At least the confusion would finally come to an end. She'd know exactly where she stood. Lily had even pushed the issue with Brian, telling him about the ground-breaking, taunting him into running his story. From a business standpoint, it hadn't been the best move, especially if she managed to keep her job. But she was sick and tired of having his story hanging over her head. Sometimes it was better to face a problem head-on than try to figure out how to handle it if and when it came.
'It is all for the best,' she murmured, rubbing her temples with her fingers. 'Whatever happens.' With a soft curse, Lily reached for her phone and punched in a familiar number.
'DeLay Scoville Public Relations,' the receptionist said.
'Emma Carsten,' Lily said, deepening her voice so that the woman wouldn't recognize her. She waited for her friend to answer. 'Hi, Em. What's going on in Chicago?'
'Lily! I've been hoping you'd call. I went over to your house and watered your plants and picked up your mail. Everything is fine, but someone stole the pot of geraniums you had on the front stoop. What do you want me to do with the mail? There's a ton of junk and lots of magazines. And a card from your mother.'
'I don't know,' Lily said. 'Hold on to it for now.'
'All right.' A long silence spanned the distance between them. 'What's wrong, Lily? You sound a little bit upset.'
Lily bit her bottom lip. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to confide in Emma. But now that she found herself in a tangle of personal and professional troubles, maybe Emma wasn't the best person to tell. After all, she was a loyal employee of DeLay Scoville and wasn't the most objective observer. 'I don't know. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have taken this job.'
'Are you crazy? How could you refuse? DeLay almost wet his pants when he saw that retainer check. He's been talking about you ever since you left, how great you are, what a bright future you have at the agency. He's about to crown you 'Consultant of the Year' and put your name on a damn plaque in the lobby.'
'But I'm not sure I can handle this, Em.'
'Is it that bad? What did Patterson do? Is he in big trouble? He didn't give anyone a cement overcoat, did her?'
'No!' Lily cried. 'He's not a mobster, at least I don't think he is. It's not even Patterson. It's…' Lily gnawed on her bottom lip. 'You know, if I had a family emergency, maybe I could convince DeLay to send you out here. You'd love Boston.'
'Lily, what's going on? You can tell me.'
Now that she was ready to confide, Lily wasn't sure how to explain what had been happening to her. When she'd come to Boston, she'd been determined to change her life, to quit dreaming of romance and avoid unavailable men. The problem was, she'd had a one-night stand with a man who was perfectly available. That had been her big mistake.
Still, there were a whole host of problems beyond that. They were too much alike, too driven, too single- minded when it came to their careers. Though their passions made for an incredible fire between them, it also spelled disaster for a lasting relationship. And there was always his rather long and colorful history with women.
'I'm just… I don't know. Maybe I'm homesick.'
'For Chicago? Then why don't you come home? You can spend next weekend here and fly back on Sunday evening. I could use your help.'
'With work?' Lily asked.
'No, I'm sanding the floors of my apartment and it's turning into a nightmare. I've been walking around for the last week covered in a thin coating of dust.'
'I think I'll do that,' Lily said. 'I need to be in familiar surroundings for just a little while…' She hesitated, knowing that the conversation was winding down. 'I-I met this man, Em. His name is Brian Quinn. He's a reporter. An investigative reporter for a television station.'
'And?'
'And nothing. I'm just a little confused.'
'Wait,' Emma said. 'Oh, Lily, don't tell me this. He's working on a story about Patterson, right?' Her friend groaned. 'I don't know how you manage to pick the worst guy in the world to fall in love with.'
Lily squirmed in her chair. Trying to explain her attraction to Brian Quinn over the phone was impossible. Emma needed to see him to know what Lily was up against. 'I didn't know who he was when I met him. I should have broken it off as soon as I found out. I knew it was doomed, but I couldn't seem to let it go. He just… does something for me. And I was curious to know how long it would last.' She swallowed hard. 'And now, I think I may have to give up this job. I have a serious conflict of interest here.'
'What is this 'it' you're talking about? Are you having a relationship? Are you having sex?'
'Kind of,' Lily said.
'The way I see it, you have two choices,' Emma said. 'One, you can dump the guy and focus on your work and come back here and have the job of your dreams. Or two, you can call DeLay, tell him you want out, he'll fire you and you'll lose your house and your car and never be able to buy another pair of designer shoes in your entire life. What's it going to be?'
Now that Emma laid the options out so clearly, Lily could see the choice should be quite easy. 'There is one other option. Richard Patterson finds out I'm dating Brian Quinn and
'Do you honestly think that's a possibility?'
'If I get fired, we could always start a firm of our own, like we've talked about. Wouldn't that be a great idea? Carsten Gallagher Public Relations. I'll even give you top billing.'
'Lily, don't bother coming home this weekend. I'm going to come visit you. We'll shop, we'll have lunch and we'll get this straightened out.'
A knock sounded on Lily's office door and she turned away from the window. 'I have to go,' she said. 'I'll call you tonight and we'll talk more. Bye, Em.' She hung up the phone and drew a deep breath, fully expecting to see Richard Patterson on the other side. 'Come in.'
Marie opened the door and stepped inside. 'There's a delivery for you, Miss Gallagher. Do you want it in here?'
'Of course. Is it that media report I sent for?' Lily asked, rearranging the folders on her desk.
But when Marie reappeared in the door, she held a huge bouquet of flowers, a beautiful mix of pink and cream-colored roses. 'It's really pretty. There's a card. Would you like me to read it?'
'No, I know who they're from.'
Lily stood, took the flowers from Marie and set the vase in the middle of her desk. 'They are pretty.' She took the card and slid it out of the envelope. Scrawled in a masculine hand was a message from Brian.
They hadn't spoken since the night of the fireworks and Lily had almost hoped he'd stay away. She'd spent the entire weekend trying to focus on anything that would take her mind off Brian Quinn and her impending termination. And she'd nearly convinced herself that whatever happened, she'd deal with it-alone.
If she only knew how she really felt about Brian, then she might have considered a future with him. But her history with men made it hard for her to trust her own feelings, much less the feelings of a man she barely knew. Yes, there was an undeniable attraction between them, but it wasn't love!
'Mr. Patterson's secretary just called,' Marie said. 'He wants to see you as soon as possible.'
A knot tightened in Lily's stomach and she suddenly felt nauseous. 'Fine, Marie. Tell her that I'm on my way.'
Mrs. Wilburn was a loyal employee. It wasn't a surprise that she couldn't keep something like this to herself. Patterson would fire her and then DeLay would fire her and her life, as she knew it, would be over. Lily's heart slammed in her chest. She'd never been fired before. She wasn't sure what to expect.
Lily hurried to the elevator, but then noticed the Out Of Order sign. As she trudged up the steps, she wondered if she should make a preemptive strike. If she quit before Richard Patterson had a chance to fire her, then at least she could say she'd resigned. She wouldn't have a black mark on her resume.
She approached Patterson's office and Mrs. Wilburn gave her a haughty look, then nodded. 'He's ready for you,'
