“Speaking of which, where are we on the Books 4 Kids event?” she asks.

I smile and grab my tablet. My hands still shaking with excitement from JoAnna’s news.

And while I had been slightly intimidated by JoAnna initially, beneath her sophisticated demeanor and flawless appearance, she’s got a heart of gold and is fairly easygoing, unless you’re incompetent. She really has zero tolerance for that.

“Everything is on track. We’ve got all the major sponsor tables accounted for. I just need to collect sponsor checks from a few.” I glance down at the list.

SCM, the event’s main sponsor, and St. Clair Press’s parent company, is one of them.

In an ideal world, the check would magically appear in my inbox.

If it sounds like I’m dreading the trek to SCM to retrieve the fundraiser check, you’d be correct. In the same two years I’ve enjoyed working for JoAnna at St. Clair Press, I’ve not had the same pleasure when it comes to interacting with her son, Barrett, the Executive Vice President and CEO of SCM.

While JoAnna is warm and personable, Barrett is a robot in a suit. His cold, dismissive eyes could refreeze the melting polar ice caps. With one glance, he could put an end to global warming. He’s obnoxiously handsome, which maybe isn’t his fault. Barrett is a spitting image of his father, but where I’ve seen pictures of the elder St. Clair with a devilishly handsome smile, Barrett’s media shots are in the running for “Most Expressionless, Yet Devastatingly Handsome Man” category.

“Anything I can help with?” JoAnna asks.

Asking JoAnna to get the check from Barrett would be the easy way out, but I don’t want her to think that I can’t handle an easy task like collecting a check. She’s just offered me a shot at my dream job with far more demanding duties, I don’t want her to think I’m not capable of something so simple. Barrett won’t likely be the one I need to talk to anyways. He’s much too busy and important for that kind of thing. He’ll have his assistant, Bea, help me out.

“No,” I shake my head. “I’ve got it handled.”

“Perfect.” JoAnna smiles. “One more thing I need you to handle. Would you please make a reservation for two at Sea Fire Grill for twelve thirty on Thursday?”

“Of course. Under St. Clair?”

“Yes.” She nods.

“I’ll add it to your calendar once it’s confirmed.”

“No need. It’s for Barrett and Tessa Green. A lunch date.”