Hot Chips and Sand 76-80 Second Draft Comparison

Hot Chips and Sand
Copyright © 2013 Mary Hughes
All rights reserved

  ‘Wonderful, Vickie.  First you fall

She got lost in love with Ron, who runs out on you,her thoughts and you find out you can’t have both loveended up running late. She burst out of her apartment and business.  Now you are attracted bywas halfway to the underground garage before she remembered she’d left her car at the side of the freeway. Her precious racing sedan. She hadn’t thought of it once after Cliff roared into her life.

Somehow her car was waiting for her in her usual spot. She jerked around, looking for him, so fast her hair flew in silky spirals. But no sexy coupe zoomed past.

Still, she was skittish entering the Fitzwater building. But no big, half-naked man jumped out of any doorways to kiss her. A message on her phone let her know Jerry had called a meeting of the employees assigned to Hawkesclyffe’s project. She made Tess go in ahead of her but there wasn’t even a suit-coated super businessman laying in wait.

Jerry announced to the team that they’d be working onsite at Hawkesclyffe’s facilities in (**), that rooms would be provided for them, and find out you can have lovemakingthat they had the rest of the week off to get ready and businesspack. Which, since it was (*Friday*), wasn’t much, but still not both love and business.  Terrific.’.

As sheVickie packed for her new assignment, though, she slowly started to [MH1] regainregained her enthusiasm. She loved a challenge, and this would certainly be one.  Since herBut co‑workers would be there, she felt confident she would not with her. She wouldn’t make a complete fool out of herself; she. She could always count on Tess for support, and Phil, who had handled many large projects before, could give her guidance.

            ‘Growth opportunity, Vickie. Think of all the new things you can try. Think of all the times you said ‘“I can do it better.’.”  Now’s your chance.’

            She Monday morning she was out the doordragging her suitcases and halfwaylaptop bag to the garage before she remembered where her car was.  She was about to return to her flat to give Tess a call when she saw her parking space was empty—just as a gun‑metal gray Mercedes purred up to the curb. into her spot. Even though the car was not familiar, she felt a prickle of recognition on her neck.  It was, of course, Cliff.

            “Since I had retrieved your keys along with your purse yesterday evening,It was Cliff. Naturally.

He got out as she stomped up, longer and leggier than she remembered. He nodded without smiling. “Good morning.”

She missed his smile. “Where’s my car?”

“All right, skipping the pleasantries. I had one of my people drivetake your car to corporate headquarters.  so I can drive you there myself. It will give me the opportunity to brief you about the company on the way up.”

            He opened“But how did you get the keys?”

He shrugged.  “I borrowed them when I retrieved your purse the other night.”

“No.” She set down her laptop and released her suitcases to plant fists on hips. “I had my keys after dinner. That’s how I got inside.”

“I didn’t borrow them for long.” He popped the trunk of thehis car and turned, grinning.  “I grabbed one of her cases. “Just long enough to make an impression. I keep the materials handy.” He hefted the case into his trunk.

She frowned. “Where’s your other car?”

“The coupe?” He grabbed the other case and her laptop and stowed them. “I thought you might want to takebe bringing more than a box of tissues with you.” As he loaded her suitcases, she thought of the red sports car he had driven last night.  Did it even have a trunk?  Where did it go?  ‘And where does he keep getting these cars from?’.”

Vickie waitedgot into the passenger seat, a little petulant, while Cliff loaded the car.  He He was so damned cheerful. nonchalant. Like last(*Thursday*) [MH2] night had never happened.  At least he had the grace to be a little upset last night.  Today he acted like he didn’t evenLike he didn’t care.  ‘I might as well be office furniture,’ she thought.

            ‘Oh ho, that’s the rub, isn’t it,’ she chided herself.  ‘He doesn’t care about you for yourself.  All he wants you for is yourher at all, or if he did, only wanted her for her mind.

You’d rather he wanted you for your body.  No,’ she thought, ‘?

