The Longing Within (Desire for Discipline Book 3) Read online

  Jill Baine walked out of her office and greeted them. “Lyndsey, John, it’s so good to see the two of you again. Let’s start off by taking a look at the office space available, and then we’ll go to my office and discuss that and the condo.”

  They followed her down a long hallway to a door on the left. Jill unlocked the door and opened it. She invited the two of them to enter the room first and she followed.

  “As you can see, there is a large window overlooking the city. Perhaps it might be a nice spot for your desk in front of it. Over here is a private washroom.” She opened a door and allowed them to look inside at the beautiful marbled full bath with white fixtures. “There is another smaller room next to the washroom.” She opened that door and John walked around the room, as if he was imagining how he would put it to use.

  “So, as you can see this space consists of one large office with the window, a smaller office, the private washroom and behind this door is a small bar. There is a refrigerator for your use.” She revealed a hidden door. Behind it, as she said, was a bar with glasses and a small refrigerator.

  “It’s perfect. I don’t need a lot of space, as this is to be a satellite office. My office in Pennsylvania will be the main location. I’ll be the only one working from here, unless as time goes on, I feel the need to hire an assistant,” John said as he stood in front of the massive window and looked out over the city of Nashville.

  “And the neutral walls and tile will allow him to decorate as he chooses,” Lyndsey added.

  “Yes, that’s true. Feel free to do whatever you need to do to make it your own,” Jill said with a smile. “If you’re ready, we can move on to my office.”

  “Lead the way,” John told her as he turned back around to face the two women.

  When they were comfortably seated in Jill’s office with coffee, John spoke. “I believe I’m interested in the office. What kind of rent are we talking?” he asked.

  Jill gave him a figure, told him utilities were included, and informed him he was free to utilize the company exercise room and snack area.

  “Sounds perfect,” he said. “I’ll be in town a few more days. Is it possible to draw up a contract before I go back to Pennsylvania?”

  “Of course, I’ll have legal work on it this afternoon. How soon do you think you’ll be making the move?” Jill asked.

  “As soon as I can arrange everything,” he replied. “The wedding is in less than two months and we’d like to have the office moved before then. I was hoping we could also be in the condo by then. What is the possibility of that happening?”

  “Jarrod can take you to look at one of the condos today, if you wish. He can fill you in on all the particulars and if there’s anything special you’d like in the way of décor, I can take care of that. I can show you some pictures now. I can also tell you what I’m planning to do and if you want something different, I’ll work with you.” Jill pulled some pictures out of her desk drawer and spread them out on her desk for them to look over.

  “Looks like the master bedroom is good sized,” Lyndsey remarked as she looked at one of the photos.

  “Yes, it is. The master bath is adjoining and there are two walk-in closets. Here, you’ll see the living area with stone fireplace in the corner and the dining area. This picture is obviously the kitchen, with stainless steel appliances. A small utility room off the kitchen with a pantry leads to the garage. There are two smaller bedrooms and another full bath on the other side of the living area.”

  John looked at Lyndsey and asked, “What do you think?”

  “I really like the kitchen,” she replied.

  “I’m impressed,” he said. “I understand there is a community pool.”

  Jill answered, “Yes, there is a pool and an exercise room available. The condos will be ready for me to start my finishing touches next week. The wood flooring in the living area and bedrooms is oak, as is the woodwork, and the walls are painted a neutral shade. Of course, they can be repainted if you prefer different colors. This is a sample of the tile in the kitchen, baths, and foyer.” She placed a piece of ceramic tile on the desk.

  “Is there anything you’d like changed? Blinds, curtains? We provide those, but you can do something different.”

  “I think I like this just the way the pictures look. Stainless steel, neutral colors, I can work with that,” Lyndsey said.

  “Let’s talk price, shall we?” John asked.

  When Jill told him what the condos were going for, he didn’t bat an eye. “Fine, let’s draw up the paperwork for one of these while we’re at it. We can get everything signed before I head back hopefully.”

  “Where will you be getting your loan?” Jill asked.

  “I’ll pay cash.”

  “I see,” Jill said. “I can have everything ready for you to sign on Wednesday. Does that work for you?” she asked.

