Romance: Dedication - A Workplace Romance (Dedication Series, Romance, Contemporary Romance Book 1) (10 page)

              Honestly, Jane had never given much thought to a family. She’d be so busy building herself up, that anything else, or thoughts of anything else, had been pushed aside. “I’m not sure  yet. Franklin and I aren’t really at the point to where we’ve talked about it.”

              “That’s understandable. You have the makings to become a powerful woman,” She said, in a voice that Jane knew was sincere, “But, remember that you can have both: That the beauty of being a woman.”

              “ A family hasn’t exactly been on my mind.” She shrugged, “But I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, one day. With the right guy, of course.”

              Helen nodded, then dug into a big, snakeskin bag to pull out a thin cell phone. She turned it on, navigating to what Jane recognized as the homepage for the spa

              “So, what color are you going to get on your nails?” The question was so out of place after their last conversation topic, that Jane actually gaped openly for a few seconds. “I’m partial to bright reds, or wine colors myself.” She held her phone closer to Jane’s face, “what about you?”

***

              The Chanel still fit like a glove. A little better, actually since Jane had spent two days dieting before their departure. After another hot soak, Jane had buffed her skin with a salt scrub until it was shiny and pink. Then she slathered on layer after layer of expensive body butter. The deep tissue massage from earlier was starting to rear it’s ugly head, as small shoots of pain went through her back and legs. Still, she felt relaxed despite the slight discomfort: She made a mental note to see how much massages were back home.

              “That dress is the best money I’ve ever spent,” Franklin watched from the bed as Jane admired herself in the full-length mirror. “You’re beautiful, Jane.” His fingers found their way into the crook of her elbow, the gentle pressure enough to make Jane’s heart stop doing somersaults. “Come on, let's go meet everyone.”

              A ballroom. Jane’s awestruck eyes swept over the opulent decorations,before landing on  the elegantly set table. Franklin had called the room  ‘formal dining area’, but Jane could see that once the dinner setup was gone, there would easily be enough room for twenty or even thirty people.

              “Where is everyone?”

              “They are having some pre-dinner drinks in the sitting room,” Once again he was guiding her by the arm, a hand pressed against the small of her back. And boy, was Jane happy for that hand. His touch was an anchor: Without it she’d have floated away on a gilded cloud long before.

              As promised, they found the rest of the guest in a small sitting room, spread out on plush couches and chairs. Everyone was dressed to the nines. The scene reminded Jane of one of those old paintings of aristocracy. Present company considered, she wasn’t that far off.

              “You look absolutely lovely,” Helen said, coming up to give each of them a cursory peck on the cheek. She held Jane at arms length, eyes moving up and down the younger woman’s body. For an instant, Jane was horrified, thinking her dress wasn’t as flattering as Franklin had believed it to be, but Helen’s smile nearly broke her face once she was done looking.

              “Do I spy a bit of Chanel, Jane?”

              “Yes, Franklin said I needed a formal dress for you party.”

              “It’s lovely on you. I wanted to get something similar for myself last year, but it looked horrendous on me: I don’t have your hips.”

              Franklin must have told someone her drinking preferences, because nearly as soon as Jane had taken a seat on the couch, a kind looking young man presented her with a whiskey sour.

              “Your mother makes people work on Thanksgiving?” She hissed, trying not to be overheard. Franklin took a similar looking drink from a passing try before answering.

              “Just early morning and for thirty minutes before dinner. It’s all volunteer, and everyone is paid as if they’ve worked a full day. Most everyone makes it back home in time for a nap before the turkey is served. It’s part of the reason why we eat so early.”

              “Oh, that’s nice of her, I guess.”  But Franklin had turned to a man that was leaning over the side out the couch. He stood, shaking the man’s hand in a very strong grip. Jane jumped up when she figured out who Franklin was talking to, her mind working quickly to think of something to say.

              “Mr. Schwick, it’s nice to see you again,” she heard Franklin say lightly, “Do you know Jane Parkett?”

              That was a stupid question, Jane wanted to say. Of course the CEO didn’t know who she was! She’d be lucky if the person that had conducted her interview remembered her. Still, Jane gave a tight lipped smile as she raised a hand to shake Mr. Schwick’s. Unlike his son, who Jane could hear laughing boisterously from the corner, he had a stern face. There was a look of seriousness about him that made Jane wish she was wearing something more suited for business.

