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some talk show or something.”
    â€œYeah, let me think about it.” She pushed off the desk and settled down in a leather chair identical to the one in her own office. “So, it was just you and Michael?” she noted coyly.
    â€œYup.”
    â€œAnd—?”
    â€œDante’s is now one of our clients,” said Theresa, refusing to take the bait. Though it did make her wonder . . . “Do you think I’m a snob?” she asked abruptly, swinging back and forth in her chair.
    â€œWhen it comes to Michael Dante, yes. He’s a really nice guy and you know it.”
    Theresa stopped swinging. “I’m done dating jocks.”
    â€œNot every jock is a potential rapist, as I can attest.”
    â€œAnd as I’ve told you, you got the only good one.” The phone line on her desk lit up and she held her breath. Please, Terrence, take care of it, especially if it’s my mother again. The light went out. I knew there was a reason I loved you, Terrence. She looked to Janna. “So what did you want to talk about?”
    Janna took a deep breath. “I got a call this morning from someone named Ted Banister.”
    â€œSounds like a soap opera character.”
    â€œHe’s a lawyer. Representing the Butler Corporation.”
    The Butler Corporation. All the tension that had melted from Theresa’s shoulders came screaming back with a vengeance. Butler was a huge international advertising agency currently in the process of gobbling up PR firms like M&M’s. In the two years since she and Janna had opened their office, Butler had bought out three small PR firms and buried two small ad agencies. With money and clout to burn, it was clear they wouldn’t rest until they owned every boutique agency in the city.
    â€œLet me guess: They want to buy us out,” Theresa deduced blandly.
    â€œI assume that’s the case, but of course Banister wouldn’t come right out and say so on the phone. He wants to meet with us here Friday morning.”
    â€œAnd did you tell him to go take a leak in his hat?”
    â€œI wish,” Janna replied. “No, I told him to stop by around ten. Should be interesting.”
    â€œMmm.” Theresa resumed swinging in her chair, more slowly this time. “Why would they be interested in us ? We’re not that big.”
    â€œNo, but we’ve got some professional athletes and TV people on our roster.”
    â€œJesus. How long do you think the meeting will take?”
    â€œI have no idea. Why?”
    â€œI have to be at the celeb softball game at noon.”
    â€œI’m sure we’ll be done by then. If not, you can go when you need to, and I’ll wrap things up.”
    There was an edge of uneasiness in Janna’s voice that Theresa found contagious. “I don’t like this,” Theresa confessed.
    â€œI know,” Janna agreed. “I’m afraid he’ll offer us an obscene amount of money we’d be insane to turn down, or else he’ll blatantly threaten to ruin us. But we’ll hang tough, right?”
    â€œDamn straight,” Theresa replied without hesitation.
    But whether they truly believed what they were saying was another matter.
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    Hurry, hurry, hurry!
    Hustling through the small crowd of fans outside the players’ entrance at Met Gar, Michael promised to sign autographs afterward, praying the team wasn’t already on the ice for the pregame warm-up. If they were, his ass was going to be grass. Tearing down the long concrete hallway leading to the locker room, he was hurriedly calling out hellos to various Met Gar staff. Shit. Most of the guys had already left, but a few were still dressing. Thank God. If he could dress really fast and get out on the ice with them, he’d be okay.
    â€œHey, hey, Mikey boy, nice of you to show up,” quipped Dennis O’Malley, the team’s backup goalie, his melon-sized head bobbing up and down in