  “I think so. Honey, can you get away from the office again?” he asked as he glanced over at his fiancé.

  “Uh…yes, I think so,” she stammered. She had no idea John had intended to pay cash for the condo. Apparently, he planned to dip into his inheritance.

  “I’ll give you a call to set up a time. It’s been a pleasure,” Jill said as she stood up.

  “Thanks so much, Jill. We’ll see you on Wednesday,” Lyndsey said as she got ready to leave.

  “Yes, thank you,” John said.

  When they were finally back in the car, she asked, “Are you sure we want to pay cash?”

  “I was expecting the price to be a lot more than what she quoted us. I don’t know if we’re getting a deal because of the family connection, but it was a steal at that price. I have plenty built up in my inheritance account. It’s been drawing interest all these years. I see no reason to start out our marriage in debt.”

  “As long as you’re sure,” she replied.

  “Honey, trust me. I’m taking care of things. We’re going to have a good life.”

  “The condo was really nice, wasn’t it?” she asked as he drove her to the office.

  “I thought so. I could tell you were impressed with that state-of-the-art kitchen. I liked the fireplace. The master bedroom with the two large walk-in closets was nice too.”

  “Now we have to figure out what furniture we’re keeping, what we’re getting rid of, and what we’re buying. We’ll need some rugs too, for the rooms with the wood floors. I think that would add to the décor.”

  “We’ll also need to look at office furniture,” he added. “We’ll talk about it over dinner tonight. Right now, you’ve got to get to work and so do I. I’ll pick you up at six?” he asked.

  “Six will work. I love you.”

  “I love you. Do you want me to cook or would you prefer to go out?”

  “Why don’t we go out? We can relax and discuss boring things like furniture,” she teased.

  “That’s fine with me. I’ll get more work done that way before I pick you up. I know I promised to cook dinner for you, but there will be plenty of nights for that.”

  “Just drop me off by the front door. I’ll see you at six.” She leaned over to kiss him and got out of the car. She waved goodbye before turning to walk inside.

  She had just entered the building when one of the other editors approached her. “Hey, Lyndsey, you’re back. Did you have time to grab lunch? I was just going to order something.”

  “No, actually I didn’t. I was planning to order in and eat at my desk.”

  “Come in my office and we’ll eat together. I want to talk to you about something, anyway.”

  Lyndsey followed her co-worker into her office and sat down. They decided on salads from the deli down the street that delivered and as they waited for the food, Joanne asked about her morning. She’d worked with Joanne for two years and the two of them worked well together.

  “John liked the office space. He’s signing the contract Wednesday. We also looked at pictures of the new condos Jarrod Baine is building and we decided to buy one of those. W
e are supposed to go look at it, possibly this evening or tomorrow. I’ll need to run in there long enough to sign all the paperwork Wednesday.”

  “Good thing all this didn’t take place last week,” Joanne said with a giggle.

  “I know,” Lyndsey said, “this week is much better.”

  “We’re having a big meeting at two. No one knows what’s up, it’s all being kept very hush-hush,” Joanne told her.

  “Really, I wonder what that’s about,” she replied curiously.

  “The entire staff, too,” Joanne informed her.

  She didn’t have a chance to reply because their salads had arrived. They worked as they ate by discussing upcoming releases.

  When it was time for the meeting, the two women walked to the conference room together to join the rest of the staff.

  The owner of the company started the meeting by welcoming them. “I want to thank you for taking time out to meet with me. I have some exciting news to share and I didn’t want to wait for our regularly scheduled meeting to address it.”

  “I wonder what is going on.” Joanne whispered, nervously flipping her long, red hair over her shoulder.

  “I haven’t the slightest,” she whispered back.

  The owner went on, “We’ve had the privilege of securing a New York Times Bestselling author to add to our lineup. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the name Alexandria Avery.”

