There remained a scattering of papers piled high, ledgers, account books, inkwells and dip pens, staplers and envelopes, neat and tidy, and remarkably free of dust, an illustration of the owner of the firm.
O’Reilly came steaming into the office, slammed the door and made a beeline to Fiona. He took her hands in his and helped her rise. “I can’t believe my eyes. My beautiful Fiona come to visit me twice. As God is my witness, there is a female yet to be born who can resist the primal allure of this amazing physique.”
“Of course, what you say is never with a clear thought in your head.”
“Your warm words on any winter evening are a balm to my soul, and I take it you possess nothing but love for me.”
“It happens to be the heat of summer. Of course, you have two parts of a brain, ‘left’ and ‘right’. In the left side there is nothing right. In the right side, there’s nothing left.” Fiona nodded with an act of pious charity.
O’Reilly faked a near apoplexy. “How you insult me.”
“I’m not insulting you. I’m describing you.”
“You’re giving me goose-pimples, Fiona. A shame I didn’t meet you when I was a schoolboy with dark desires.”
Fiona harrumphed. “You are cruel to mock me.”
O’Reilly laughed heartily. “Whatever idiot broke your heart, I’ll be happy to break his legs.”
“You offend me. There were many hearts I broke.”
O’Reilly threw his hands up in the air. “Faith, I know another you’re adding to your heartbreak pile.”
“You have the devil’s own tongue,” Fiona scoffed, turned on her heel and headed to the door.
O’Reilly followed like a lovelorn puppy. “I swear on the Saints–”
“How you prattle freely the Book of Revelation according to St. Daniel O’Reilly,” she tossed over her shoulder.
“Wait, are you abandoning me so soon? Who is going to flirt with me now?”
“Who isn’t?” Fiona snapped, stopping halfway.
O’Reilly spoke sorrowfully. “Oh, my lovely Fiona, if God sends me down a stony path, may He give me strong shoes.”
Fiona pivoted on him, caught his hands held in supplication, and skewered him with a lethal glare. “May God give me stony shoes to trample over your stony heart.”
O’Reilly adopted a look on his face that would have done top honors at a wake. “Why the furor?”
Fiona sniffed. “You have ignored me for two days. What am I supposed to think?”
He took her arm in his, guided her from the office. “You know you are the only one. I’m working hard to make a good life for you. Come, I’ll show you what I’ve done.”
Phew! What a whirlwind those two were. Elizabeth exhaled, left alone with the bookkeeper who never once looked up from his pen’s scratchings. She paused behind him reviewing the books. He was the worst accountant she’d ever seen. He was placing liabilities in assets, and assets in liabilities.
“You are a disgrace to your profession. I’m going to tell Mr. Rourke about your incompetence.”
The little man turned around and sneered. “And what would you, a mere woman, have any idea of the world of finance?”
She placed her hands on her hips as Zachary entered the office.
“Elizabeth, this is a pleasant surprise, and excuse my appearance,” he said, grabbing a shirt off the back of a chair, but not before Elizabeth had a splendid view. His bulging armmuscles glistened, and she couldn’t help but admire his broad shoulders and the way his chest tapered neatly down to a tight waist and slim hips. Her gaze moved downward on his abdomen, his navel circled with dark hair and making her forget her altercation with the bookkeeper.
“Mr. Rourke, you must remove this woman. She has no idea?—”
Elizabeth snapped to attention, her ire ramped up again and in full war mode. “Mr. Rourke, you must fire this man immediately. Your books are a mess.”
“Now see here,” said the little man. “This female is a featherweight when it comes to sums. She doesn’t have the faintest idea–”
