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Why would she object to doing away with an outdated tradition? Hadn’t she learned in college that a more relaxed environment encouraged teamwork and raised productivity? Hell, he’d found that little tidbit of information on the Internet, so it couldn’t be that big a secret.
“You want us to call you Caleb?” Maria Santos asked hesitantly.
Grinning, he turned his attention to the director of the payroll department. “That’s my name, Maria.”
“What other changes do you have planned… Caleb?” one of the other men asked.
“Effective immediately, there’s an open-door policy between upper management and the workers on the floor.” He paused to let them digest his statement. “I want every employee we have, no matter what their position, to feel comfortable with bringing problems and complaints to our attention, as well as sharing ways to improve morale and bring in new clients.”
“You’ve got a lot of good ideas,” Joel McIntyre, the head of the billing department, said, nodding his approval. “Is there anything else?”
“As a matter of fact there is, Joel.” Caleb smiled. He was sure the last couple of changes he was about to announce would be welcomed by everyone, including A. J. Merrick. “Since most of our business is conducted over the phone and through the Internet, I don’t see any reason why we can’t relax the dress code around here. I’ll still expect you to dress accordingly when you meet with one of our clients, but from now on you’re all free to wear whatever you like.” He chuckled. “That is, as long as it’s decent and doesn’t look like something you’d put on to clean out the barn.”
He laughed out loud when several of the men immediately reached up to remove their ties and unfasten the top button of their shirts. “I guess this means everyone is in favor of doing away with the dress code.”
When he glanced at A.J. his smile faded. Well, almost everyone.
“Is that all?” she asked tightly. She stared straight at him and it was as clear as a cloudless sky that she wasn’t happy.
None of the other department heads seemed to notice that the operations manager was even in the same room with them, let alone less than enthusiastic about his ideas. But Caleb had been aware of her presence from the moment she’d sat down in the chair at the far end of the conference table. He’d hoped that once she heard what he had planned she’d find his ideas to be innovative or at least be open to giving them a chance.
Unfortunately, she looked even more unhappy than she had yesterday afternoon when he’d walked into her office and announced who he was. But more troubling than her lack of enthusiasm was his reaction to her reluctance. He had an almost uncontrollable urge to walk over to her, take her in his arms and reassure her that the changes he planned to make would be of benefit to everyone.
He shook his head, as much to dispel his disturbing thoughts as to let her know he had more plans in the works. “I have one more announcement before I let you all get back to work.” Tearing his gaze from A.J., he forced his attention to the others seated around the table. “On Monday, there will be a seminar for all managers to learn team-building techniques. Then, once a month, the firm will pick up the tab for you and all of the people in your department to take a Friday off and put what you’ve learned into action.”
“This is where we go on picnics, play golf and things like that to build communication skills and encourage interaction with our coworkers, isn’t it?” Joel asked, sounding excited by the possibilities.
“That’s the plan,” Caleb said, nodding. At least others could see his objective, even if A.J. couldn’t. “There’s no reason we can’t have fun while we develop a tight, efficient team.” Smiling, he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. He’d given them enough to digest for one day. In the next week or so, he’d shake things up a little more. “Now, what do you say we all get back to work and make some money.”
As the meeting broke up and her coworkers surrounded Caleb to express their enthusiasm for the changes he’d be making, A.J. escaped to the sanctuary of her office. Closing the door behind her, she leaned up against it as she struggled to breathe. She felt as if she were about to suffocate on the myriad of emotions racing through her. In less than an hour, Caleb Walker had single-handedly destroyed every reason she had for working at Skerritt and Crowe. And he didn’t even realize it.
He thought he was doing everyone a favor by improving the quality of their work atmosphere. And she had to admit that what he planned would probably motivate the employees and breathe new life into the firm.
But she’d purposely chosen to accept the position with Skerritt and Crowe, instead of at a more modern financial group, because of the formalities and oldfash-ioned approach to management. It enabled her to focus all of her attention on her job and kept the people she worked with at a safe distance.
Pushing away from the door, she walked around her desk and sank into the high-backed leather chair. Although she wasn’t antisocial by nature, she’d learned the hard way to keep her coworkers at arm’s length. It was the only sure way to guard herself against betrayal and the emotional pain that accompanied it.
