Balancing Act

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To every teacher out there who takes the time and makes the effort to encourage struggling students and give them hope. Your efforts are noticed.

Chapter 1

Tessa stared at the steel and glass monstrosity that housed the headquarters of Barrett Newspapers. It reminded her of the blue-blooded snobbery she had vowed to leave behind, but in the end, a job was a job. Right now she was in need of a steady, well-paid position as opposed to part-time social work with juvenile offenders. Not only did she need to be the picture of stability, but also the additional income working for Barrett Newspapers would provide.

She entered the building at barely seven AM, but a security guard already sat with his elbows propped on the reception desk. Tessa hadn’t batted an eye when the personnel director told her how early she would be expected to arrive. She had yet to work any job with truly traditional hours. If the bear of the Barrett family was an early riser, well then, so was she.

Good morning. I’m Tessa Edwards, Seth Barlow-Barrett’s new executive assistant.

Should I congratulate you or commiserate? the guard asked.

Tessa tilted her head. Another confirmation of what she’d already heard. The company’s chief operating officer had a reputation other employees were more than willing to share. Even the personnel director who hired her warned her in advance. Seth Barlow-Barrett was dictatorial and demanding. He was cruel and cantankerous. The bottom line of everyone’s description was he was impossible to work for, and he had a history of secretarial resignations to back that up, so much so they didn’t even bother to have him interview any of the candidates anymore. They never lasted long enough for it to matter.

She would be different.

She grinned at the security guard. May I get back to you at the end of the day?

He snorted. If you’re still here by the end of the day, you’ll have outlasted several of them. Elevators are just ahead. The express elevator’s the one on the far right in case you want to leave in a hurry.

Tessa glanced at the tightly sealed steel doors and shuddered. No thanks. I like to take the stairs. Keeps me fit.

She dashed up the steps to the ninth floor. Used to the exertion, she was barely out of breath when she stepped from the stairwell into the carpeted luxury of Seth Barrett’s floor. Well, Seth and his brother Brandon’s. It appeared sole occupancy of a floor was reserved for the patriarch, their father. Tessa sniggered.

The personnel director had told her where her desk would be and what her duties were. She’d also warned her Seth Barrett normally arrived around six in the morning, so he would be there already, and she should introduce herself when she arrived.

It seemed odd that no one really wanted to face him. Only the favorite son in a family-owned empire could get away with such terrible behavior in this day and age, but surely no one was that bad–even the lordling of the mighty Barlow-Barrett empire.

After setting down her belongings, Tessa checked her appearance in the small mirror she kept in her purse. She’d pulled her hair back in a smooth chignon at the base of her neck. It made her look mature and conservative, the image she was trying hard to project. Young and inexperienced was not the impression she wanted to make. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the partially open door.

What is it?

What not who, as though he were too busy to be bothered by ordinary mortals. Tessa raised her brows at the decided bark in that deep voice, but when she stepped into his office, she’d composed her expression.

Who are you? The man standing near the windows eyed her with a mixture of irritation and impatience.

The first thing that struck her was how big he was, not fat, just big. He had to be somewhere around six-foot-five, give or take a couple inches, and possessed incredibly broad shoulders that tapered down to lean hips and long, long legs. Not a bear in his den, as she’d been led to believe, but a different animal entirely. His appearance reminded her of a sleek and dangerous lion, ready to attack at any moment.

I’m your new secretary, Tessa Edwards.

Even the eyes were feline. The color of gold, they still managed to be cold as they assessed her. Coffee, Teresa.

Tessa, she corrected with amused patience. No way was she going to bite on his deliberate baiting.

Coffee, Tessa. The deep voice dripped sarcasm.

She kept her expression controlled until she left his office, and then she smiled. He was as bad as everyone said. Maybe worse. He had the personality of the building in which he worked, she decided. All glitz and sharp edges, but no substance. Expensively cut hair, hand-tailored suits and the arrogant air that went hand-in-hand with his name. No wonder the man went through so many secretaries. But she–Tessa gave herself a pep talk–would not be one of them. She knew his type. She had grown up around a dozen or more people just like him, and she could handle his blue-blooded arrogance. She might avoid her father’s relatives, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t learned from them over the years.