No. I’d rather he just wanted me, period.’

            She shook her head, thinking that allWait, what?

She burrowed her behind into the buttery leather of the seat as if she could hide from her own shocking thoughts. Damn it, the seat couldn’t protect her. All the Rons and Kulinahrs and Fahrrads in the world couldn’t insulate her from her screwed-up feelings for this man. She knew business affairs were trouble, she knew he might be acting against her most basic principles by working with that old‑line Stalinist throwback Fahrrad, and yet she would have invited him to her room last night.  What was the matter with her?  What was she thinking about, where was her head?.

And yet she wanted him. Wanted him to want her.

What the fuck was the matter with her?

Cliff was standing by the open passenger’s door, just waiting. slid into the driver’s seat and cocked his head at her. “Are you ready?”

She scowled at him. Didn’t he ever get impatient? Even amidst the hot turmoil of Middle Yemen he had been the ultimate in cool. Didn’t he ever lose that cool, even a little?

Had he even warmed up even last night?  His kisses had madewhen he kissed her? Her head swimwas swimming, but come to be honestthink, she still didn’t know if he hadhe’d been more interested in her or his brassboard.

            ‘C’mon, Vickie,’ she chided herself.  ‘How can youWell, how could she compare to the lovely woman at the restaurant, suave and sophisticated and rich?  What kindThis man was a genius, head of match do you think you’d really make with this corporate head?’  She slid into the luxurious car, trying to feel like she belonged, and failing miserablyhis own company, and titled besides. She was a failed manager.

            As Which answered her question of what he was more interested in. “I’m ready.”

Cliff started the car and drove, Cliff smoothly off. He kept up a constant monologue on the state of affairs at Hawkesclyffe Computer Company. Who she would meet, what their background was, how she might deal with them. He also gave her some information on the company itself, how it had started, where it was going. The only thing he didn’t talk about in connection with the companyHawkesclyffe Computer was himself.

It was somewhat after lunch time when she finally broke in. “You’ve told me how to work with your people. But how do I work with you?”

That started him on another monologue about how he wouldn’t be there, business trips you knowand all, and about how the company had facilities in fourteen foreign countries and then excruciating detail about each of those operations. Not including Middle Yemen, she noticed hopefully. Maybe Kulinahr had been wrong.

Then he went on about the project. Apparently the whole thing was being designed around a security system. A large and very smart security system.  ‘Strange,’ thought Vickie, ‘they’re everywhere I look.

Vickie’s stomach twinged. The world seemsseemed to be going mad for security systems.’

            Cliff discussed encrypting algorithms, encoding and decoding logic and got into a long‑winded tirade on the state of national security.  He also explained the difficulties of connecting up so many different types of security devices, and how a person in research finally came up with a variation on interchangeable cabling to solve the problem.

            Vickie felt a twinge in her stomach.  Well, might as well find out for sure.  Kulinahr might be right, too.  “You know, that’s very “Huh. That’s interesting. Col. Fahrrad was also interested inwanted a computer‑based defense system, for his country. Middle Yemen, you know. I don’t suppose that this project has anything to do with Middle Yemen?”

            “No, rightHe shook his head. “Right now we’re planning the system around a network of national banks.  .”

She relaxed.

Then he added, “Although I’m trying to push through a deal with Fahrrad. It would be to both our advantages to have the computer chip manufacturing plant in Middle Yemen.”

            It was true, then.  “Oh?  Do you think that’sShe shut suddenly stinging eyes. “Is that wise?”  She couldn’t quite ? The country isn’t stable.” She clenched her fists to keep her voice from shaking.

            “Why, do“Its stable enough. Do you have a problem with that?”

            It was bestShe pressed her lips together to answer him obliquely.  She felt very angry, and when she was angry she sometimes did stupid things.  Like fightingkeep from blurting something that would get her fired, lose the account, or just piss him off enough to leave her by the side of the road. Fighting with her new boss on the first day of a project.  Definitely, definitely on the corporate no-no list. “You are aware that heFahrrad came to our companyFitzwater first, to write the system for him?”

