If I Were Your Woman

“Traffic as usual was murder. I was sure I was going to get here for the dinner rush.” She stepped in. “Ann Marie, good to see you again.”

“I’m always happy to see a woman who can come up with brilliant ideas to bring handsome men right to my doorstep.”

The women laughed. The Pause Man campaign had been such an overwhelming success they’d had to extend the deadline. The concept was that the Pause Man would actually represent the spa. He would have to be not only good to look at, but physically fit, nutrition oriented, and willing to be a spokesman, so he had to have personality as well. Terri had been able to get the backing of major sponsors as part of the prize package.

“I aim to please,” Terri said.

“I have an appointment to show a house in an hour. I better get moving,” Ann Marie said, slipping into her broker mode. “Take care, Terri.” She looked at Stephanie. “Don’t forget what I said.”

“I won’t.”

Ann Marie walked out.

Terri turned to Stephanie. “Everything okay? I feel like I walked in on something.”

“No, everything is fine. Just going over some spa stuff.”

Terri took off her coat and sat down. “So…let’s get the campaign stuff out of the way and talk business.”

Stephanie brightened. “Yes, let’s.”

“When are we going to see you again, Tony?” Leslie stood in the frame of her front door.

“I’ll try to get back out here next month, sis.”

“Next month! Tony…you gotta do better than this. Your daughter needs you. I’m tired of lying to her about where you are, why you can’t stay when you do decide to drop by. She’s just a little girl, Tony. It’s bad enough that she lost her mother. She may as well have lost you, too!”

“I’m doing the best I can,” he shot back.

Leslie looked at her brother with a mixture of love and fury.

“Your best isn’t good enough,” she said, her voice heavy with disappointment. She shut the door before he could respond.

Slowly Tony turned from the door and walked down the three steps to the paved walkway that led to the street. It was a two-to-three-hour drive back to the city from Connecticut. He generally used that time to decompress after spending the few stolen hours with his daughter, Joy. But it was getting harder, harder now that he was involved with Stephanie.

Before he met her it had been easy to move through his days, never having to explain the times he disappeared. Now he’d found himself lying. He didn’t like it. But what choice did he have? With Stephanie being the kind of woman she was and the sacrifices she’d made for her sister, Samantha, she would never understand. Never understand how a father could abandon his daughter because he couldn’t look at her without seeing that her very existence was the result of her mother’s death and it was all his fault.

Chapter 2

“So bring me up to speed on the campaign,” Stephanie began.

Terri opened a folder on top of the desk. “To date we have 460 entries. They cover the strata, which is great. I’ll spend the next two weeks doing the eliminations. I want to have the two finalists and a winner by Valentine’s Day. I think that would be a perfect time to make the media announcement.”

Stephanie nodded in agreement. “Sounds great. I know you could use some help, but we don’t want there to be any shouts of unfair if staff from the spa are involved in the judging.”

“Exactly. It’s not a problem. I can handle it. And what red-blooded woman wouldn’t want to look at pictures of good-looking men all day?”

“I hear that. So the campaign is under control. Next on the agenda is our business. As I mentioned in the beginning, when I did the campaign for the spa’s opening, we got mega media coverage and it brought a whole host of potential business knocking at my door. It would be great to reap all the benefits myself, though I know that would not only be stupid on my part but it would be business suicide.” She paused. “We both have strong PR backgrounds, but you have more strength in marketing. I, on the other hand, can make you believe the earth is really spinning in the opposite direction.”

Terri cracked up laughing. “That’s the move, girl.”

“So I figure that between the two of us, we can’t help but win. I have my business license. The business is in my name and if you’re willing to come on board, I’d be willing to make you a partner after a year of working together.” She’d thought about making a Terri a partner from the beginning, but she didn’t want to risk the chance that things wouldn’t work out and then get ugly between them.

Terri puckered her lips in thought. “I’ve already left my job since I’m seeing Michael on a regular basis now. I have plenty of money saved. So that’s not an issue.” She focused on Stephanie. “How about this? How about we work on projects together as long”—she raised a finger to make a point—“as I can still freelance? I get a commission from you for the things we do together, based on the value of the job, and at the end of the year we take a look at the partner thing and see how we feel.” She leaned back in her chair and waited.

She couldn’t think of a better offer if she’d come up with it herself. It was perfect, support without lifelong commitment. The best part was that with Terri still doing her own thing, there was no real need for an office—at least not now.

“Sounds more than fair to me. I can have a letter of agreement drafted for you to take a look at…say next week.”

“Not a problem.”

Stephanie leaned forward, bracing her forearms on the desk. “Not to get all up in your business, but how are things going with you and Michael?”

Michael Townsend was a partner at Sterns and Blac, a major player in the media game. According to the little that Terri had divulged, there were major no-nos with regard to relationships between staff members, particularly upper management and employees. Terri felt so strongly about pursuing her relationship with Michael that she’d recently resigned from her job to make it happen—after she’d won the annual competition—which was the whole Pause Man campaign.

Terri beamed. “Things are going great. Different but great. After we spent that weekend together during the holidays, it’s been full steam ahead. I’m happy, really happy. I do miss going into the office. But now my reward at the end of the day is a helluva lot better than just punching out!”

“I’m glad to hear it. I know how difficult it can be with on the job love affairs.” She glanced away.

“You have experience, I take it?”

“Yes, and I have nothing good to report,” she said, trying to make light of it. “But I’m glad things are working out for you.”

“If you ever want to talk about it…”

Stephanie forced a smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, are you busy this weekend?”

“Hmm, nothing special. Why?”

“The girls are getting together for a long-overdue girls’ night over at Barbara’s house and we’d love for you to join us.”

Terri’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Wow. Thanks. Can I let you know before the end of the week?”

“Sure. Just give me a call.”

Terri nodded and began collecting her papers. “I will.” She stood, then reached for her coat. “I’ll keep you posted on how the eliminations are coming along.” She draped her coat over her arm.

Stephanie came from behind the desk. “I’ll walk you out.”

When they reached the main floor, Elizabeth was just stepping behind the front desk.

“Hey, Ellie, you remember Terri.”

“Of course. How are you? How’s the campaign going?”

“Things are going great. I was just telling Stephanie that I hope to have the finalists weeded out by the end of the month so that we can make a Valentine’s Day announcement.”

“That would be perfect. I’m excited to see who makes the cut. I told Ron he needs to enter, but he wouldn’t hear of it.” She laughed.