Echoes of Summer (3 page)

Stephen reluctantly walked out the door and nodded to the night crew who were cleaning the office. He glanced around the area, still not sure where his office would be, and made a mental note to ask in the morning. Tonight, he’d go home and figure out a way to get Madison away from whomever she was meeting at seven.

Chapter Three

Mr. Carlson was smiling when Madison entered his office. He looked down at his monitor on the desk and nodded with approval. “I knew it was a good idea to put you two together. We’ll be meeting with Doewins’ reps this afternoon. Let Stephen know, will ya?”

Madison looked around the room, surprised she was being dismissed without them even going over the proposal in detail like they usually did. Was it because he thought, with Stephen as her project companion, he didn’t have to double-check her work?

“I don’t know where Mr. Kohalohini is at the moment. I’m not even sure where his office is.”

Mr. Carlson lifted his head from his work and narrowed his brow at her. “Office, right.” He pressed the button on his phone. “Mrs. Donahue.”

His secretary’s voice answered, “Yes, Mr. Carlson?”

“Did you get the northwest corner conference room set up as an office for Mr. Kohali-ee, uh… Stephen?”

“Yes, there are a few things still on order but should arrive within the week.” She paused for a moment. “Mr. Kohalohini is walking toward me. Would you like me to show him where the office will be?”

Mr. Carlson shook his head and spoke into the phone. “No need. I’ll have Madison do it.”

“Very good, sir,” Kathryn’s voice spoke. “Would you still like to see him this morning?”

“Sure, send him in.” Mr. Carlson turned off his phone and turned his attention to the door.

Madison turned as well with mixed emotions. He was temporary but was being given a huge office while he was here, making the little green monster inside her roar with jealousy. When he opened the door and slipped inside, her heart hurt a little. After how well they’d worked together last night, she figured she could handle being in the same office with him, but seeing him again after going home to Milo reminded her of everything he’d just thrown away.

It would have been incredibly awkward for them to try working together if he had to explain why he’d dumped her so abruptly after they’d had sex. He had completely avoided her soon after, and it hurt. When she found out she was pregnant and told her parents about it, they’d been hugely disappointed in her and livid that Stephen was the father.

They’d always thought his carefree attitude and teenage antics were a bad influence on her. The fact that he was twenty to her eighteen made them even angrier, and they’d threatened to have him thrown in jail if she didn’t stay away from him. Little did they know she had loved him from afar every summer he’d come, and that the last summer she’d finally had the courage to tell him how she felt. And she definitely didn’t want to let him know how naive she had been, thinking he’d be the one she’d spend the rest of her life with. He obviously had just taken her willingness as a perk for that last summer in Montana, and then, once he’d gotten it, he’d been no longer interested. She should have known better.

As her pregnancy progressed, she’d wanted to contact him a couple months later to tell him about Milo, but her parents had made it clear what a bad choice he would be for a father. When he hadn’t called or answered her calls — when she could sneak one in against her parents’ wishes — she’d finally realized they were right. They’d shown her all the things they’d dug up on him by hiring a private investigator. Some of which he’d already told her himself, but she’d come to realize she didn’t want him to help her raise a baby if he couldn’t be responsible back then. But she just hadn’t been able to give Milo up and had decided to raise him on her own, even though her parents had suggested placing the baby for adoption.

Her parents had agreed to help her with expenses and college tuition if she broke off all contact with Stephen, and now, seeing him here, she wondered if she’d made the right choice. He seemed to have grown up to be a responsible adult. Enough Mr. Carlson was hiring him to do what she could have done anyway, if he’d only given her the chance.

“I was just telling Madison what a fine job the two of you did on this proposal,” Mr. Carlson said, smiling at Madison again. “You’ll be meeting in the large conference room with Doewin at three. Madison will show you your office, and the two of you can fine tune this.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carlson,” Stephen said. “It was easy working with such talent.” He smiled at Madison, and she was glad he hadn’t winked. Most guys would have. The old Stephen would have.

“I’ll see you both at two-thirty,” Mr. Carlson said, turning away from them back to his files.

Madison knew when she’d been dismissed and turned around, not even bothering to wait for Stephen. If he didn’t follow her, he ought to be smart enough to find a corner of the building. There were only three others besides the one Mr. Carlson was in, and the other two had conference rooms and distinct labels on the door.

Stephen caught up to her before she had passed Kathryn’s desk, but he must have seen something of the secretary’s that caught his attention. “Have you been to Hawaii, Mrs. Donahue?”

Kathryn’s face lit up. “Yes, we just got back from a two-week vacation on the Big Island.” She put the souvenir away. “I just can’t stop thinking of it.”

Stephen put his hand on his heart. “Everyone loves Hawaii. Did you island hop at all? I’m from Oahu.”

As much as she wanted to leave him there, Madison wanted to hear more about Hawaii and what Kathryn had done. Besides, she had to go over the proposal with him once more to make sure they hadn’t missed anything in their rush to get it ready.

Kathryn gushed over all the beautiful things they’d seen, and Stephen told her of his childhood, growing up in a small town just outside Honolulu.

Kathryn sighed. “Southern California is similar in many ways, but nothing can compare to the variety on Hawaii.” She looked at Madison. “You really should go, dear.”

“Someday,” she agreed.

“I’d be happy to show you around,” Stephen said.

Madison had heard that from him before and was sure this time was just as empty of a promise. She would never explore any of the Hawaiian Islands with him.

