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  “Don’t tell me,” said Jackie. “Another ransom note from the boss?”

  “You’re not going to believe this one,” Leah said.

  Jackie took the memo from her and read it.

  All company employees in the Chicago office are required to attend the Holiday party on Friday, December 12, at 8:00 p.m. The attire is formal. Failure to attend will result in the forfeiture of the employee’s Holiday bonus.

  “I can’t believe this. It’s extortion,” said Jackie hotly. She felt like cramming Mitchell’s fine-smelling coat down his throat.

  Her friends didn’t say anything. They all looked at their coffee cups.

  “I don’t remember it being formal last year,” said Leah.

  “It was, we just didn’t go--remember?” asked Teri. “We had on our formals, then changed our minds and went out and had our own party,” she explained to Jackie.

  “That’s when I met Denny,” Shelly said wistfully.

  “Well, you can bring him as a date this year,” Teri said.

  “You’re not actually going to go, are you?” Jackie asked. “He can’t really make us, can he? I thought we had Shelly’s wedding rehearsal tomorrow night?”

  “The rehearsal will be over early, so we can make it,” Shelly said.

  “And you want to go to a work party, the night before your wedding?”

  “I was planning to use my Christmas bonus to pay for part of our honeymoon,” she said.

  Teri nodded. “Holiday shopping for me.”

  “Trip home to see the folks for me,” Leah said.

  Jackie laughed. “Severance package for me,” she said with a smile. She sighed. “I guess we’re going. Now what the hell are we going to wear?”

  They looked at their coffee cups again. “We all have our formals from last year. No one saw us in them, so we might as well get them out of the closet again,” suggested Teri. “Hope I had mine cleaned before I put it away.”

  “That just leaves you, Jackie,” Shelly said.

  “I haven’t had a formal since my high school prom,” she said. “Maybe I’ll wear that. It would serve him right to have to look at rows of turquoise ruffles.”

  “Just your luck, he’d like it,” said Leah. “He probably liked that elf costume, too.”

  “Well, maybe I should wear that to the party,” Jackie said.

  “Why don’t you just wear your bridesmaid gown?” Shelly suggested.

  “Before the wedding?”

  Shelly laughed. “It’s not like it’s bad luck or anything. It’s a nice black gown.” She smiled. “And you can take off the plaid sash if you want.”

  “Are you kidding? That’s my favorite part,” she grinned. “Makes me look like a present.”

  The black gown without the sash would work out fine, solving her attire problem, but it didn’t solve the bigger problem. Could they all really endure another week of this torture? Yesterday he played games with her friends, tomorrow night he would broaden the circle to include the whole building. What was next? How far would he go? If she just quit, would Mitchell stop with the ridiculous demands? Would her friends be able to go back to normal?

  It was starting to be more and more tempting. She would walk away from Ames Worldwide with absolutely nothing, but that’s also how she came to it six months ago. Maybe it was a wash either way.

  “I’m not going,” Jackie said finally.

  “But you have to,” Teri said. “You need your bonus, it’ll hold you over until you find another job.”

  “I’m quitting. Today. Enough is enough. If I leave, he might leave you all alone.”

  Her friends stood shoulder to shoulder in front of her and looked resolute.

  “You’re not quitting,” Leah said. “Only one more week of his crap and you’ll walk out of here with a Christmas bonus, your back vacation pay, and a recommendation.”

  “If you’re like the rest of us, you don’t have any savings and you need a job as bad as we do,” added Teri.

  “Besides,” said Shelly. “Being forced to be an elf in the freezing cold and then dress up for a boring office party isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to us.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Jackie said. “What do you think he has planned for next week?”

  ****

  After lunch, Jackie finally got up the nerve to return the long black coat. She couldn’t spend another night in her apartment with it, and she knew where it belonged. Teri called her friend Margie from the executive floor who assured her that Mitchell was out of the office at a meeting, so Jackie seized the opportunity to return the coat without the risk of seeing him.

  She grabbed the coat and headed for the elevator without remembering that she left her red blazer on the back of her chair. Her white silk turtleneck hugged her curves far too close for office apparel, but she was already in the elevator and it was too late to go back now. She stood there alone in the elevator trying to resist wrapping herself in the large coat that still carried Mitchell’s scent.

  She rode up to the fifteenth floor and walked quickly down the hallway to his office. She knew where it was. It was the largest office, on the end. It probably occupied a whole corner of the floor and had huge windows overlooking the city. To get to it, she had to pass by the office where Hal used to work. Just thinking about what had happened there three days ago made her quicken her pace. She felt flushed and a little breathless. Just a little farther, and she would be at Mitchell’s office.

  Jackie cautiously tapped on the glass door and silently prayed that Margie was right, just this once. The door opened and, to her relief, she saw a red-haired secretary in a conservative navy blue pants suit. The secretary looked curiously at Jackie and the coat over her arm.

  “This belongs to Mr. Ames. He….uh…left it somewhere and I wanted to return it,” Jackie stammered.

