A Woman's Touch

such wonders since you arrived that I don’t give a darn if you and he are having the affair of the century. And neither does anyone else. In fact, most of the staff has decided you’re exactly the kind of woman he needs. He actually listens to you, Becky.“
    „I am not having an affair with him,“ Rebecca bit out, thoroughly exasperated now. It was worse than she had imagined. Apparently everyone thought she and Kyle were romantically involved. Now she understood the joke that she had sensed was going around. Her imaginary relationship with Kyle was apparently the punch line.
    „If you say so.“ Natalie appeared totally unconcerned. „I guess it’s not all that important as long as you have the magic touch. Just go on keeping Stockbridge off our backs and you’ll have the undying gratitude of every employee at Flaming Luck. Oops, there’s Richardson. I think he’s trying to signal me. I’d better go see what he wants. Catch you later, Becky.“
    Rebecca turned in a haze and eased her way through the crowd toward a quiet corner of the room. Her head was spinning and it wasn’t because of the small amount of wine she had consumed.
    She could not envision a more complicated scenario if she tried. Everyone she worked with already assumed she was sleeping with the boss. Stockbridge, himself, was apparently not opposed to the idea. And as for her, she was in love with the man. A part of her desperately wanted all those rumors and assumptions to be true.
    But she was thirty years old and in all the years she had been making her way in the business world, she had never once allowed herself to be involved in an office affair. She had seen the disastrous results of such alliances far too often.
    A few office romances ended in marriage, but far more often they ended in uncomfortable, unpleasant, untenable situations that ultimately meant one or the other of the lovers had to quit his or her job. Business being what it was, a pre-dominantly male-oriented world, it was usually the woman who wound up looking for work.
    Rebecca had frequently vowed never to get herself into such a humiliating situation.
    But she had never before fallen in love with the boss.
    Nervously she surveyed the room from her sheltered corner. Kyle was on the other side, talking to another important client. Flaming Luck had recently gone after this particular client with a vengeance, Rebecca knew.
    The new client had been giving a rival firm, Clear Advantage Development, his business for two years. But Kyle had set out to change the man’s mind and, as usual, Kyle had gotten what he wanted.
    Kyle Stockbridge was like that, Rebecca reminded herself. Once he’d made up his mind, he was unstoppable. He had enormous energy and focus. Tonight, for the first time, she’d realized he was going to turn that energy and focus on her. She had to be careful, she thought. She must be cautious.
    But a part of her didn’t want to be cautious. A part of her longed to surrender to the fantasy of loving Kyle.
    The anniversary reception seemed to drag on forever. With an effort of will, Rebecca forced herself out of her safe little corner and mingled once more with the clients and her fellow workers. She was aware that everyone was hailing the party as a success and giving her the credit, but she couldn’t seem to relax sufficiently to take much satisfaction in that success. All she could think about was what would happen when the reception ended.
    Kyle was going to take her home. He had casually made the arrangements himself this afternoon. He had appeared in the doorway of her office, lounging there as if he owned the place, which, of course, he did, and told her he would pick her up after work and take her home when the reception was over.
    Rebecca had not put up much resistance. She had said a polite thank-you and had given him a gracious, professional smile. Kyle had nodded brusquely and disappeared.
    Now, an offer that had merely seemed polite was taking on ominous overtones. Rebecca decided against another glass of wine after she finished her first. She had a feeling she would need her wits about her later. She both anticipated and dreaded the inevitable drive home.
    Shortly after ten Rebecca stood beside Kyle and watched him say goodnight to the last of his guests. In twos and threes they filed out of the hotel reception room that had been rented for the occasion and disappeared into the balmy summer evening.
    When the last guest had departed, Kyle