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Winnie reached into her top right desk drawer and scooped out her wallet before taking the elevator to the forty-second floor, and changed to the express elevator that whisked her to lobby level in less than ten seconds It was a drastic free-for-all in her tummy and she sed hard when the elevators slid open a second time

Life with Morgan Grady was a bit like riding the Tower elevators: a giddy ride up and down but nothing solid in between Yet after six et off She wanted a job with decent hours, solid benefits, and an elderly boring boss so she could sleep again at night

Outside, Winnie drew a short breath, momentarily blind sided by the heat and noise As she walked to the hot dog vendor on the co yellow cabs, half leaning on their horns

Winnie bought a can of icy soda and popped the top on her way back to the Tower's entrance It was mid-afternoon and Manhattan's skyscrapers had already reduced the light into little grids of sun and shadow on the sidewalk

When she announced she wasto New York to work, her family had predicted she wouldn't survive a month Instead she'd lasted over four years

She didn't particularly want to leave Manhattan now, but she needed distance froht she dreaan Grady would never go for her He dated socialites, y secretaries who stuttered when nervous

The Tower's revolving glass door turned and a woman Winnie only knew as Tiffany, joined her on the sidewalk in front of the building

"It's that ti up She was tall, slender, with lots of blond highlights in her hair She looked like the type that had tried to h school "Just three more hours"

Winnie felt a stab of envy "You go home at five?"

"Most of the tiarette and exhaled She cast Winnie a bored glance "Where do you work?"

"On the seventy-eighth floor"

"The seventy-eighth?" Tiffany's eyebrows arched, her interest piqued "Then you must work for Grady Investments'

Suddenly Winnie didn't feel like talking anymore

Woht it'd get thean Grady "Yes," she answered, voice clipped

"So what's he like?" Tiffany persisted

Winnie pushed her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose "Who?"

Tiffany let out a little laugh, her pink-painted lips parted "Very funny Morgan Grady, silly You work in his office You must have met him What's he likeImean, really, what's he like?"

"Busy"

"Of course He's huge He completely dominates the investment world Everyone pays attention to his market forecasts'

Winnie forced a sht smile "Isn't that nice?"

"But the part I find , is that he's not just this brilliant brain in a glass jar-he's gorgeous, too" Tiffany sounded positively giddy "No wonder he's been named New York's Sexiest Bachelor twice in a row He's sexier than sin I'd kill for a moment alone with him"

"And I should just killpainfully inadequate Living on the periphery of Morgan Grady's world was about as excruciating a thing as Winnie had ever experienced Thank God she'd soon be working soet some self-esteem back

Tiffany had a one-track mind "What's he like as a boss?"

"Let me loan you my book, Never Work for a Jerk, and then you tell me what you think"

Tiffany giggled "Is there really such a book?"

"Yes"

Tiffany laughed even harder "And you have a copy?"

"No, not yet But I plan on buying it soon" Tiffany was laughing so hard she had to wipe her eyes "I had no idea you were so funny," she cried, tapping her cigarette "Who would have thought?"

"Yes, ould have thought?" A voice coolly cut in It was a deep voice, husky and distinctly male, a voice Winnie knew far too well "She's a woman of many hidden talents"

Winnie felt ice water flood her limbs Mr Grady! "And her next job," he continued dryly, "will be working as a standup comedian"

CHAPTER THREE