Kitabı oku: «Deception», sayfa 3
Chapter 3
Terri tried to keep the conversation light and impersonal throughout dinner, but the mellow atmosphere and soft music at B. Smith’s Restaurant lent itself to intimacy. Within a short space of time she found herself laughing at Clint’s wry sense of humor and actually forgetting all of the things she’d heard and read about him.
He was animatedly recounting an incident that had occurred in the health club. “My friend Steve really had me just where he wanted me,” he laughed. “There I was, spread-eagled on the bench with a hundred-pound weight hanging over my head.”
“What did you do?”
“Cried uncle, what else?”
Terri shook her head in laughter, visualizing Clint’s precarious plight.
“What do you do in your spare time?” he asked, loving the way her crimson dress hugged her curves.
“Read mostly. I play tennis in the summer, dance all year long and I love riding through the park. But it’s gotten so dangerous lately, I’ve cut back.”
His voice lowered and raked over her. “I’d be more than happy to be your protector.”
She looked at him coyly. “Maybe.” Now why did I say that?
“That’s the best answer you’ve given me to date. My faith in humanity is restored.”
She lowered her thick lashes, her heart beating wildly. Then she looked up. “How did you know about the lilies?” she asked softly.
“I always make it my business to find out all I can about anything or anyone that interests me. In other words, I ask questions. I had my secretary dig up an article that was written about you in Black Enterprise. You mentioned your passion for the lilies in the article.”
Her stomach lurched at the pointed look that he threw her way, but she kept her expression unreadable, which enticed Clint all the more.
“I believe I’ll have to follow that philosophy,” she replied.
“So, you’ve found something that has piqued your curiosity,” he tossed back, enjoying the game.
“Perhaps. If there’s anything of interest, I’ll be sure to let you know.” Her smile was a taunt, and Clint’s insides tightened.
“Would you like anything else?” His voice was thick with the emotions that he struggled to control. Terri unwittingly brought out the passion in him that he hadn’t felt for anyone in years. Every time he heard her voice or saw her face, he thought of what it would be like to unleash that cool control that she displayed so well.
“No. I’m stuffed. The red snapper was delicious.” She finished the last of her spring water, secretly enjoying the heat that blazed in Clint’s eyes and shook his voice.
“I’m glad you liked it. I haven’t been here in a while, but the food is still the way I remember it.”
“Do you come here often?”
“From time to time. Usually on business meetings.”
The mention of business brought her back to reality.
“From the look on your face, you’d think I said a bad word.” He stared at her.
“It just makes me wonder what you want with me. After all, you’re in a very nasty business.”
“Let me set the record straight.” He took a deep breath. “I involve myself in businesses that are on the brink of folding, or businesses that I feel can be better managed by me. Where is the crime in that?”
“That’s putting it delicately.” She crumpled the linen napkin into a ball, her temper flaring.
“Delicate but true.”
“You make what you do sound like a humanitarian gesture. How can you sleep at night knowing what you’ve done to so many people?”
He clenched his jaw. “I don’t do anything that I’m not allowed to do within the law.” Exasperation filled his voice. “If I make an offer to a company and they accept, what’s the harm?”
“The harm is that they give you everything they’ve worked for, and you reap the benefits. You’ve built your fortune on the backs of other people. Our people!” Her voice rose in anger. “What gives you that right?”
Their eyes locked in a battle of wills.
Clint glared at her. How dare she make him feel guilty? He was never one to blow his own horn, and he’d be damned if he’d start now. If she really wanted to know about him, let her do her own homework.
Clint was the first to break the icy contact. “If you’re ready, I’ll drive you home,” he said in a tight voice.
“I can catch a cab, thank you,” she answered, annoyed with herself for letting her emotions get out of control.
Clint signaled for the waiter and paid the check. Terri rose to slip on her coat, but not before Clint rounded the table and took it from her.
Slowly, deliberately, he helped her into her coat, the nearness of him sending her pulse on a wild gallop. He pressed his lips close to her ear, inhaling her scent, his warm breath tingling her neck.
“I don’t want the evening to end like this, Terri. I’m not interested in the campaign with your company. I can get another agency to do it. I want you and I to be friends—more than friends.”
The suggestiveness of his words forced her to look up at him.
