Page 13 of Nothing to This (Nothing to… #8)

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said, rushing into JD’s office only to find him working alone at his desk. She stopped short and sealed her stunned lips for a second. “I thought I was late. Where are the others?”

“Everyone is running late today,” JD said without looking up from whatever he was scribbling on. “Got everything you need?”

“I think so,” she said, heading over to the tripod already set up with her cards. The top one was inverted. “You didn’t peek, did you?”

“Babe, if I had time to peek, I would have,” he said. She put her laptop on the multimedia unit to attach it to a lead. He froze in his writing to frown. “Did I sign a check to Glitter Unicorn earlier? Did I read that right?”

“Rainbow Unicorn,” she said, turning her smile to her computer as it booted up. “It’s for your daughter’s birthday. Brenna’s handling the plans.”

“Who knew a real live unicorn could be bought for five thousand dollars? I’m not cleaning up after it. The thing probably craps bigger than Sky.”

She laughed along until his words sank in then spun around. “Five thousand dollars? She told me five hundred. What the hell?”

“Maybe it was five hundred,” he muttered.

Oh, yeah, like there was no difference between the two numbers. Rolling her eyes, she went back to setting up her presentation.

JD was a details man. After living with him for two weeks, she’d learned that much. Slipping up on a number like that was unlikely. Obviously, he thought he was funny, or wanted to give her a heart attack.

Another thing she’d learned? He was a workaholic. It was a wonder he’d ever managed to find any time for the kids given how hard he toiled.

Each night he made the effort to be home in time for dinner, which was nice.

Inevitably, soon after it, he’d slip off to the desk in his room.

The only people capable of forcing the man away from there were his children.

If the twins got the idea he should participate in their game or movie night, they’d drag him from his desk and, for the last two weeks, he’d complied.

Most nights she entertained them and dealt with bath and bedtime, but they always insisted he come kiss them goodnight in their beds and he did without complaint.

After the babies were asleep, he’d go back to the office or to his desk in his bedroom and that’s where he’d stay. Without fail, on her way to bed at night, light still glowed beneath his bedroom door. The guy kept going when she was dead on her feet.

If the kids got up in the dark, ninety percent of the time, they ended up in her bed. Every once in a while, one or both of them would sneak in with JD. He never complained.

One thing was for sure, mornings were easier with him around. Sure, there were some days he was on the phone, but he’d still help with cleaning up while he talked. He’d gotten better at seeing through the kids’ manipulation too.

Yes, they were in a routine. Sometimes they’d fight about something BS, it was never serious. Despite the addition to their apartment, her space didn’t feel smaller. No one was encroaching on her territory. Probably because JD only made his presence known if the kids were around.

Sometimes she chastised herself for liking the picture too much.

One day soon, he’d be moving out of the apartment and wouldn’t be around to help.

The kids’ hearts would break when Daddy moved out.

If he meant what he said about building his base there in the city, he wouldn’t be going too far. Hopefully, he’d still see them more.

“How did you get on downstairs?” JD asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Oh, uh. Fine, yeah. But note to you, if you want to send me to brief and scold my old boss, you might want to warn the guy that I’ll be the one coming to the meeting.”

Her presentation was ready to go, so she turned to face him again.

He still scribbled away. “I’m sure you did fine.”

“I did. That’s not the problem. I wrangle two four-year-olds on a daily basis, I can handle one forty-year-old.

But I am starting to feel less like an executive assistant and more like a marketing director.

” She slid a file from the front of her laptop case.

“I reviewed the marketing plan you sent me.”

He stopped writing to make eye contact. Finally. “And?”

“You have more money than sense,” she said, taking it to the desk to open the file. “I did a cost-benefit of the new plan versus the old one. While there are plenty of good opportunities to be had, I don’t think throwing money at the problem will have the desired effect.”

“So you suggest…” he asked, picking up the file to peruse her work.

“Slow and steady,” she said, snagging a pen from his desk.

“We shouldn’t make sweeping changes up front.

Think of it as a soft opening. Leak some details of the new strategy, ease the transition from old to new.