But what frustrated and confused her more than any-thing else was her reaction to Caleb. The entire time he’d been outlining the ways he intended to destroy her safety net, all she’d been able to think about was how handsome he was and how his deep Southern drawl made her insides hum.
Barely resisting the urge to let loose with a scream that was sure to send Geneva Wallace into cardiac arrest, A.J. turned to her computer screen and opened the file containing her résumé. There was no longer any question about it. Her days as operations manager at Skerritt and Crowe were numbered and she’d do well to start looking for another job.
“A.J., could you come in here?” Caleb’s voice invading her office through the intercom caused her stomach to flutter wildly. “I have something I need to talk over with you.”
What could he possibly want now? Hadn’t he done enough in the past hour to turn her world upside down?
Sighing, she depressed the talk button. “I’m working on something at the moment. Could we postpone the discussion until this afternoon?” He didn’t need to know that she was updating her résumé or that she planned on finding another job. When silence reigned, she pushed the button again. “Mr. Walker? Caleb?”
She gasped when the door connecting their offices opened and he strolled into the room.
“Sorry if I startled you, but I’m a face-to-face kind of guy,” he said, grinning. “I like to look a person in the eye when I’m talking to them.”
The sound of his voice and his sexy grin sent a shiver streaking up her spine and had her wondering what else he liked to do face-to-face. Her breath caught and she did her best to hide her shock at the direction her wayward thoughts had taken.
“What did you want to discuss, Mr.—”
He raised one dark eyebrow at the same time he cleared his throat.
Resigned, she closed the computer file containing her résumé. “What did you want to discuss… Caleb?”
He smiled his approval. “I think I’ve come across another way to improve employee morale.”
Just what she wanted to hear, she thought disgustedly, another cockamamy idea that would no doubt increase her anxiety level.
She trained her gaze on his forehead to keep from looking directly into his startling hazel eyes. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m thinking about turning the break room into a ‘family room.’”
A.J.’s mouth dropped open and her gaze flew to his. “Excuse me?”
“Better watch that.” He chuckled. “You might catch a fly.”
She snapped her mouth shut. Didn’t he take any-thing seriously?
“Would you care to explain what you mean when you use the term family room?” she asked, rubbing at the sudden pounding in her temples.
“I’m thinking couches, coffee tables and a bigscreen TV,” he said, looking thoughtful. “When our employees take their breaks, they should be able to relax and enjoy the few minutes they have away from the job.”
“If you make it too comfortable, they’ll go to sleep,” A.J. said before she could stop herself.
She hadn’t meant to be so blunt. But facts were facts and he might as well be aware of them right up front.
He grinned. “Nothing wrong with a little power nap now and then. Studies have shown that it gives most people a second wind.”
She’d seen the research and couldn’t argue with the findings, but that didn’t mean she agreed with them. “Are you wanting to know what I think of the idea?” she asked cautiously.
“Not really.” He gave her a smile that warmed her all the way to her toes. “But I would like your help putting the project into action.”
Her first inclination was to refuse his request. But to her amazement, she found herself asking, “What do you want me to do?”
“I’d really appreciate your input on what colors and style of furniture to use.” His expression turned sheepish. “I’m not real up on this decorating stuff.”
Oh, he was good. He knew just when to turn up the wattage on that smile and use his boyish charm to get exactly what he wanted. Fortunately, she was immune to such tactics.
“What makes you think I’m any better?”
“I don’t.” He shrugged. “But I need a woman’s perspective. The room needs to be comfortable for both men and women. If I try to do it entirely on my own, it’ll end up looking like a sports bar.”
“Why don’t you get Mrs. Wallace to help you?” A.J. hedged. “I’ve heard her say she never misses that television show where friends redecorate each other’s rooms.”
“I have Geneva busy heading up another project,” he said, grinning.
“You do?” Good Lord, what on earth had he charmed their stodgy sixty-year-old secretary into doing?
“I’ve given her a five-thousand-dollar budget for uniforms and equipment and put her in charge of organizing our sports teams.”
A.J. couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Nope.” His smile intensified. “Depending on the amount of interest among the employees, we’re going to have bowling and volleyball teams this winter and a softball team next summer.”