Was it sincerity that she saw brimming in those pools of midnight or was it something else?
“I—I don’t know how that could be possible. We come from two different worlds.”
“Not two different worlds, Terri. Two different points of view. But that’s what makes a relationship interesting.”
She stepped out of his grasp, her body on fire. She reached for her purse. Her voice shuddered. “I’ve got to be going.”
“I’ll get you a cab.”
A cold wind blew viciously around them, and a shiver ran up Terri’s spine. Clint instinctively put his arm around her shoulder, easing her next to his body.
Before she could protest, a yellow cab pulled up to the corner and she thankfully stepped out of his embrace.
Clint reached around her and opened the car door. With her nerves strung to near popping, she threw out her address in a gush.
“Get the lady home safely,” Clint instructed the driver. He looked down at Terri’s upturned face. “Until we meet again,” he said softly, “and we will.” He smiled and closed the car door.
It seemed an eternity before she finally reached her apartment on Twenty-eighth Street. Her head was pounding, and she massaged her temples hoping to relieve the nervous pressure.
Taking the short elevator ride up to the third floor, she put her key in the door and stepped into the cozy comfort of her apartment.
Mechanically she hung her coat on the brass coatrack and deposited her shoes in the foyer. Then she headed straight for the fireplace, and within moments the finely decorated rooms were filled with the warmth from the crackling flames.
Crossing the gleaming wood floors, she sank down into the cottony soft comfort of her bronze-colored couch, closing her eyes against the events of the evening. Instantly a vision of Clint bloomed before her, and she involuntarily trembled, remembering all too well the feel of him, the richness of his scent, the timbre of his voice.
She jumped back up from the couch, afraid of where her feelings were taking her, and turned on the stereo, hoping to muffle the rapid beating of her heart, just as the doorbell rang.
She frowned, wondering who could be ringing her bell. Then she remembered that Stacy had said she might stop by.
Without thinking further, she padded across the room and flung open the door, a small smile of expectation lighting her face.
Clint’s lips swept down on hers. His arms enfolded her in a powerful grip. Terri’s heart slammed against her breasts as she was helplessly carried away by the sensation of his lips.
Her mind commanded her to pull away, but her body succumbed to the temptation of his tongue toying with her lips, separating them as he entered her mouth. He tasted of wine and a touch of mint. How good the two were together, she thought dizzily.
How long had it been since she’d been held, been kissed, been made to feel like a woman by just a look? Suddenly the emptiness began to slowly fill and like one ravaged by thirst, she drank of the waters.
He never knew a simple kiss could be like this. He stroked her back, delving into her mouth, wanting to seek out all of the hidden places. She was soft and strong all at once, a candy sweetness that demanded that he take more and more. He moaned against her mouth as arousal overtook him, hardening him to near bursting. His body demanded release, but his mind took control.
He released her, and she was sure that if it wasn’t for the hand that still gripped the doorknob, she would have crumpled.
“I knew I’d forgotten something,” he stated in a ragged voice, his eyes stripping her bare. With that he turned and strode down the corridor, leaving her trembling.
As she drifted off to sleep that night, her last conscious thought was that she’d have to do some serious checking on the devastating Mr. Steele.
Chapter 4
Rising early Monday morning, Terri completed her half hour of meditation, prepared her usual glass of carrot juice and took a quick shower.
Searching through her closet she selected a brilliant green silk dress with fiery splashes of red and bold gold throughout. As an added accessory, she chose an oblong gold silk scarf that draped dramatically across her right shoulder. A small gold pin in the shape of Queen Nefertiti held the scarf in place. To take away from her girlish looks, she twisted her shoulder-length locks into an intricate twist on the top of her head, accentuating her sculpted features.
Satisfied with her look, she completed her outfit by selecting a pair of green suede pumps. With shoes and purse in hand, she padded to the door in stockinged feet before slipping into her shoes.
She checked her watch. It was almost ten o’clock. She wasn’t due in the office until after twelve. That would give her at least an hour of research time in the business library. She was going to dig up every article, news item and gossip clipping that she could find on Clinton Steele and Hightower Enterprises.
Nearly two hours later, armed with a dossier full of information, Terri left the library, hailed a cab and headed for her office. She was stunned to discover the volumes of information that had been written about Clint over the past ten years. It would take days, maybe even weeks, to sort through it all. But she would—of that she was sure.
