said she had a congenital heart defect.”
“Oh, well. You win some; you lose some. You shouldn’t get too bent out of shape. HR is looking for a replacement.”
“It’ll be hard to replace her.”
Clint snickered. “Puh-lease. Assistants are a dime a dozen.”
Clint was wrong. Olive was the best damn assistant in the world. And the most delicious. Taking a seat in one of the armchairs facing my desk, my marketing director folded her long legs, one over the other, and broke into my thoughts.
“So, where was she buried?”
“She wasn’t.”
“Oh? They couldn’t find a casket big enough for her?”
I gritted my teeth. “She was cremated.”
“That must have taken a while. I bet her ashes filled an entire urn. Maybe a couple.”
“Listen, Clint, let’s not talk about Olive. She was really nothing to me and now she’s ancient history.”
Clint’s face brightened. “I agree.”
I took a bite of my glazed donut and then a sip of my coffee. “Listen, Clint, I did a lot of soul searching while I was out of the office. And I thought about what you said. I think you’re right. I need a smart woman who is strong and aggressive, someone who understands me.”
She batted her eyes and then seductively ran a hand through her hair. “Then, why don’t you finally let me show you what you’ve been missing out on?”
My eyes met hers. “I think we should get to know each other better. Come to my house tonight for cocktails and dinner. Why don’t we say at seven-thirty?”
A triumphant smile slithered across her face. “I’ll be there. And I won’t let you down.”
At precisely seven thirty my doorbell rang. Wearing sweats and a big sweatshirt, I answered the door. It was never-late Clint, clad in a long black trench coat.
“Quite a nice pad you have here, Owen,” she said, never having been to my big house before. “I bet it’s worth several million dollars in this marketplace.”
“I have no idea. I just know it gets lonely.”
“We’re going to change that.” She winked at me before stepping inside.
“Let me take your coat. I thought we’d order in. I hope you have an empty stomach.”
“I do,” she said, unbuckling her coat. My eyes grew wide. Beneath it, all she had on was a one-piece bustier that pushed up her tiny tits and held up garter-tethered fishnets. Tall spiky black leather boots completed the getup. “I hope I dressed appropriately for the occasion.”
“Perfection.” I gave her a look of approval, masking my shock and hoping she wasn’t going to trample me with those killer boots as I took her coat. “Why don’t we start off our evening with some champagne?”
“Wonderful. I adore champagne.” Smiling, she let me lead her to the step-down living room. The room was aglow with the massive fireplace blazing and scattered scented candles.
“Make yourself at home, beautiful. I’ll be right back with the champagne. I have it chilling in the fridge.”
Five minutes later, I was back with a tray holding an opened bottle of Cristal and two fluted crystal glasses filled to the brim with the bubbly.
Clint, who was sitting seductively on the couch, her long toned legs curled on the cushions, lit up as I set the tray down on the coffee table. “Oh, Cristal! My favorite! You are indeed a man after my own heart.”
I sat down on a nearby armchair as she slipped one of the flutes between her manicured fingers. I took the other glass into my hand.
“Shall we?”
“Yes. Let’s toast. To us!”
We clinked our glasses together. Ping. My eyes fixed on her as she took her first sip.
“Mmm. This is divine.” As I slowly sipped mine, I watched as she drained her glass. A giddy smile crossed her lips. “Oh, darling. I have such an addiction to champagne. It’s going to be the death of me.”
I smiled back at her. “Yes, it’s going to be…just the way it was for Olive.”
Clint blinked her eyes hard. “What are you saying, Owen? She had a fucking heart attack.”
“No, she was poisoned.”
Clint’s jaw dropped to the floor. I took another delicious sip of my champagne before breaking the bad news.
“Hope you enjoyed your last glass of champagne. I’ve laced it with cyanide…just the way you did Olive’s.”
The empty glass slipped out of her hand and went crashing to the floor. She clutched her stomach, her eyes filling with a mixture of fear and fury. “Oh my God! That fat bitch deserved to die. I did you a favor. She was all wrong for you. I’m