“No, thank you. I’ll manage on my own.” She took a step away from Kathryn’s desk, refusing to look at either of them since she didn’t want to feel guilty for the rudeness of her comment. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where your office is.”

She didn’t wait for him, but he said his goodbyes to Kathryn, making her giggle with his “Aloha” as he walked away then easily matched Madison’s stride on the way to his office. As soon as she opened the door, he whistled low. “Nice.”

Madison kept her teeth tight together to prevent any more negativity from escaping her. Mr. Carlson had obviously prepared for Stephen’s arrival, even if he hadn’t told anyone else about it before yesterday. The desk was equipped with everything he needed from pencils, pens, computer, phone, and the project-display screens for wowing any clients who came to his office.

“Do you have any questions about your office, any of the equipment, or anything else about the agency?” Madison asked.

Stephen walked around the room and moved over to the l
arge windows that gave him a perfect view of the city below. “Only one.” He took a deep breath. “How do you like this view?”

Madison stared at his back then turned on her heel and marched out of the room
without saying a word. Her mother’s advice to never say anything mean warred with her desire to tell him exactly what she thought, and she knew if she stayed there a moment longer, she’d let him have it.

***

Stephen turned around to discover he was alone. Madison hadn’t even said goodbye. He shrugged and wandered around the room for a minute, testing the height of the chair, moving a few things around on the desk for easier access, and turning on the computer to familiarize himself with it.

He found the file Madison had sent and looked it over. She had a knack for design, and that would help them as they pitched this afternoon.

After making sure he had what he would need and jotting down a note of what to get from the supply room, he grabbed his laptop and headed to her office. Since the door was open, he knocked on the doorframe then walked in. Madison’s eyes narrowed at him, and he made a mental note to wait next time until she gave permission to enter.

She was a woman with rules, and if he wanted to get to know her, he needed to learn them and follow them.

“Are you available to go over the proposal?” Stephen asked.

Madison looked back at her computer. “I have a couple other things to take care of first. How about we meet in an hour? That should give us plenty of time.”

Stephen nodded. “Sounds good.” He grabbed one of the mini chocolates in the glass bowl on her desk, noting she’d refilled it from last night. When he moved the Snickers, he saw a Butterfinger. He snagged that one too, and when she didn’t comment or respond in any way, he put that little bit of info in his mind.
Knock and wait for permission, but candy is okay.

“Shall I come back here, or would you prefer to come to my office?” he asked as he reached the door.

Madison kept her eyes on her computer. “Here would be fine.”

Stephen put another clue to her in his mind.
She prefers the familiar.

Chapter Four

The nerve of that man.
Madison fumed that he had taken her candy. Two of them, and he hadn’t even asked. Her clients were polite enough to ask first, even though they were there for eating. It was just common courtesy. She forced thoughts of Stephen out of her head again.

If she didn’t get this done soon, he’d be back again, thinking his project was the only thing worth working on. And if Mr. Carlson expected her to take over for Robert while he was gone, why was she still running the accounts? Doing all that extra work had been just to help out Robert, but she figured it was only for this project. She needed to catch up on all her clients’ accounts and make sure everything was on schedule for the shoots and ad launches.

She immersed herself in the cereal company account and got everything lined up for the next few weeks. A knock on the door forced her to pull her eyes away from the computer screen. She shifted her gaze to see Stephen through the glass door. Why didn’t he just come in? They had an appointment. She glanced at her clock to make sure it was time and waved him in.

As he opened the door, she finished a few minor things then opened the folder with their pitch for Doewin. She was torn between just handing it over to him or maintaining control of the pitch since she’d worked so hard on it. She didn’t want to just give it away. Especially to him. She wanted to show Mr. Carlson she’d brought in this contract.

Adjusting her business smile on her face, she turned to him.

“So, who will head this discussion?” Stephen asked before she could speak.

Madison’s eyes widened. Was he really asking her opinion, or just trying to stake his claim. Oh, she wished she knew him better. Or not at all. The past was eating at her, and she hated the way it made her feel lost.

“You’re supposed to be the expert. What do you suggest?”

“I say we do this together. You present your ideas since they’ll be expecting you, and I can build on it and wrap up the presentation. Fill in anything you might miss. It will also give me a chance to watch how your company works with potential clients. That way I’ll know if we need to work on anything like that.”

Madison nodded. “Sounds reasonable.”

They discussed the presentation for a while, then Stephen leaned forward and grabbed another one of her Butterfingers. What was with the man? Why couldn’t he pick one of the other kinds? She would have to stop filling the candy jar to keep his thieving fingers out of it, but that thought made her annoyed, and she fumed inside.

“What do you say, Madison?”

She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, completely lost on where the conversation had gone. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I wanted to know if you’d like to do lunch. I’m starving.” He grabbed another candy bar, but at least this time it was a Snickers. “I always work better on a full stomach.”

Madison shook her head. “No thank you. I brought something from home because I planned on working through lunch again. I’ve got a lot of accounts that have been neglected with this Doewin thing.”

“Maybe another time,” Stephen said.

Madison didn’t respond but stood and motioned for Stephen to leave the office ahead of her. “I’ll see you in the conference room.”

Once he was out the door, she walked to the breakroom hoping he would head to his office or go out to one of the nearby restaurants for lunch like he’d indicated, but he followed her.

“I think I’ll check the vending machine,” he said when she looked at him for an explanation of why he was behind her.

She nodded, grabbed her leftovers from the fridge, heated them in the microwave for less than a minute, and left the breakroom as fast as she could before he tried talking to her again.