Hidden Agenda

Ham shook his head. “Tell me again why you divorced her?”

Conner laughed. “You know why.” They both stepped back into his office.

Ham used to drop into Conner’s office almost every morning with a new joke or a funny story about his wife. Conner had enjoyed their conversations. But ever since Ham had taken over Stan’s job, he seemed rushed and harried. With two jobs to perform, he had no time for idle chitchat.

He must really need that report. “I’m working on the report today, I swear.”

“I didn’t come here to harass you. How’s the new secretary working out?” Ham asked as he eased himself into his favorite wingback chair. “Is she as useless as she looks?”

“She can pour coffee, at least.” Conner took a sip from his mug. It was cooling off. “I don’t understand why Joyce keeps pitching these pretty bits of empty-headed fluff at me, expecting things to work out.”

This one was worse than all the others put together.

“What was her name again?” Ham asked. “Hilary, Julia…”

“Something like that. Joyce claims this one has impeccable credentials—she was an assistant to some oil company exec. But I could tell with one look she’s never worked a hard day in her life.”

“You need someone with brains and maturity.”

“Or at least one who wears sensible shoes,” Conner grumbled.

“Why didn’t Joyce promote someone from within the company? At least she would know something about the lumber business.”

Conner raised an eyebrow. “Oddly, not a single employee applied for the opening.”

Ham laughed. “Whose fault is that? Your reputation has spread far and wide.”

“I’m not that bad. I just have a low tolerance for stupidity.” He stood and stretched, then walked to the far end of his office to gaze at one of his favorite paintings, a forest scene by a Russian artist. “How does she keep from breaking an ankle, tottering around on those ridiculous shoes?” Those stilettos made her legs look a mile long, but that shouldn’t be the aim in a work situation.

It wasn’t just her shoes. The suit she’d worn that first day had cost more than his, he was pretty sure. Three years of marriage to Chandra—not to mention growing up with his mother—had taught him to recognize Chanel when he saw it. Then there was the haircut. Hilary-Julia—whatever hadn’t gotten that style, or the subtle blond streaks, from a strip mall beauty shop. He pictured her lying back in a fancy salon chair while someone named Marcel shampooed her hair, digging his fingers into the thick, mock-gold strands, her head tipped back, creamy throat exposed….

Good God, where had that come from? He’d been too long without a woman, he supposed, but not many women wanted to spend time with him these days. He was too surly, too impatient.

“Give the girl a chance,” Ham said.

“I give her three days. She’ll either prove herself completely incompetent, or do something so thoroughly boneheaded that I’ll be forced to fire her.” He sighed. “I hope this one doesn’t cry.”

“Of course she’ll cry. They all cry. Besides, you’re a beast.”

“I’d be a lot nicer if I could get out of this damned office once in a while.”

“Back to your beloved trees.”

“Yeah.” God, he missed the trees. At night Conner dreamed about the forest, imagined himself in a hammock slung between two ancient tree trunks, the stillness and utter darkness all around him punctuated only by the periodic chatter or cry of nocturnal creatures. And during the day, he plotted how he would get back there.

“Well, I can help with that,” Ham said, coming to stand beside Conner and gaze at the painting. “There’s a forest sustainability conference in Jakarta next month. I want you to go.”

Obviously Ham expected Conner to be pleased about the junket. But trading in his office for a hotel conference room wasn’t high on his priority list.

“I’m not sure I can afford to take time away,” Conner said. “This situation with Stan…”

“It’s just three days, and it’s vital that Mayall Lumber attend. You should also check on Will Nashiki while you’re there, see how he’s coming along with the job in North Sumatra.”

A couple of days in the Sumatran rainforest? Conner could feel a grin spreading across his face. “Why didn’t you say that to begin with? Of course I’ll go.” Maybe, just maybe, things would be more settled by next month and he could stay in the field longer than a weekend. Nashiki would appreciate a chance to go home, spend time with his family. “If you’re sure you can spare me.”

“It’ll be tough, but I’ll manage,” Ham said, tongue firmly in cheek. He checked his watch and frowned. “Late for another damn meeting. I never realized how many meetings a CEO has to go to.” He limped toward the door, leaning heavily on his cane.

The new girl walked in as Ham left. “Good morning, Mr. Payne.” She held the door open for him.

Ham gave her a dismissive wave.

“Yes?” Conner asked brusquely as he returned to his desk. His office was Grand Central Station this morning.

“What else would you like me to do? How about if I start organizing in here?”

“No.” The single syllable came out more harshly than he intended. “You’re not to touch anything on my desk. Please,” he added grudgingly. “It might look disorganized to you, but I have my own system.”

“Of course,” she said agreeably.

“I’m kind of busy here.” He shuffled a few papers.

“Are you sure I can’t help? I’m good with figures.”

“This is a little more complex than keeping your checkbook register up to date.” If she even had a checkbook. She probably used plastic for everything, then had the bills delivered to Daddy.

“I’m proficient in all of the most widely used accounting and budgeting software. At my previous job, I assisted an executive in the accounting department of a midsize oil company.”

He looked up. “What happened?”

“Sir?” She flashed him a puzzled look.

“Why aren’t you working there anymore?”

“Oh. Philosophical differences. As I became more ecologically aware, I realized I could no longer support my employer’s policies. I’m a proponent of renewable energy.”

A well-rehearsed speech, he guessed, crafted to hide the real reason she’d been canned. Nonetheless, it piqued his interest. She didn’t look green to him. The women he knew who were environmental activists tended toward thrift-store clothes, Birkenstocks and no makeup.

He decided to challenge her. “Why a lumber company? We rape the land, too.”

“Mayall Lumber has one of the most ecologically responsible reputations in the industry,” she promptly replied. “The company is committed to responsible harvesting practices, and it even commits significant resources into saving the old-growth forests that support endangered species, such as the spotted owl and the orangutan. Also, the company has an extensive program for converting waste products into biomass fuel, reducing the world’s carbon emissions.”

She could have gotten most of that information off the web, but none of his other admins had bothered. Now he was impressed. He studied her with renewed curiosity. She’d dressed down today, he was relieved to see, though even in casual pants, she appeared quite well put together. The deceptively plain pants were still top quality, probably tailored to fit her long, lean physique. She could easily have walked off the pages of Vogue.

“You like orangutans, do you?” he asked.

“I’ve never met one personally,” she admitted.

He gathered up the sea of papers on his desk into one giant pile, picked it up and handed it to her. “See if you can make sense of this. I have to put together a report that shows the dollar amount spent on conservation efforts as a percentage of the gross profits from harvests in the European Union over the past three years.”