The Boss's Marriage Plan

Tess felt her cheeks warm. She had to concede Stevie had quizzed her about Scott on more than one occasion, and each time she’d laughed and brushed off the questions. “I wasn’t comparing other men to Scott.”

“Not consciously, maybe, but subconsciously?”

“We are not getting into amateur psychoanalysis hour,” Tess grumbled into her teacup.

Jenny crossed her ankles and settled more comfortably into her chair. “You have to admit Scott has quite a few qualities you would naturally look for in a mate. Let’s face it, if you didn’t work for him and you met him online, you’d think he was exactly what you’re looking for.”

Tess looped a strand of her hair idly around one finger. “A workaholic confirmed bachelor with a noted weakness for busty blondes? Really?”

Jenny shrugged. “Obviously he’s not that confirmed a bachelor if he’s actively contemplating marriage and children. And he’s never married any of the busty blondes he dated, so maybe it’s not such a weakness after all.”

“He did propose to one.” With a slight scowl, Tess pictured the stunningly beautiful almost Mrs. Prince. Sharon had always been perfectly civil to Tess, though she’d had a subtle way of making it clear that as valuable as Tess might be to Scott in the office, he belonged to her after hours. Tess had never wanted to believe she’d thrown herself into an ill-fated romance of her own at about that same time as a reaction to Scott’s engagement—but there had been times in the past couple years when she’d wondered...

Jenny made a face. “And his engagement lasted all of—what?—five months?”

“Four.” Her own failed romance hadn’t even made it that long before it crashed and burned, a year or so before she’d met Jenny and Stevie. James had accused her of always putting her job ahead of him, and he’d been jealous of her relationship with Scott, though she’d assured him repeatedly that there had never been anything personal between her and her employer.

Jenny gave a hint of a righteous smile. “So there you go. After realizing said busty blonde was the wrong match for him, he started thinking about a right match...and maybe he finally realized she’d been right in front of him for a long time. Is that so hard to believe?”

“What is easier to believe is that my newlywed friend is seeing everything through romance-tinted filters these days,” Tess replied indulgently to Jenny. “It’s very sweet, but...”

“Was there any romance to Scott’s proposition?” Stevie cut in to ask.

“Not an iota,” Tess answered, and though she’d tried for wry humor, she was aware her tone came across more as grumpy. “Unless you consider ‘we make a hell of a team’ a passionate declaration.”

“Not so much,” Stevie said with a sigh. “Not even a kiss, huh?”

Tess took a too-hasty sip of her tea that made her cough. By the time she caught her breath again, both her friends were studying her much too closely.

Stevie leaned forward. “There was a kiss?”

“Well, yes. Sort of...coincidentally.”

Jenny’s cup hit the side table with an eager little thump. “Oh, this I have to hear. How did he coincidentally kiss you?”

“He, um, thought I’d hung some mistletoe in the office.”

Neither of her friends bought that explanation for a moment, as their expressions clearly informed her.

She sighed. “Okay, we knew what we were doing. I guess it was an impulse. Curiosity. Scott called it an experiment. I’m not sure I can explain it completely.”

Stevie waved a hand dismissively. “Forget explanations. We want details. How was it?”

“It was nice.”

Her friends groaned in unison at the guarded reply.

Stevie cocked her head skeptically. “You’re telling me that after six years of being pretty much joined at the hip with that undeniably great-looking guy, you finally kiss him and it’s just...nice?”

Jenny tsked her tongue. “I don’t believe it. Scott hasn’t spent time with all those busty blondes without picking up a few tricks.”

The image of Scott picking up kissing tricks from a series of blondes made Tess scowl when she realized just how intensely she disliked the idea. It was difficult to keep believing she wasn’t harboring secret feelings for Scott when just the thought of him kissing another woman caused a knot to form in her stomach.

“Well?” Jenny teased. “Was it good?”

“It was better than good,” she conceded with a sigh. “The man knows how to kiss. No surprise, I guess, since he’s so successful at everything he does.”

“Except finding a bride,” Stevie added pointedly.

“That remains to be seen,” Jenny murmured.

Tess made a sound like a strangled growl. “Can someone remind me why I thought it was a good idea to consult with you two about this?”

“Because we’re your best friends and we love you,” Stevie replied immediately. “Even if Jen and I don’t necessarily agree on everything, we absolutely want what’s best for you.”

Tess could hardly continue to pout after that. “That is why I called you. I just needed to talk this through while I decide how to answer him.”

“You didn’t mention any of this to your sister?” Jenny looked as though she already knew the answer, but asked just for confirmation.

“I wish Nina and I had the kind of relationship that would make me feel comfortable discussing this sort of thing with her, but we just don’t. I don’t know if it’s because of the age gap or her preoccupation with her family and her schedule, or maybe we’re just too different to fully understand each other, but I don’t think she’d be of any help at all with this.”

Nina would probably tell her to stop waffling and latch on to this eligible bachelor before he got away, perhaps adding that it wasn’t as if Tess could count on any other offers. Tess bit her lip as she could almost hear the words in her sister’s blunt voice—or was that her own insecurity whispering at the back of her mind?

“It really is a shame you and Nina aren’t closer. I always wanted a sister, myself,” Jenny mused with regret. “I thought I’d missed out on something, being an only child. I was lucky enough to meet Stevie in high school, and she filled a big gap for me.”

“That goes both ways,” Stevie assured her. “I love my brother, but I certainly can’t talk to him about relationship issues.”

“And I’m lucky to have you both in my life now,” Tess assured them, then quickly waved a hand. “That’s enough of the sappy talk or we’ll all end up sniffling. So I’m ready for advice. Stevie?”

Uncharacteristically somber, Stevie took her time deliberating her response. “I’d be wary,” she said after a moment. “You and Scott work together so well, and you love your job so much. I’d hate for what could turn out to be an impulsive mistake to change everything for you.”

“Jenny?”

Jenny shrugged. “As I’ve already said, I think it could be worth considering. You and Scott are mature adults with a great deal in common. You both know the personal and professional risks you’d be taking, so maybe you could take steps to minimize repercussions if it doesn’t work out. Yes, it’s a gamble, but isn’t every relationship, in some way?”

Any other time, Tess might have been amused at the role reversal from her friends. Reckless Stevie advising prudence, practical Jenny encouraging a romantic gamble. Tess couldn’t help wondering if the turnaround could be attributed to the state of her friends’ own relationships—Jenny was so happy in her new marriage, whereas Stevie had been involved for some time with a moody musician who’d been spending increasingly more time with his moderately successful local band than with her. Tess and Jenny had worried lately that Joe was growing restless, perhaps even beginning to stray. Both suspected Stevie secretly echoed their concerns. Tess had never truly believed Stevie and Joe shared the kind of commitment that would last a lifetime, but Stevie always gave everything she had to making her relationships work, even when it became obvious to others that her efforts would ultimately fail. She was always so optimistic—which made Tess even more nervous that Stevie was the one urging caution.

“So what are you going to tell Scott?” Stevie asked.

Tess spread her hands in confusion. “I have no idea.”

“And we haven’t helped much, have we?” Jenny asked ruefully. “With our completely opposite advice.”

“You’ve helped tremendously. You’ve listened without judgment while I expressed my concerns. I’ll think about everything you’ve both said while I make up my mind.”

“If you need to talk any more, you know where to find us,” Stevie offered.

“I know. Thanks. And now, how about if we table this topic for a while and maybe order take-out?”