She leaned back in the cab and considered her next step. As soon as she arrived at work, she’d give her friend Lisa Barrett a call. Lisa had worked as the head of proposals for the Gateway Foundation for fifteen years. Gateway solicited help from all of the major corporations in the United States to support charitable causes and community services. Any company worth its salt had contributed at some point. Powers, Inc., had made sizable contributions over the years, and Terri was sure that if anyone knew about the inner workings of the businesses in New York it would be Lisa.
Arriving at her office, Terri quickly placed a call to Lisa.
“Lis, hi, it’s Terri.”
“Hey, hon, how are you? I haven’t heard from you in days. Are you back at work?”
“In answer to your first question, I’m okay. And yes, I’m back at work, but I need a favor.”
“Doesn’t everybody,” Lisa commented drolly. “What might yours be?”
“I need you to check out Clinton Steele. He owns—”
“Believe me, I know what he owns.” Her voice was filled with amazement. “You’re really moving into the big time. What do you want to know?”
“Anything that you can find. He made a bid for us to do an ad campaign, but I don’t like what I’ve heard about him. Still, I’d like to give the man the benefit of the doubt.”
“I’d like to give the man a lot of things, but doubt isn’t one of them,” Lisa quipped wistfully.
“Lisa,” Terri moaned, “come on, this is serious.”
“All right—all right. I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thanks, Lis. Call me when you do.”
With that out of the way, Terri diligently tried to focus on the meeting with McPhearson ahead of her. She’d prepared her notes, gone over Stacy’s campaign strategy and had dressed the part of the executive to the hilt.
Yet even with all of her preparation, she could not shake thoughts of Clint from her mind. Every free second for the past two days, visions of him assaulted her. She couldn’t count how many times she’d relived his kiss. Just the thought of it sent jolts of electricity whistling through her veins. Damn you, Clinton Steele! she thought. Why now, when my whole life is in a tailspin? And why you?
Sighing deeply, she got up from her desk and smoothed her dress. She hadn’t heard from him since that night, and maybe it was just as well. Things were getting too complicated too fast.
She checked the antique grandfather clock that stood against the wall. The representatives from McPhearson were due in her office any minute.
Where was Mark? she wondered, her agitation building. He should have been here an hour ago. She crossed the room in long-legged strides and pressed the intercom.
“Andrea?”
“Yes, Ms. Powers?”
“Has Mark arrived yet?”
“He just walked in.”
“As soon as he’s ready, would the two of you come in? You’ll need to bring your Dictaphone, Andrea. I want every word recorded. And buzz Stacy also.”
“Yes, Ms. Powers.”
Terri returned to her desk just as her private line rang. “Terri Powers,” she answered.
“Ms. Powers, this is Mr. McPhearson’s secretary.”
“Oh, yes. I wasn’t expecting a call. Is there a delay in the meeting time?” She immediately flipped open her plan book, hugging the phone between her shoulder and her ear, pen poised and waiting.
“Uh, Ms. Powers—Mr. McPhearson wants me to inform you that he’s changed his mind about the campaign.”
“What?” She dropped the pen between the ivory pages. “I don’t understand. Everything was set.”
“That’s all the information I have, Ms. Powers.”
“Let me speak with Mr. McPhearson.” Her pulse pounded in her ears.
“He’s in a meeting.”
Terri would have laughed at the practiced line if she wasn’t so furious. “Would you have him call me as soon as he’s through?”
“He’s leaving directly for the airport when the meeting concludes.”
“I see.” Terri swallowed, her back stiffening. “Thank you.”
Blindly she hung up the phone, a sinking feeling taking over. This deal was critical. She couldn’t believe that McPhearson would pull out, just like that. There had to be some explanation, and she was damn sure going to find out what it was.
She paced the floor, her teeth biting her bottom lip, trying to contemplate a course of action.
There was a light tap at the door.
“Come in,” Terri said offhandedly.
Stacy stepped in.
“All ready for the big boys?” Stacy asked. She took a seat at the round conference table on the far side of the office.
Terri blew out an exasperated breath. “McPhearson’s secretary called.”
“About what?” Stacy took a sip of black coffee and tossed her blond hair behind her ears.
“It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. They reneged.”
“What?”
