A Woman's Touch

familiar room. His office looked as neat as a pin. There were no piles of papers awaiting his attention, no memos from managers and no list of calls that had to be returned ASAP. Kyle yanked off his jacket and stood glowering down at the clean desk. Then he leaned over and stabbed the intercom button.
    „I get the feeling I’m not really needed around here, Theresa. Where the hell is all the work that must have accumulated last week?“
    „The routine matters have all been taken care of, sir.“
    Kyle gritted his teeth as he released the intercom. Before Rebecca had taken over, no one would have dared assume responsibility for taking care of the kind of ‘routine’ matters that hit Kyle’s desk. His staff had been thoroughly corrupted, he decided. Apparently everyone and his cousin felt free to wander into the president’s office and take charge. Harrison had clearly overstepped himself.
    The fact that there was something to get mad about was somehow reassuring. Kyle felt some of his inner turmoil settle as he found a focus for his tormented emotions. He would chew on someone for this. Maybe lots of someones.
    He’d start with Harrison.
    Right after he had his coffee.
    Kyle dropped into his chair. He really needed his coffee this morning. He wondered if Theresa had been so thoroughly liberated that she would feel bold enough to ignore his direct order for a cup of caffeine. Rebecca had certainly left her mark on Flaming Luck Enterprises.
    Kyle punched the intercom again. „I want that cup of coffee now, Theresa. I’m not in a mood for power games this morning. Bring me a cup of coffee or start looking for another job.“
    There was silence for a moment from the outer office. Then Theresa’s voice came back, laced with icy polish. „Your coffee is on its way, sir. Along with the weekly report you missed last Friday.“
    Kyle slumped back in his seat, telling himself he had to take his victories where he could get them these days.
    Rebecca didn’t approve of terrorizing secretaries, but sadly for Theresa, Rebecca was no longer here to soothe the dragon.
    Kyle was reaching for the phone book to find the number of the investigative agency he had hired two-and-a-half months ago, when his door opened. He didn’t look up.
    „Thanks, Theresa,“ he growled sarcastically.
    „I thought we’d broken you of your habit of using Theresa as your personal waitress,“ Rebecca said calmly as she put a full mug of coffee down on the desk in front of him.
    Kyle dropped the phone book. He swung around to face the apparition standing on the other side of his desk.
    „Rebecca.“
    Her eyebrows rose quizzically. „Who were you expecting? A French maid?“ She waved a clipboard and slipped into the chair across from him. „I have the weekly report right here. A number of things have accumulated during the past few days. Mr. Harrison and I took care of most of the routine matters on Thursday and Friday but there are a couple of items that need your personal attention. The Jennings-Hutton deal is at risk, I think. We need to take some decisive steps on that one.“
    Kyle shot to his feet, his palms slapping the top of the desk. „You were right here Thursday and Friday? I’ve turned this town upside down looking for you.“
    She regarded him silently for a long moment. „Did you?“
    „Becky, I’ve been going out of my mind trying to find you.“
    „I’ve been right here all along. Where did you think I’d go?“
    He wanted to shake that too-serene, too-knowing expression off her face but he didn’t dare touch her. Not yet, at any rate. If he did he would be too likely to rip her clothes off and lay her down on the couch across the room. Kyle told himself to calm down. He had to think clearly. He kept his hands on his desk, mostly to stop them from trembling.
    „You ran away from me,“ he finally said very softly.
    „I left the mountains without bothering to talk to you about my plans,“ Rebecca said. „But I didn’t ‘run away’ from you. I do not run from anything. You should know me better than that by now, Kyle.“
    He shook his head to clear it. Part of him still believed he was hallucinating. „All I knew was that you were gone.“
    „I returned to work,“ she said, lifting one shoulder dismissively. „That’s all.“
    „I checked your old apartment. You weren’t there.“
    „I’ve been staying at a hotel while I hunt for a new apartment,“ she explained a little too casually.
    „Is that