Pulse: Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 6) (9 page)

I
walk
into the house just before eleven. I’m tired, and I’m cranky because the car is coming for me again in less than seven hours. I wander into the kitchen and find my mother sitting at the counter with a pot of tea. The china rattles as she sets her cup down and says, “You look so grown up. Lawrence did a wonderful job.”

“Thanks. I like it all except for the makeup.”

Trina, the cook, is behind the counter. Her hair is pulled back in a severe bun, and her face is more wrinkled than I remember. But her smile is warm as she holds up the tin of loose tea in a silent question. I shake my head, letting her know I don’t want any as my mother says, “Yes. I figured you wouldn’t enjoy it. But you’ll get used to it.”

I doubt that.
Too exhausted to be snide, I say, “Is Nick upstairs?”

“He is. Go catch up with him. I know your moments have become precious.”

Become? God, I hope not, because eighteen-hour days would kill me. My legs ache as I climb the stairs. I walked today, but it wasn’t nearly as physical as skiing can be, so why are my muscles so tired?

I drop off my things in my room before making my way down the hall. A sliver of light peeks out from below Nick’s door, and I rap lightly on it. He opens it and pulls me against his chest. I sigh in relief as his warm body soothes mine. “You feel so good.”

He pushes me away to assess my new appearance. “Wow. You look incredible.”

I lift one of my locks in the air. “Do you like my hair?”

“I do. It’s fancy, but the color suits you.”

I grin. “Fancy?”

“Yup. All of you is right now.”

“Hang on. I’ll be right back.” I race to my room to scrub my face and throw on my usual nightwear of a worn T-shirt. I glance at my raw face in the mirror and swing my head. Strands tickle my cheeks as they swipe across them. It’s kind of sexy like this, and I prance back to Nick, ready to rumble.

I step in his room and close the door to lean against it. Once he’s watching, I offer my do-me smile and lift my shirt off, making sure to shake my head so my hair will sway.

Nick says, “Oh, yeah. Come take what you want.”

I saunter over and crawl like a cat on the bed to get to him. “I think I will.”

“
B
abe
, what time is your car?” I groan at the sound of Nick’s voice and blink as I determine where I am. I fell asleep in his bed almost immediately after we had sex.

I should care, knowing my mother doesn’t approve of this, but I don’t. I answer. “Five.”

“It’s four fifteen. What time do you need to get up?”

I roll to my back and sigh. “Now. Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take for me to get ready?”

Nick flutters his lips down my belly, and I quiver with the knowledge of where his mouth is headed as he says, “Surely you can spare a few minutes.”

I want to, and my body is screaming, “Hell, yes!” but it’s my first day doing my new routine, and I probably need more time than I think. My fingers thread through silky hair as I push him away. “I’d love to, but I really can’t.”

I climb out of bed and grab his hand. “Come keep me company. I want to hear all about your new job.”

I walk quietly down to my room in case my mother is up, and Nick goes to make coffee while I shower. When I’m done, I open the door to cool air, and steam escapes the bathroom. Nick is in my bed and on his laptop. It’s one he’s had since college and painfully slow. I make a mental note to replace it. He says, “The boats at the yacht club are incredible. Here, look at this one. It looks just like the one I decided I want.”

I lean over, and moisture from my hair drips on the comforter as I glance at the screen. “That’s a Hinckley. You might have seen my friend Drew’s boat.” I stand up again and say, “You’re going to get a test drive on Saturday. He’s invited us to join him.”

“Sweet.” He frowns as I towel dry my hair. “When did you see him? I thought you worked all day.”

“He works for me.” The elastic waistband of my thong snaps as I adjust it.

“Good. Maybe he’ll show me a few things. I have two months to look like I know what I’m doing before summer camp starts.” The keys of his computer click in a quick succession as he searches for something else.

“I’m sure he can. He sails the way we ski.” Mousse fizzes out of a can as I squirt some in my palm to apply to my hair.

“What about you? You must sail too?” Nick tilts his head as he watches me as if I’m an alien.

“I do okay.” I lift my hairdryer up. “But I’d rather enjoy the ride.” The switch clicks as I turn on the air to dry my hair.

When I finish, I start on my makeup. Nick is fascinated and comes in my spacious bathroom to sit on my small bench seat and watch. I ask, “Didn’t your mother or some girl you date ever do this?”

“Not really. My mom did what you used to do, and I never had a girlfriend who let me in the bathroom until you.” He watches me swirl a brush over my face. “What does that do?”

I turn and face him. “It makes my skin appear smooth and blemish free.”

