Full Circle (21 page)

As the
elevator approached the top floor, Maddie took in a long, steadying breath. By
the time the doors opened, she was smiling and composed.

The reception
area for Drummond Enterprises was discreetly elegant. Brass letters mounted on
the wall behind the reception desk spelled out the company name.

Maddie had
taken the time to Google Drummond Enterprises last night. The company had been
started in the 1940s and ’50s by Chase Drummond’s grandfather. According to
reports, the man had a nose for oil, a skill which he passed on to his son, who
had gone on to multiply the family fortunes. The present CEO of Drummond
Enterprises, Chase Drummond, had continued his father’s practice of
diversification. It seemed that the company had a stake in virtually every
facet of the oil business. As a result, they were one of the most successful
privately held companies in the province of Alberta.

An attractive
receptionist greeted her with a smile. “May I help you?”

“I’d like to
see Chase Drummond, please.” Maddie knew that it was unlikely he would see her
without an appointment, but she had to try.

“Is Mr.
Drummond expecting you?” The receptionist’s gaze darted to a young girl sitting
in the reception area, then came back to rest on Maddie.

“No, he
isn’t.” She watched the receptionist key in something on her computer. “My name
is Maddie LaRocque. I understand that Mr. Drummond handles rentals in the
building. We met yesterday.”

Was that a
flicker of interest on the receptionist’s face? Maddie wasn’t sure.

“Mr. Drummond
is in a meeting right now, but you’re welcome to wait if you wish.”

“Thank you, I
think I will.” Maddie walked over to the waiting area and sank down in one of
the comfortable chairs. The young girl looked up, and Maddie could tell the
child was going to be a beauty when she grew up. Coppery red hair hung down
from a straight part, and eyes the colour of caramel looked at her gravely.

The child
closed the magazine she had been reading, but Maddie noticed that she marked
her place. “Are you waiting for my uncle?” the girl asked.

Mr. Drummond
is your uncle? Yes. I suppose it was foolish to show up without an appointment,
but I thought I’d try.”

“He’s a very
busy man.” The young girl let out a resigned sigh. “He wasn’t expecting me
either. There was a gas leak at school, and they evacuated us.” She pulled out
a cell phone and looked at it. “I called my uncle, and he sent Declan to get
me. We’re going to have lunch together.”

“That should
be fun, but it sounds like you might have a long wait.”

“I don’t mind.
My uncle takes me to the neatest places, and in the meantime, I can read my
magazine.”

Maddie tilted
her head. The girl was reading
Marie Claire
. “You like fashion
magazines?”

The child’s
smile lit up the reception area. “I read them every chance I get. There’s so
much to learn if I’m going to make it in the fashion industry.” She opened the
magazine.

Maddie had to
work to keep a straight face. “I understand it’s a very competitive business.
What part of it interests you?”

“I’d like to
get into design.” She looked intently at an ad for a couture dress, and her
small finger traced the lines. “I want to design clothes that people can
actually wear.”

“You mean like
Donna Karan?”

“I wish.” The
eyes that looked at Maddie were surprisingly mature. “I’d love to be as good as
her some day.”

“I think she’s
fantastic.” Maddie settled back, aware that the girl was studying her.

“I like your
outfit.”

The remark
made Maddie smile. “Thank you. You know, my roommate is in the fashion
business. She has a silk-screening studio out by the airport. For the first few
years, she concentrated on producing fabrics, but this year she’s branched into
designing and has come up with a line of resort wear.” She glanced at her
watch. “As a matter of fact, she’s showing a few of her pieces at the monthly
fashion show at Draper’s. You know, the store just down the street.”

The young girl
edged closer to the edge of her seat. “Are you going?”

Maddie gave
her a wry smile. “Afraid not; I have some other business after this. But I saw
the show last month, and her stuff was really popular.”

“What’s her
name?”

“Lily Hsu.”

“Lily Sue?”

“H-S-U.”
Maddie corrected the girl gently. “Her father was born in Taiwan.” She stuck
out a hand. “My name is Maddie, by the way.”

“I’m Annie.”
The girl shook hands. “Annie Campbell.”