              “Ms. Parkett. Sam Belmore has nothing but good things to say about you,” Despite his appearance, Mr. Schwick had a kind voice. It reminded Jane of her grandfather, who used to always sneak her a piece of candy before dinner.  “I glanced over one of your models: It was amazing how thorough you were with only a week to plan.”

              “Thank you, sir,” She was happy that she didn’t stutter, though her heart was beating to fast, Jane thought she might actually throw up. Her boss was looking at her! Actually looking at her, paying her compliments. The man, whose name was stamped into her paychecks, was complimenting her work. Had she died, was this heaven?

              All the hard work she’d done had paid off, but even Jane had to admit, that without Franklin’s notable contacts, she may never had heard about it anytime soon.

              “There’s great things being whispered about you too, Frank,” Mr. Schwick said, “Not just Ms. Parkett. I expect your arrangement won’t hinder either one of your work, will it.” He said, voice full of goading.

              “Of course not,”Both Jane and Franklin said, a bit too loudly and eagerly in Jane’s opinion. But Mr. Schwick just grinned, looking them over with an approving gaze.

              “That’s what I like to hear. Too many couples get caught up in one another, and the work suffers. A real couple enhance their positions. You two do that, and there could be a couple new partners in a few years.”

              After that he was gone, leaving them to mingle with who Jane could have sworn was a model she’d seen on the cover of Vogue. All of the McKinnon’s guest seemed to be
somebody
. Some influential person whose mere touch could open doors to nearly any industry one could think of. It was so different from how she’d been raised. In Franklin’s word, friends were both networking contacts and personal confidants. It was easy to see how he’d have to work nearly twice as hard as she did to ensure that neither one of those relationships were put in jeopardy.

              ‘Dinner’ was served at three in the afternoon. With all the servers sent home to enjoy the holiday, Helen and Richard personally fixed plates and served guest. It was such a simple thing to do, but in that grand house, Jane felt like it was much more special than anywhere else. Helen was a superb hostess, who made it known that doing her own serving was an honor instead of a burden. She was quick to refill empty wine glasses, and after the turkey was presented to a chorus of ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’, she made sure her guest got the most prime slices.

              “Do you want more mashed potatoes?” Helen asked Jane, who had been busy trying to find the best way to shovel food into her mouth without looking like she’d been raised in the wild. Before she could nod another creamy helping of garlic mash was placed delicately on her plate. As much as she’d wanted to protest, the food was so good, she knew she’d be happy for the extras in a few short minutes.

              Franklin came alive at dinner. Talking animatedly to Mr. Schwick and James, using the most casual tone she’d ever heard, as if the man wasn’t in control of a major part of his finances.

              Austin caught Jane’s eyes from across the table, he had his arm draped around a very pretty strawberry blonde. His wife, Taylor, was sipping slowly from a glass of sparkling grape juice, and every chance she got, she hailed Helen down for a chat about baby clothes and color schemes. Austin seemed glad to get away from that sort of conversation.

              “So, you and Frank, huh?”

              “Yeah,” She nodded, “me and Frank.”

              “Are you the one that nearly pushed him down the stairs during his internship?

              Jane dropped her fork in favor of covering her quickly reddening face with her hands. ‘I didn’t push him,” She began, “We had to get some files to the tenth floor, and was just standing in the middle of the staircase. I...I just moved
past
him with a little bit of force.”

              Lips on her cheek made her turn to see a smiling Franklin, leaning across her to better hear his brother. “No, she almost killed me. I was going to tumble right down four flights of stairs. I don’t think she would have even turned around to see if I was okay.”

              “What about that time you hid my office key after hours, and I had to sneak around and almost got arrested by security.”

              “All’s fair in love and business, baby. That was just a little office prank. I didn’t hurt your feelings, did I?” His lips found her’s, and Jane was happy to know that they were just as playful as his words.

              “You’re impossible, McKinnon.”

              If Franklin had been happy with the batch of bakery cupcakes, having an array of sweets laid out before him made him simply euphoric. Helen must have nurtured a sweet tooth in both Richard and Franklin, because both men looked at dessert as if it was the most wonderful sight their eyes had beheld. Franklin dug into his pumpkin pie with an almost reverent look on his face. With every bite he’d close his eyes in rapture, happiness as plain as day on his face. It was adorable how easily he could be please. Jane found herself more interested in watching him eat, than she was in finding a treat for herself.

              Three glasses of champagne later, Jane was pleasantly full, and even more pleasantly buzzed. The whiskey sours from earlier were mixing well with the fizzy drink, leaving her in a contented haze.

