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middle of the night, and she felt herself flushing. “You really should try to find out what’s causing your insomnia.”
    “I know what caused my insomnia last night.”
    “Oh.”
    She was saved from having to think of a more intelligent response when Stephanie breezed into the kitchen looking cool and poised in a black and white maternity dress. Her deftly applied makeup was flawless.
    “Good morning, everyone.” Stephanie paused, frowning. “Oh, I see you found the coffee machine, Joel. I usually make the coffee. But since it’s already done, you may as well help yourself, Letty.”
    “Thank you.” Letty reached for a mug, aware that although Stephanie was putting on a polite front, she was a little irritated that Joel had dared to invade her kitchen. Letty wished she could think of something soothing to say, but she rarely knew quite what to say to Stephanie. It was like dealing with a woman from another planet. They had nothing in common. “Would you like me to pour you a cup, Stephanie?”
    “Absolutely not,” Stephanie said. “I’m not taking any caffeine during my pregnancy. I’ll have fruit juice.”
    “Yes, of course. Fruit juice.” Letty felt like an idiot because she didn’t know the latest rules. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Joel watching her with a sardonic expression. She ignored him as she tried a sip of the coffee.
    “Something wrong?” Joel asked when she made a face.
    “I think it’s burned. Shall I make a fresh pot?”
    “I’ll make a fresh pot if it’s necessary,” Stephanie said quickly.
    “It’s not burned,” Joel said. “It’s a dark roast. Letty probably isn’t used to the flavor. That’s the way we like our coffee to taste out here, isn’t it, Stephanie?”
    “Yes, of course.” Stephanie smiled condescendingly. “You’ll get accustomed to it, Letty.”
    Morgan appeared in the doorway. “Good morning, everyone.”
    Everyone murmured a response. Stephanie busied herself preparing breakfast with her usual awesome efficiency and skill. Letty was wondering if she would be allowed to at least set the table when the white wall phone buzzed.
    Stephanie closed the refrigerator door and reached for the phone. “Hello?” Her eyes flew to Letty. “Yes, she’s here. Just a moment, please.”
    Letty glanced up, alarmed. “Who is it?” she mouthed.
    “He’s says he’s Philip Dixon,” Stephanie murmured, holding the phone out to Letty.
    Letty took a step back and frantically waved away the phone. “Tell him I’m not here,” she whispered. “Tell him I’ve gone for a walk or something. Please, I really don’t want to talk to him.”
    Joel stood up. “I’ll handle this.” He took the phone from Stephanie’s hand. “This is Joel Blackstone. I’m Ms. Thornquist’s CEO . What can I do for you, Dixon?”
    Letty stared at Joel in astonishment. Her father and Stephanie did the same. The kitchen was suddenly very quiet until Joel spoke again.
    “No, I’m afraid that’s not possible, Dixon. It’s an image thing. I’m sure you understand. Ms. Thornquist is now the president of Thornquist Gear. In her position she can’t take calls from some asshole who’s dumb enough to get caught with his dick stuck in the mouth of a grad student who’s trying to suck her way to an A.”
    Joel hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and returned to the table. He seemed oblivious to the stunned silence in the room. He sat down and picked up his mug of coffee.
    Letty finally managed to find her voice. She cleared her throat weakly. “‘Asshole’? ‘Dick’? What happened to a ‘compromising situation’ in which a certain ‘male member’ was inserted between ‘scarlet-tinted lips’?”
    “You said you wanted me to be your mentor,” Joel muttered. “That makes me the teacher and you the student, right?”
    “Well, yes. Right.”
    “So listen up and pay attention as we go along, because I won’t repeat this stuff and there will definitely be a