LITMIR.BIZ

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calculated pause.

      She waited him out. A part of her was glad he’d gotten right to the point, avoiding the male-female flirting dance. She’d met far too many businessmen who thought they could finesse their way through a deal with a few compliments and smiles. Men who saw a woman in charge and took her to be an idiot, or someone they could manipulate over dinner. Finn McKenna, she suspected, was a what-you-see-is-what-you-get man, who saw no need for frills or extra words. Straightforward, to the point, no games. That brief moment in the lobby had been a fluke, she decided. This was the real Finn, aka the Hawk. He wanted something from her and clearly intended to stay until he had it.

      “I have two senior architects on my staff who are more than capable of handling the hospital project for you,” Finn said. “If you agree to this business proposition, then they would oversee it, sort of as architects on loan. You, Miss Winston—” he paused again, corrected himself “—Ellie, would remain in complete control. And myself and my staff at McKenna Designs would be there as a resource for you, as you navigate the complicated arena of medical facility design, and the troubled waters of the CEO world.”

      Troubled waters? Did he think she was totally incompetent? She tamped down the rush of anger and feigned flattery.

      “That’s a mighty nice offer, Finn. Why, a girl would be all aflutter from your generosity …” Then she dropped the Southern Belle accent from her voice, and the smile from her face. He’d made it all sound so smooth, as if the benefit was all to her, not to him. “If she hadn’t been raised by a father who told her that no one does anything without a payoff. So, I ask you—” she leaned in, her gaze locking on his “—what’s in this for you?”

      He gave her a short nod, a brief smile, a look that said touché. And something that looked a lot like respect. “My business has struggled as of late. Partly the economy, partly—” the next words seemed to leave his mouth with a sour taste “—because of a project that had some unfortunate results. Although we have a few medical buildings on our resume, our work has primarily been in the retail and corporate world. McKenna Designs would like to move into the medical building field because it’s a growing industry that dovetails well with our other corporate work. You would like to strengthen your position as the new head at WW by designing a hospital that puts a really big star in the company constellation, as they say.” He spread his hands. “A partnership benefits us both.”

      “From what I’ve heard, McKenna Designs took a serious blow in credibility and finances over this past year and you’ve been reeling ever since.” They worked in a small industry and people talked. The people who worked for Ellie had been more than happy to fill her in on the local competition when she arrived in Boston. Finn McKenna’s name had come up several times.

      “We’ve had our … challenges.”

      “As have we,” she acknowledged.

      “Precisely the reason I came to you.” Now he leaned back and sipped at his coffee, even though it had surely gone cold long ago. He was waiting for her to make the next move.

      As she looked at him, she realized two things. He didn’t think she was capable of running the firm without his help and two, he was offering a deal that benefited him far more than her. She could hire another architect—maybe even, with the right incentives, steal Finn’s best and brightest right from under his nose—and be just fine. He was just like all the other men she had met, and all the “concerned” colleagues of her father, who saw the little Winston girl as nothing more than a figurehead.

      The Hawk was merely swooping in to try to scoop up an opportunity. This meeting had been a waste of time. The one luxury Ellie Winston didn’t have.

      She rose, grabbing her purse as she did. “I appreciate the offer, I really do, but we’re just fine at WW, and we’ll be just fine without an alliance with you. So thank you again—” she fished in her purse for a few dollars, and tossed them on the table “—but I must decline. Good evening, Mr. McKenna.”

      Then she left, hoping that was the last she saw of Finn McKenna.

CHAPTER THREE

      ELLIE had vowed not to think about Finn’s surprise offer. He was only out for number one, she had decided last night during the cab ride home, and she’d be a fool to even consider it. But as the morning’s staff meeting progressed, she found her mind wandering back to that diner conversation.

       You’re at a vulnerable juncture.

       Losing this project could mean irreparable damage.

       A partnership benefits us both.

      Had he meant what he said? Could it be a genuine offer? And if she accepted, would the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? Or was he trying to get in—and then take over her company? She’d heard how many times he’d done that to other firms.

      She had floated Finn’s name with a few of her colleagues this morning, trying to get more of a read on the man everyone dubbed “the Hawk.” To a person, they’d urged caution, reminding her Finn “preferred to eat the competition for lunch rather than lunch with them.”

      That meant any sort of alliance with him required serious consideration. Was his proposal all a way for him to take over her father’s company? Or would his proposal be a true two-way benefit?

      She thought of what lay ahead for her life, about the child about to become a part of her life, and wondered how she could possibly juggle it all. Was a partnership a good idea?

      “I’m worried, Ellie.” Larry, the most senior of her remaining architects let out a long breath. “We really need a strong leader on this project. Even though we have a lot of great architects here, without either your dad or Farnsworth to head this, well …”

      “We don’t have anyone with enough experience and that means we’ll be in over our head from day one,” Ellie finished for him. She’d known that going in, but had hoped that when she called the staff meeting someone would step up to the plate and produce a resume rife with medical design experience. Hadn’t happened. “We have a great team here, I agree. But no one who has direct experience with medical institutions.”

      Larry nodded. “If we were building a bank, a resort, a hotel, we’d be fine. We could do those in our sleep. And I’m sure we could handle this project, too, but we’d be a whole lot better off with a good senior architect to oversee all those details. As it is, we’re stretched thin with the new mall out on Route 1 and the condo project in the Back Bay.”

      Ellie knew Larry made sense. Between the integrated technology, clean environment requirements and strict government guidelines, a hospital build was so much more complex than an ordinary office building. Farnsworth’s specialty had been in that arena, and without him, the team would be on a constant scramble to check regs, meet with contractors and double check every element. “I’ll find someone.”

      “By the end of the week?” Panic raised the pitch in Larry’s voice. “Because the initial drawings are due by the fifteenth.”

      Just a few short days away. “Did Farnsworth get anything done on them?”

      Larry shook his head. Ellie’s gut clenched. Farnsworth had lied and told her he’d done the initial work, but clearly his disgruntled attitude had been affecting his work for a while. Her father had designed several hospitals and medical buildings over the years, but Ellie certainly couldn’t go to him for help, and no one on the current staff at WW had the kind of experience her father and Farnsworth had. She’d just have to hire someone.

      But by the end of this week? Someone who could step right in and take the project’s reins without a single misstep? And then produce a plan that would meet the critical eye of the hospital owners? She needed someone with years of experience. Someone smart. Someone capable, organized. And ready to become the team leader at a moment’s notice.

      “I’ll

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