The Mommy Makeover

Finn glanced into the rearview mirror and saw that she was deep into her work already. Then again, maybe she wouldn’t surface often enough from her briefcase to be a bother.

He might be old-fashioned, but he thought a woman should get at least equal joy from her home and family. He suspected the ice princess would be appalled at such a thought.

Still, he tried again to talk with her. “So, another big meeting this morning?”

“Ummm,” she replied, obviously not paying any attention to him.

“Will this one last as long as yesterday’s?”

“Ummm,” she repeated.

“Same old thing?” he asked patiently, already knowing her answer.

“Ummm,” she said, as though on automatic pilot.

“Just another boring day dancing naked on conference room tables, eh?”

“Ummm.”

He waited patiently for a few moments.

“What did you say?” she asked suspiciously, finally looking up from her work.

“I asked if this meeting might run long like yesterday’s.”

“Oh. I don’t know. It shouldn’t, but few creative meetings can be accurately predicted.”

“Everyone thinks their brainchild is best,” Finn surmised.

Katelyn glanced up in surprise. She hadn’t thought the man capable of such perceptiveness. “Precisely. And it’s difficult for the client to remember they’re paying us to be creative.”

“Probably because it’s hard for them to accept that their ideas aren’t any good,” Finn guessed. “Or to remember that’s why they need you. If they were creative geniuses they’d have their own ad agency, instead of hiring one.”

“Right again.” Katelyn frowned. She didn’t want to believe the man was intelligent—it went against her picture of him. Purposely she turned her attention back to her notes. This campaign was a killer. She didn’t need any distractions—like wondering if hunky limo drivers had brains.

Finn tried to stifle a yawn. Between the kids keeping him up late and then having to get up early, he was dead tired. Looking ahead into the traffic, he realized the line of cars in front of him had come to a dead stop. He hit the brakes hard and heard a distinct thud. Since he’d managed to avoid hitting the car in front of him and the car behind had stopped a safe distance away, it hadn’t come from outside. Which left his passenger.

Craning his neck around, Finn looked in the back but didn’t see her. Doubting she’d bailed out, he stared straight down—into Katelyn’s furious face. Crumpled into a heap, she was wedged on the floor between the seat and the bar.

“Where did you learn to drive? Beirut?” Katelyn asked as she pulled herself up and onto the seat.

“Didn’t you have your seat belt on?”

“Are you suggesting that your erratic driving is somehow my fault? Because my seat belt wasn’t fastened?”

“Of course not. But you should have it on.” Finn held up a hand to stave off her protests. “For your own safety. Sorry about the quick stop. I’m a little tired this morning. Guess my reflexes aren’t up to par.”

“Mr. Malloy, my firm hired you to drive. I suggest you get your reflexes back on line.” She palmed the goose egg forming on her forehead. “Or I’ll be forced to find another firm.”

Finn swallowed his automatic response and his jaw ticked with the effort to keep it still. Not trusting himself to speak, he clamped his lips tightly together as he shoved a tape into the player.

The truth was, he needed this contract desperately. This morning was a glaring example. As a single father, Finn relied on the flexibility of having his own business. He also needed a steady contract that would guarantee to cover the limo payment, insurance and costs. And most of those contracts went to the bigger firms. It was a miracle that he’d gotten the call from Ellington. He couldn’t blow the job because the ice princess was a pain. He supposed her orderly life didn’t have any messy complications. Certainly nothing as unpredictable as children.

As promised, Finn delivered her to the Republic Bank Building ahead of schedule—a full ten minutes early. But even though he pointedly glanced at his watch as she exited the car, she didn’t comment.

“Did Daniel give you today’s schedule?” she asked instead.

“He faxed it to me.”

“Then you know I have a steady stream of meetings all day.”

“Yes.”

“Fine. It’ll be a full day, then.”

“So it seems,” he replied, managing a reasonably charming smile.

She looked at him, searching for sarcastic undertones, then decided to let it go. Gripping her briefcase, she headed inside the building for meeting number one.

Finn watched her walk away, thinking she was true to form. He wasn’t any more significant to her than the dozens of strangers crowding the sidewalk. In fact, if the limo could operate on automatic pilot he doubted she would miss his presence.

Clamping on his hat, he set the alarm on his watch for two hours from now, then climbed inside the car. If he was going to do battle with the ice princess, he had to get some z’s.

STEFANIE LANGSTON paused in front of Daniel’s desk, perching her slim, elegant body on the one empty corner, languidly swinging her impressive legs. Daniel smiled in appreciation as he rapidly concluded his phone call.

“This must be my lucky day,” Daniel told her as he hung up the phone, his eyes resting on her beautiful face.

She smiled, raising her brows ever so slightly. “Of course, dear boy.”

Then they both grinned, accustomed to this banter.

“She in?” Stefanie asked, referring to Katelyn.

“Yep. And your timing’s exceptional. She should be off this conference call any minute now.”

Stefanie nodded, then her expression grew thoughtful. “That’s good.”

Daniel picked up on her changing mood. “Something wrong?”

Again she nodded. “You remember that talk we had a while back? About how Katelyn’s been all work and no play?”

Daniel nodded cautiously. Although he and Stefanie had an easy, friendly rapport, he didn’t want to confide his plan to her.

“Well, I think it’s getting worse. I asked her the other day if she’d met anyone interesting and she told me she’d stopped looking.” She met Daniel’s eyes. “And that can’t be good. In fact, I can’t remember the last time Katelyn was excited about someone she was dating.”

“True,” he agreed. “And she’s not acting much like herself anymore.”

“I read you, Daniel. She’s edgy, impatient, and I think she’s forgotten how to laugh.” Stefanie narrowed her eyes knowingly. “But I don’t have to tell you. She can’t be a lot of fun to work for these days.”