Burn Me if You Can (5 page)
“Manufacturer error, I’d imagine.” She darted out of the conference room and hid in her office. “I’m never leaving this room.” She burst into tears of embarrassment. Her phone rang, and she silenced it, imagining getting a pink slip.
Four hours later the bleep of her phone ringing incessantly drove her mad.
“Hello! Look, I don’t want to talk—quit freakin’ callin’ and leave a message 26
Burn Me If You Can
already!”
“Rebekah, what’s wrong?”
“Ashton?”
“Bekah.”
“Just a bad day at work. What are you up to?” She stopped the flow of tears and tried to formulate a plan to save her skin, while also slowing the crazy beating of her heart.
“I flew into town to take you out to dinner tonight.”
“Where are you?” She listened to the background noises and hushed whispers, trying to guess.
“Why are you hiding in your office crying, beautiful?”
“I asked first.” Bekah sniffled. “And I can’t tell you. It’s too embarrassing.”
Her office door opened and Ashton stood there. Without a word, he moved in and enveloped her in a hug. “Your assistant out there filled me in. I guess I picked a good time to come by.” He held up the incriminating evidence.
“Where’d you get that?”
“I dug it out of the boardroom trash, so no one could tease you.”
“I’m going to lose my job.” She burst out in a fresh set of tears, stopping to speak in hiccups. “I don’t even know how it taped that.”
“You were recording our dinner conversation, and maybe it got jostled and stayed on that night. Damage control is more important than anything right now.”
“My reputation as a reporter is ruined. I’m ruined.” She noticed him trying not to laugh and narrowed her eyes. “It’s not funny, Ashton.” She slapped him on the arm.
“Hey, is that any way to treat the new owner of the
Wichita Tribune
?”
“Huh, what? No. You didn’t really.” Mouth agape, she stared at him. “You bought the damn newspaper?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I believe in magic.”
Rebekah put her hands to her temple. “Sensory overload.”
27
Mahalia Levey
“Breathe through it. Come on, let’s go to dinner.”
“Hyperventilating is not me, crying isn’t me either.”
Get it together, woman.
Get it together.
“Where’s my smart-ass woman who finds humor in any situation?”
“Hiding, not finding the situation at all funny.” She poked him in the ribs.
“I’ve issued a gag order. Anyone who speaks loses their job outright.” He kissed her forehead and wiped her tears. “Buck up, sweetness. All the negotiating and business buying has made me hungry in more ways than one.”
“I’m sure I’ll find a retort somewhere.” Bekah grabbed her jacket and purse and let Ashton lead her out of her office. “Still embarrassed, though.”
“Don’t be. Half the women are jealous, the rest staring daggers at you. The men are too scared of losing their jobs to even look at you.”
“How do you do what you do?”
“It’s the way I roll. You did dare me to burn you. Consider it done, sweets.” He opened the doors for her, and she moved in front of him.
“No watching my ass.”
“Busted.”
“I can’t believe you bought the damn paper for me.”
He ushered her into his car. “We have till forever for you to believe in the improbable.” He kissed her and drove them home.
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~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Being smart and sassy with a great sense of humor comes easily for Mahalia
Levey. An avid reader of books, she found herself enchanted with
disappearing completely into the worlds authors created. One day she vowed
to herself she’d be one of them. Then family life came, and college right after.
Swayed from her childhood course of action, it took many years for her to get
back to that place she held dear as a child. Now she is running full steam
ahead to keep up with the many ideas flowing freely. She plans on taking her
work to higher levels and expanding her genres. Her main focus is giving
her readers variety. Her works in progress include paranormal, fantasy and
mainstream romance. Taking characters and watching them grow past what
she’s imagined is her true passion.
You can visit Mahalia at:
www.mahalialevey.com