“Of course.  FahrradHe needs the new hardware, though.  NoneFitzwater doesn’t do that, and none of the present systems currently on the market will handle his needs.” He seemed to be aware of her discomfortpaused, and triedwent on more gently, as if trying to reassure her.  “This will“Vickie, this project would benefit the people of Middle Yemen with new and . New jobs, better‑paying jobs, injecting. Injecting some badly‑needed capital into…”—”

“That bastard?” She cut him off, corporate no‑no number two. “Are you kid ding?  That bastard? kidding? He’ll take the money and run, don’t doubt it. And furthermore…”—”

            “…furthermore“Furthermore,” Cliff raised his voice slightly and added that powerful edge to it, “he is oura potential client, and I don’t think you’re particularly in a position to criticize.”

“You don’t think I’m in a position to…?” Her voice went higher in defensive anger. “Well, maybe you forgot how he abducted me. Maybe you forgot what he was going to do with me. I think that puts me in a pretty good position to criticize plenty.”

“Victoria, calm down.  This is business we’re talking about, not a personal vendetta.  I don’t care if you call him a broken‑balled bastard as long as you don’t do it to his face.  ButThis is business we’re talking about, not a personal vendetta, and you don’t know enough about the situation to criticize my decisions.”

            “Don’t you care about the people involved at all?  She gaped at him. “Don’t you realize this man thinks Joe Stalin is the last of the real men and that Brezhnev was a pale imitation? Why did you help Kulinahr if you’re only going to stab him in the back by working with Fahrrad?  Why?”

            “Vickie, that’s enough.  “Enough.” His face shut down. “My personal concerns are my own. There are many more people who depend on my business acumen than just me. We won’t talk any more about it.”

            ‘She snapped her eyes straight at the front windshield. Oh, we won’t, huh? Just wait until we get to your offices, where my car is. We’ll see how much there is to say when I can drive out of here.

            ‘BeforeAfter which he fires me first.’

            Vickie bit back that thought, but on its heels came another.   ‘I wonder if he’llmight give theher job to Mel Pinlow.’

---

 [MH1]Upon reflection, I found her packing and leaving the very next day hard to believe. I felt this was more reasonable. I'll obviously have to smooth out the timeline before publishing this.

 [MH2]I added this to make it fit with my new timeline. But because I really don't remember what timeline I originally had (remember, this is the first story I wrote and I didn't have all the tools I have now) I'm not sure it will work with the rest. Since I didn't want to reread the sucker from the beginning right now, I put in a personal placeholder (*. That tells me this is something I really have to triple check before the story's ready.

Hot Chips and Sand 71-75 Second Draft Comparison

Hot Chips and Sand
Copyright © 2013 Mary Hughes
All rights reserved

In the shadows of the night, Vickie could not quite see the expression on his face.  She wondered ifWas he was expecting her say something, like about the job, or good night, or something. ? How very awkward.  Cliff’sHis[MH1]  fingers, warm on her chin, were starting to cause Vickie’s make her flesh tointo goose‑bump.  bumps. Oh, how extremely awkward, she. She sighed, closing her eyes, breathing. And breathed in his fresh, spicy scent.  Then his hand slipped from her arm to around her waist, and the Her eyes closed

His fingertips on her chin slid with tantalizing slowness down her neck.

Vickie shivered with the intimate contact[MH2] .  He continued caressing. As he caressed her neck for a moment, then, his other arm curled around her waist. His grip firmed.

His fingers moved his hand around to support from her neck to burrow into the hair on the back of her head.

She shuddered and her. Her lips automatically parted, in reaction and anticipation.

He pulled her against him, suit coat rustling slightly, and at the same time . Bending, he kissed her softly.

