Chances Are. Donna Hill
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think our, I mean the documentary project will take to complete?”
Oh, I heard that one. You’re not as cool as you’d like me to think. “Hmm. If we get started within the next week, hopefully before Christmas.”
“Christmas! But I need—I mean, why will it take so long? The whole point in my agreeing was to…get this over and done with as quickly as possible. I don’t want your filming to interrupt the girls’ holidays.” She’d be damned if she’d tell him that Chances Are was in financial trouble and it needed this documentary to appeal to funders.
“Is interrupting the holidays another no-no that you forgot to mention?” He hated the holiday season. It always reminded him of what he’d never had. So he always made it a point of working right through them. Kept his mind off himself. After so many years he rarely thought of what it meant to others and didn’t care to know.
Her eyes widened and she was just about to open her mouth when Garrett held up his hand. “Listen, like I said before, the whole process takes time. We both want a great piece of work. Now I can come in and do something half-assed—excuse me, I mean—-no, that’s exactly what I mean.” His eyes narrowed. “Or I can do what I know I can do—a fantastic job that everyone can be proud of. It’s your choice.”
He leaned back in his seat, angled his head to the right and folded his arms.
Three months, she thought. That would barely give her enough time to resubmit any proposal before the end of the year. And then an idea began to emerge.
“Mr. Lawrence, how successful are those PSA things?”
He shrugged. “They get people’s attention if they’re positioned right. Some of my clients swear by them.”
“Do you think you could do some for me—for Chances Are while you work on the documentary?”
“Sure, I don’t see why not.”
She blew out a sigh of relief. Maybe she could get Terri to work out a publicity plan and use the PSA along with it. “When can we get started?”
Her excitement over the possibility sparkled in her eyes, Garrett noticed. “Whenever you’re ready.” He shrugged. “Tomorrow?”
She laughed. “How about next week?”
He liked the way she laughed, soft, but from deep inside. “Next week is fine. I’ll check our schedule before you leave and give you a date. Do you want to do it here or at your place?”
She knew what he was asking, but the question still sounded so provocative. “What do you think would be best?”
“We can do one of each. And a combination of both.” He grinned, slow and easy.
Her heart fluttered. “Great.”
“But in the meantime, fair is fair, Ms. Williams. I showed you mine, when will you show me yours?”
Oh, these word games. The corner of her mouth curved up. “Call my office in the morning. I’ll make arrangements.”
“I’ll do that.” His gaze held hers.
She took a breath. “I’d better be going.”
He took her coat from her arm and helped her to put it on.
She could have sworn he was standing a bit too close, especially when she felt his warm breath run along the back of her neck.
“Thank you,” she mumbled.
“I’ll walk you out.”
When they reached the front door, she turned to him. “Thank you for a very informative afternoon.”
“No problem.”
They stood there looking at each other seeming not to know what to do next.
Dione swallowed. “I’ll expect your call in the morning.”
“First thing. But until then, don’t keep me in suspense. Who’s going to be your on-air personality for the PSA?”
She smiled. “Me.”
His gaze rolled over her then back up to her eyes. The right corner of his mouth curved and his eyebrows arched. “Ever been in front of a camera before, Ms. Williams?”
“No. But I’m certain you’ll make sure it doesn’t look that way.” She turned and walked toward her car.
“It will be my pleasure,” he whispered, as he watched her slip behind the steering wheel. “It certainly will.”
Chapter 5
Dione arrived at work the following morning before anyone in the house had even gotten up for the day. It was barely seven-thirty and she’d been through the building twice. Checking. She wanted to be sure that everything was in place, that Garrett Lawrence could find no fault with her domain. She couldn’t put on a sideshow the way he had done, but she could certainly show him that she ran her facility with the same amount of care and attention to detail that he did. To her, finding fault with Chances Are was like finding fault with her. And for reasons that she didn’t want to admit, it mattered more than usual that Garrett Lawrence saw nothing but perfection.
When the phone rang at seven forty-five, her heart jumped. She picked up on the second ring.
“Good morning. Chances Are. Ms. Williams speaking.”
“Good morning.” He was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice. He hadn’t expected her to be there. Did she live there, too? “Hope I’m not calling too early. But I’m an early riser. This is Garrett Lawrence.”
There was no need for him to identify himself. She’d heard that voice of his in her dreams. “Not at all. I’ve been here for a while.”
Answers that question. “Just calling to confirm about today—for the visit. I thought about ten. If that’s good for you.”
“Ten is fine. Things should be calmed down by then.”
“Calmed down?”
She laughed lightly. “What I mean is, chaos reigns supreme from about seven-thirty to nine, when everyone is rushing around trying to get ready for school, or work and getting the children that stay on-site down to childcare.”
He frowned. “They go to school and work?” the incongruity of the idea momentarily stumbling his thinking.
She heard the disbelief in his voice and although she was used to it in most others, in Garrett she was disappointed.
“Of course. That’s just one of the many criteria we have for the girls staying here.”
“Hmm.”
He almost sounded as if he thought she were lying. Now she really was annoyed. “Is there a problem, Mr. Lawrence?” she asked, snapping him to attention.
“No. Not at all.”
“Then I’ll see you at ten.”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Goodbye.” She hung up the phone, then stared at it for a few minutes. “I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Lawrence. Well your thoughts are just about to be changed.”
“I thought I heard somebody moving around. What in the world are you doing here so early?” Betsy shuffled into the room, still dressed in her nightgown and robe.
“I had a lot I wanted to get out of the way before everyone was up and about.”
“Mmm. It must have kept you up last night to get you in here this early.” She yawned. “Anything I can help you with?”
“No. But I just want to let you know that the producer will be here today to take a tour of the building.”
Betsy straightened, fully awake. “Why didn’t you say so? I got to get these lazy