you sure? I could have sworn I heard you say something.”
“No, sir, I didn’t say a word. But if I had, perhaps it would have been something about how I don’t make the rules around here, I just follow them. And that if you want to meet with random strangers off the street who fail to make appointments, perhaps you should set aside an hour each week, like the pope or the queen.” She turned back to her computer. “But of course I didn’t say a word, so I wouldn’t know a thing about it.”
Cole laughed as he opened the door to his office. “Mrs. Hemingway, you are a jewel.”
She harrumphed without conviction. “That’s what your dad used to say.”
“He was a wise man.”
Once in his office, Cole took off his tie and threw it on the couch. Sitting at his desk, he stared at the marketing report, which was right on the top of his pile. He had promised his marketing people a final decision on their new advertising campaign for Style X, Hammond’s high-end fashion magazine, but he hadn’t even glanced at the file yet. His had intended to read it the second he got out of the budget meeting that afternoon, but then he’d heard Eva arguing with Mrs. Hemingway and his intentions flew out the window. At first, he had only been amused by her predicament and the way she had dealt with it, but then she'd handed Mrs. Hemingway the pen and insisted she record the appointment in ink. At that moment, Eva Butler became irresistible to Cole Reed Hammond.
He’d assumed she would recognize him the moment he made his presence known and had been unusually pleased to see nothing but a flicker of pure female interest in her appraisal. The feeling, and interest, were definitely mutual—he couldn’t remember the last time he had been so aware of a woman—and before he knew it, he was insisting she join him for lunch.
And what an entertaining experience that had been. He had been reluctant for it to come to an end, which was extremely novel for him. Usually it was he who kept looking at his watch and insisting that it was time to return to the office. But he would see her again, that he knew, even if she was in doubt of it. He could tell as he helped her get out of the cab that she was disappointed he’d made no mention of further plans. It had been on the tip of his tongue to suggest dinner again, but he held back. He knew she was hesitant. She was obviously disconcerted by the attraction she felt toward him. That was fine. He’d give her a little time to get used to it.
Cole opened the file and began reviewing ad mockups. Although the two campaigns were decidedly different, they both optimized the celebrities who appeared regularly in the magazine and on its website.
A knock on the door disturbed his concentration. “Come in,” he called, closing the folder.
His right-hand man, Philip Knight, entered. “You wanted to see me?”
He gestured to a seat. “I wanted a status report on the Hammond collection. Have we picked an auction house yet?”
Philip sat down in the plush leather chair and leaned forward, surprised by his boss’s interest. From the very beginning Cole had said that he wanted nothing to do with it. “No decision yet but your mother is leaning toward Davidge’s. She met with Ardmore Cartwright himself and was very impressed with his presentation. Brooks’s also made a strong pitch but they sent a senior VP, not the CEO like Davidge’s.”
Cole nodded. “That’s what I thought. All right, here’s what I want you to do. I’m expecting a proposal to arrive tomorrow from Wyndham’s. When it does, you’re going to look it over with a fine-tooth comb and tell me what you think. Also, find out all you can about Eva Butler.”
Philip cocked his head. “Eva Butler?”
“Yes, she’s representing Wyndham’s,” he explained casually, as if the interest weren’t personal. And it wasn’t entirely, he assured himself. “I had lunch with her today, and she made a very good case for her firm.
“No, sir, I didn’t say a word. But if I had, perhaps it would have been something about how I don’t make the rules around here, I just follow them. And that if you want to meet with random strangers off the street who fail to make appointments, perhaps you should set aside an hour each week, like the pope or the queen.” She turned back to her computer. “But of course I didn’t say a word, so I wouldn’t know a thing about it.”
Cole laughed as he opened the door to his office. “Mrs. Hemingway, you are a jewel.”
She harrumphed without conviction. “That’s what your dad used to say.”
“He was a wise man.”
Once in his office, Cole took off his tie and threw it on the couch. Sitting at his desk, he stared at the marketing report, which was right on the top of his pile. He had promised his marketing people a final decision on their new advertising campaign for Style X, Hammond’s high-end fashion magazine, but he hadn’t even glanced at the file yet. His had intended to read it the second he got out of the budget meeting that afternoon, but then he’d heard Eva arguing with Mrs. Hemingway and his intentions flew out the window. At first, he had only been amused by her predicament and the way she had dealt with it, but then she'd handed Mrs. Hemingway the pen and insisted she record the appointment in ink. At that moment, Eva Butler became irresistible to Cole Reed Hammond.
He’d assumed she would recognize him the moment he made his presence known and had been unusually pleased to see nothing but a flicker of pure female interest in her appraisal. The feeling, and interest, were definitely mutual—he couldn’t remember the last time he had been so aware of a woman—and before he knew it, he was insisting she join him for lunch.
And what an entertaining experience that had been. He had been reluctant for it to come to an end, which was extremely novel for him. Usually it was he who kept looking at his watch and insisting that it was time to return to the office. But he would see her again, that he knew, even if she was in doubt of it. He could tell as he helped her get out of the cab that she was disappointed he’d made no mention of further plans. It had been on the tip of his tongue to suggest dinner again, but he held back. He knew she was hesitant. She was obviously disconcerted by the attraction she felt toward him. That was fine. He’d give her a little time to get used to it.
Cole opened the file and began reviewing ad mockups. Although the two campaigns were decidedly different, they both optimized the celebrities who appeared regularly in the magazine and on its website.
A knock on the door disturbed his concentration. “Come in,” he called, closing the folder.
His right-hand man, Philip Knight, entered. “You wanted to see me?”
He gestured to a seat. “I wanted a status report on the Hammond collection. Have we picked an auction house yet?”
Philip sat down in the plush leather chair and leaned forward, surprised by his boss’s interest. From the very beginning Cole had said that he wanted nothing to do with it. “No decision yet but your mother is leaning toward Davidge’s. She met with Ardmore Cartwright himself and was very impressed with his presentation. Brooks’s also made a strong pitch but they sent a senior VP, not the CEO like Davidge’s.”
Cole nodded. “That’s what I thought. All right, here’s what I want you to do. I’m expecting a proposal to arrive tomorrow from Wyndham’s. When it does, you’re going to look it over with a fine-tooth comb and tell me what you think. Also, find out all you can about Eva Butler.”
Philip cocked his head. “Eva Butler?”
“Yes, she’s representing Wyndham’s,” he explained casually, as if the interest weren’t personal. And it wasn’t entirely, he assured himself. “I had lunch with her today, and she made a very good case for her firm.
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