“You don’t mind keeping me company, do you?” Stone asked as he ushered her into the conference room.
“Not at all,” Cathy said. Being with Stone was hardly a hardship. She barely had a moment to take in the gorgeous view and rich wood tables and chairs before Ula was serving her a delicious salad. She caught the other woman’s gaze. Ula gave her a quick wink as if to tell her that everything was fine, then left.
Stone poured them each a glass of iced tea from the pitcher Ula had brought. “I know this is none of my business, but I’m going to ask anyway.”
Cathy took one of the rolls, but ignored the dish of butter. “What?”
“You’re obviously bright and articulate. Why didn’t you go to college? Was it because of your mother?”
She nodded. “By the time I graduated from high school, she was very ill. I had to take care of her. She lingered for nearly two years. By then I was physically and emotionally exhausted, and there were medical bills to pay. I couldn’t imagine starting back to school, so I went to work instead. I used to dream about what I would do one day.”
She thought about the past. She’d been so alone and so very lonely. Her life had felt like a trap, and she couldn’t find a way out. “One day the dreams became more and more difficult to imagine. I finally just gave up, I guess.”
Stone leaned forward and covered her hand with his. “We have an employee-assistance program,” he said. “For employees who want to go to college while working. When you are more comfortable with your job and your responsibilities, I think you should look into that. You have a lot to offer, and it would be a shame to see it go to waste.”
His dark gaze was steady. Cathy didn’t know what she’d done to deserve his generosity, but she was grateful. Still, her throat was tight, and all she could manage was a strangled “Thank you.”
Apparently it was enough. Stone gave her hand a quick squeeze, then he released her. He proceeded to bring her up-to-date on the workings of the stock market that morning. Cathy nodded and pretended she even had a clue as to what he was talking about.
* * *
Cathy knocked once, then paused.
“Come in,” Stone called.
She stepped into his office with an armful of folders. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 3:10 in the afternoon. They generally had their catch-up meeting between three and three-thirty.
“You’ve been busy,” he said as she set the pile on the comer of his desk.
“I know.” She flashed him a cocky smile. “Here are the minutes from the meeting, as per your request.” She handed over the first folder. “Mary faxed them this morning. The fax is pretty readable, although the machine is making this really weird noise. I called for service. The guy will be here around four. Second, two personnel problems, both executives, so now they’re your problem.”
Two more folders moved from her pile to his. He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “Go on.”
“Oh, I plan to. I’m leaving all of this with you.” She picked up the next folder. “Research I did on the Internet about that company you’re thinking of buying.” She hesitated. “Their website is very slick, but I don’t know if that means anything. And here’s the analysts’ report on the IPO.” The last folder moved from her pile to his.
He laughed. “Confess, Cathy. When you started a month ago, you didn’t know an IPO from a type of washing machine.”
She sank into the chair opposite his and grinned. “You’re right. I still remember that first lunch we shared. You went on and on about the stock market and for all I knew, you were actually speaking a foreign language. But I’ve been studying and reading. An IPO is an Initial Public Offering. It’s when a private company goes public for the first time and their stock appears on one of the stock exchanges.”
“Very good.”
Her increased knowledge wasn’t the only change, he thought, studying her. She wore a sleeveless cream-colored dress that barely came to her knees. The tailored garment skimmed over slender curves, hinting at a fullness below that often left him in a very uncomfortable state.
She started work promptly at eight-thirty in the morning, but she was up long before that. He often saw her leaving the house around six-thirty to go jogging on the grounds. Between her flattering hairstyle, her new shape and the way she used makeup to emphasize her best features, she’d come a long way in three and a half months. There weren’t any traces left of the unhappy, plump young woman who had lied to him over the phone.
She tilted her head. “You’re staring at me. Do I have something in my teeth?”
“Not at all. I was just admiring the changes. You’re jogging nearly every day, aren’t you?”
She nodded as a faint blush stained her cheeks. “I promised Pepper, the physical therapist, that I wouldn’t give up exercise. I’ve lost twenty-three pounds and I’m the size I’ve always dreamed of being.” She paused, then leaned forward as if to confide in him. “I’ve been thinking of joining a gym. There are a couple around here, and I want to start lifting weights. Nothing heavy.” She wrinkled her nose. “I want to tone up a little. Maybe get some definition in my arms.”
She was classy and confident, but still as funny and bright as ever. He was pleased to have been a small part of the changes she’d made. Her world had opened up. That’s what he’d wanted. To heal her. To make it right.
“You’re welcome to use my weight room,” he said. “The machines are fairly simple, and I would be happy to give you a demonstration if you have any questions.”
A light flared to life in her eyes. Stone didn’t know what it meant, and he wasn’t prepared to ask. Affection, maybe? He would like Cathy to care about him a little. After all, he cared about her. They worked well together. They were friends. Ula had been wrong in her claims that Cathy would fall for him. There was no evidence that had happened at all.
“Thanks,” Cathy said. “I’d love to work out in your gym. If it’s close, I won’t be able to come up with as many excuses to avoid the process. I’m still lazy at heart.”