“And Mr.
Drummond is your uncle?” This must be the ten-year-old Chase Drummond had
mentioned last night. She’d been more accurate than she realized when she’d
said that ten was the new thirty. This child was definitely mature beyond her
years.

“Yes.” Annie
sighed. “I wish he would hurry up.”

A man came
hurrying out from the offices and spoke to the receptionist. “Marilyn, could
you please get maintenance up here? One of the faucets in the men’s rest room
won’t turn off.”

“Right away.” The
man walked away, and the receptionist spoke into her mouthpiece, nodding as she
listened to the other side of the conversation.

Annie slid off
her chair and placed her magazine carefully on the coffee table. “I’m going to
go to the restroom,” she announced. Her fingers lingered on the magazine.
“Don’t let anyone take my magazine, okay?”

“I’ll guard
it.” Maddie watched the child walk down the hallway. Annie was so different
from Allan’s son, Connor. Whereas Connor’s dyslexia had caused him to be
insecure and a bit defensive, Annie was quite possibly the most self-possessed
child she’d ever met.

She picked up
the magazine and was starting to leaf through it when the elevator pinged. A
man stepped out, carrying a worn canvas tote bag, and suddenly all the oxygen
was sucked from the room. Either the accounting office had never needed a
maintenance call or she had missed it, because she certainly would have
remembered this man. From the scuffed work boots to his sandy hair, she took in
every inch of him in a few seconds and liked what she saw.

He strode
confidently to the reception desk and motioned toward the back. “Back there,
right?” His voice went perfectly with the rest of him. It was a bit raspy, as
though he’d been too long in the cold outside air, and yet she suspected that
was his normal sound. She wasn’t quite sure how a few words could unleash a
flood of desire, but they did. Maybe she’d been buttoned up too long, she
thought, as he disappeared through a set of doors she hadn’t noticed before.

Maddie stared
after him for several long seconds. It wasn’t possible to be attracted to a man
this quickly. She knew that, and yet the sight and sound of him was indelibly
imprinted on her brain. The long, lean legs encased in faded jeans that had
seen better days, the strong forearms sprinkled with blonde hair below the
rolled-up sleeves of a faded denim shirt. The one- or two-day old beard that
gave him a wild, edgy, sexy look. She was surprised that he was allowed to work
here, looking like that and yet, based on the self-assured way he carried
himself, the question of his shaving habits probably never entered the picture.
What would that beard feel like against her skin? Would it tickle as his mouth
claimed hers, or would it be rough, tormenting her sweetly as his lips trailed
down her body?

“Excuse me,
Miss LaRocque?”

Startled,
Maddie needed a moment to regain her composure. The receptionist was looking at
her oddly. “Mr. Drummond’s secretary just called. Something’s come up, and he’s
going to be at least an hour longer, perhaps more. But he promises that he will
meet with you if you’re willing to wait.”

Maddie glanced
at her watch. “I appreciate that, thank you. In the meantime I have something
to take care of in the building, so I’ll do that and then come back.”

Annie appeared
as she was picking up her bag, and the receptionist relayed a message from her
uncle.

“Okay.” The
girl seemed accustomed to waiting. She walked over to Maddie and held up her
iPhone. “I Googled your friend’s fashion show.” She showed Maddie the screen.
“Is that her?”

Maddie looked
at the familiar face, framed by some of Lily’s most popular fabrics. “Yes,
that’s Lily.”

Annie stared
at the image on the screen. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes, she is.
Listen, I have some business a few floors down, but I’ll be back. See you
later, okay?”

“Okay.” Annie
settled in to wait.

*
* *

Maddie was
grateful that the Human Resources department of CCA Accounting was separate
from the general offices. She had nothing against her co-workers, but there
wasn’t much left to say, and she wanted to pick up her cheque with the least
possible fuss.

The company
had generously paid her until the end of this week plus the two weeks
separation pay, as required by provincial law. It was a bit more than she had
expected; she tucked the cheque into her purse and left with no hard feelings.

The waiting
area was empty when she returned to the floor housing Drummond Enterprises.
Maybe Chase Drummond had completed his business earlier than anticipated.
Maddie went to the reception desk and waited for Marilyn to complete a call.