Vickie hadhadn’t dated since Ron. She’d been half-afraid of what her reaction would be to being kissed after Ron.  She worried that the scarringshe’d been so scarred by Ron had left on her would render her incapable of giving herself tothat she’d never want another man.

Now she was afraid because her reaction was so strong.

            It washer heart hammered overtime and her blood caught fire as though her body had risen up beyond her, openingrose and opened to Cliff, freely and with joy.

Which terrified her. Didn’t ither body realize how dangerous this man was? Didn’t it care that he could make or break her chances in the industry? Didn’t it even once consider just how easily he could break her fragile, half‑healed heart?

Apparently not, for she found her arms wound tightly around his neck, urging him to kiss her harder. And he did.

With one powerful arm he shifted her weight until she lay suspended, in his embrace almost like that night high above the Middle Yemen courtyard. This night her feet were on the ground, but she couldn’t feel them touching.

All she could feelfelt was his mouth, smooth and silky, gliding across her lips. Oh, he was good.  VickieShe groaned very softly, but he heard her.  If she had known, she would have recognized hisHis answer when he slidwas to slide both hands along her ribs, pulling her in breathlessly close, and when histo claim her mouth opened fully onto herswith his own.

            As it was, her Her body recognized it. rejoiced. She pressed herself against the great length of him, feeling each hard button on his coat against her torso.  She pushed her legs into his muscular thighs, urging him to pick her up again, to carry her across the threshold into her apartment.

Vickie’s fingers were all tangled in his thick hair by now, and she was trembling beyond her control. In another second she was going to be beggingbeg him to take her inside, and here he had done nothing more than kiss her.

            HadSo Ron hadn’t left her thatscarred. Had he left her desperate?

            Vickie knew she had to escape while sanity was yet somewhere in sight.  Putting her hand flatThat made her wedge her hands between them, flattening palms against Cliff’s incredible brick wall of a chest, Vickie pushed hard.  Heand push.

Cliff released her immediately.

            The same bad lighting that had prevented her seeingShe avoided his eyes, not wanting to see his expression before protected her now. . “Uh, thanks for a wonderful evening, Mr. Hawkesclyffe.  I look forward to doing business with you.” She quickly pumped his hand and escaped through the door into the safety of her foyer.

            She leaned, backBack flat against the door, and putshe covered her face in her hands.  Oh brother.  Had she goofed up this time.  Hadn’t she learned from her experience with Ron how to avoid situations like this?  Or why she should, at all costs,her hands. Sweet blue screen of death. Rule Number One: avoid romance in the business setting?. Rule Number Two: never take a management position. Both led to hell.

            Thinking of Ron turned her stomach sour.

            It had been her first job out of college.  Ron had not been in her department, but close enough to cause problems when the lover’s spats had turned into fights.  Problems big enough for Ron to transfer to the New York sales office instead of trying to work them out.

            They had been engaged.  She even remembered what he had said when he had first given her the ring.  For now and forever.  Only when the now started going sour, he had forgotten the forever.

Vickie had been more than willing to shoulder her share of the blame, and wanted to work things out.  Ron had cut and run.

            Some people at the office had been sympathetic.  Her boss had not.  “Serves you right, mixing your personal affairs with the business.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Johnston.”  Then he had fired her.

            That this had been her first love affair as an adult only made matters worse.  It had made an indelible impression, one that left her determined to keep love and business separate.  She couldn’t afford to lose that determination now.[MH3] 

            Yet with Cliff, she’d tripped merrily down that path.

The knock on the door causedthudded against her back. Her heart to leapleaped into her throat. That was Cliff, knocking. It looked like her determination was going to be tested a little sooner than she thought. “Who is it?” she called, although she was pretty sure she knew.

“Vickie. I want to come in. Open the door.”

Not by the hairs of her chinny‑chin‑chin. “Uh…Cliff, I can’t, uh…the phone rang, and, yes, it’s my mother. My mother’s on the phone, and she’s calling long distance, and…”—”[MH4] 

            “Cut it out, Vickie.  I didn’t hear any phone ring.  Look,“Don’t lie to me. I promise I won’t try anything.  OpenJust open the door.”

