From Boardroom to Bedroom

Chapter 3

Well, that was no pressure at all. Nothing like being thrust right into the thick of things on day one. But at least it was a problem that didn’t make her feel out of her depth. She did know a little about ratings; after all, she’d built her channel into something of a phenomenon. Maybe she could actually make a difference here, too, and get the scoop she needed. A win-win.

“Does he not have anyone who has tried to help so far?” Sophie asked, still positive this position was a mistake.

“His assistant would probably have been a good asset, but she’s unavailable and Nigel wants someone from the outside.” Craig lowered his voice even more. “I think the show is in jeopardy. He didn’t tell me that directly, but... Well, I have some sources.”

Oh, she had no doubt the receptionist knew all the ins and outs and was one of the best sources of gossip. Perhaps starting with a little break room talk over lunch would be a good starting point for her own project.

Things were already starting off better than she’d hoped. Surely if Sophie was dealing with the head honcho himself, she could gain access to all the cut footage. But she still had to be careful and calculated about this. There was no room for errors and no way could she raise suspicions. Above all, she couldn’t run into Miranda. Even with the blond hair, glasses and completely different wardrobe, Sophie knew her step-monster would recognize her.

“Mr. Townshend is waiting,” Craig said as he turned and put his hands on the gold handles of a set of white double doors. “Welcome to Green Room Media.”

The doors swung wide and Sophie/Roslyn pulled in a deep breath.

Showtime.

* * *

When he’d asked for help, he hadn’t expected a lush supermodel turned librarian. The sight of the curvaceous blonde with sultry glasses and a confident smile hit him right in the gut. He was also a fan of glossy red lips.

Those jeans should have been illegal, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

Bloody hell. He didn’t have time for this distraction. He hadn’t even had time to interview anyone for himself and had trusted his most loyal, dependable employees to do that. But he’d only asked for someone well qualified, professional and polished.

He’d certainly gotten that last part; he had to assume the rest of her credentials were just as impressive as the outward package.

Might as well embrace his new temporary consultant. Temporary being the key word. Off-limits was also another key word because he never ever fraternized with employees. He liked to date, but he’d never gotten too serious...much to his family’s dismay and disappointment.

Most times the Townshends didn’t understand why Nigel was in New York, growing his empire, and not back in England, settling down and working on new heirs. He loved his family, he truly valued them and missed them like crazy. But he wanted to branch off from the dynasty and create his own legacy. This company and his shows were bigger than anything he’d ever dreamed. He just needed to continue that trend of growth and success in order to show his family that his goals and dreams truly were worthwhile.

Pushing the family issues aside, Nigel kept his eyes locked on the striking woman in his office. Talk about a test in willpower. If she was going to be working alongside him for weeks or months to come, he would have to remember this was a professional environment. He demanded as much from each of

his employees and he would never let them think that he was incapable of meeting those standards himself.

Nigel came to his feet and rounded his desk. He was the boss, time for him to act like one and put these adolescent hormones to rest. His family considered him the infamous black sheep for breaking away, and he was doing his best not to live down to that reputation. Just because a man didn’t want to get married and produce a litter of children did not make him a failure.

Of course, his sister was getting married next week and he was a groomsman, so that certainly didn’t help matters.

All the more motivation to turn these dwindling numbers around and get Secret Lives back on top of the rankings. Maybe then his family would be proud of the work he did.

“You must be Roslyn Andrews,” he greeted, turning all of his attention to the new employee. “I’m Nigel Townshend.”

Her smile widened as she crossed his office and extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure, Mr. Townshend.”

“Mr. Townshend is my father,” he corrected. “You will call me Nigel.”

With a delicate nod, she replied, “Alright, Nigel.”

His name sliding through her lips was just as magical and potent as he’d expected. And all of his employees called him Mr. Townshend. He couldn’t quite justify the reasoning behind his quick response to her calling him Mr. but here they were.

“I had no idea I would be working with you directly,” she added. “Can I be honest?”

The combination of that sultry voice and the confident firm grip of her handshake assaulted every nerve ending he had. Her dark eyes flared when he slid his hand into hers.

Well, wasn’t this interesting?

She snatched her hand back and adjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. He had to give her credit, though, her smile never faltered.

Self-assurance was a sexy trait. Add that to the alluring outward package and he might be in trouble with this one. Hell, he was already in trouble since they were on a first-name basis after a one-minute meet. He had employees who had worked for him for over a decade who still didn’t call him Nigel.

“Please,” he replied. “Honesty is our key policy.”