The Reluctant Cinderella

Megan realized she hadn’t been paying attention. “Excuse me?”

“He can give you an interview. He can maybe hire you to do…the things you do.”

“Hire me?”

“For Banning’s. You know. You can be their, um, graphic designer.”

Megan was all-ears by then. “You’re serious.”

“Oh, yes I am.” Carly sniffed and forced a brave smile.

“Wow….” Banning’s was a small but nationally known family-run chain of upscale department stores. This was a real opportunity. Landing the Banning’s account would be a coup. And Megan would love a chance to freshen up their slightly stuffy image.

Carly reached out and patted her hand. “I’m grateful. I truly am. For those times, like now, when you’ve been there, to listen to me and comfort me when things have been so rough for me. You are a very sweet person, Megan, and I want to do something to pay you back for your kindness to me.”

Megan returned Carly’s smile. “What can I say, except ‘wow’ all over again?”

“I’m glad to help you out….” Carly’s long lashes fluttered down and her forced smile softened. Megan knew she was thinking that asking Greg for this favor would be a good excuse to get in touch with him.

Megan also knew that Carly—and Greg Banning—would see this as strictly a mercy interview. Banning’s would, of course, already have a major design firm overseeing all their graphics and company-image print work. Greg would agree, for his ex-wife’s sake, to hear Megan’s pitch, all the while knowing he would end up politely turning her down.

What Greg Banning didn’t know was that Megan was Good—capital G intended. She was taking Carly’s offer and she was going to knock Greg Banning’s socks off.

In a purely professional sense, of course.

Megan realized that she, like Carly, was looking down. Because there was, after all, the little matter of…

The crush.

The embarrassing truth was that, back when Megan used to see Greg now and then around the neighborhood, before he moved out on Carly and into an apartment in the city, Megan had had a slight—very slight and totally secret—crush on him.

A crush that was completely over and didn’t matter in the least. Puh-leese. In his own rich-guy-next-door way, Greg Banning was a complete hunk. He was so far out of Megan’s league there was no need to even think about that silly crush. It wasn’t as if he’d ever paid the least bit of attention to Angela Schumacher’s dumpy sister. Even ordinary guys never did….

Now, wait just a minute! The voice of the new, successful Megan Schumacher piped up in her mind.

True, before Design Solutions, Megan had often wished that she wasn’t so shy, that she was prettier and thinner, that some nice guy might notice her.

Now, though?

Not so much. Lately, she was feeling much more confident on the man front. When Megan was in entrepreneur mode, dressed in the bright colored, snug power suits that she favored, men often looked twice. Some flirted, some even put moves on her.

Not that it made a whole lot of difference in her day-to-day life.

Between her booming, yet still fledgling, business and her commitment to help her sister with the kids, Megan was on the go 24-7. Even if she met someone who interested her more than her career, where would she find the time to be with the guy?

Uh-uh. Right now, romance was just not on her agenda.

And the slight—and so over—crush on Greg Banning would be no problem. This was business. Period. And it would be a major feather in Megan’s professional cap to bring in her team and create a whole new image for Banning’s, Inc.

“So, then,” said Carly. Megan turned her head to find the other woman watching her. “You do want me to do it—to give him a call for you?”

“Yes. Thank you so much. I’d love a shot at a contract with Banning’s.”

“Great. I’ll call him. You can consider it done.”

Chapter Two

On Monday, July 3, with Independence Day looming, most of the businesses in Manhattan’s financial district had gone ahead and called it a four-day weekend. At the offices of Banning’s, Inc., a lone receptionist held down the fort at the desk by the elevators. And Greg Banning, president and CEO, sat alone in his bright corner office, tying up a few loose ends without the usual workday bustle and noise to distract him.

He could have been elsewhere. He’d had invitations. Since becoming a bachelor all over again, Greg had discovered that there were a lot of good-looking, smart women who were more than willing to go out with him. Hey. He was a Banning. That meant money and influence and that made him a catch.

But Greg wanted something not just any sophisticated, beautiful woman could give him. He wanted…

Okay. He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted. But he knew what he didn’t want: a woman who was after him for his name and his bank account.

So instead of a lawn party upstate or a four-day weekend in the Hamptons, Greg had opted for the temporary quiet of the city and the pile of work always waiting on his desk. He’d given his personal assistant the day off, had a clear calendar and didn’t expect to be disturbed.

But then, at eleven, his phone buzzed. Surprised, he checked the display: the security desk down in the lobby. Was the building on fire?

Frowning, he punched the talk button. “Greg Banning.”

“Mr. Banning, Megan Schumacher is here to see you.”

Megan Schumacher? Who the hell was…?

Then he remembered. Damn. Carly had called him two weeks ago and asked him to interview Angela Schumacher’s sister. He’d agreed, and had gently gotten rid of Carly. And then promptly forgotten all about it. Which was why the appointment—for today, at eleven—had never made it to his calendar.

Greg scoured his brain. Megan Schumacher…

The woman lived over the Angela’s garage, didn’t she? And she was in…?

Graphic design. Yeah. According to Carly, she owned a small company, the name of which escaped him. Carly had asked him to consider using Megan’s little company for Banning’s design work.

Greg just hadn’t been able to tell her no. He felt bad for Carly. He honestly did. He felt bad and he felt guilty—which was why he’d made sure she got a nice, fat divorce settlement and why he couldn’t refuse her when she asked him to interview her friend from the neighborhood.

Greg straightened his tie and shook his head. What a damn waste of time—both his and the poor Schumacher girl’s. Banning’s already had the services of a top-notch graphic design firm at their disposal. It was a firm Banning’s had been using for over twenty years, a firm that invariably delivered a quality product on time and within budget.

So there was zero chance he would hire Megan Schumacher. And that meant all he could do right now was smile and make nice and let the poor thing down gently.

“Thanks. Send her up.” He punched the line to the receptionist’s desk. “Jennifer, Megan Schumacher is coming up to see me. Show her the way to my office.”

“Of course, Mr. Banning.”

Greg hung up and went back to the flow chart he’d been studying. A few minutes later, Jennifer spoke from beyond his wide-open door.

“Mr. Banning, Ms. Schumacher is here….”

Greg clicked the program shut and glanced up. The sexiest woman he’d ever seen was standing in the doorway. Greg blinked. “Uh. Thanks, Jennifer. That’s all.” The receptionist left them.