She felt strangely disappointed, and embarrassed, too. Not try anything. Her cheeks heated. Wasn’t he supposed to be so captivated by her beauty, that he couldn’t keep his hands off her?  She felt strangely disappointed, which embarrassed her even more. Apparently she was just imagining that he was as attracted to her as she was to him.  She felt suddenly hot. Her whole body flamed. Damn.

            Vickie She took a deep breath, turned, and opened the door, keeping her libido in severe check.  .

Cliff stood on the stoop, his arms crossed over his chest.  He did not move.

            “I’d like my brassboard back.”

            Brassboard?  He hadn’t given her anything.  Except the T‑shirts.  Then she recalled her discovery aboard the ship, the strange thing in the pocket of the T‑shirt, which she had forgotten totally in her encounter with the captain.

            “I don’t have your…” The T‑shirt, its hidden pocket. The computer chip[MH5] .

Was that why he had taken her to dinner, then kissed her so wonderfully? To make her pliable enough to easily recover that chip prototype?  She should have She huffed a disgruntled breath. Should’ve known. Business was more important to the man than anything.  She invited him in, anger and embarrassment fortifying her.“Come in. I’ll get it.”

Cliff crossed the sill, but did not making her skitter back. But he didn’t come any further.  He, just filled the entry way, his her entryway, arms still crossed and his legs spread in a .

Equal parts aggressive and defensive stance.  Vickie blanched mentally, and left him to get the shirts and the chip.

           

            She handed him the shirts, which she had washed,, as if she’d hurt him. A hit of embarrassment seized her neck and hunched her shoulders. She consciously straightened and went to get his T-shirts and the chip.  “Thank you,” he said formally. 

Though she’d never expected to see him again she’d washed the shirts. Now she was glad she had as she handed him the shirts and the chip.

“Thank you.” His tone was clipped and formal, and for the first time an edge of British accent came out.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, equally formal. He turned to leave and she started closing the door, then stopped. “I’d have given the chip back if you’d just asked. You didn’t have to go through all this…” She waved her hand vaguely at the car and her mouth, letting some of her own hurt and anger through. “This.”

            Then she let some of her hurt and anger through.  “Although I would have given it back if you had just asked.  You needn’t have gone through all this.”

            Cliff had turned to leave, but now back, and he stared at her. “For your information, if I had just wanted the brassboard from you, I couldwould have simply taken it.” With this, he turned heel and strode back to the red sports car.

She watched him until he roaredroar away, disappearing around the corner a good twenty miles over the speed limit.  What had he meant?  She Then she closed the door, and again leanedleaning against it for support.  SimplyI could have simply taken it. Yes, for a man with hisof Cliff’s abilities, she supposed he could have simply taken it.  Strange that she had forgotten the encounter in Middle Yemen.  That he had whisked both her and Kulinahr out of that countrythat was true.

            She started toward her bedroom.  She needed some sleep.  But she She lay awake for hours.  Thinking.  thinking about that encounter. About Cliff.  He could have simply taken that prototype chip.  His words rang in her head.  “If I had just wanted the brassboard. So what else did he want?

And then, sometime in the small of the morning, a different play hit her.

If I had just wanted the brassboard…”  So what else did he want? from you.

From you.

So what else did he want—from her?

Chapter 6Six[MH6] 

The birds chirped merrily when [MH7] Vickie woke the next morning with the, sun streaming through theher window, feeling terrific.  Her body sang,. She smiled and she jumped out of bed, eager to get to work.  Then She started for the kitchen to make coffee

And saw her lovely jade dress draped over the chair where she’d left it last night. Slamming the events of last night slammed into her stomach. Acid churned. Cliff certainly had not been pleasedhappy with her.

