Christmas at Tiffany's Read Free Page A

intrinsic to her character, Tiffany enjoyed watching Mitch more than initiating any form of direct interaction. That way she could simply observe his character and nuances. Most of her colleagues hoped he would assume the east coast post permanently; Tiffany agreed. Mitch Alexander possessed a core of kindness evidenced by his commitment to InfoTraxion’s philanthropic endeavors. From a business perspective, he had earned fast approval for being aggressive but astute. He was the kind of man she loved to study—but the prospect of a meeting did a fantastic job of intimidation. His request had to be about the charitable contribution she had requested on behalf of Pets Finding Home.
    Or, perhaps it was about Eric…
    Stomach rolling, she responded in the affirmative and went to work polishing the Webber Strategic infrastructure and pitch-specific data management analysis. At three o’clock, Tiffany rinsed and dried her tea mug, nerves escalating as the hour-hand inched forward. She returned to her desk and stacked a short sheaf of papers that detailed the efforts of the organization. She paused long enough to pray the Webber project was the purpose of the meeting, not a reprimand of some sort. She saved her contribution to Eric’s playbook—it was nearly finished—and straightened the fall of her long, stone necklace. Hoping for the best, she tugged a few ripples from the lapel of a short black jacket she had paired with a silk tank and black slacks. Stylish, professional, confident.
    Oh, well. Two out of three wasn’t bad.
    Before entering Mitch’s office, she rapped her knuckles gently against the doorframe to nab his attention. When he looked up from his monitor, when his curious gaze touched hers, anxiety vanished on a welcome swirl of warmth. Then he smiled. All she wanted to do was freeze the moment in place and stare, savor the image of him without need for explanation or apology.
    “Hi, Tiffany. Come on in.”
    His office was large, his desk tucked close to an expansive window line that framed the far side of the room. Outside, the snow fell and the world bustled, but this space was secluded from the wide-open, 360-degree style featured throughout the rest of the office. Although heavy snowfall partially obscured the view, Tiffany felt as though she could reach out and touch the buildings across the way.
    While she gawked, Mitch lifted to a stand. “Let’s work at the conference table. It’ll be more comfortable.”
    He gestured toward a dark wood table surrounded by four matching chairs, which was tucked by the window. Tiffany followed his lead but remained drawn to the stunning, winter-drenched landscape of Midtown. A native of the city, she loved New York in all its shapes, colors and seasons.
    “Before we get started, I want to hear about the Webber Strategic project you’re working on. How’s it going so far? Landing their work would be a fantastic win.”
    The observations were friendly, even innocuous. Nonetheless, Tiffany bristled, sorely tempted to chuck the file she had compiled straight into the shiny chrome wastebasket next to Mitch’s desk.
    Evidently part of this meeting was about Eric.
    “I understand, and I want you to know the capabilities overview is ready to go, and is fairly standard. The deeper study of Webber’s IT network is nearly complete as well. I’ll have it ready for presentation before the close of business today.”
    She maintained her poise, but defensiveness ate beneath the deliberately smooth surface. Tiffany left her dream world behind and focused instead on professional compliance and her over-all boss. Given the events of the day, she felt a need to prove herself, and certainly didn’t want the regional director of operations questioning her commitment or skills. She needed this job in order to pay for school, and there were literally hundreds of thousands of hungry people out there looking for an opportunity like the one she had earned at InfoTraxion. “I’m