“You do realize this consulting firm is comprised of accountants and financial analysts, don’t you?” She shook her head in disbelief. “That’s not exactly the material jocks are made of.”
He shook his head. “I don’t care if we have winning teams. I’m more interested in creating an overall sense of unity among the employees.” Rising to his feet, he stretched and started walking toward the door to his office. “You’ve got the weekend to give some thought to what we can do to the break room, then we’ll go over your ideas next week.”
As she watched him close the door behind himself, A.J. groaned. From the time she’d been old enough to understand, her father had preached the military mantra of structure and order. He’d said they were essential for a successful life. Captain John T. Merrick had believed it, had lived by it and had insisted that his daughter adhere to it. He’d even chosen the boarding school she’d attended after the death of her mother because of its strict code of conduct and rigid set of rules. And the one and only time she’d deviated from the path her father had set her on, she’d ended up in the middle of a humiliating workplace scandal.
But she’d survived because that’s what her late father would have expected her to do. It had been extremely difficult, but she’d picked up the pieces of her shattered pride, became a born-again virgin and found her present job at Skerritt and Crowe. And she’d been—if not happy—content for the past five years.
Unfortunately, it seemed that contentment had come to an end with the arrival of Caleb Walker. When he’d strolled into her office yesterday afternoon with his good-old-boy attitude and devastating good looks to announce he was taking over the firm, she felt as if she’d been tossed into a vortex. He represented everything in life she’d been taught to approach with caution, if not avoid altogether. He was innovative in the way he approached management and his ideas were unorthodox and, unless she’d missed her guess, for the most part spontaneous.
So why did her pulse pound and air feel as if it were in short supply whenever they were in the same room? Why did his sexy Southern drawl send sparks of electric current over every nerve in her body? And why did the sight of his wide shoulders and slender hips cause her body to hum with a restlessness like she’d never known before?
Biting her lower lip to stop its trembling, she hastily reopened the computer file containing her résumé. There was absolutely no question about the matter. She had to find another job as soon as possible or risk losing what little sense she had left.
The following Tuesday afternoon, Caleb sat at his desk, wondering what on God’s green earth Emerald Larson had gotten him into. He didn’t have the vaguest idea of how he was supposed to deal with one of Sker-ritt and Crowe’s best clients. His night classes at the University of New Mexico weren’t scheduled to start until the end of next month. He somehow doubted the business administration courses he’d signed up for would start out covering the interaction with clientele, anyway.
He drummed his fingertips on the desk’s polished surface. He hadn’t been able to find anything on conducting meetings with clients in the management manual, either. The damned thing only covered supervising employees and ways to improve their work environment. It was completely useless for learning how to deal with clients.
But whether Caleb knew what he was doing or not, it didn’t change the fact that Raul Ortiz wanted to meet with him. Caleb had taken over running the financial consulting firm that had helped Ortiz Industries create one of the best employee investment plans in the state, and he suspected that Ortiz wanted to make sure Caleb passed muster.
When he heard A.J.’s voice through the door connecting their offices, Caleb’s spirits lifted. The woman might be driving him crazy trying to figure out what made her tick, but he’d read her personnel file. She really knew her stuff when it came to financial planning and marketing analysis. He’d also discovered that she’d graduated from high school at the age of fifteen and had acquired her master’s degree in investment banking and business administration by the time she was twenty.
If he took her with him when he drove down to Roswell, surely the meeting with Ortiz would work out. He was good with people and A.J. was a whiz at any-thing to do with accounting and financial planning. Together they should make a hell of a team.
Caleb took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He hated feeling inadequate at anything. But he had decided up front that he was going to have to rely on the people working for him until he took courses and got a basic understanding of the business Emerald had given him. It looked as though that reliance was going to have to start sooner than later.
Opening the door between their offices, he smiled when A.J. glanced at him over the top of her computer screen. “I just got a call from a man down in Roswell,” he said, walking over to slump into the chair in front of her desk. “He claims to be our most satisfied client.”
“That would be Mr. Ortiz,” she answered, nodding. “He’s one of our most valued patrons.”
“That’s what he said.” Caleb chuckled. “I get the idea he’s also one of our most outspoken clients.”
“I’ve never known him to mince words,” she said, pushing her glasses up her pert little nose. The action drew attention to her remarkable eyes and Caleb had to remind himself that he’d entered her office for a reason other than staring into her baby blues.