“You heard right. They pulled out,” Terri said.
“But why? They couldn’t have gotten a better deal if they’d whipped it up themselves.”
“Apparently they did.”
“I don’t believe it.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“Neither do I.”
“So now what?”
Terri raised her eyebrows. “I’ll have to think it through and explore some other options. We’ll really have to push for a confirmation with Viatek Studios. I want you to work on that right away.”
Stacy nodded and jotted down some hasty notes. “Does Mark know about McPhearson?”
“I haven’t seen Mark yet.”
“This was his advertising deal originally, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” Then almost as an afterthought, she added, “And so was the account that fell through with Conners, the independent producer,” in a voice filled with awakening.
She turned to Stacy, her eyes burning with purpose. “As soon as I inform Mark that the deal has been canceled, I want you and I to go over Mark’s files with a fine-tooth comb, as he puts it. I went over the books last week, and there are things that don’t make sense. I thought it was because I was tired but now I wonder…”
Stacy nodded, her sea-green eyes reflecting Terri’s concern. “I’ll see what else I can dig up from the logs,” Stacy added just as Andrea peeked her head in the door.
“Mark is here, Ms. Powers.”
“Tell him to come in, Andrea.”
Mark strolled in moments later, his light brown eyes shifting from one woman to the other. “Why the long faces?” He walked over to the water cooler and filled a paper cup.
“McPhearson canceled the deal,” Terri stated. She watched for his reaction.
“You’re kidding? I worked weeks on that deal.” He ran his index finger around the collar of his shirt.
She registered the move. “I’m sure you did.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means we’ll have to do some rearranging of our finances.”
“Well, if you’d accept Steele’s proposal we’d—”
She cut him off. “What time is your flight to Detroit?”
“I have to be at the airport in an hour.”
Terri turned away, unable to look at him another minute. “Tell your folks I said hello. We’ll talk when you get back.”
“Fine!” Mark snatched up his notes and his briefcase and slammed out of the office.
Terri turned to Stacy. “As soon as he’s out of the building, I want you to pull his files. Everything.”
Hours later, exhausted and wanting to disbelieve what was in front of her, Terri closed the folders that Stacy had given her. The evidence was clear, and she had no alternative.
Slowly she got up from her desk, her heart heavy with regret, wondering what she could have done differently. She didn’t know. All she could do now was prepare for Mark’s return.
Stretching, her body aching with fatigue, she envisioned sinking into a steamy bubble bath, when a picture of Clint intruded on her thoughts. Her pulse raced at an alarming speed as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers… The part of her that wanted more wondered what it would be like to make love with him.
This was getting crazy, she thought, angry at herself for fantasizing about a man who definitely was not for her. She hadn’t heard from him since their dinner date, and the thought that he was playing games with her renewed her frustration and misgivings.
Gathering her purse and briefcase, she took her coat from the rack and began to leave the office just as the phone rang.
She started to let the answering service pick up the call but decided against it, thinking that it might be important.
“Terri Powers,” she answered by rote.
“Terri, it’s Clint.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Does he read my mind, or what? “Yes?”
“I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind.”
Me, either. Silence.
“How are you?”
If you only knew. “I’ve been better.”
“You don’t sound like yourself. Is something wrong?”
“I couldn’t begin to explain.” But she desperately wanted to. She wanted to feel his arms around her again, to hear his laughter, to taste his lips. But she couldn’t.
“Listen, uh, I’m really tired, Clint. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”
“Maybe you should talk about it. That helps, you know.”
“Not this time.”
He wouldn’t be dismissed. “Why don’t I meet you? We could go for dinner or something. Maybe a drive.” He drummed his fingers on the desk, waiting for her response.
“Clint, I really…”
“I’ll be downstairs in ten minutes. Wait for me, Terri.”
The next sound she heard was the dial tone.
Terri waited in quiet agitation for the elevator to reach her floor. Why was he doing this to her? A better question was, why was she doing this to herself? She knew perfectly well that Clint was not the kind of man to be taken lightly. What was more disturbing, he was the kind of man that fascinated her against her better judgment. That reality frightened her.
Finally the elevator arrived, and her heart raced as the metal box made its painstakingly slow descent.