She needed this job too much to let some old-money ogre scare her away. If she had to pull out her own pedigree to do it, she would. In court next month, she had to represent the epitome of security and stability because if she didn’t, she could lose custody of Zach.

Her smile slipped for a second. Public school last year had been a disaster for her little brother, but she’d found a school that could help him. Now she had to make sure they stayed together. The job with Barrett would provide enough money to pay his tuition, and help keep Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Edwin at bay.

As long as she could prove she was providing the best home for her brother, they didn’t have a leg to stand on. She knew the only reason they wanted custody was because of the trust her parents had left behind. If they had guardianship, they could tap it for expenses. She could imagine how expensive Zach’s lifestyle would become.

All Tessa had to do was wait it out. One more year, and she would be old enough to use the trust as her parents had intended–for her brother. The problem was, and always had been, that her aunt and uncle could access it right now, but only if they were Zach’s legal guardians. If she could show the court how secure her employment was, they would never dream of taking him….

Is that coffee arriving by mule from Colombia, Tina? Barrett barked over the intercom.

Tessa grimaced at the speaker. Who on earth still had one of those squawk boxes, in this day and age?

She hadn’t asked him how he liked his coffee. She looked at the supplies next to the coffee maker. The creamer was untouched. She checked the small fridge right next to it. Mountain Dew lined the shelves. The man must be a caffeine addict, though he hardly seemed to need anything that would make him testier. No sign of cream. He must take it black. The sugar had been opened and some had spilled. Shaking hands trying to get the ogre’s coffee ready? Tessa made a face and added one teaspoon of sugar. He would want it sweet, but not too sweet. Maybe that was to help make up for a very sour personality.

She pushed down a button on the intercom and said, Coming right up, Mr. Barrett.

He sat behind a very large, cherry desk with a gleaming finish. The papers on it were arranged with almost pinpoint precision. He looked up as she approached his desk, his scowl locked in place. Did the man never smile?

It’s about time. What secretarial school are you from…the Slowpoke Rodriguez School?

I didn’t attend secretarial school, sir. I graduated from Smith, Tessa replied. That seemed to give him pause for a moment, and she managed not to laugh out loud. Oh, yes, his snobby background was showing now. She’d bet he had a girlfriend named Muffy or Priss filed neatly somewhere in his life. A small chuckle escaped.

For the first time that morning, her new boss slowed down to really look at her.

I amuse you?

Not at all, sir.

His glittering, golden gaze lifted and bore into her this time instead of skating over her. Tessa could now understand how he made other secretaries uncomfortable, but she was not other secretaries and she would not be intimidated. If this was an undeclared war, she was more than willing to plant her flag and stand her ground.

He looked her up and down. What was your major?

Social Work.

Ah, a do-gooder, he dismissed her. Why are you here? Has personnel decided I need counseling? Someone who can ask open-ended questions and get me to reveal how society has damaged me? Are you here to save me from myself, Tessa? Help me reveal my inner child?

She kept her temper under control. I think you credit them with way too much interest in the position as your secretary. You have a job. I need one. As to your inner child, I believe that answer should be obvious to you. It seems to me you need no assistance with that…sir.

One thick brow slowly arched. Can you type?

Seventy-five words a minute.

Dictation?

Transcription…while you talk.

How are you with computers?

Tessa shrugged. I do well enough.

No way would she tell him about hacking into her high school’s computer system when she was fourteen and changing the principal’s appointment book so he showed up to a non-existent meeting with the superintendent. Some things were better left in the past.

The rest of the day passed like volleys in a naval battle. Barrett never asked her to do things, he barked orders at her, as if firing missiles over her bow.

Early in the afternoon, the intercom bleated, I need you in here for some transcription.

She took her laptop and set it up at the conference table, watching as he paced. She was already half-convinced he was just another rich prick riding on his family’s fortune. If she didn’t need the steadiness and income this job offered, she’d walk like everyone else.

Then he began to speak. Her fingers flew as he talked through the plan he had apparently wrestled with all day long. As he outlined his strategy to acquire several struggling Midwest publications, Tessa acknowledged what he had developed was brilliant. Even more important, the acquisitions he designed wouldn’t cost jobs. She felt a new level of respect for the man, but didn’t dare let that show in her face. He still had an arrogant and overbearing attitude toward his personnel that would never be tolerated in any company where he wasn’t family.

