Not Strictly Business!: Prodigal Son / The Boss and Miss Baxter / The Baby Deal. Victoria Pade

been afraid he was going to get all logical on her. “The Zen thing didn’t move you even a little?”

      “No.”

      “But you have to admit it was clever.”

      “Very clever. Now back into the parking space.”

      Had he always been this imperious? she thought as she carefully checked the empty parking lot.

      There weren’t any other cars to be seen, just ominous white lines marking parking spaces. Very small parking spaces.

      “Go slowly,” Jack told her. “Think about where you want the car to go, not where it is. Check for anything in the way, then back up slowly.”

      She wasn’t sure when this had become the advanced class, but she was determined not to balk, despite nearly blinding fear.

      She drew in a deep breath and looked at where she wanted the car to go. There was a tree there, spindly and gray. She briefly imagined the car’s rear bumper only a foot or so from the tree, then she put the car in reverse and slowly began to back up.

      “Keep your eyes on where you want to be, not where you are,” he said.

      “Hey, don’t try to out-Zen the Zen master,” she muttered, still watching the tree. She got closer and closer, then put on the brake and slipped the car into Park.

      Jack grinned. “Pretty good,” he said and opened his car door. “Check it out.”