She pulled her white cashmere coat tightly around her as a shiver jetted up her spine at the thought of seeing him. Maybe he wouldn’t be there, and she could just escape to the sanctuary of her apartment. Just like she’d been doing for months, hiding from the possibility of life as she once knew it—too frightened to take any more chances. But there was another part of her that longed to be fulfilled again, the part that hoped he’d be waiting.
The doors of the elevator opened on the lobby level. Terri stepped out, her head held high. Casually she looked toward the revolving doors. Her spirits sank when she realized that Clint was nowhere in sight. Fine!
She strode purposefully forward, anticipation replaced with annoyance. Why did it matter? she chastised herself, pushing through the revolving doors. This was probably just another game to Clint.
Her temper rolled to the surface as she stood on the windy corner to hail a taxi. She waved her hand at an oncoming cab. As it approached, the cab’s dome light flashed the off-duty sign.
Terri went livid, wanting to scream and cry all at the same time. That was the final insult of the day. She really didn’t know how much more she could—
“You weren’t going to wait?”
Clint’s voice seemed to massage her spine and unlock the tension that had gripped her. She turned toward the sound of his voice and looked up at him, the anxiety and frustration of the day brimming in her brown eyes. How easy it would be to just walk into his arms and let him soothe the aches away.
She remained immobile.
Something in the way she looked at him touched a hidden corner of his heart. He reached out and placed his large hands on her shoulders. “Terri, what’s wrong?” Concern softened his voice. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
Terri blinked and swallowed back the lump in her throat. “It’s just the wind,” she answered with a calmness that surprised her.
“I got stuck in traffic,” he said by way of apology.
“Oh.”
Why did he suddenly feel like a little boy having to explain his misbehavior? The awkward feeling left him unnerved. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “Can I at least give you a lift?”
She gave him a half smile and shrugged her right shoulder. “You could drop me off at my apartment. If you don’t mind.”
“No problem. My car is over—” He looked across the busy intersection to see a traffic cop sticking a ticket on his windshield.
“Hey!” he yelled as he immediately darted through traffic to the other side of the street. He snatched the ticket from the window, intent on making the offender eat it.
Clint strode over to the “brownie,” as they were dubbed by New Yorkers for their brown uniforms, and shook the ticket in his face.
“Listen, buddy,” Clint hissed, interrupting the officer from writing another ticket. “I was there for only a minute. What’s the deal with this ticket?” He checked his watch. “It’s five after seven. I can legally park here.”
“Not by my watch,” the brownie said, dismissing Clint.
“Your watch is wrong!” Clint stalked the officer as he moved to the next car.
“If you think so, then take it to court.”
The officer walked away, leaving Clint to throw daggers at his back.
Terri gingerly eased alongside of an irate Clint, fighting hard to stifle the giggles that bubbled in her throat. This was the first time that she had truly seen the cool, controlled Clint totally bent out of shape. Her only regret was that she didn’t have a camera.
“How much is it?” she asked in a tiny voice.
“Fifty damn dollars!” he spat, slamming his palm against the hood of the Benz. He looked at the ticket in disbelief, then across at Terri, whose face was contorting in silent hilarity.
“Go ahead—laugh,” he said, his own anger giving way to the ridiculousness of it all. A reluctant grin lifted one side of his mouth.
Finally, through tears and giggles, she pointed a finger at him, the laughter still bubbling over. “You should have seen the look on your face,” she said.
“You think this is all very amusing, don’t you?” he said, trying to sound threatening.
Terri wiped her eyes and took several deep breaths. “Actually I do. I mean, let’s face it, you can afford it.”
“Now that makes me feel a helluva lot better.”
“Well,” Terri offered, pulling herself together, “I guess the least I could do is treat you to dinner. After all, if you hadn’t come to see me, none of this—” she covered her budding smile with a gloved hand “—would have happened.”
“You know what?” He looked at her hard and braced her shoulders. “I’m gonna take you up on your offer.”
After a delicious meal in Chinatown, punctuated by con genial conversation, Clint drove Terri to her apartment building. The plush luxury of the Benz was like a soothing balm to her tense body. Slowly she began to relax, her voice a mere whisper when she spoke.
“I’ve always wanted to learn to drive a stick shift,” she said dreamily, “but it’s such a hassle with the stop-and-go Manhattan traffic.”