At three, he abruptly stopped and stared hard at her.

Go home, he growled as he tossed a Mountain Dew can in the basket next to his desk. When she arched one brow at him, he added, Be back tomorrow morning at seven.

He had dismissed her, but not fired her. From what she heard, that meant she was a success. Tessa packed the laptop and headed for the door.

Thanks, Teresa.

Tessa, she corrected.

Tessa.

As she left the building, she gave the surprised security guard a thumbs-up.

* * * *

By Friday, she began to think Barrett was an automaton programmed only to work and bent on driving her crazy. She could see why he had a reputation for chewing secretaries to bits and spitting them back out. His mind worked at light speed, so keeping up with him was a challenge, but Tessa had managed.

She never saw him smile. She wondered if he had no personality or if he just hated what he was doing. Neither option boded well for either long-term employment or pleasant working conditions. He was bound to lose his temper with her at some point.

A package arrived after lunch on Friday. Or rather, Tessa found it sitting on her desk right after lunch with Seth Barrett’s name scrawled on it.

I have a package for you, sir, she said over the intercom.

How many times have I told you not to use that damn intercom? Bring it in.

Tessa grinned. He told her not to use it almost the same number of times he told her to stop barging in on him and use the intercom instead. She took the package and handed it to him. As she turned to go, he spoke.

Take the rest of the day off. We’re done.

Tessa stopped and stared. She supposed the amazement must have shown in her expression.

Go! he barked.

Tessa grinned as she tidied up her desk, locking drawers and file cabinets. She was always meticulous about her work area, probably a good thing with Mr. Psycho Clean on the other side of the door. A muffled sound from Barrett’s office followed by a crash stopped her just as she was about to depart for the day. She hesitated for only a second before she pushed the door open and stepped back into his inner sanctum.

He sat unmoving in the chair behind his desk, staring out the window. His face was pale, and his jaw clenched and unclenched as if he were working hard to get his emotions under control. An expensive sculpture that had perched on his desk now lay on the floor in pieces.

Mr. Barrett? Tessa murmured. He must be furious at having smashed the artwork. He turned eyes on her that burned with such intense golden fire, she took a half step back, but she would not retreat. Can I help you with anything else, sir?

For a moment, she thought he might throw something at her, but she refused to be intimidated. He raked a hand through his thick, blond hair and blinked a couple times as if he were trying to fight his way through whatever disturbed him and focus on what she’d said.

Check my calendar for this weekend.

She didn’t need to check, she’d memorized it. You have a Sigma Delta Chi dinner at which you are the keynote speaker this evening. The rest of the weekend is clear.

Damn! He stood up and paced his office, once again reminding her of a wild animal trapped in a cage not of his own choosing. He paused at the corner and looked back at her.

Where’s the jet?

Brandon Barrett has it, sir, in Puerto Rico.

Then get me the first commercial flight you can after that damn dinner to Durham, North Carolina. First-class. There’s never enough leg-room anywhere else.

Tessa had already logged off her computer. She gestured toward Seth’s.

May I?

Yes. He waved her toward the oversized leather chair. She felt almost like a child sitting in it, her legs very nearly dangling without touching the floor.

It took a few minutes, and Barrett’s gaze seemed to bore into her the entire time. The man was an expert at looming. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out most of his attitude was not directed at her. The biting temper was who he was allowed to be. The arrogance, she was sure, was inbred at this point.

The controlled anger that bubbled up now and then was another matter, but not her problem. If Seth Barlow-Barrett was unhappy in what he did, that was too bad. There must be a lot that more than made up for it. Financial gain, for one thing. Right now, in her book, that was a pretty fair trade-off. With a couple more keystrokes, she turned to him.

You leave National at five-fifteen a.m. and arrive at Raleigh-Durham at six AM Saturday morning, she said at last. A rental car will be waiting for you. When would you like to return?

Sunday.

She punched a few more keys. I can get you on a noon flight back.

Book it. Use my travel account. The number’s there next to the keyboard.

