Page 97 of She's a Big Deal

“It probably doesn’t help your case any that you are such a lone wolf,” Libby continued, clearly warming up to the exercise. “You don’t need anything or anyone, and you’re not afraid to let people know it. No one likes being made to feel… Superfluous, I suppose. Irrelevant. Unrequired.”

“Right. Is that how I make you feel?”

“No.” Libby sipped her wine and grinned again.

“How come?”

“Well. First of all, I am damn good at my job too.”

“You certainly are.” Grace nodded and allowed a faint smile of her own. “The best. That’s why I will not fire you.”

“Yes. And also, I see the real you.”

Why did this send another flash of panic coursing through her? Grace had no idea, but a headache began to circle again. She switched from wine to water and rolled an imperious finger to keep Libby going.Let’s hear it.

chapter 32

“I know you are also kind,” her assistant went on in a similar voice. “Caring, helpful, extremely generous. But this you keep behind the scenes, never seeking credit or recognition for all the good things you do. Ms. Bianchi…” Grace held her breath at the mention of her lover. “I think she sees the real you as well.”

A bold statement from Libby. And risky, too, veering into the personal like that. Grace swallowed to digest it.

“Falling in love,” she reflected then. “Sometimes it does feel a bit like having a heart attack. Don’t you think?”

“It can be intense.” Libby chuckled.

“It’s scary.” Grace exhaled. “I guess even more so for a lone wolf, domineering, and emotionally locked-down bitch like me.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Libby was still smiling gently. “But I’m sure you know, Ms. Michaels, that true love only comes once or twice in a lifetime. Of all the deals you’ll ever make, it’s the one that really counts.”

“Hmm.”

“May I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Did Ms. Bianchi really say you are an emotionally locked-down bitch?”

“She didn’t say that specific word but yes, that was the gist of it. And that she’s in love with me.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Hmm-mm.” Grace flashed a smile. “She kissed me in front of the French contingent. The kind of kiss a French person would highly approve of.”

Libby’s eyes glistened again, but now she was beaming. “I will finish the draft contract and take care of sending it. I’ll clear the rest of your schedule for this afternoon as well. No problem at all. You should go.”

“What about the—”

“No.” Libby was polite but firm. “Go. Now.”

???

The growl of the Ferrari’s engine had never sounded better. The wind streaming in her hair as she raced down the freeway, the glint of sunshine on water, colors flashing... Everything so much sharper and more vivid. Must be the feel of true freedom, Grace thought. And that ugly weight on her chest, which she used to feel from time to time, was fully gone now. She pulled in front of the Holiday Inn, climbed out of the car, and headed straight for the entrance. Spotting Olivia up ahead, about to cross the street, she raised her arm to catch her attention. Before she could do so, there was a yell.

“Jaycee!”

A woman on the other side, laden with shopping bags and pushing a buggy, ran after a toddler who had escaped her grasp. As he suddenly shot across the street, like a bullet fired from a gun, the woman’s shout turned into a blood-curdling scream.

“JAYCEE!”

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