              “Helen, as always that was lovely,” Mr. Schwick rose from his seat to embrace their hostess. Patting at his sizable belly as he moved away. “I’m gonna have to fire my trainer next week when he sees me. he likely to throw a fit.”

              “Bill, you’re allowed a bit of excess on Thanksgiving. I’m just happy I could enjoy this day with you.”

              Mr. Schwick lingered for a few moments longer: Enough time to sneak a shot of expensive liquor with the other boys when Helen went to take dishes to the kitchen. Once the crowd began to wear thin, Jane sat back in her seat, her hand in Franklin’s lap.

              “See, you had nothing to be worried about. I told you that they’d love you.”

              “They are very nice,Frank.” She said, laughing at his scowl. Their moment was interrupted by James Schwick, who cradled a crystal glass filled with brandy.

              “Jane, you’re coming to the wedding, right?” He asked casually, as if Jane would know what in the world he was talking about.

              “I hadn’t asked her yet, James.” Franklin said, “I didn’t want to overload her.”

              “Well, ask. You’re my best man…”

              Franklin turned to Jane, “James is getting married in February, Nadia,” He said, speaking of the model that she’d spied Mr. Schwick talking to earlier, “Is very excited. Would you like to go with me?” His voice was quiet.”I was going to ask when we got back.”

              Wow, meeting the parents and going to a society wedding? Jane didn’t think she could take anymore family venues. “I would love to go. Congratulations,” she added to James, who smiled in thanks. “Where is it going to be held?”

              “We are having a service on my families estate in upstate New York, then having the reception at the White Hill Club.”

              “Oh, exclusive, I like it.” Jane said, “Well, as long as Franklin will have me, I’ll be there.”

              “Great, oh,” James started, “Do you mind doing me a favor? Nadia doesn’t have many friends here, and most of them aren’t flying out of Moscow until the end of January. Can you keep her company when we all get back home? I know you work, but she’s beginning to get stressed out with all the wedding planning.” He snorted, “Though how you can be stressed when you have the world's most expensive wedding planner is beyond me...”

              “I can do that! I’ll give her my number before we leave. Rebecca teaches pilates on weekend, I hear models love it.”

              James clapped Franklin on the back, “I like her, McKinnon, she’s a keeper. Don’t screw this one up, okay?”

              Admittedly, Jane was happy to get back to work after the holiday, as much as she loved spending time with Franklin, Jane missed the methodical crunch of doing figures.

              “Hey, wanna get some lunch today.” Rebecca said as she poked her head into Jane’s cube.

              “Do you mind having lunch with a Russian model?”

              “Not at all, is Nadia bringing her driver again? I swear that man is a godsend.” The brunette came further into Jane’s cube,looking amazing in a new shift dress and blazer. On her feet were a pair of $3000 pumps.

              “I don’t think you need any more free stuff. You and Bean still going strong.”

              “You know, I still have to thank McKinnon for introducing us. He’s really a great guy, even with all his Southern roots.  His mother's a real monster though. Spent an entire day telling me how real women are debutantes.” Jane pulled a face. All of a sudden, her relationship with Franklin seemed much more relaxing. As scary as she knew Helen could be, Jane was glad that she hadn’t found herself on the receiving end of it yet.

              She let Rebecca vent until she absolutely had to get some work done. Skipping out on Nadia wasn’t in the cards. The woman had been a near constant factor since Jane had stepped back into Chicago from Vermont. They’d done their fair share of happy hour specials, fabulous lunches and even a spa day or two. On days when Jane wanted to spend with Franklin,Nadia and Rebecca did painful to look out workouts at the gym. Turns out, Nadia was an even bigger fitness buff than Rebecca, and did pilates religiously.

              Having a group of female friends was by far the strangest thing to happen to Jane all year. Especially when one of those friends was Nadia Romanova. The model gained attention wherever she went, but despite her great looks, and serious case of resting bitch face, Nadia was one of the sweetest people Jane had ever met. She’d cried into the phone when Jane had called to check in on her one day. Blubbering through tears about how it was so great to have someone actually ask how she was doing. After that, Jane had made it a point to talk to the woman whenever she got a free moment.

              “You are so good to me, Janie,” She said as Jane was leaving the building for lunch. “I can’t wait for you to meet my friends in a few weeks, they are going to love you. Oh, I sent the car for you and Rebecca!” Jane saw it only a moment later. The driver was holding the door open, Rebecca had made herself comfortable in the back, phone up to her ear as the spoke to someone on the other line in quick French.

