Telling him everything wouldn’t be a good start to discretion. “Things,” she said weakly. In the rearview mirror, she caught him rolling his eyes. “Look, you heard what she said. It’s my job if I don’t keep my mouth shut.” And any job Jules might contemplate in the future.

“Right,” he sighed. “Guess I’ll find out eventually.”

Everybody would soon enough. Unless Vivian decided to end the pregnancy. Jules supposed Vivian would talk to Robert about that first, though. After talking to her attorney. God, telling her attorney about her pregnancy before telling the baby’s father? What a wild world to live in. Jules groaned in exasperation.

“You okay back there?” Ben asked, sounding alarmed.

“Fine,” she mumbled. “It’s just Vivian.”

“I hear you.”

Their gazes met in the mirror again, and against her will, Jules laughed with him.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Playing it safe, Jules arrived at Praeger, Lawson & Day the next morning at nine fifteen. Good thing too, because Vivian swept through the door not five minutes later.

She jumped up from the uncomfortable couch in the reception area and hurried to the desk. The receptionist, who looked far too harassed this early in the morning, looked balefully up at her.

“Hi. Vivian Carlisle’s arrived for her meeting with Preston Praeger.” She tried a winning smile.

The receptionist was not won. “That meeting isn’t until ten o’clock, ma’am,” she said, giving Jules the barest glance before returning her attention to her computer. She clicked her mouse, and the printer behind her began spewing out paper.

“Well, yes, but she’s here now.”

“That’s fine.” The woman remained laser focused on her computer as if gold might fall out of it. “Please help yourselves to bottled water or coffee. There’s a cafeteria on the third floor if—”

“No, no,” Jules said quickly. “I mean she’s here, and she wants to start the meeting. Right now. I’m her assistant,” she added, like that was supposed to make a difference.

The receptionist gave her a look that said she hated her job and Jules too. “Mr. Praeger is not available.” Then she turned her back on her and began gathering the printouts.

Already cringing, Jules headed over to Vivian, who was tapping her foot impatiently. She looked pretty good this morning, all things considered. Actually, she looked great: beneath her cashmere swing coat, she was dressed to kill in an eggplant-shade pencil dress and leopard-print Christian Louboutin pumps.

She hoped Vivian would notice her own fashion choice as well. She’d had to go to a little extra effort to make it happen, and it wasn’t her usual thing.

Vivian, however, did not seem inclined to notice. “Well?” she asked.