“So you’ve dealt with him before?”
She nodded. “Mr. Skerritt took care of Ortiz Industries’ employee investment program, but he assigned me to advise Mr. Ortiz on his own personal retirement package. Why do you ask?”
“He wants me to drive down to Roswell tomorrow for a get-acquainted meeting.” Trying to sound nonchalant, Caleb added, “I’ve decided I’ll take you with me.”
“Me?” Her eyes widened behind her oversize glasses and the panic he saw in their depths reminded him of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Was the thought of spending time with him that upsetting?
“Is there a problem, A.J.?”
“Why? I mean, I can’t possibly—” She suddenly closed her mouth and simply stared at him.
As he returned her gaze, Caleb did his best to keep his attention on the issue at hand and off her perfectly shaped lips. “I realize this is on the spur of the moment, but I don’t see that we have any other choice. Since I’ve just taken over here, I don’t know diddly-squat about Ortiz or our business with him. And until I’m up to speed on the individual accounts of our clients, I’d rather not run the risk of losing them.”
His argument made sense to him. He just hoped it sounded reasonable to her.
Watching her nibble on her lower lip as she mulled over what he’d said, it was all he could do to keep from groaning. Why did he suddenly find her mouth so damned fascinating? Hadn’t he learned a damn thing about professional, career-minded women?
“What time is the meeting?” she asked.
Was it his imagination or was there a slight tremor in her voice?
“Ortiz wants to give me a tour of the manufacturing plant tomorrow afternoon, then have dinner around six or seven.”
“It would be too late for us to drive back tomorrow evening and I have two phone meetings early the next morning.” She sounded extremely relieved when she added, “I’m sorry, but I really think my going with you would be impossible. We’ve been courting these potential clients for several months and there’s the possibility of losing them if I reschedule the calls.”
He wasn’t about to give up that easily. “Where are they located?”
“Mr. Sanchez is in Las Cruces and Mrs. Bailey is in Truth or Consequences.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“If I remember my high-school geography, those two places aren’t that far from Roswell,” he said, thinking fast. “Call and tell them we’ll be in their area day after tomorrow and that we’d like to meet with them in person. It’ll show that we’d really like to work for them, as well as free you up to go to Roswell with me. Then we’ll drive back after dinner Thursday evening.” Deciding to beat a hasty retreat before she could find another excuse, he headed for the door. “I’ll come by your place around ten in the morning.”
“Th-that won’t be necessary,” she said, stopping him. When he turned back, she added, “I have to come in tomorrow morning to tie up a few loose ends. We can leave from here.”
Caleb could tell she wasn’t happy, but that couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t particularly proud of having to rely on her expertise to keep from looking like a fool in front of a client.
“Fair enough,” he said, nodding. “I’ll have Geneva make a reservation for tomorrow night in Roswell.”
“That should be reservations—plural—as in two rooms.”
“Of course.”
Heading out the door to speak with their secretary, Caleb couldn’t help but grin. He clearly made A. J. Merrick as nervous as the parents of a four-year-old talking to the preacher after Sunday services.
The next two days had the potential to prove ex-tremely interesting and in a way he hadn’t counted on. Not only would he get to see how A.J. dealt with clients, he had a feeling he just might see that cool selfcontrol of hers slip, as well.
Three (#ulink_c6918b00-f2a3-5fdd-a6b9-8ac836cd79a1)
After an uneventful drive down to Roswell, a tour of Ortiz Industries and a highly successful dinner meeting with Mr. Ortiz, all A.J. wanted was the solitude of her motel room and a nice, hot, relaxing bath. Thoroughly exhausted from tossing and turning the night before, she’d spent the entire day in Caleb’s disturbing presence and she was more than ready to put a bit of distance between them.
“Why don’t you check in for us while I get the bags from the back of the truck?” he asked as he stopped the pickup in front of the motel entrance.
She opened the passenger side door. “I assume the rooms are under the firm’s name?”
“Yep. Geneva said she reserved the last two rooms in Ros—” He stopped abruptly when a family of glowin-the-dark aliens with oval-shaped heads and big, unblinking eyes walked past the front of the truck and got into a blue minivan.
