me.”
There it was. His fingers closed around the file. Why would it be under “Books?” He drew the folder out, beginning to leaf through it.
“Oh, I’m forgetting,” she muttered to the keyboard. “You’re a god. Normal good manners don’t apply to you.”
“What?” He looked up from his fruitless search. None of these scraps of paper looked promising.
“Never mind.” Her smile was saccharin. “I never expected you to have any manners. Why would I, considering your behavior every time we’ve met?”
Max sent her frosty look. “Would you mind just sitting there and doing your work? I don’t need you to interact, just type.”
“Do you ever ‘interact’. I can’t see it. You probably do everything by yourself. I’m sure it saves time. I mean if you had friends, you’d have to be decent in order to ‘interact’!”
He stiffened, the file clenched in his hands. It was far too early in their acquaintance for her to be labeling him a social outcast. As a matter of fact, as his employee—sort of—she shouldn’t be commenting on his personality, at all. Never mind the accuracy of her comments. Social interaction had never been high on his list. His friends were tied to his work—Ruth and Cynthia both made him laugh and both understood his work. They were kind enough to include him into their families. Why should he bother with other people?
Wheeling around to face her, Max said, “Perhaps I need to be more blunt. Just type. Don’t talk.”
“I agreed to type for you. I never said I’d be a mute.”
“No, the agreement was that you’d do the job to my satisfaction if you want to get your father off the hook. I’m not feeling very satisfied, right now.”
Nicole looked at him, clearly unimpressed. “I’m going to refrain from making any guesses about your unsatisfied state—wait, no, I’m not. Up until now, you’ve obviously never found any assistants to ‘satisfy’ you. As I told you when we made this agreement, I don’t think it’s fair to expect it of me. I’m already working for no pay, except for my hotel room and your signed release. You shouldn’t be able to demand more of me than anyone else can deliver.”
She sat looking at him with a smug expression on her face.
“This is useless.” He spit the words out, making sure his teeth weren’t clenched. “Get back to work.”
Not giving her a chance to respond, he stalked to the door.
“Oh, Max,” she called after him.
He swiveled around, realizing she’d never called him by his first name before. “What?”
“I forgot to mention that I’ll be taking a break at four o’clock every week day.” She smiled at him blandly. “For an hour. Also, I’d like to use your television during that time.”
Max looked at her without comprehension.
“You do have a television, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I can’t see how that concerns you or why you would need access to it during working hours.”
Her smile grew ironic. “Well, seeing how as all I’m going to have in the next six weeks are working and sleeping hours, I’ve decided to take a break—every week day at four.”
“Fine.” He suspected she was merely trying to annoy him. “You’ll find a television down the hall on the right. Now get on with your typing.”
* * *
Nicole watched him leave, unexpected laughter bubbling up in her. He was used to running people off, but the guy didn’t scare her. She needed him to give her father a release and that was the only reason she was here, but she didn’t plan on being a doormat in the process. Max had required her to type his manuscript, but their original agreement hadn’t said anything about her shutting up.
Whenever she made a smart remark, his eyes darkened even more. He was so self-contained, so locked down, she couldn’t help but try and shake him up a little. Sometimes people needed a reason to rethink their ideas about the world. He was so isolated behind his work and his money, who would
There it was. His fingers closed around the file. Why would it be under “Books?” He drew the folder out, beginning to leaf through it.
“Oh, I’m forgetting,” she muttered to the keyboard. “You’re a god. Normal good manners don’t apply to you.”
“What?” He looked up from his fruitless search. None of these scraps of paper looked promising.
“Never mind.” Her smile was saccharin. “I never expected you to have any manners. Why would I, considering your behavior every time we’ve met?”
Max sent her frosty look. “Would you mind just sitting there and doing your work? I don’t need you to interact, just type.”
“Do you ever ‘interact’. I can’t see it. You probably do everything by yourself. I’m sure it saves time. I mean if you had friends, you’d have to be decent in order to ‘interact’!”
He stiffened, the file clenched in his hands. It was far too early in their acquaintance for her to be labeling him a social outcast. As a matter of fact, as his employee—sort of—she shouldn’t be commenting on his personality, at all. Never mind the accuracy of her comments. Social interaction had never been high on his list. His friends were tied to his work—Ruth and Cynthia both made him laugh and both understood his work. They were kind enough to include him into their families. Why should he bother with other people?
Wheeling around to face her, Max said, “Perhaps I need to be more blunt. Just type. Don’t talk.”
“I agreed to type for you. I never said I’d be a mute.”
“No, the agreement was that you’d do the job to my satisfaction if you want to get your father off the hook. I’m not feeling very satisfied, right now.”
Nicole looked at him, clearly unimpressed. “I’m going to refrain from making any guesses about your unsatisfied state—wait, no, I’m not. Up until now, you’ve obviously never found any assistants to ‘satisfy’ you. As I told you when we made this agreement, I don’t think it’s fair to expect it of me. I’m already working for no pay, except for my hotel room and your signed release. You shouldn’t be able to demand more of me than anyone else can deliver.”
She sat looking at him with a smug expression on her face.
“This is useless.” He spit the words out, making sure his teeth weren’t clenched. “Get back to work.”
Not giving her a chance to respond, he stalked to the door.
“Oh, Max,” she called after him.
He swiveled around, realizing she’d never called him by his first name before. “What?”
“I forgot to mention that I’ll be taking a break at four o’clock every week day.” She smiled at him blandly. “For an hour. Also, I’d like to use your television during that time.”
Max looked at her without comprehension.
“You do have a television, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I can’t see how that concerns you or why you would need access to it during working hours.”
Her smile grew ironic. “Well, seeing how as all I’m going to have in the next six weeks are working and sleeping hours, I’ve decided to take a break—every week day at four.”
“Fine.” He suspected she was merely trying to annoy him. “You’ll find a television down the hall on the right. Now get on with your typing.”
* * *
Nicole watched him leave, unexpected laughter bubbling up in her. He was used to running people off, but the guy didn’t scare her. She needed him to give her father a release and that was the only reason she was here, but she didn’t plan on being a doormat in the process. Max had required her to type his manuscript, but their original agreement hadn’t said anything about her shutting up.
Whenever she made a smart remark, his eyes darkened even more. He was so self-contained, so locked down, she couldn’t help but try and shake him up a little. Sometimes people needed a reason to rethink their ideas about the world. He was so isolated behind his work and his money, who would
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