Stormy Night Read Online Free PDF Page A

completely ignore her, so it would be easier for her to ignore what she was feeling, to act as if their stormy night had never happened.
    She just couldn’t decide which would be worse.
    After getting out of the elevator, she forced herself toward the etched glass door that led to the firm’s receiving lounge. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door and plunged inside. Giving a curt nod to the perky secretary at the reception desk, she turned right and strode down the hallway that led to the firm’s inner sanctum where the work was actually done. Where her office and those of the other senior account managers and partners were. Where Jack would be, for he was always in early.
    Not allowing herself to slow down, she opened the door and stepped through. The usual cast of characters were already there. They nodded to her or gave their typical good morning greeting, and she nodded absently in return. Her eyes darted to the cubicle in the corner where Jack worked. It was empty. She scanned the rest of the expansive space, past the desks and handful of cubicles along the wall, through the doorways to the surrounding individual offices that happened to be open.  
    There was no sign of Jack.  
    Her secretary, whose desk was just outside Anne’s personal office, was already waiting for her. “You have a message from Mr. Rockwell, and…”
    Holding up her hand to forestall the rest of the young blonde’s report, Anne said, “I need to see Jack right away about a glitch that came up Friday night.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” the secretary said in an all too cheery voice, her hand instantly reaching for the phone to do Anne’s bidding.
    Anne stopped in her tracks, realizing that she treated her secretary just like Jack had said everyone treated him: as an invisible automaton. Over her shoulder, she said, “Thank you, Stephanie.” Her secretary stared at her, eyebrows raised in surprise. “And I want you out of here no later than noon. Take a few days off. You haven’t taken a single day of leave for the last eight months.”
    Stephanie’s jaw dropped.
    Anne gave the young woman a wan smile before stepping into the office. She stood in the doorway a moment, staring at her desk and chair. Then, after taking off her coat and putting her purse in one of the desk drawers, she ran her fingers over the dark stain on the leather blotter that she had made with the juices of her passion with Jack. The memory brought another wave of regret, along with a tingle of arousal. Stop it , she chastised herself.  
    She was startled by a knock at her door. Whirling around, her lips turning up in a smile, her heart hammering with a mixture of fear and joy, she said, “Jack, we need to…”
    Her smile faltered as she saw that it wasn’t Jack. “Who are you?”
    “Hi,” said the young man, who looked like he was barely out of high school. “I’m Oliver. You said you had a computer issue?”
    “Where’s Jack?”
    “I was told he’s not here anymore.” He gave her a smile of reassurance. “But don’t worry, I’m up to speed on all the systems and software. Whatever the problem is, I’ll get it sorted out for you.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said, brushing past him, “don’t worry about it.” She made a beeline for Bob’s office, a red hot rush of anger taking hold of her. He must have somehow found out about their tryst Friday night, she concluded, and fired Jack. Well, you fucker, we’ll see about that!
    Storming past Bob’s protesting secretary, she burst through Bob’s door, just as he was tossing down the last of a glass of morning whiskey.
    “I want Jack back,” Anne demanded. She jabbed her index finger into his chest. “You fired him, you rehire him.”
    Bob, coughing after nearly choking on the whiskey, sputtered, “What the hell are you talking about?” Taking a step back, he added, “I didn’t fire him, he quit!”
    “What?”
    “He quit! He called me last night and said he had some emergency personal