Mel Pinlow, the rat, would have labeled her a tease.  Would Cliff, tooShe wasn’t, but Cliff was a guy. What had he thought last night, when she kissed him like a sucking a chocolate shake, and then pushed him away?

She went about the morning routine as she thought furiously. the hamster wheel of her mind spun. Coffee, Cliff. Shower, Cliff. Breakfast, Cliff.  What madeHe’d pursued her after the man tick? meeting. Why was he interested in her? Was it just professional?  Whatonly business? Then what did that kiss really mean?  She had

She’d never felt likefired up that when Ron had kissed her.  She hadShe’d never given herself so totally when Ron touched her.

            But for Cliff, well, heThen again, Ron had always seemed to be able to turn it on and off at will.  The more she thought about it, the more she wondered—ifhold slightly back from the act. Cliff had been just as fired up as she.

Until she pushed him away. Then he’d gone cold.

If he was really excited by her, how could he have just stopped kissing her like that? Could he turn it on and off at will?

Which one was the real Cliff, the one who warmly kissed and caressed her, or the one who stood in her hallway, defensive and angry?

Maybe itthe kiss had all been an act, like in the hotel that night in Middle Yemen. That would be great, wouldn’t it. The man could ignite her body instantly, but he himself felt nothing for her.

---

 [MH1]Not everybody does this, but the way I learned it the name goes at the beginning of the paragraph and then you use pronouns after.

Unless there’s another he in the paragraph, then you have to use the name again to avoid confusion.

 [MH2]Granted, one or two people might think she’s shivering because a huge northern wind came out of nowhere and she’s cold.

But most people will get that she’s shivering because of his touch. I trust my readers so I took the overexplanation out.

 [MH3]I moved the Ron backstory earlier and changed it to make it more in tune with her character.

 [MH4]Ellipses for trailing off. Em dash for interrupted.

 [MH5]See how much more compact SHOWING she’s forgotten the chip is compared to all that messy telling?

 [MH6]BTW, chapters generally have a page break before them. I’ve removed those to make the sections more compact for the blog.

 [MH7]If you have a chance for senses other than sight, use it! But only if it makes SENSE. Heh.

Hot Chips and Sand 66-70 Second Draft Comparison

Hot Chips and Sand
Copyright © 2012 Mary Hughes
All rights reserved

Vickie broughtheld her hand back toat her midriff, where it would be safe. She did not look up once during the time the waiters were in the room; she was far too embarrassed.  So againOkay, maybe she did not seecut a few glances at Cliff, who was not. He wasn’t embarrassed in the least, observing her minutely, seeing her embarrassment.  If she had, she would not have been so puzzled by.

But he’d obviously seen she was because his first words when they were again alone.

             were all business. “I promised you an explanation of your position on the HCC300 project. Would you care to hear it now?

She nodded hesitantly, but without looking at him. .  

            “I have“I’ve made it my main concern to get, and keep, the best talent in ourthe IT industry. It hasn’t been easy; these people do not grow on trees, even though somedespite management would like to believebelieving job titles make people interchangeable. I now have five thousand employees world‑wide, each of whom is an expert, if not a genius, in their own way.”

“Then why do you need us?” Vickie was not only puzzled by the sudden change in his attitude, she was genuinely baffled by his insistence on bringing in her company; Fitzwater employees—they were smart, but certainly not geniuses.

“I’m getting to that. As I was saying, I have talented employees. I have enough money to fund theirthe work, and enough equipment to support it.  InMy job, in all modesty, I haveis to say I havecraft the vision to sustain theirthe future and growth within theof my company. So I have workers and I have vision.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Almost. What I lack is the talent to make themthese geniuses want to pull together.

            “Now if I personally don’t have a particular ability, I have never been so conceited as to think no one has it;stamp my feet. I simply find the best person for the job and employ him … or. Or in this case, her.”

            “I don’t understand.”  It wasn’t just Fitzwater Consulting.  Somehow he was referring to her.  But she“Me?” She wasn’t best in anything that she knew of.  Good, maybe.  ButShe was good, but not the top‑notch talent this man worked with. “Doing what?”