He nods, and my brush tap-taps on the container when I shake off excess powder.

“This is probably a stupid question, but if your company is so great at skin care, wouldn’t you want to show it off instead of hide it?”

“Oh, you silly man.” I squeeze my eyelashes in a metal curling tool and turn to him. “Women strive for perfection, and our makeup allows them to achieve it.”

He frowns. “Right.”

The mascara wand pops out of the tube when I pull, and I coat my lashes in black. “Be thankful you’re a guy and don’t have to do this.”

“I am.”

I finish off with a coat of lipstick, and the slight flavor of wax is on my tongue when I lick them.
We’ve got to find a better taste.

I leave the bathroom and get dressed. When I’m done, I notice the clock. “Look at that. I’ve got two minutes to spare.”

Nick comes to me and grips my hips lightly. “We could make out.”

I shake my head. “Not after all this work.” I recall the barely there kiss Drew gave me yesterday and say, “But you can give me a pretend one.” I point at my cheek. “Come as close as you can without touching me.”

Nick steps away as his brow furrows. “No thanks, I’ll wait until you’re you again.”

“Gotcha.” But my stomach clenches a little at his rejection. Because unfortunately, this is the new me, and he’s going to have to get used to it.

W
hen I arrive at work
, Lydia is waiting for me. Her mouth is pursed, and I wonder if I did something wrong. I ask, “Did I forget to do something?”

“Oh, no, Megan. I just have some unsettling news.”

“Goodness. Well, okay. Come on in my office.” I usher her to a chair and lean against my desk so I’m closer to her. “What is it?”

“I’ve decided I’m ready to retire.”

I blink in surprise. “Lydia, was it anything I did?”

She reaches out to touch my arm. “Oh gosh, no. I want to work for you, but I’m being selfish because my husband would rather have me home. And it’s time for me to slow down.”

“All right. I understand.” My brow tightens. “I assume HR has a plan in place for this?”

“Yes. You’ll go over the agreement first, and then they’ll talk to me.”

I nod. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do without you.”

She smiles. “I have so many systems in place, anyone could walk into my job. You’ll be fine.”

I take her hands as she stands, and they’re cool to the touch. “You should call my mother. I’m sure she’d like to see you.”

I release her, and she says, “I will.” When Lydia gets to the door, she stops and turns to me. “You’re going take Bellae to new places, my dear.” She taps her forehead. “I know these things.”

My plastic smile fades the moment the door clicks shut.
Crap.
What am I going to do? I grab my phone and dial my sister. I don’t bother with hello. “Lydia just quit. My office. Now.”

Alex doesn’t do niceties in a crunch either. “On my way.”

Less than a minute passes before she breezes in and finds me pacing. I throw my hands up. “What the hell, Alex? She was my lifeline.”

“One word for you. Drew.”

“What?”

Alex wanders over to the mini-fridge, and it pops open. “Drew. Mother groomed him to be her assistant when Lydia’s husband had a heart attack last year.” She pauses to smirk, and seltzer fizzes as she opens a bottle. I wonder if Mom had a cougar thing in mind. I push away the thought, because I so don’t want to go there. Alex continues, “Anyway, when Lydia decided to come back, he got pushed over to manufacturing.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure an ex-boyfriend as an assistant is a good idea.”

“Do you think Nick would have a problem with it?”

Even though I knew Stacy has a thing for Nick, I never would have suggested they not train together, and I’m sure Nick will react the same way. “No. I think he’d be fine. Drew and I are such old news, it doesn’t even matter.”

Alex swallows a sip of soda. Her words sound a bit like an accusation when she asks, “Then what’s the problem?”

Drew does know me. He’s smart and easy to get along with, as well as trained for the job. “There isn’t one.” I push the intercom button with my pink fingernail. “Krissy, can you arrange for Drew to come see me this afternoon?”

“Sure thing. I’ll fit it in between your two and three o’clocks.”

“Thank you.”

Alex smiles at me. “You now have a hot male assistant on one side and me on the other.” She swipes her hands as if she’s wiping off dirt. “My work here is done.”

I chuckle and say, “Not so fast. I’ve got something I want to ask you.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

I long for the days when we were a team and wish we could get there again. “I want us to run this company together, on equal ground.”

“But I can’t. The—”

“The rules on paper are one thing. But reality is another. We need to do this together.” I step toward her. “Remember how the Donovan sisters could rule the world?”

Alex shakes her head as she remembers the trouble we used to get into. “We still can.”

“Exactly. So help me as my partner.”

“Okay.” She sets her drink down to step closer to me and says, “But you still have to play the part of boss. I want to be the sidekick everyone likes better.”

