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But of course, it took no time at all for her to remind herself of the benefits that kept her in place. She had a freedom she couldn’t guarantee other places would offer and that she couldn’t afford to lose. Especially the late shifts that gave her enough time to work on her own website and write those blogs that she would never offer him. He had no idea what she was making off her website, which this month wouldn’t be mere pennies. He had no idea just what Jamie was capable of.

Jamie had dragged herself through her emails and kept finding other things she needed to work on instead of calling Siena to set up the interview. They had left on a good note the other day, which had quickly turned into evening. But something akin to butterflies, that couldn’t be butterflies, had tied her in knots and stopped her from picking up that phone.

“I think it’s my turn for a real coffee. You want one?” Scott said an hour later.

“Oh.” She looked up and smiled, grateful for the distraction. “Yeah, that would be great.”

With a nod, Scott left, and Jamie realized that at least part of her hesitation to call was also her not wanting to be overheard. Siena had a way of getting Jamie to let her guard down, saying things she hadn’t intended on letting slip out.

Waiting for Scott to move away from his desk, she counted thirty seconds as slowly as she could before she lifted the handset on the old phone and tried to call Siena. She couldn’thide the smile or the thrill that raced through her body as she remembered Siena’s touch.

The phone rang three times before it went to her voicemail. Listening to Siena’s voice, strong and professional, caused Jamie’s underwear to get a little wet, so by the time the sound came for Jamie to leave a message she was already in a head space not entirely professional.

“Ms. Frazee.” Jamie’s smile grew as she purred down the phone line. “I’m calling in relation to an interview date with Piper and Bunny. If you could please get back to me as soon as possible, that would be fantastic.” After a moment, Jamie couldn’t resist adding. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

She hung up and continued through her inbox, feeling less concerned about the drudgery she had to wade through in order to pay the bills. It was all worth it for days like these, for moments when she felt a little less like the failure of the family.

The rest of the day flew by in a rush of words and calls, and she rode the thrill of news and leads. Thoughthrillmight not have been exactly what she would describe it. The simple fact the boss hadn’t spoken to her any more today was a bonus.

When Scott started packing up his desk and stood, she looked up at him surprised.

“Time for you to have some quiet, huh?”

Jamie looked around to see the rest of her nine-to-five colleagues packing up their things. Some rushed out without a single goodbye or wave, while others dawdled and mingled, chatting with each other as though they were friends. And maybe they were.

It was easy to forget about things like office politics when you only saw most of the others a few hours each day.

“See you tomorrow,” Scott said with a smile and a wave.

“Yeah.” But Jamie was already distracted.

It was five o’clock, and she still hadn’t heard back from Siena. It had only been a few hours, but a few more than shehad expected. The previous joy in her belly swirled into a discomfort that made her now regret the bagel she had eaten.

The woman was a busy manager. It was one of the features she liked the most about her. It was definitely a turn-on for Jamie. Not needing someone to blow up her phone daily was definitely a bonus. So Jamie hadn’t minded not hearing from Siena for the first few days after she had come to Jamie’s apartment.

But now something felt wrong.

Steeling herself for whatever might come, Jamie picked up the phone again and dialed Siena’s number. She didn’t even need to check her notes. The phone rang and rang. Frustration built within her and just as she was certain the voicemail was about to click on again, the phone connected.

Someone had picked it up, and she gasped a little at the now unexpected situation she had dismissed as happening.

“This is Siena Frazee.” The voice was crisp and sharp when Siena answered.

“Ms. Frazee.” Jamie recovered quickly and put on her purr for the greeting. “Did you get my message?”

“I did.” Siena’s tone was crisp and short. A tone that made the hair on Jamie’s arms bristle and her back straighten in her chair.

“Are we able to set that date now?”

“No. You haven’t sent over the one question you now want to ask.” The sound of typing and papers shuffling came through the line, as though Siena were only half-engaged in the conversation with Jamie. So different from the attention she had given Jamie the other afternoon.

“This is ridiculous. I told you I’m not doing the back-and-forth with the questions anymore. I have ethics, whether you believe it or not, and being censored isn’t part of that.”

“Ms. Kettlehouse.” The tone was so cold, Jamie involuntarilyshivered despite the heat in the office. “If you wish to have access to my clients, then you will do this my way.”

“Way to get the media on your side,” Jamie muttered under her breath before she could stop herself.

“Excuse me?” The rustling and typing stopped, and Siena’s words might as well have been hissed.