A couple more minutes and Tessa was pulling his ticket voucher off the computer printer.

Done.

She crossed the room and handed him the voucher, and then Barrett did do something that caught her off-guard. He smiled. It transformed the lean features of his face and made him look years younger.

Thank you, Tessa.

Now he’d rattled her. A smile and her correct name. She knew she was staring at him, probably with her mouth gaping, but she couldn’t help it and could only nod in response.

Go home. Enjoy your weekend.

She smiled back. Thank you.

* * * *

Seth watched the door close behind her. Tessa Edwards. She’d made it through the first week, and that was an accomplishment in and of itself. It had taken him a few days to notice, but she was stunning in her own way. Hers was not a stand up and smack you in the face kind of pretty, but a harmonious blend of classic bone structure and subtle curves with the staying power pretty women seldom had. Not until she smiled at someone else had he seen the vivid personality to go with the flamboyant coloring. Fiery red hair, thick and straight, and the most unusual ice-blue eyes. Yes, he’d noticed Tessa Edwards, not just for her looks, but for the grit and unflappable serenity she’d demonstrated all week long.

He needed that right now, especially after the little nuclear bomb she’d unknowingly dropped in his lap with that package. Seth tapped his fingers on his desk.

He was not an easy man. He knew that. In fact, many of the people who had faced him across a negotiating table described him as a Class-A bastard who made his father look like a blessed saint. Seth knew what people thought, what some even voiced behind his back, but didn’t care. He was what his father had molded him to be. He had taken over daily operations of Barrett Newspapers four years after college. When all was said and done, he was a Barlow-Barrett and couldn’t drop that responsibility from his shoulders to pursue his own desires.

One soft spot remained in the armor he’d built around himself over the years. That was his sister Anna. He and Brandon were the only ones who called her that, yet that was the name she now chose to use in her professional life. Little Anna, the veterinarian. So different from the rest of them, yet she was the embodiment of what he longed to be. She was his heart, and he would do anything to protect her. He knew she viewed herself as the ugly duckling, but he saw her as the one Barlow-Barrett who had dared to be different, inside and out. When the rest of them had followed like sheep in the family footsteps, Anna had walked away. Phillip, his youngest brother, had taken a slight detour into law, but he was still right in the family fold. Anna was the rebel, and he admired her to no end.

His eyes lifted to the DVD player and the disc he still hadn’t removed. Watching even a portion of it had made him almost sick. Then the anger had exploded, costing him a piece of artwork he’d paid through the nose for. He wanted not only the blackmailers who’d sent the video, but the fucker on the disc with her.

Chapter 2

Tessa pushed thoughts of Seth from her mind as soon as she arrived at her neighbor’s apartment to pick up Zach. His freckled face split into a huge grin when he saw her and he leaped up from the video game he played. She laughed and hugged him. He was the joy in her life and had been ever since his birth. Their parents’ deaths had served to draw them even closer.

Tessa! I got to the third level of Space Zombies.

That’s great, Zach. Tessa grinned back at him.

Reading might be a problem, but he was a real whiz when it came to math or anything resembling computers. They had bought this latest video game just yesterday. If she allowed it, he would play all the time, but Tessa tried to make sure they spent time doing other things when they were together.

She read to him and took him out in the country as much as possible.

Why are you home so early? Was your boss as bad as everyone told you and you quit?

No. He told me I could leave. You know what that means?

Zach’s eyes widened. We’re going to the beach today? At her nod, he tossed down his game remote and danced around the room. Yes! It’s almost like getting a whole ‘nother day.

Zach talked almost non-stop as they packed their camping gear, fishing poles and plenty of snacks. Tessa knew he got bored over the summer. As much as he disliked school, it still offered a change of scenery from the neighbor’s apartment.

Do you think we can catch any sharks?

Sharks! Tessa laughed. Who’s going to take them off the hooks?

I can, Zach reassured her with an air of importance. Remember, I did last year.

Tessa smiled. They had caught some baby sharks that Zach insisted on taking off the hooks. Tessa had let him. It made him feel like the man of the family to have his hands on a shark, even one a foot and a half long. They’d marveled at the sandpapery feel