I grin at her need to be the popular one and pull Alex into a hug. “Deal.”

A few hours later, I glance up from my paperwork to Drew walking in the door. He’s carrying a large paper coffee cup and sets it before me. “Caramel latte, extra whip.”

I smile in amazement. “You remembered?”

He nods as I take the cup and sip. Sugary flavor makes my mouth happy. “Yum. I haven’t had one of these in forever.”

“That tells me you’ll have to catch me up on your likes and dislikes.”

I squint at him, and he holds up his palms to face me. “Word travels fast in this place. I saw Alex at lunch.”

“Figures she’d steal my thunder. So does this mean you’re up for being my assistant?”

“It does.” He pulls up the fabric at his thighs and sits down in the chair across from my desk. “But I have a few requests.”

“If it’s a raise, more vacation time, and a bigger expense budget, I’ve got it covered.” Papers flutter as I hand him the proposal.

He takes the document and sits back with a familiar smile. “Who knew after all these years I’d be working for you?”

“I know. I’m looking forward to it.” Drew and I broke things off amicably, a couple of times. We both went off to college without a commitment to each other but would find our way back to a relationship the next summer. The last time we parted was when I moved to Colorado, and I met Nick a few months later.

I lift my coffee and tilt it at him. “Thanks for this. Read your contract and let me know if there need to be any changes. I’d like you to start tomorrow.”

Drew stands and says, “Will do. Thank you, Megan. I’m excited about the opportunity.”

“I’m excited to work with someone I trust and respect. Thank you for saying yes.”

Once he leaves, I have just enough time to get ready for a marketing meeting. I catch up to Alex in the hallway to the conference room. I say, “Have dinner with me. I have some ideas I want to run by you.”

She clutches a fancy version of a clipboard to her chest. “Sure. I have some too, and now that Mom is gone, I think we can give Bellae a fresh, younger vibe.”

“Me too.” I smile at my sister before we enter the room. With her and Drew, I think we can make Bellae even more profitable.

My ideas become even more important as I sit through a few boring presentations for our new ad campaign. While I’m not a makeup person, I am susceptible to a good advertisement. And what’s being proposed isn’t it.

The art director is droning on when he suddenly stops mid-sentence. He stares at me for a moment and asks, “You’re not excited about any of this, are you?”

I shake my head. “I may be new to this position, but that doesn’t mean I don’t shop. And nothing I saw this afternoon made me want to whip out my wallet.”

I turn to Alex. “Our numbers are slipping. Is this what the plan is to boost them?”

Alex nods at me and turns to the group. “She’s right. We need a new direction. We’ve got fresh blood at the helm, and everything we do from here on out should reflect that.”

The director of marketing begins to explain this away, but I hold up my hand in a stop signal. “I don’t need explanations. I need us to fix this.” I’m comfortable speaking in front of groups, considering I did it with a new one twice a day for the past few winters. I stand and walk over to the advertisements that adorn the walls. They are a history of the company’s campaigns, organized by year.

I stop by the first year and turn to face the expectant faces. I spent hours studying our financials, and a few key points stick out in my mind. “This company didn’t slide into the cosmetic scene. We landed with a crash that changed the face of beauty worldwide.” This is my chance to prove to everyone I know what the hell I’m doing, so I continue. “For a decade, we were
the
forefront of makeup with our innovative packaging designs and attention to details that made first-time buyers customers for life.” I walk down the line of images as I speak to emphasize our powerhouse products.

As I scan the faces, I see I have them. Alex gives me a bemused smile. “But in the last few years, we’ve relied on those same people to keep us afloat. What are we doing to grab the next generation?”

I stop at the last picture and gaze up at the woman’s larger-than-life face. “Who is the Bellae woman,
today
?” I turn back to look into each person’s eyes for a moment. “That is what I want you to come show me next week.” I let the words hang before I say, “We’re done for today. Thank you.”

Alex comes over to stand next to me and nudges me with her body but doesn’t speak as the marketing team files out of the room. When they’re gone, she punches my arm lightly. “You make me want to follow you. That was awesome.”

Adrenaline is pumping through my veins the way it does after an amazing ski run.
I do.
“Thanks. It felt pretty great. And now I need you to assist me in determining where Bellae is going to go. Because I can’t think of anyone better to help me turn us into the powerhouse we once were.”

Alex links her arm in mine. “I’m glad we’re a team again.”

With our shoulders back and heads held high, we walk down the hall, and I say, “Look out world, the Donovan sisters have just gotten started.”