              “Need to work?” Jane asked as she slid into the car. Rebecca shook her head, hanging up her phone with a jab at the screen.

              “Hell if I’m missing out on lunch. Just got a contract with this start-up out of France. Bunch of jerks, wouldn’t work with me until I proved I actually knew how to program something,” She sighed, “Now I think the boss has the hots for me.”

              “It must be so hard being you.”

              “Jane you have no idea.” Suddenly the woman perked up, “Bean and I will be at the wedding, by the way. Apparently Mr. Schwick and Bean’s father are a lot more buddy-buddy than he’d originally let on.”

              Jane smiled, “Great, I need to go shopping. Franklin’s been kind of hinting that if I pick out the wrong dress, Nadia will kill me. So I need to get started.”

              “I’m gonna do this little red number,” Rebecca held up a picture of a sexy red dress on her phone. It was strapless, with  a beaded bodice, and on Rebecca if hugged her just right, all the way down  to the bottom where it flared out in a mermaid style skirt. “To celebrate our Valentines Day couple.”

              “That is beautiful,” Jane sighed, “Wait, is that a Valentino?” Her knowledge of the couture had broadened in the past few weeks as well. With Nadia showing her pictures of designer gowns, throwing out names like Cavalli, and Oscar De La Renta.

              “Yup, Aaron about had a fit when he saw me in it. Couldn’t get it off of me fast enough,” She frowned, “He literally was
this
close to tearing it.”

              The restaurant they pulled up to was a casual bistro style. Upon walking in,Rebecca spotted Nadia sitting in a booth, her wedding book spread out in front of her.

              “What are you thinking about changing now?” Jane asked, picking up a picture of an elaborate floral arrangement.

              “You don’t think holly and pink roses will be too much for the bouquet?”

              “If it looks anything like the mock-up it will be gorgeous. You love that arrangement,” Jane reassured her, a gentle hand on the model's shoulder, “If you change your mind now, you’ll regret it.”

              Rebecca nodded in agreement as she pulled a menu in close. “I love those pink roses, they will look so pretty against your dress. You can’t change it.”

              “Okay, okay,” Nadia said, “You convinced me. I’m just so nervous.” The wedding was coming fast at just under five weeks away. Nadia had already threatened menu changes, and worst of all, thrown a fit over her one of a kind gown. The poor designer had been so harried, that he’d stormed out of his own studio.

              “Just breathe a little bit. You’re going to be stunning. You’re Nadia Romanova, you could wear a paper bag and make it couture.”

              “That’s true,” Nadia sniffed, her lips turning up, “I did a shoot yesterday, and the literally had me wear a pineapple.” That lead into them conversing pleasantly about Nadia’s week. When their food came, Jane bit happily into her Caprese sandwich, nearly spitting out a bite when Nadia regaled a story about an overly touchy photographer.

              “I can’t believe he did that.” Rebecca gasped, “Did he touch.”

              Nadia pulled her face into a disbelieving grimace, “He’s still alive isn’t he? Claudia’s a ladder-climber, she didn’t care that his wife was in the next room setting up for more shots. I told him right away that him putting his hands on me wasn’t okay.”

              When it seemed that Nadia’s mind had wandered away from wedding blues, Jane and Rebecca headed back to the office. There was a flurry of post holiday activity going on, as clients were rushing to spend or invest some of their tax earnings they’d gotten back after the new year. At least the lucky ones were rushing to spend, one or two of Belmores’ long standing client had taken a huge hit in tax season, now they were scrambling to cash in on stocks and the like.

              Belmore was satisfied, either way he got a commission. Jane and Franklin were swamped though, they barely had time for each other. If they did have an impromptu sleepover, it was merely to sleep, nothing more. Franklin was even starting to look a bit run down. The wedding would be the perfect little vacation. Jane was counting down the days. Only 46 more until she and Franklin were relaxing in upstate New York. She’d been obsessed with pouring over the hotel website, picking out things for them to do for the week they had off after the wedding.

              An email from Belmore popped up, rudely interrupting her research: She sighed.

              Jane couldn’t be more happy that the weekend was fast approaching. She needed to kick her feet up, but first she had other responsibilities. Rebecca wanted to try out a spin class, Nadia wanted them to all have dinner and Franklin was practically pouting whenever she told him there was no time to stay in bed all weekend. Her life had become a juggling act that she wasn’t too sure if she was keeping balanced. At least for now, it seemed to work well enough.

              “Jane,” she heard a whispered voice, making her look up from her screen, “your place tonight?” Franklin asked as he gazed around the office.

