Into the Fire - Leslie Kelly [23]
"I've got a meeting," he told Raul as the other man entered his office. "And I'm not talking to you, anyway."
"Oh, come on, how was I supposed to know you and Lacey had gotten so … friendly? I mean, I've never even heard her mention holding hands with a guy, much less falling to the nearest flat surface with one ten minutes after meeting him."
Nate paused, pointing an index finger toward Raul in warning. "Watch what you say, Raul."
Raul's eyes widened. "Are you defending the honor of your sworn enemy to me, one of her best friends?"
Nate swiped a hand through his hair, not liking the amused tone in Raul's voice. "Stay out of it. It's between me and Lacey." No, things weren't finished between he and the thong-wearing blonde. She might like to imagine her shove into the pool was the last word on the subject of their relationship, but she was wrong. They had a lot to talk about. Starting with how a beautiful, passionate and responsive woman like Lacey could write the drivel she dished out in her column!
Raul interrupted his musings. "And J.T."
"Which is who I'm going to see right now. Why have I never heard he had a daughter? I mean, why isn't it the scuttlebutt around this place?"
Raul glanced toward the partially open office door and lowered his voice. "Very few people know, Nate, and that's how Lacey wants it."
"The rich girl didn't want the world to know Daddy got her her cushy job?"
Raul's disapproving frown told him what he thought of that. "J.T. had no idea Lacey was even working for the magazine until after she climbed her way up through the ranks into the writing staff. She did it on her own. We met when we both started here—me as a mail carrier, her as a clerk."
"But why? If she wanted a writing job—hell, if she wanted her own column—wouldn't Daddy have just given it to her?"
"She didn't want it that way. And if you don't know why then you obviously don't know her very well yet."
Better than you can imagine, pal.
"Please, Nate, it means a lot to Lacey. It's been hell for her, trying to protect her mother and her family when J.T. has been dying to announce to the world that she's really his daughter. Don't say anything in front of anyone else, please?"
Nate wondered at Raul's loyalty. For a smart-ass college dropout who'd made his way up through the publishing house with his biting, sarcastic wit and sharp editorial eye, Raul suddenly sounded awfully mother hennish.
"Gotta go. It wouldn't do to be late for my own execution," Nate said with a shrug. "Don't worry. I won't say anything," he added before he left the room, noting Raul's nod of relief.
Ten minutes later, Nate was sitting in a waiting area outside J.T. Birmingham's office. He'd had just enough time to open the copy of For Her Eyes Only he'd picked up off a coffee table before the door opened and J.T. bellowed, "Is Nate Logan here yet?" The man poked his head out, saw Nate in the waiting room and beckoned him in.
He looked like he had a smile on his face. Do rich men smile when they're about to fire someone? Possibly.
Nate followed him into the office and saw two people already there. One was his boss, the editorial director of Men's World, Chuck Stern. The other was a woman he knew from the staff of For Her Eyes Only.
Maybe J.T. was into public executions.
"Good morning, everyone," he said as he took the seat toward which J.T. had pointed.
The others nodded. Chuck immediately turned his attention to the big boss. "Great party Friday night, J.T.," he said with an overly enthusiastic nod.
Nate sunk lower in his chair. He did not want to talk about Friday night … especially not in front of witnesses!
The woman editor—Maureen, he remembered—was not to be out-brown-nosed. "Oh, yes, your wife was so charming."
You should meet the daughter.
Before Nate could say anything, the office door opened