Our First Embrace. Judy Lynn Hubbard

and mouthed, “Don’t mind him.”

      Nicole sighed visibly and Victor chuckled.

      * * *

      Alex caught Nicole and Victor’s subtle exchange, and his eyes narrowed on his brother’s seemingly innocent face just in time to see him wink at Nicole, who, much to his annoyance, returned his gesture. Why the friendly interaction between the two irritated him to no end he was loath to examine.

      “Do you mind?” Alex frowned at his brother. “I’m trying to run a meeting here.”

      “Be my guest, bro.” Victor leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms and waited for Alex to continue.

      “Thank you,” Alex sarcastically said. “If you’d all turn your attention to your tablets and pull up the memo I sent this morning, I’d like to start with that.”

      As Alex presided over the meeting, he found it next to impossible to keep his eyes from straying toward Nicole more often than not, which annoyed him to no end. She sat there with a frown on her beautiful face, unless she was smiling at Monique—or Victor, which peeved him. He knew she was shooting daggers at him because of his earlier reference to her delayed start with the company, and although he shouldn’t care, he did.

      Alex glanced away from his presentation to answer a question, and his eyes automatically stopped to stare at Nicole—even though she wasn’t the one asking the question. She held his gaze for a second before tilting her head in Monique’s direction, who was whispering something in her ear that made her smile. She was gorgeous when she smiled.

      Oh, hell!

      Somehow he concentrated on answering the question at hand, but he was acutely aware of his newest employee—he noticed everything she did, when she smiled, said something to Monique, crossed her legs, sighed. With her mere presence, she was disrupting his neatly ordered world, and he didn’t like it!

      Thankfully, the rest of the meeting was spent discussing designs, fabrics and the order for the upcoming fashion show. The hour breezed by.

      “Good work, everyone. That’ll be all.” Alexander adjourned the meeting, and the room quickly emptied. “Nicole, could you stay behind please?”

      She glanced at Monique, who patted her reassuringly on the back as she resumed her seat, crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. Victor gave her an encouraging thumbs-up sign, to which she smiled. Both she and Alex waited until the room was empty before speaking.

      “Did Monique show you the Bettina line info?”

      “Yes.”

      “Do you have any questions?”

      “Not presently.” She kept her responses brief and crisp.

      He frowned. “Is anything wrong?”

      “No, nothing.” She shrugged and pursed her lips, but the words continued to flow. “I so enjoy being embarrassed in front of my new colleagues.” His lips thinned at her flippant tone.

      “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

      “Didn’t you?”

      “No, I was simply stating the facts,” he coolly replied. “If your skin is this thin, you’re never going to make it around here.”

      She stiffened her back at his rebuke. “My skin is plenty thick enough, Mr. James.”

      “We’ll see,” he darkly promised.

      “Yes, you will.” She uncrossed her legs. “Is there anything else?”

      He stared at her long and hard, and she didn’t flinch or look away. “No, that’s all for now.”

      She stood and left without another word. Alone, he smiled slightly. She was a spitfire. He’d soon see what she was made of, and he had a feeling he would enjoy doing it.

      * * *

      The days flew by, and before Nicole knew it, the week was half-over. On Wednesday evening, she absently returned numerous goodbyes from her coworkers, including Monique, and continued happily working. She barely registered that bright sunlight had given way to pale moonlight. When she glanced at the clock, it was after 8:30 p.m.

      She studied her sketch and smiled. Picking up her charcoal pencil, she continued working on the lines of the skirt she was sketching. Just a few more minutes, and she would call it a day.

      “It’s way past quitting time.” Nicole jumped, then glanced up when Alexander’s voice disturbed the comforting silence.

      “Mr. James.” She placed a hand against her thudding heart. “You scared the life out of me.”

      “Sorry.” He pulled up a tall stool and sat beside her.

      “I thought everyone had gone home.” She was acutely aware of his closeness.

      “Everyone has, except us.” He glanced at her sketch, picked it up and then replaced it on the easel. His face was unreadable.

      “What do you think of it?” She asked simply to have something to say.

      “It’s adequate.” He half smiled at her apparent displeasure with his blasé description.

      “Adequate?” She glanced at the drawing she had spent the entire day revising, intent that it would be perfect before she showed it to him. “What’s wrong with it?”

      “Nothing’s wrong with it,” he insisted. “It’s not finished, is it?”

      “No.”

      “Then I think adequate is an appropriate assessment,” he rationalized. “I need to see the finished product before I know whether it fits with the Bettina line.”

      “Of course.”

      He cocked his head to one side. “That displeases you?”

      “No.” She drew out the single syllable. “You’re right, of course.”

      “I know I’m right.”

      They stared at each other silently. She contemplated what to say next. She didn’t want to be constantly at odds with him. She wanted them to get along and have a good working relationship; therefore, she bit back the angry retort that was on the verge of jumping from her mouth. When she spoke next, her voice was calm and measured.

      “I really want this job to go well,” she softly admitted. “I know I was late. I’ve apologized, but I couldn’t miss my brother’s wedding. My love for my family doesn’t mean I’m not dedicated to being the best designer I can be. I know I can learn a lot from you—if you’ll give me a chance. That’s all I’m asking, Mr. James.”

      * * *

      He silently studied her long and hard. He had expected an angry rejoinder to his frankly baiting previous statement; she had surprised him again. Her sincere plea affected him more than anything else she could have said.

      “You’re talented, Nicole. You wouldn’t have gotten the job otherwise.” He paused before admitting, “I’m not sorry I hired you.” Her eyes brightened at his admission, and he was absurdly glad.

      “You’re not?”

      “No.” He smiled slightly. “I think you have great potential, and from what I’ve seen of your work so far, if you apply yourself, you’ll make a name for yourself in this business.”

      “Well...” She seemed at a loss for words at his generous compliment.

      “Nothing to say?” he teased.

      “I... Thank you.”

      “You’re welcome.” He suddenly stood. “Now close up shop and go home.”

      “But I wanted to finish...”

      “No buts.” He switched off her light, took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “Go