  “Would you like to give it to him personally?” the red-haired secretary asked. “He should be back any minute.”

  “No,” Jackie said quickly. Her worst nightmare. “Thanks anyway.”

  Jackie laid the coat over a chair, turned around, and began to walk very quickly away. What had the secretary meant by “any minute”? Was he in the elevator right now? Had she come this close to running into him?

  She practically flew down the long hallway that seemed to stretch on for a mile, and stood nervously in front of the elevator. The fifteenth floor was the top floor in the building, so she mentally resolved to be patient as the elevator slowly made its way up there. She watched the lights overhead and saw one of the elevators begin on the first floor and then slowly continue its rise to the top. It stopped several times, but each time it continued its way up.

  Her stomach felt like it was falling and her insides felt squishy. If her feet weren’t still so sore from last night, she would have considered running desperately down the stairs. The elevator inched closer and closer and she began to dread the doors opening. It was only four floors down to her office. Maybe her sore feet weren’t that sore after all. He was off at a meeting…but Margie hadn’t said where…and his secretary expected him at any moment. It was an eternity before the elevator stopped.

  A bell dinged, the door opened, and Jackie refused to even look. She glimpsed a reflection of a tall dark-haired man in the mirrored wall across from the elevator and then she was caught up in someone’s arms.

  “Hey, Jackie!” a man said cheerfully, and then he released her and stepped back.

  “Jimmy!” she said. She was too stunned to say anything more.

  “Mitchell told me you worked here, but I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around it,” he said.

  “He told you that?”

  “On the phone. Yesterday.”

  “So,” Jackie began. She was still flushed, breathless, flustered. “You came up here to visit your brother?”

  “Uh huh. Thought he could use some company.”

  “Is he okay?” Jackie asked. Despite thinking that he was being a royal jer
k, the thought of him needing someone gave her heart a little tug.

  “I think so. Just needs someone to talk to.” Jimmy suddenly looked very serious. “Sometimes you need a friend to help you see things the way they really are.”

  Jackie felt like a lead weight settled on her shoulders. She swallowed hard, but there was still a lump in her throat. Even with his sunny and carefree personality, Jimmy was letting her know he was there to help his brother get over her. She felt the color drain from her face and didn’t know what to say. The elevator door had already shut and it began falling away toward another part of the building. The one behind her suddenly dinged and opened, but Jackie didn’t move.

  She saw a reflection in the mirrored wall again. A tall dark haired man. Everything stopped. She stood there between the two brothers and suddenly felt very small and self-conscious. She knew she was the reason Jimmy had come suddenly to Chicago. She could feel Mitchell’s eyes on her from behind and she wished she had not forgotten her blazer. She felt naked and exposed in her tight white sweater. No one moved or said anything for a full and loaded second.

  The elevator door behind her was still open. It was her only chance. She turned and dashed into it without giving either brother a chance to make a move. The door shut and she felt herself dropping and dropping. She leaned her head against the cool wall of the elevator and wished it would never stop.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Why doesn’t he just fire me?” Jackie asked.

  It was Friday morning, one week exactly since Jackie and Mitchell had first met. One week of incredible highs and agonizing lows.

  “‘Cause he can’t,” said Teri practically. “He’d need a good reason.”

  “He could fabricate one,” Jackie said. “For example, he could say I called in sick and took off for the Florida Keys.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want to fire you,” Leah said. “Maybe he wants you right here where he can have his way with you.”

  “Leah!” Shelly and Teri said together.

  “Just a thought,” said Leah.

  Jackie took a deep breath. She didn’t feel very brave this morning at all. The stress of the week had taken its toll. Waiting for the next shoe to fall was wearing her down. She wanted to wave the white flag and run far away. Simultaneously wanting to feel Mitchell’s arms around her and dreading the thought of even seeing him had torn her nearly apart for five days now. She hadn’t been able to sleep, she had hardly eaten, and she just wanted to curl up and cry.

  “The last time I got myself in…this situation,” Jackie began.

  Shelly patted her hand reassuringly. “Slept with your boss,” she said kindly. Helpfully.

  Jackie nodded. They were all sitting around the small table in their break room. No work was getting done today. There was a party atmosphere in the whole building, and they were all putting in their time until they could leave early and get ready for tonight’s party. People in their building had grumbled loudly about being forced to attend the holiday party with little notice, but most of the complaints subsided when the rumors about the party began to circulate.

  There was talk of unlimited food and alcohol, live music, party favors, and some other surprises. It was entirely possible that the party would end up being the highlight of the year. That was one thing Jackie was grateful for. If Mitchell was doing this to torture her somehow, at least it wasn’t harming everyone else. They might even like it. She hoped.

  Jackie couldn’t picture herself enjoying the party. Why dress up when any possibility that Mitchell cared for her was probably gone? Why sweep her hair up and bother with jewelry when he would only notice her to disapprove. Since his brother came to town yesterday, she hadn’t seen or heard a word from either one of them. They were probably drinking and roasting her over the coals. Nope, the Key West weekend was going down in history as a fatally stupid mistake that led to a miserable week which led to her being out on the street. After suffering through a holiday party at Mitchell’s command.