“Vickie, I haveI’ve read your records. Five employer’s worth. In each case, you haveyou’ve performed your work well.”

            “My goodness, that“Good grief. That goes back to my nursing assistant days, before I went to college for computer programming! So I did my work well—your people do outstanding work.”

“Hear me out. What I noticed in each case was that while you were at thata particular company, the department you were in, and sometimes the whole company, operated much more smoothly. And after you left, often within a year, the company’s profits took a nose‑dive. nosedive. Do you know what that tells me?”

“That I’m a good‑luck charm? Listen, you don’t have to pay me big bucks to be ornamental.  I’ll…”.”

“No. That’s not it at all. Let’s approach it from another angle. Do you like working with your team?”

“Sure. They’re great people. Fun, bright, always ready with a joke.”

“And you work well together?”

Vickie laughed. “I was just thinking of that. Yes, we work very well together. Sometimes it seems we can read each other’s minds, we know each other so well.”

“And have you ever worked with people like that before?”

“Oh, sure. I’ve been really lucky. The last job, well, we were like family. And back at the hospitalmy first job, we were all just a bunch of kids together, learning, discovering. Since we learned about life together, naturally we worked well together.”. At least to start.”

“Vickie, I have never worked on a team like that.”

She stared at him a second. Then she nodded. “Well, of course. You’re a genius. You can’t expect people to keep up towith your level of thinking.” She took a bite of her very expensive entree, and had to admit that maybe it was a little better than McDonald’sMcHamburger’s.

            “And“Vickie, my people do not work together. Very often they duplicate each other’s efforts rather than taking the time to talk. It’s stupid redundancy on the part of some supposedly smart people.”

Vickie put her fork down. “You want me to act as a go‑between? A conduit of information? I don’t have to be head of the project to do that, either. In fact, it would be better if I weren’tdidn’t.”

“No, Vickie.  .” He met her eyes and his were on fire. “I want you to jellgel my team. And I want you to have the position that deserves.”

            She hadShe’d heard of the term.  It meant a team that workedGel was when a bunch of individuals came together into a team, working as a cohesive, synergistic whole instead of a bunch of individuals. . But most of the time it was luck that jelledgelled a team—wasn’t it?

            “But “B…but I don’t know what I do. I mean, I don’t even know that I agree with you. I think I’ve just been lucky to work with some very good people.”

“I disagree. I’ve seen your records, I’ve talked with co‑workers, both present and past. You are the key in all cases. You are the catalyst.”

Vickie chewed on that a while. She washed it down with a sip of complex red wine. “All right. Let’s say that’s true.  I still don’t know how I did it. My only idea of managing people is letting them wear blue jeans and programwrite code in lotus position. Cliff, I have to be honest with you.  I’m really a closet anarchist .” She shifted uncomfortably. “Even if you’re right about me, I haven’t done too well when it comes to professionalism, and. I don’t think you want that kind of person as a boss.”  She shifted uncomfortably.

            “So I may not be able to give you what you want.  I may completely bomb out.  I think you’d be. You’re better off hiring me as an analyst, which I do well at, and if. If the other happens, great. But if not, you’re not losing anything.”

            “Vickie, I haveHe was shaking his head. “I’ve never played my hunches short. , Vickie. I have a strong feeling about you, and that feeling tells me you will make my people and yours into the team the best ever.  I also.”

“But it doesn’t have never short‑changed my people,to be as manager—”

“It does. I don’t hire a secretary expecting the work of an office manager and I don’t intend to start now. hire a programmer to do the work of a team leader. I won’t joggle your elbow; shortchange you by hiring you for less than what I expect of you follow your own style.  I’m betting it will work.  .

“But if you fail, well, we I might screw up!”

