rooted in years of lectures from Rollie. Glow was a
family business. Its problems were to be discussed only within the family.
There was one glaring exception to that rule now, she reflected. Jasper Sloan.
She gave Dixon her best I'm-in-charge-and-everything-is-under-control smile.
He seemed to accept it, perhaps because he'd had a lot of experience with being on
the receiving end of the same sort of smile from his boss. Eleanor was very good at
giving the impression that she was in command. A natural leader.
Todd had told Olivia that Dixon Haggard had been Eleanor's campaign manager
from the start of her career. Six years ago he had helped orchestrate her first run for
the state legislature. He had been with her ever since.
Dixon was devoted to Eleanor Lancaster. There was something fervent in his
voice whenever he said her name. Olivia sometimes wondered just how deep his
feelings for her went. Occasionally she thought she caught a glimpse of resentment
in his
never stopped ringing."
"Great."
"The Stryker campaign is starting to panic." Todd broke off, his glance shifting
to the outer room. "Here come Eleanor and Dixon. The staff meeting must be over."
Olivia looked over her shoulder and watched Eleanor rise to her feet. The
volunteers clustered around her for a few last words of encouragement.
Tall and statuesque, her jet-black hair pulled back in a sleek knot, Eleanor
Lancaster was a commanding presence in any room. She had a strong, stunning
profile that would have looked good on an ancient gold coin. She also had a way of
focusing the attention of those around her. Charisma is the word you're looking for,
Olivia told herself. Eleanor pulsed with it.
Olivia felt Todd's eyes on her. "What?"
"I know what you're thinking," Todd said. "You still don't like the idea that
Eleanor and I have a relationship, do you?"
"What do you want me to do, lie?" She turned her head to look at him. "I just
don't want you to make the same mistake I made. Don't get yourself into a classic
marriage of convenience. You and Eleanor have a lot in common, but don't mistake
your mutual interest in her career for something deeper."
Todd's jaw tightened. "Damn it, Olivia, don't try to big-sister me. I'm not your
little brother any more. I know what I'm doing."
He was not her little brother these days, but he would always be her younger
brother. She decided not to point out that fine distinction. Instead she summoned
up a smile.
"You're absolutely right. I'll do my best to keep my mouth shut." She paused. "It
won't be easy, you know."
Todd relaxed. He grinned briefly. "Yeah, I know."
In the outer room, Dixon Haggard left his boss to the gaggle of volunteers and
walked toward the inner office. He was in his shirtsleeves.
Olivia smiled at him through the window. She had met him several times since
Todd had gone to work for the campaign. Haggard was a narrow-faced,
high-strung man in his mid-thirties. His light brown hair was thinning rapidly. The
skull that was in the process of being revealed was as narrow as the rest of him. He
carried his tension in his shoulders, and he was always tense.
He opened the door, nodded at Olivia, and headed straight for the coffee
machine in the corner. He consumed coffee the same way she did these days, Olivia
noticed. By the gallon.
"Thought we'd never get finished with that meeting," Dixon said as he poured
himself a cup of the thick, dark brew. "You know how Eleanor is, Todd. Hard to
stop when she's got an agenda."
Todd's eyes glinted with satisfaction. "One of the things that makes her a born
winner."
"True." Dixon gulped coffee. "How's it going, Olivia? I hear you've got some
problems at Glow."
"I don't know where you got that impression." Olivia shot Todd a warning
glance. "Things are under control. The transition is going very smoothly."
She knew Dixon was only displaying friendly interest in her affairs, but her
instincts toward Glow, Inc., were rooted in years of lectures from Rollie. Glow was a
family business. Its problems were to be discussed only within the family.
There was one glaring exception to that rule now, she reflected. Jasper Sloan.
She gave Dixon her best I'm-in-charge-and-everything-is-under-control smile.
He seemed to accept it, perhaps because he'd had a lot of experience with being on
the receiving end of the same sort of smile from his boss. Eleanor was very good at
giving the impression that she was in command. A natural leader.
Todd had told Olivia that Dixon Haggard had been Eleanor's campaign manager
from the start of her career. Six years ago he had helped orchestrate her first run for
the state legislature. He had been with her ever since.
Dixon was devoted to Eleanor Lancaster. There was something fervent in his
voice whenever he said her name. Olivia sometimes wondered just how deep his
feelings for her went. Occasionally she thought she caught a glimpse of resentment
in his
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