Scenes of Passion Read Online Free PDF Page B

away.”
    Maggie watched as he copied the document.
    A three-hundred-thousand-dollars-per-year job, guaranteed to blow up in three months if she didn’t help Matt become a businessman.
    Was it exciting? Absolutely. Was it crazy? More than absolutely. What would her mother, her father, God, even Brock think?
    They’d think she was irresponsible, silly, reckless, wild.
    But what did she think? How about answering that question for once?
    Sure, there was a chance this decision would backfire, leaving her without a job and laughed at by her friends and family. But there was a chance that something special was going on here—that she finally had an opportunity to take control of her life, to get out of her cell and make a difference in some way, even if only in her life and Matt’s and the people who supported their families from the Yankee Potato Chip Company.
    To do something she wanted to do, something she would be proud of…
    But the risk…
    There were butterflies in her stomach—just like when she was little and in line for the Ferris wheel at the firemen’s carnival. As the line got shorter and the moment of truth approached, she would nearly sweat with anxiety. Would she do it or would she chicken out?
    She would look up at the seemingly shaky structure that would take her on a ride fraught with danger, up to terrifying heights. Then she’d remember the exhilaration of the wind in her hair as she looked way, way down at the little people below and out at the horizon that seemed to stretch on forever.
    It had been worth it. It always had been worth it.
    She looked at Matt as he shut off the copy machine, as he stapled together the copies he’d made, as he put the original back in the folder, back in the file cabinet.
    Where are we going?
    Does it matter?
    No.
    â€œI’ll take the job,” she told him.
    He turned and stared at her. “But you haven’t even read the—”
    â€œI don’t care,” she said. “You offered, I’m taking it.”
    Matt laughed. “Since when do you make a decision without forty-eight hours of soul searching?”
    â€œSince right now,” she said.
    â€œAre you sure?” He looked worried.
    She felt a twinge of uncertainty. “Are you sure you want me?”
    â€œAbsolutely!”
    â€œThen I’m sure.”
    Matt just looked at her. With that same, disconcerting heat in his eyes. She had to turn away, look out the window at the night.
    â€œI’ve been thinking for some time now about making some changes,” she confessed. “It occurred to me that if I took your offer I wouldn’t have to go back to that horrible office without a window.”
    â€œYou don’t have a window? ”
    She glanced at him. “You’ve got to earn a window at Andersen and Brenden.”
    â€œGod.”
    â€œI wouldn’t have to make that awful commute, I wouldn’t have to wear uncomfortable shoes—would I?”
    â€œNo way.” He was grinning at her. “If you work for me, you don’t have to wear shoes at all. Of course in three months you won’t be able to afford to buy shoes….”
    â€œNot if I can help it,” she said. “This is a beautiful office. It’s ten minutes from home, inches from the ocean….” Shemade a face. “Although, telling my dad that I’m leaving A&B isn’t going to be fun….”
    His smile had faded. “Maggie,” he said, seriously. “I don’t want to pressure you.” He paused. “Don’t get me wrong. I want you to say yes. I really want you to say yes. But this isn’t going to be easy. Your job will be to help me figure out how to run this business. At this point, I can barely remember how to add or subtract. It’ll mean really long hours. I’ve only got three months, and right now, quite frankly, I couldn’t run a business if my life depended on it. So if