You’ll find that puts a lot of staff at ease as well as shoring up the current customer base.

If you go in too hard and heavy with this relaunch, people will spook and bolt or assume it’s out with the old…

We don’t want our current clients to feel undervalued.

Once we have them used to the idea and they’re familiar with the new brand, then we have a private launch.

For existing clients and staff only, previewing the changes before the big relaunch to attract new customers.

It makes everyone in our existing network feel like part of the team.

If they think of us positively, they’ll recommend us to others.

I don’t have to tell you that positive word of mouth is still every corporation’s best friend. ”

As his gaze ascended to hers over the top of the file, the edge of his mouth sloped up. “You’re sexy as hell.”

Smirking, she pointed the pen at him. “That’s sexual harassment. I reviewed the handbook when I caught you checking out my ass the other day.”

“The other day…” he said, mimicking her, “you unbuttoned my shirt.”

“That was at home, it doesn’t count, and you were lopsided.”

“Sky did my buttons.”

Her smile became a grin. “There’s something sweet about a father who’d leave his shirt buttons lopsided all day so as not to offend his daughter.”

“Have you seen our daughter when she’s offended?” he asked and blew out a sarcastic breath. “She’s a force to be reckoned with… she takes after her mommy.”

“And Mommy couldn’t be prouder. My daughter won’t take shit from anybody, especially a man.”

“And our son? We’ll let him be pushed around?”

“If you think our son is easily manipulated, you haven’t been paying attention. That boy is smart as a tack.” She went around the desk to slide a hip on it. “He does that thing you do.”

JD leaned back in his chair, rocking side to side, innocent amusement written on his face. “What do I do?”

“You know. That stay quiet, intimidate everyone by not letting them know what you’re thinking thing.”

“Intimidate?” he asked, leaning toward her, propping an elbow on the desk. “Do I intimidate you, Siren?”

“Me?” she asked, raising her brows. “No, not me. But you do drive me nuts when you don’t tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Sometimes I do that for your own good.”

She laughed. “What does that mean?”

The office door opened, drawing both of their attention. Greg and Jim came in together.

“Gentlemen,” JD said. “Didn’t your mothers ever tell you it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?”

“Don’t worry about it, Overlord,” she said, hopping off the desk, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Going around the back of his chair on her return to the easel, her hand slid across his shoulders. His met hers there for the second or two it took her to move out of reach.

Greg and Jim turned the seats from JD’s desk to face her as she picked up the remote from beside her laptop to dim the lights.

“Are we ready to begin?”

“Ready,” JD said.

Her remit had been to rename the company. Keeping her idea under wraps was difficult, the big reveal excited her.

Inverting the top blank card from the stack, she stepped aside to let the men absorb the new name.

“Duo Dynamics,” she said after a score of seconds and moved away from the easel to let the men see the screen beside it.

Pressing a button on the remote, the graphics slides began to play.

“I know I was told to come up with a few ideas. I played with some, but Duo is the name that I feel fits the best. It works with your strategy moving forward to maintain your current portfolio while shifting focus onto the consulting work. Two corporate avenues in fluid fields, Duo Dynamics.”

Retrieving the pitching packs from her laptop case, she handed one to each of the men.

“Where did you come up with the idea?” Greg asked, intent on looking from her to the top sheet.

“Honestly…”

Her hesitation attracted JD’s concern, but there was no time to answer the question because the office door opened again. This time, two gentlemen darkened the doorway, one of whom was her lawyer.

“Oh, I’m sorry, there was no one outside. Miss Hampton, was our meeting for three thirty?”

She glanced at her watch. “It was, Mr. Faulds—”

“Mr. Andrews?” Greg said, concerned and serious while scrutinizing those in the room. “What’s going on?”

JD stood up. “We’ll have to finish this later,” he said to Greg and Jim. “I have to take care of a family matter.”

The men stood. “Jamie,” Jim said. “If something is going on that impacts the company—”

“Let’s leave them to it,” Greg said, putting a hand on Jim’s back and exchanging a suspicious nod with JD.

Just how much did Greg know?