“I’m sure you’ll have lots of planning to do after our trip—”
“Well, um...that’s the thing.” Her gaze dipped again. “We’re eloping this weekend.”
“What?” She couldn’t be serious. He had everything worked out. His business associates were meeting them on his private island in two days. “You can’t back out on me now.”
“I’m really sorry. But Steve, my fiancé, he, um...surprised me with tickets to fly to Vegas.”
Finn resisted rolling his eyes. Could things get any worse? His plans had already hit a major snag, prompting this emergency meeting, and now his trusted employee was running off to Vegas to get hitched by some Elvis impersonator. This is just great!
“You can’t bail on me.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I need your assistance for this meeting. It’s important.”
“Oh. Um...” She wrung her hands together.
He caught the shimmer of unshed tears in Clara’s eyes. This was not good—not good at all. He was so used to having Clara at his beck and call that he hadn’t anticipated this scenario. He hated being put in this position—choosing between his work and his associate’s happiness. There had to be a compromise.
After a bit of thought, he conceded. “If you can find a suitable replacement, you can have the time off. But it’ll have to be done pronto. My meeting can’t be delayed.”
Clara’s eyes widened. “I’ll get right on it. I’ll have someone by this afternoon.”
She turned and rushed out the door, leaving him alone to scowl about his plans being upended. Normally he’d have insisted on being involved in the selection of a temporary PA, but these weren’t normal circumstances. His private jet was already being fueled up for tomorrow’s flight.
He tapped his pen repeatedly on the desk. Why did Clara have to pick now to elope? Not that he wasn’t happy for her. He was. He just wasn’t happy about the surprise. Okay, so he didn’t like surprises and certainly not when they caused his plans to go awry.
Just like his evening with Holly. Talk about everything going sideways—in a mind-blowing way. It’d been weeks since they’d been together and he still couldn’t get her out of his system. Though they’d agreed there would be no repeat of the amazing evening, he regretted letting her go more than he thought possible.
* * *
What had she been thinking?
Holly Abrams stood alone in the elevator at Lockwood International. She pressed the button for the top floor—Finn’s floor. The last time she’d visited the executive suite things had spiraled totally out of control. One moment they were talking work and the next she’d been in Finn’s luxury penthouse. The memory made her stomach dip.
There’d been candles, delicious food, sparkling wine and honeyed compliments. It’d been quite a heady combination. And when at last he’d pressed his lips to hers, she’d have sworn she’d fallen head over heels in love with him. It was though this thing had been building between them since they first met. Love at first sight?
She didn’t believe in it. This thing, it had to be infatuation—a great big case of it. And even though they’d mutually agreed to go their separate ways, her oasis at the office had turned stressful with reminders of Finn at every turn.
The elevator dinged and the door slid open. She stepped out. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she started down the hallway toward Clara’s desk—toward Finn’s office. However, Clara wasn’t at her desk. Holly’s gaze moved to Finn’s closed door. She had a moment of déjà vu and her heart raced.
The door swung open. Who was it? Finn?
And then Clara stepped into the hallway. Holly sighed. She dismissed the disappointment that assailed her as Clara headed toward her.
The young woman’s eyes reflected an inner turmoil. “There you are. Thank goodness you came.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Everything.”
“Whoa. It can’t be that bad.”
“You’re right.” The frown on Clara’s face said otherwise. “I...I need to ask you for a huge favor. And I’ll totally understand if you can’t do it. I just don’t know anyone else who can help. And this just has to work out—”
“Slow down. Tell me what it is.” Holly thought of Clara as a friend ever since they met on the charity committee. The woman was always generous in word and deed.
“My boyfriend proposed last night.” A smile lifted her lips as she held up her left hand.
“Wow! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.” She gave Clara a brief hug.
Clara pulled back. “Thank you. It really was a surprise. We’ve been together for over five years now. I’d pretty much given up on him ever proposing. Anyway the plan is we catch a plane tomorrow and elope in Vegas followed by a honeymoon in Napa Valley. I can’t postpone it. I don’t want him changing his mind.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.” She was happy that Clara was finally getting her happily-ever-after. Holly didn’t see such a rosy future for herself, but it didn’t mean she didn’t believe it could happen for others. “What can I do to help?”
“I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to fill in for me while I’m off on my honeymoon.”
“What?” Clara wanted her to be Finn’s assistant? No. Impossible. Finn would never agree. She must have misunderstood. “You want me to be Mr. Lockwood’s assistant?”
Clara nodded. “It won’t be for long.”
Her friend had absolutely no idea what she was asking of her. None whatsoever. She’d given Finn her word that she’d stay clear of him just as he’d agreed to do the same for her.
Now it appeared she had to make a very difficult choice—keep her word to Finn or keep her friendship with Clara. Holly’s stomach plummeted into her Louis Vuittons. She desperately wanted to do both.
But that wasn’t possible.
THERE HAD TO be a way out.
But how? Holly couldn’t bear to hurt Clara’s feelings. But Holly acting as Finn’s assistant for even the briefest time would be at the very least awkward. It’d raise too many memories—memories best left alone.
How did she explain that this arrangement would never work? No one knew about that special evening she’d spent with Finn. And it had to remain that way.
Holly smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt. “I can’t just move up here. What about my work in the legal department?”
Clara sent her a pleading look with her eyes. “If that’s all you’re worried about, I worked it out with your boss. You are temporarily transferred here. But don’t worry. Working for Mr. Lockwood comes with benefits.”
She’d already sampled Mr. Lockwood’s benefits and they were unforgettable, but she was certain that was not what Clara meant. “Did you talk this over with F...ah, Mr. Lockwood?”
Clara’s eyes momentarily widened at Holly’s slip of the tongue. “I did and he’s on board.”
He was? Really? She was running out of excuses about why this wouldn’t work. But maybe this was the break she was looking for. If Finn was open to taking her on as his assistant, would it be such a stretch to think he’d consider giving her a personal referral?
It was time she left Lockwood International. And like a sign, there was an opening at another Fortune