He shrugged. “We all fail at some point.  People forget failure unless you wave it in their faces at every opportunity.  So It’s usually forgotten in the next success. I don’t think you will, but if it doesn’t work this time, we’ll happens, we sit down, we look at it, and we learn how to do it better the next time.  And we’ll keep at it until it works, and it will be the best.”

The next time? And more importantly, we sit down? But this thought wasthese thoughts were crowded out by the concept of Cliff, Sir Humphrey Hawkesclyffe, failing at anything.  “What do you mean we all fail?  “I don’t get the impression you’ve ever failed at anything.”

He raised one sleek eyebrow at her. “Don’t be fooled by what I am right now. We often have to endure quite a bit of pain to learn life’s little lessons.”

Now, what did he mean by that? Surely the Cliff thatwho had rescued her with such aplomb in Middle Yemen had never failed in his life. But before she could say somethingask, the waiter returned, and the topic was dropped.

            SinceShe tried to skip dessert but Cliff ordered the chocolate and almond butter torte for himself, then the moment it came cut a slab off and offered it to her. Of course she didn’t feel she could handle dessert,had to try it and she ended up eating half. Then [MH1] Cliff paid the bill and they left. She had tried momentarily to pay for her portion, but when the bottom line turned out with twohad more zeros to the left of the decimal, and than she only had a twentywas used to, she shut up. Maybe he didn’t have school loans that looked like mortgages, she decided.

The drive back was completed in silencesilent, Vickie ponderingmulling over the things Cliff had told her and, Cliff seemingapparently content to let her.

When he pulled the car up in front of her flatapartment, she felt a little awkward.  Now, shouldShould she give him a firm, client‑to‑vendor handshake, a friendly hug, or a sisterly kiss? She was leaning in favor oftoward the handshake, with her body voting loudly for the kiss, when the decision was forestalled by Cliff’sCliff opened her car door[MH2] .

She’d been opening her car door.

            He own doors since she was three, but the warm shock of that little bit of chivalry short-circuited her brain. She didn’t pull away as he [MH3] helped her out, and his. His hand on her arm remindedreminding her compellingly of the same contact in the restaurant.  Not wanting to stir that particular bank of embers, she attempted to pull it away from him, but he simply held her arm as though she was doing nothing at all.  She gave upEmbers stirred, shooting into little flames as they mounted the stoop outside the flatapartment.

            “Well, thank you for a lovely dinner…” she began, not looking at him.

            “Of whichHe stopped. Still connected by his hand on her arm, she stopped too. He filled the space around her, towering over her, his heat and scent permeating the very air she breathed. Her heart began to thud dully in her ears. The only distance she could get was by not looking directly at him. “Well, thank you for a lovely dinner—”

“Which you hardly ate anything,” he pointed outsaid.

            “Oh“I had half your dessert. And, well, we had a nice conversation,” she said lamely.

“Yes, you and my tie are having a very nice conversation now.”

            She made a meaningless gesture with her free arm[MH4] .  How could she tell him that his very nearness inhibited anything close to brain activity on her part? That her other arm was starting to tingle and pulse from his touch?

He apparently got tired of waiting, for the next thing she knew, his fingertips were under her chin, urging her to look up. The gentle pressure strangely excited her.

            Annoyed, Vickie She clamped down on her body’s response. that, pronto. He merely wasn’t trying to be romantic. He just wanted to talk to her, and not instead of the top of her head.

So she gave in to his fingers, allowing them to tilt her head back so that she could see his face. He was looking down at her, their bodies so close that their height difference was very apparent.

---

 [MH1]I think in some draft way back when I had her stomach so upset by Cliff’s nearness that she couldn’t eat. Ha. No longer plays for me so I changed this.

 [MH2]This is horribly clear TELLING. I subbed in showing.

 [MH3]While I don’t care for heroines who “can’t resist” a hero’s advances because her body betrays her, I do think there are times even the strongest of heroines doesn’t know whether to listen to their body or their mind, especially in an instant of shock or surprise

 [MH4]Like a bird flapping in the breeze...