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“Mr. Beck also sent an ID for your partner. When she arrives, I’ll send her your way.”

“Thank you, that would be fantastic. It’s very important for her to be at the meeting, so if you—”

“Certainly, Ms. Clark,” the receptionist interrupted, her patience running thin as the line behind her grew. “Have a great day.”

Refraining from telling the woman what she could do with her great day, Haley moved away from the desk, feeling as if she had gone into an oxygen-deficient mode.

Get a grip on yourself, she blasted herself. You’re being ridiculous. It’s not like you haven’t sat in meetings with Nadia and didn’t know what to say.

Haley chose not to remind herself that Nadia had quit wanting her at important meetings when she would freak the potential donors out by the constant use of her inhaler to keep from passing out.

Several people were waiting for the six elevators that were spaced three feet apart on each side of the wall, anxiously hanging back until the elevators filled and the hallway was temporarily empty. Haley then moved closer to the bank of elevators. Luckily, as she approached one, the elevator opened, and she was able to get inside an empty one. Congratulating herself, Haley hastily pushed the button for the thirtieth floor. She would rather walk up twenty floors than be crammed into a metal box with a group of people. If she had to pull out her inhaler, Nadia would kill her.

As the doors began to open, her eyes widened when a man came rushing forward with a smile.

“Hold the elevator!”

Quickly, Haley brought her finger to the control panel, aiming for the open door button. Then her eyes widened to their full extent when she missed and her finger landed on the close door button instead, the action sending the doors closed, nearly on the man trying to get inside.

“Sor-sorry,” Haley stuttered in horror at the man whom she had unwittingly stopped from entering.

Closing her lids tightly, unable to look at the steel—the damn thing had shut with the speed of light—Haley tried to tell herself what had just happened … hadn’t.

“You didn’t just close the door on Desmond Beck!”

Haley moaned in alarm. Nadia would never talk to her again. Only she could botch the meeting before it could begin. She had to reach the thirtieth floor before Beck could and cancel their meeting for being a rude bitch. How was he supposed to know she didn’t have the mental capacity of a three-year-old?

The elevator dinged as it rose steadily upward with stops on each and every floor.

She was dead meat. Her mind went to all the various ways that Nadia was going to kill her, and what Mr. Beck was probably telling his assistant had her reaching for her inhaler to take a quick puff.

Finally reaching the thirtieth floor, she shot out of the elevator like a scalded cat, afraid the doors would slice her in two. Spazzed out, she distraughtly stared around the bank of elevators as if Nadia would appear and tell her what she should do next. Haley didn’t know if she should stay still and pray Beck had also been forced to endure the repeated stops or go ahead to his office. Leaving with her tail tucked behind her wasn’t an option, as much as she wanted to.

Like a mechanical toy train off track, she couldn’t figure out her next direction. So, she slowly forced herself to analyze the situation.

Desmond Beck would have no idea that the woman who had shut the elevators on him was the woman he had a scheduled meeting with. There was still a chance.

How had she screwed up something as simple as pushing a button? When the elevators around her kept opening and closing and Mr. Beck wasn’t on any of them, Haley had to admit defeat and slowly walked to the receptionist desk, castigating herself every inch of the way.

No hot chocolate for you tonight. You’re not even getting any of the Bundt cake you made last night.

The male behind the desk raised his brow at her when she remained silent.

“May I help you?” he prompted.

“I … I have an appointment with Mr. Beck.”

“Name?”

“Haley Clark.”

The man stood to come around from behind the desk. “Mr. Beck will be with you shortly.” Motioning to the hallway to the side of his desk, he said, “You may wait in his office.”

Haley had to crane her neck at the secretary’s imposing height. The width of his shoulders had her taking another step back. The man looked more like a linebacker than a secretary.

Her feet felt as if she was walking through tar as she followed him to the nondescript door a few feet away.

Clearing her throat at the unease she was experiencing, Haley glanced toward the elevators, wishing she were brave enough to face Nadia without going through the upcoming meeting. Her nerves were going into overdrive, sending tingles of warnings of danger flittering through her bloodstream.