“Do you know
where Annie is?” she asked.

The
receptionist’s gaze went to the chair Annie had occupied for the past hour.
“No.” She tapped a pen against her cheek as though that would jog her memory.
“She went to the restroom, and then came back.” She looked up. “You were still
here then, weren’t you?”

Maddie nodded.

“After that,
I’m not sure.” She looked around as though Annie might materialize out of thin
air. “Mr. Drummond is not going to be happy about this.”

Maddie looked
at the coffee table in the waiting area. “I think she’s gone out. Her magazine
is gone, and she seemed attached to it.”

The
receptionist reached for the phone but Maddie stalled her. “Just a moment. I
think I might know where she is.”

“Really?”
Marilyn turned hopeful eyes on her. “Where?”

“I think she
may have gone to a fashion show over at Draper’s. We were talking about it
earlier.”

The
receptionist looked blank. “A fashion show?”

“Yes. Annie is
fascinated with the fashion business.” Maddie thought quickly and pulled out
her cell phone. “Give me a number where I can reach you. I’ll run down there
now and look for her. If she’s there, I’ll call you right away.”

The
receptionist adjusted her earpiece, her other hand hovering over the keypad that
controlled the phones. “I guess that would be okay. It will only be a couple of
minutes, right?”

Maddie nodded.
“Five minutes, tops. It’s up to you of course, but I’m quite sure she’s there,
and you won’t have to bother Mr. Drummond.”

“Okay then,
and thanks.” She was visibly relieved. They exchanged cell phone numbers, and
Maddie went back to the bank of elevators and was soon en route to the ground
floor.

“David.” She
stopped for a moment at the concierge desk. “Did you see Annie Drummond go out
a while ago?” She paused. “Sorry, I mean Annie Campbell.”

“Sure did.” He
looked down at some notes. “Fourteen minutes ago. Came out of the elevator and
was out the front door quick as you please. She’s a bright little thing, that
one, but I was wondering about her being alone, so I wrote down the time.”

“Did you
notice which way she went?”

“To the right
is my guess. She went out the set of doors to the right of the revolving door.”

“Thanks,
David.” Maddie was outside and headed for the crosswalk in seconds. Fortunately,
she knew where to go for the fashion show and took the escalator to the second
floor.

Annie’s
flame-coloured hair made her easy to spot. She had managed to find a seat at
the end of the second row, and was gazing raptly at the fashions when Maddie arrived.
The shows were popular but informal, and Maddie grabbed a folding chair and
placed it beside the young girl.

Annie didn’t
look surprised to see her. “I think Lily is next,” she whispered, her voice
tense and excited. “Her clothes are second to last.”

“I’ll be right
back. Hold my chair, okay?” Maddie stood up and walked away from the spectators
and the music.

“Marilyn,” she
said into the phone. “She’s here at  Draper’s, she’s fine.”

“Thank you for
doing this. I’ll have to have a talk with Mr. Drummond about my
responsibilities when Annie comes to wait for him. She’s never run off before.”

Maddie thought
that was an excellent idea, but didn’t comment. “Listen, Marilyn. I thought I’d
take Annie for coffee when this is over.” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Okay,
the coffee is for me, but I thought we’d go to that little place next door.
Annie can have hot chocolate or something like that.”

“Sounds good.
Thanks again, Maddie.”

“You’re
welcome.” Maddie looked back at Annie, who was watching the models like a
veteran of the runway shows. “She’s really enjoying herself. I’ll see you
later.”

She sat down
beside Annie and watched the models parading down the runway in Lily’s clothes.
As usual, Lily’s astute business sense had been right on when she decided to start
manufacturing resort wear. Her designs were bold and vibrant, and it was
obvious that the models enjoyed wearing them. Maddie had as much fun watching
Annie’s reaction as she did admiring the outfits.

The show drew
to a close about ten minutes later, and Lily came running out to see them, not
much taller than Annie, even in extravagantly high heels.

“I didn’t
expect to see you here!” She gave Maddie a quick kiss and drew back to look at
Annie. “Hello,” she said, sticking out her hand. “I’m Lily Hsu.”