this photographer and have her headshot done. If I have that, I can get her some work. She definitely has that certain something advertisers go wild for.”
Erin then pulled two more cards out, one for Jane and one for Max. “Mr. Remington, I hope you’ll think of the Freeman Agency for your modeling, photography and artistic needs. We have some amazing talent in our stable. Though obviously you’ve got some of your own right in your backyard. I don’t suppose you’ve done any modeling…”
“No,” Max said, closing that door in a hurry.
Jane’s head was spinning. Photos for Kaylee, an art portfolio for her…
She said nothing until they were in the elevator heading for the parking garage. “Why did you say that? An art portfolio in two weeks, are you insane?”
Max grinned. “I told you you were good. If Erin Freeman thinks you are, too…that’s not something to sneeze at.”
“But I have a job and a child to take care of. I don’t have time to put together a portfolio.”
“You did…what, four drawings in one night? Do a few more, and you have a portfolio. I’ll give you the time off if you need it.”
“But…why?” Didn’t he need her? Oh, Lord, was her job in jeopardy? She always came back to that fear.
“Because you deserve to succeed. Yes, I want to keep you as an employee, but I don’t want to hold you back. If something better comes along, take it. Don’t worry about me.”
That was just about the most unselfish thing anyone had ever said to her. No one had ever told her she deserved anything.
“Thank you, Max. But I like working at the Remington Agency. It’s exciting. I might like to do portraits as a sideline…Oh, I feel so guilty.”
“Guilty?”
“This was supposed to be Kaylee’s chance to shine, and I stole her big moment.”
“You didn’t steal anything. It was handed to you. Anyway, the door is still open for Kaylee.”
“Yeah, if I can come up with the money for pictures. Which really is out of the question right now. I bet this photographer charges a fortune.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“What? Max, no.”
“She deserves-”
“I won’t be in debt to you. One promise I made to myself after the divorce was that I would live within my means, no matter what. Kaylee can wait until I’ve saved the funds to pay a photographer.”
“No strings attached.”
Oh, but there would be strings. She could already feel them pulling on her, drawing her into a closer emotional bond with Max. And that was crazy-for all the reasons she’d gone over and over in her head.
“I appreciate the offer, but no,” she said firmly.
The drive home was quiet. Kaylee napped through most of it, and Jane looked out the window, unable to stop herself from reliving this morning’s breakfast debacle.
Then she remembered something, and she simply had to speak. “Max, who is Laura Ann, and why was mentioning her name such a threat to Scott?”
Max looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I’m not sure you want to know.”
“Yeah, I do.” She glanced into the backseat. “Kaylee’s fast asleep. You can tell me.”
Max stared straight ahead. “I didn’t take it seriously when Scott said he would ruin me, but when I mentioned it to Cooper, he went into lawyer mode. He did some digging around and came up with a few skeletons in your ex’s closet. Laura Ann is an old flame…”
“Go on.”
“He saw her on and off through your whole marriage.”
“Huh.” Jane couldn’t muster much of a reaction. Perhaps she’d already known, on some level, that Scott hadn’t been faithful.
“I’m sorry.”
She reached across and touched his arm. “No, you did the right thing, and it really doesn’t bother me. I am well and truly over him.”
Max smiled. “Good.”
THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, as Max readied the conference room for a client meeting, he still wondered why he’d offered to pay for Kaylee’s modeling photos.
Jane and Kaylee were in no way his responsibility, and it wasn’t like him to just hand out money because he had a generous heart. Yeah, he used to be the guy who always bought another round of drinks and took clients and girlfriends to the most expensive restaurant in town. But he’d always had an angle.
What possible angle did he have with Jane?
It was a good thing she’d turned down his offer. He didn’t have wads of disposable cash like he used to. He couldn’t just go throwing it around. He needed his liquid assets to keep the agency afloat. Pay salaries. Buy food.
“Mr. Remington, your two o’clock meeting is here,” Carol said over the intercom in her most obsequious voice. He had to hand it to her, she knew how to play it just right. The client was a local bank. It wasn’t an account on the level of Kidz’n’Stuff, but it was decent. And the marketing guy was a stuffed shirt who would appreciate formality.
Max had actually put on a tie for the occasion.
He went to the reception area and greeted the two men and a woman who’d come for the meeting. Both men tried to crush his hand when they shook, and he struggled not to wince.
He couldn’t show weakness.
When they were all assembled in the conference room, he suddenly realized he’d made a tactical error. It was three against one. He was a lone guy, which made him look like small potatoes. He needed a team, like they had.
“Excuse me for just one moment. Let me get my…associate.”
He stepped into Jane’s office, where she sat engrossed in her computer graphics, as usual. Even if he didn’t have work for her to do, she was always experimenting with the program, learning new tricks, poring over the pages of the instruction manual with a highlighter and sticky notes.
“Jane.”
She jumped, as she usually did when he interrupted her work. “What?” She blinked at him owlishly.
“I want you to sit in on my meeting with Coastal Bank.”
“Really?” She stood and looked down at herself. “Do I look okay?”
More than okay. Her tailored slacks skimmed her slim hips and accentuated long legs and a tiny waist, and though there was nothing overtly sexy about her silk blouse, he could see the shape of her breasts clearly.
His mouth watered. “You look great. But grab your jacket.”
“Do I have to say anything?”
“Just nod when I speak and look utterly supportive.”
She smiled. “I can do that.”
Max didn’t waste time on idle getting-to-know-you chit-chat. He sensed this group would want to get right to it. So after a few preliminary comments, he dimmed the lights and started his PowerPoint presentation.
Max had pitched this bank because he thought their ads were stale and old-fashioned. He believed their image needed a face-lift, especially when two national banks with big budgets had opened branch offices in Port Clara in the past year.
He showed them some ideas for new logos, expertly drafted by Jane, and then some ad concepts featuring young, hip-looking people.
“But those people don’t look like our customers,” the marketing manager complained.
“Ah, but they
“Older people are the ones with money,” the woman pointed out.
“True, but in a few years, younger people will be older, and they’ll have money, too. When they start thinking
