Page 60 of Blind Date with the Boss

Everyone at Blackcorp had either seen him dancing with Diana Devenish on television, or had heard about it, and he was showered with congratulations and questions, especially about Sally’s involvement. Logan did his best to defend Sally and his choice of her as his dancing instructor, but it was all rather embarrassing and difficult.

Coming on top of Maria Page’s departure, the possibility that he and Sally might be in a relationship would send the gossipers in the tea room into a total frenzy.

Of course, everyone expected him to know why Sally wasn’t at work today. He had no idea, but her absence worried him.Reallyworried him.

He was in Janet Keaton’s office, where he was firming up strategies for securing Maria’s replacement, when he learned that Sally had phoned in sick.

‘Sick?’ The possibility had never occurred to Logan. He needed to loosen his shirt collar which was suddenly way too tight. Sweat broke out on his brow. Was Sally honestly sick? Or was she avoiding him?

‘When did this happen?’ he asked Janet.

‘Sally’s been sick all weekend, apparently. With the flu.’

He couldn’t bear to think that was true. He’d spent hours over the weekend staring at the drawn curtains over Sally’s windows. Surely she hadn’t been lying inside the house all that time?

‘I thought you must have known,’ Janet said. ‘Sally spent Friday night at the Hospital Ball with you, didn’t she?’

‘She did.’ Logan frowned. ‘And she was perfectly well then.’

‘I’ve heard along the grapevine that she taught you to waltz.’

Logan’s response was a distracted nod. He was picturing Sally, lying helpless and alone in that house, behind those drawn curtains, all weekend, too ill to answer the door, or to come to the phone. The poor girl.

He charged out of the office.

‘Logan,’ Janet called after him. ‘Don’t run off just yet. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.’

An annoyed sigh escaped him and he hovered in the doorway, one impatient hand on the frame, ready to launch out of there. ‘What is it?’

With infuriating calm, Janet left her chair and came to stand next to him. Arms folded comfortably, she slid him a shrewd sideways glance. ‘Am I right in guessing that my blind date strategy grew into something bigger?’

‘What blind date? What are you talking about?’

‘At the teambuilding workshop. When I paired you with Sally.’

Puzzled, he shook his head. So much had happened since that workshop, he’d almost forgotten it. But it was the first occasion he and Sally had spent time together. He’d told her then that he couldn’t dance and everything else had unfolded from there.

If they hadn’t been paired off, none of the rest would have happened. He’d be free of this torment now. But he would have missed the joy of knowing Sally, the bliss of making love to her.

Janet’s eyes lost their amused sparkle. In all seriousness, she said, ‘I knew you and Sally would be good for each other.’

Logan’s chest squeezed so tightly it hurt him to breathe. ‘How did you work that out?’

‘I’ve seen your personality profiles.’ Janet spoke as if the answer was obvious. ‘Sally’s an extraverted feeling type, which means she’s tactful, friendly, but a little too sensitive. And you’re an introverted thinker. You’re logical and organised, but disinclined to trust your instincts.’

Instincts?

His instincts had been leading him a merry dance ever since that first time he’d met Sally after the baby had crawled under his desk.

Logan shook his head. ‘What’s the point of these personality profiles? What do they prove?’

‘That you and Sally complement each other perfectly.’

To his surprise, Logan found this idea incredibly cheering and he realised suddenly, that he was grinning. Quickly, helooked away, made an embarrassed, throat-clearing sound. ‘Right… well… ah… I know there are other matters we need to discuss, Janet, but I’m afraid we’ll have to deal with them later.’

Without looking back to see her reaction, Logan hurried away.

Sally could hear noises coming from downstairs in the kitchen.

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