              “Not a chance in hell, Mckinnon. She’s mine for the night. You can have her tomorrow,” Rebecca cut in, glaring over the top of her cubicle.

              Jane sighed. “I feel like the popular girl in school.” When both of them continued to stare at her, she rolled her eyes. “I’m going to spin class, then dinner and if I’m not too late, maybe you could pick me up and we can stay at my place?” She asked as she looked at them both.

              Franklin and Rebecca seemed to study each other for a moment before they both nodded. When they left, she focused her attention back on her work, a smile on her face. It was difficult to juggle it all, but she loved it. A man who adored her, friends who she actually enjoyed being around and a career that she loved. It was amazing.

              Work spilled over an hour later than she would have liked, but at least it had all been finished. She could tell that she was getting better at her job, the work didn’t take nearly as long as it used to. Her finger pressed the power button on her computer before she gathered up her coat and purse. Rebecca was waiting down in the lobby, preoccupied on her phone. It was clear she was talking to Bean, the soft smile on her face made her look more gentle than normal. Rebecca hung up when Jane was close.

              “That took you long enough,” she followed behind Jane, pulling her coat around her more tightly, “did Nadia say she still wanted to have dinner?”

              “Just drinks. We missed spin didn’t we?”

              Rebecca nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not that big of a deal. We can go next week.”

              Jane gave her a small smile. She knew that she was looking tired lately, but with so much on her plate she really didn’t have any choice. Still, she was looking forward to a few days with Franklin. She would force him to stay in the bed all weekend, no parties or going out. The thought made her smile, but knowing Franklin, if he wanted to take her out they were going.

              They settled in at a little bar, ordering their drinks before Nadia arrived. The woman was late when she slid into the booth. She shrugged out of her coat before turning to them excitedly.

              “I just got to see James for a minute. He had to leave again, but I wanted to spend some time with him. Martini please,” she called to the waiter, “anyway, I need to know what you’re wearing Jane.”

              “I’ll tell you as soon as I know,” she laughed.

              Jane spent a few hours with them before she had to excuse herself. She was more tired than she’d thought and the few drinks that she consumed made her want to fall asleep in the booth. Rebecca left with Nadia, while Jane called Franklin. He showed up quick, helping her into the car before they pulled off.

              “Nadia seems really excited,” Franklin said as they cruised down the road.

              “She is. James is a great guy too.”

              “Yeah,” Franklin answered.

              “What’s wrong?”

              “Nothing, I’m just kind of tired,” he gave her a soft smile.

              Jane yawned, her eyelids heavy as she tried to force herself to stay awake. “Me too. Let’s not do anything tomorrow.”

              “After we find your wedding clothes, I promise we’ll do lots of nothing.”

              Jane couldn’t argue with that. By the time they reached her apartment, she was ready to tumble into the warmth of her bed. She shed her clothes, cuddled against Franklin’s side before she heaved a heavy sigh. Her fingers played along his chest as she started to drift off.

              “Jane?”

              “Hmmm?”

              “You know I really like you right?”

              “Of course.”

              “Good.”

              If she hadn’t been so exhausted and slightly buzzed, she would have pressed him to tell her what was wrong. As it was, she was already drifting off. There was still much to be done tomorrow.

              “I don’t like that one,” Franklin objected when she stepped out of the dressing room.

              “So much for the sweet stage of our relationship,” she said with a roll of her eyes, “okay, I’ll try something else.”

              She stepped back into the dressing room, pulling the door closed behind her. Franklin had been slightly cranky all day, but she had no idea what was going on with him. Maybe the wedding made him nervous, she thought, after all it was a really important event for both of them. Since it was James’ wedding, there were a lot more people from their company coming. One way or another, the whole office was going to know that they were together. Not that it bothered Jane so much anymore. She didn’t see a point in them hiding anymore, especially when things were going so well.

              When she stepped out again, Franklin’s eyes traveled up her body. He nodded slowly, a smile spreading on his face. She had slipped into a red dress with a floral, lace overlay. The sleeves were short lace as well and the dress stopped mid calf. It was soft, elegant, but sexy too. The tag said Vivienne  Westwood. Franklin’s fingers trailed her shoulder’s.

              “You look amazing,” he said as he placed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

              Jane examined herself in the mirror. Her hands ran over the front of the dress. She had to admit, she looked good. The price tag didn’t worry her so much anymore, especially not now. Going to Nadia’s wedding looking flawless was more of a priority.