  Her friends were incredibly supportive, even cheerful, about suffering alongside her.

  “What did happen with that?” Leah asked. “The whole boss thing. You never told us the whole story.”

  “I was twenty-two and fresh out of college. I thought I was in love. I was stupid enough to think he felt the same way.”

  “How long were you together?” asked Teri.

  “Almost two years. Can you believe he fooled me that long?” Jackie took a deep breath and composed herself before delivering the final statement about what had happened. Her friends probably guessed it anyway.

  “He fired me when someone cuter came along.”

  No one said anything for a minute.

  “I can’t believe anyone is cuter than you,” said a deep voice from the doorway.

  Four heads snapped up and turned toward the door. Three of the women eyed the newcomer curiously. Only Jackie knew who he was.

  “I stopped by to say so long,” said Jimmy. “Mitchell said I’d find you here.”

  Jackie smiled at him. He was so open and friendly, he was impossible not to like. “Thanks, Jimmy. I hope you have a safe flight back to Key West.”

  “I’m zooming out on the corporate jet. Getting sent home in style this time.”

  “I hope your visit was…” Jackie stopped. What did she hope it was? Productive? Helpful? Fun? She knew why he was here. That didn’t leave her much to hope for when it came to the outcome.

  Jimmy smiled sympathetically at her. “There’s not much I can do when it comes to my brother,” he said. “When his mind is made up about something, it’s a done deal.”

  He came over and pressed a quick kiss to Jackie’s cheek. “Look me up next time you’re in the neighborhood,” he said. He smiled at her and whispered, “I’ve got a moped with training wheels all ready for you.”

  And then he was gone.

  ****

  Jackie turned around slowly in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing the black bridesmaid gown she bought for Shelly’s wedding tomorrow. Luckily, it didn’t look much like a bridesmaid gown. The water-stained taffeta cut in a halter style showed off her toned shoulders and arms. It wrapped closely around her slim waist and then flared out in an A-line skirt that fell below her knees. She had black heels her feet had recovered enough to wear. Everything was complete. Except she had left half her heart on a sunny beach a thousand miles away.

  She swept up most of her hair in a loose knot in the back, but left several strands to wander and curl over her shoulders. She wore no jewelry at all. Really, there was no reason to fuss. She was going to the party because she was forced to go. Her friends would probably pair off and dance with some guys from another office. She planned to hover near a wall and attempt to be invisible until she could escape.

  This, she resolved, was the last time she would step foot in Mitchell Ames’ building. She did not plan to say anything to her friends because she didn’t want to ruin the party for them or the wedding tomorrow night, but the game with Mitchell was over. She was ending it. If she was gone, he couldn’t toy with her and drag everyone else into it. If she left, she could forget about him and try to pick up the pieces of her life. She would put in her appearance at the party and then leave.

  As of tonight, the game was over.

  And she knew who lost.

  ****

  Mitchell nervously tied his black bowtie. He owned more than one tuxedo, but seldom wore them. Tonight was a special night. He spent all week making up his mind about a lot of things. He floated ideas, tested the waters, talked it all out with Jimmy. After tonight, there would be no more games or nonsense. He had made up his mind.

  His driver dropped him off at the front doors of his building. The doorman opened the gleaming doors wide and he stepped into a lobby aglow with lights, red poinsettias, and a huge evergreen. He hardly recognized his own building. The decorating crew came in after everyone left the office today. He wanted people to walk back
into a stunning Christmas surprise. He was counting on surprises tonight.

  Despite the fact he owned the whole corporation, loneliness surrounded him as he walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator that would take him up to the fourth floor auditorium where the party was. Everyone greeted him, but no one looked like it made their day to see him. Maybe it wasn’t just a cliché. It was lonely at the top. He had often felt the same loneliness over the years. There were only two people who erased that loneliness and filled his emptiness. One was his brother, and one was someone who danced in all his dreams. Whether she could actually dance or not. Maybe he would find out tonight.

  Mitchell stepped out of the elevators on the fourth floor and walked into the festive and incredibly decorated party. There were glowing trees scattered around, colored lights strung in a pattern across the ceiling, and tables decorated with red cloths and glowing candles. Dozens of waiters circulated with trays of drinks and food. A live orchestra played holiday music on a stage. It was incredible, just as he had imagined it. Absolutely beautiful. Magical.

  He looked around at the people who worked here in his Chicago office. There were several hundred of them, many of whom had worked there for years. But he hardly knew them. The amount of money he spent on this event tonight was entirely disproportional to the amount of money this part of his business actually made him. It was ironic, sure, but this evening had to be perfect. It was a night they were not going to forget.

  Mitchell took a glass of champagne from a tray. He doubted that the hired waiter had any idea that he was the owner of this whole operation. He was a formally attired man among many here tonight, a face in the crowd. Except he had a big announcement to make, one no employee likely saw coming. He relished the secret knowledge and continued to circulate through the hundreds of people already in attendance.