style="font-size:15px;"> “Oh, thank you, Andy! And Mr. Haley. Thank you so much. I promise I’ll work hard.”
“You already do, my dear,” Andy said with a smile. “You don’t want to overdo it or I’ll think you’re after my job.”
When she began to protest, he shushed her with a few words and a chuckle.
“Well, I’m glad I was here for the announcement, Sharon,” Kane said. “It’s always encouraging to have happy employees.” He shoved away from the window and extended his hand to her.
She stood and shook his hand.
Then, as he turned to go, he came to a halt. “Oh, by the way, Andy, do you have any pregnant women in your department?”
Chapter Two
Sharon abruptly folded into the chair from which she’d risen. “Uh, my knees are shaky from the excitement,” she said hurriedly.
“Good,” Kane said with a dismissive nod. “I like your enthusiasm.” Then he looked at Andy again. “Well?”
“Not that I know of,” Andy said, surprised. “Michelle is on maternity leave. She had her baby about six weeks ago. When is she due back, Sharon?”
“Next Monday,” Sharon said.
“Yeah, I know about her,” Kane said. “But it occurred to me that some women might keep their pregnancies secret for a while, and—and the more women we have who are pregnant, the more the child-care center would benefit us. So I thought—Why wouldn’t they tell everyone?”
Sharon blinked and tried to shrink down in her chair. She didn’t want to be a part of this conversation.
“I suppose they’re afraid it will affect their careers,” Andy said, frowning.
“Would it?” Kane asked. “I don’t want my employees punished because of that. What do you think, Sharon?”
“M-me? Uh, no, I don’t think women here are punished because they have a—a family.”
“Good. So if it’s not fear, why would they keep it a secret?”
Sharon knew why she was keeping it a secret. She didn’t want to tell anyone about what happened. She was single, which would raise questions. Besides she’d have to reveal her secret soon enough.
Then there was Jen. Her situation was awkward, too, since she wasn’t married. With Kane and Andy both staring at her, she said, “Maybe some women don’t have husbands, so it’s difficult.”
“Yeah,” Kane agreed, “but what if a woman wanted the pregnancy and, say, went to a sperm bank. Would she hide her pregnancy?”
Sharon thought he looked more intense than ever. What was going on? “I don’t know,” she muttered.
Kane sighed. “No. I don’t either.” He looked at Andy. “Let me know if you hear of any new pregnancies, okay?”
“Sure,” Andy agreed. He and Sharon remained silent while Kane left the office. Then he looked at Sharon. “That was strange.”
“Yes,” Sharon said, still tense.
“Here are the papers about your promotion and how much of a raise you’re getting. Look it over and we’ll talk later.” Andy said, smiling again.
Sharon stood and took the papers. “Thank you again, Andy.”
“Nothing to thank me for. You’ve earned it.”
She moved to the door, still unnerved by everything.
“Oh, by the way, clear your schedule tomorrow. Your project assignment will be ready tomorrow instead of next week. No time to waste.”
She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. Oh, my. Life seemed to be changing at high speed. She was getting her own project, had received a promotion…and she was pregnant. What else could happen?
She dreamed of Jack that night. It wasn’t the first time. After the traumatic experience of believing she was going to die and his saving her mind if not her body, it wasn’t surprising.
In fact, she’d welcomed those dreams, just as she focused on Jack every time she entered the elevator now. Those hours spent with him had changed her life in more ways than the pregnancy. She’d been intimate with him because of the comfort and courage he gave her.
She hadn’t let a man get close to her in a long time. Once she’d let a man get close, but he’d abandoned her, just as her father had, and had only reinforced her opinion about men.
Even though Jack had walked away when she’d needed him desperately, in the elevator he’d been there for her. So she felt him hold her close in her dreams.
But now, carrying his child, wondering what he would think about that fact, she found the dreams disturbing. She needed to shut Jack out of her mind as well as her life.
When she faced the elevators the next morning, she vowed she wouldn’t picture Jack in her mind. She could ride the elevator without his protection. Again she passed up the particular elevator where they’d been trapped. When she entered the next elevator, it was crowded. She tried to stay close to the door, but she ended up in the back because of the crowd.
She concentrated on her breathing, or tried to, but by the time she reached her floor, she was sweating and breathing rapidly. “Out, please,” she called desperately, wondering why these people weren’t moving when it was the top floor.
By the time she emerged, she felt exhausted and disheveled. She leaned against the wall, taking deep gasps of air.
“Sharon? Are you all right?” Maggie asked.
Sharon whirled around and stared at her friend. “Yes! Of course. It’s just that sometimes I think about—I don’t like elevators.”
“Who could blame you, after being trapped in one. Kane had all of them checked after your experience. I promise it won’t happen again,” Maggie said with a smile, giving Sharon a little hug. “Why don’t you go get a cup of coffee?”
“No, I have—I’m getting my own project to run this morning. I’ve waited a long time for this day.”
“Oh, yes. And it’s an important one. John Waterton is an important client. Good for you.” With a smile, Maggie moved on and Sharon drew a deep breath. She was okay, she was sure. Of course, now that she knew who the client was, her knees were shaking again. Everyone in the company knew about the Waterton account. Kane Haley had signed them on as a small project about six months ago. It had gone so well, Mr. Waterton had used Kane Haley, Inc., again. Sharon had heard rumors that this next project would be a big one.
Hers. It might be hers.
Excitement took precedence over fear, and she hurried to her desk. If Maggie was right, and she was always right, her project would be very important for the entire company. She would work closely with whoever was in charge to set up a budget, supervise