“I know what you mean.” He switched into Second gear. “But after living in England and driving on the open road, it became second nature to me. I love the feel of power,” he added, tossing her a searing look as he held on to the stick.
“I didn’t know you lived in England.”
“Yeah, for a while,” he said, wishing that he’d never mentioned that part of his life. Just the idea of her saying she wanted to learn to drive a standard drove the knife of guilt through his gut, painfully reminding him of his daughter, whom he’d left behind in the care of his sister-in-law, because he’d caused her mother’s—his wife’s—death.
“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.”
“Hmm.”
Terri looked at him from the corner of her eye, in time to see the hard, dark expression that passed across his face. She decided not to probe and leaned back against the leather cushion of the headrest. Maybe some other time.
Where had all of the tension gone? As much as she was reluctant to admit it, she enjoyed being in Clint’s company. He made her laugh, he lightened her spirit. He was intelligent and witty, and he was undeniably sexy. Clint made her feel things that she hadn’t felt in so long. Only this time it was more powerful, more compelling. And she wanted it.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts as he made the turn onto her street.
If she could have turned red, she would have been crimson. She felt certain that he could read her thoughts, and she felt suddenly exposed.
“Oh, just about some things at the office.”
“You never did tell me what was bothering you.” He pulled up in front of her door.
She looked at him, her voice softening. “It doesn’t really matter now.”
“If it affects you, Terri, then it matters.”
She fumbled with her purse. “It’s getting late. I—”
He reached for her, turning her to face him. “You keep running from me.”
His voice wrapped around her.
“Every time we get close, you run from me like a scared little girl.”
He gently stroked her face.
She held her breath.
“You’re a woman, Terri.” His eyes roamed over her, igniting her. “A desirable, sensual woman who I want in my life. But you have to give me a chance.”
Could he possibly mean what he was telling her? Or was this just a ploy? Maybe he was right. How would she ever know, if she never gave him the chance? Curiosity won out.
“Would you like to come up for a nightcap?” She smiled a tentative smile. “I think I have some fruit juice and chips.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Terri opened her apartment door and immediately stepped out of her shoes, instructing Clint to do the same. She grinned at his perplexed look.
“When you leave your shoes at the door,” she explained, “you leave all of the bad vibes behind you and just bring peace into your home.”
“Hmm…” Clint nodded, handing her his shoes “…sounds good to me.”
“Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable. You can hang your coat on the rack.” She pointed to the brass coatrack and headed for the living room. She turned on the CD player, and seconds later the music of Miles Davis blew a soulful tune in the background. Terri left Clint and went to prepare a platter of chips with a cheese dip and a bowl of pretzels.
“You have a great place, Terri,” Clint commented, admiring the ethnic artwork and handcrafted sculpture. Huge earthen urns sat majestically in corners, overflowing with fresh-cut flowers in some and arrangements of silk in others.
“Thanks,” she called from the kitchen, quietly pleased that he liked her taste. “Would you light a fire, please?”
“Sure.” He walked to the fireplace and got the fire going. Finished, he roamed over to her bookcase and saw that she had volumes of poetry as well as what appeared to be every espionage and crime story ever written. What a strange combination, he thought, more fascinated than ever.
Terri entered the living room and placed the tray of snacks on the smoked-glass table.
“I see you’ve found out my secret,” she said, walking up behind him. “I’m a closet poet with a murderous streak.”
“The poet part I don’t mind,” he answered jovially, “it’s the other half that scares me. Actually, as quiet as it’s kept, I read a lot of poetry. It relaxes me. Especially after a rough day.”
Terri’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Really?”
“Let that be our little secret.” He lowered his voice to a pseudo-whisper. “I don’t want to ruin my dubious reputation.”
Terri replied in kind. “Your secret is safe with me. Just don’t cross me,” she teased. “Come on and sit down. After I’ve been slaving over a hot stove for hours, I want you to eat every drop.”
Clint chuckled as he followed her to the couch.
“…So when I discovered that the books didn’t jibe, it made me do some additional checking. To make a long story short, I don’t like what I found.” She was still reluctant to tell him too much. The last thing she needed was his sympathy or for him to think that she was totally incompetent. “I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, Clint. This company means everything to me. I’ve sacrificed a lot and I’ve given a lot. All I expect in return is honesty and a good day’s work.”