  The room was filled with murmurs. The owner waited before continuing. “Now that the initial shock has filled the room, let me tell you this. Ms. Avery has ended her contract with her current publisher and is coming on board with Starlight Publishing. She has signed a contract with us for her next six books. This could put us on the map, so to speak. We have Marshall Johnson to thank for this acquisition. Marshall was aware Ms. Avery’s current contract was up for renewal and he went after her. I wish to congratulate Marshall on a job well done. Marshall will be the editor assigned to Ms. Avery, of course. I expect her releases to run smoothly, with no hiccups. This deal could make or break us as a publishing company. Now, let’s get back to work and thank you again for taking time out of your busy afternoons to meet with me.”

  Joanne and Lyndsey stepped forward with the other editors to congratulate Marshall. They’d all known he was a go-getter, but to actually land Alexandria Avery was an accomplishment to be proud of.

  “Wow, I bet he gets a big bonus out of this,” Joanne said in a hushed tone as they walked back to their offices together.

  “Well, if he does, it’s well deserved. Can you imagine what this could do for our company? If her books sell as well as her other ones have, we could be working with more top authors as time goes on.”

  “What if they flop?” Joanne asked.

  “I don’t really think that will happen, do you? She has a proven track record,” Lyndsey replied.

  “Just sayin’…it happens.”

  “I have a lot of work to do if I want to get out of here by six. I’ll catch up with you later.” Lyndsey walked on down the hallway to her own office and sat down behind her desk. Alexandria Avery, wow!

  She spent the next three hours editing a book for one of her favorite authors. Sometimes her job didn’t seem like work at all. And then there were the weeks like the previous two…

  When six o’clock rolled around, she locked her office and ran outside to meet John. He was waiting for her with a big smile on his face.

  “We are to meet Jarrod at the condo now. We’ll go eat after. How was your afternoon?” he asked.

  “Interesting,” she said. She went on to explain. “It seems one of our editors landed a New York Times Bestselling author.”

  “That’s great news, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “Yes, it really is. Of course, Joanne, one of my co-workers, is worried what will happen if her books are a flop, but I just can’t see that happening.”

  “Here we are,” he said as he pulled into the drive that led to the condominium community.

  “There’s Jarrod,” she said as they pulled up beside the Baine company vehicle. Jarrod was standing outside waiting for them.

  “Hi, you two, good to see you,” Jarrod said as he shook both their hands. “Jill tells me you’re ready to sign the papers on one of these babies. I’ll let you choose which one.”

  They looked around. John spoke first and said, “I think I prefer the end.”

  “I think so too,” Lyndsey agreed.

  “End it is, then,” Jarrod said as he led them to the condo on the far end of the group. He unlocked the door and led them inside.

  The glass chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling in the entryway was breathtaking. As they walked from room to room, Lyndsey was even more in love with the place than she had been when she’d seen the pictures earlier. It was the perfect place to start a marriage. It was modern, close to both their offices, roomy and, as John had pointed out earlier, priced right.

  “Pictures just don’t do it justice, do they?” she asked. “I mean, we were sold on it from seeing those, but this is just gorgeous. I love the two sets of French doors that lead to the fenced in patio off the dining area and master bedroom.”

  John nodded. “Jarrod, have someone from your office call when the papers are ready to sign. I’ll have my bank in Pennsylvania wire the money to you.”

  “We’ll have them ready on Wednesday. When are you heading back?” Jarrod asked.

  “Not until the weekend,” John replied. “Wednesday will be fine. Could we do it close to lunchtime? Lyndsey is working this week.”

  “Sure, not a problem at all,” Jarrod said. “I’ll have someone call you.”

  The men shook hands again.

  “I’ll see both of you on Wednesday and if there’s anything we can do to help with your moves, let us know. I understand you plan to move into the office pretty quickly.”

  “I will let you know when I have a definite date,” John replied.

  “And as for the condo, we were hoping to be in before the wedding, which is in six weeks,” Lyndsey added.

  “That won’t be a problem,” Jarrod assured her.

  Jarrod walked them back to their car. Once on the road, John reached over and took her hand. “It’s been quite an eventful day. Now, we can relax over dinner and talk about that furniture and other boring stuff married couples talk about.”

  She laughed. “I doubt our life will ever be boring.”

  Chapter Seven

  The next five weeks passed quickly. John was moved into the new office. Furniture had been bought and Lyndsey had helped him decorate it. He was settling in nicely and had even landed two local accounts in his first week. The furniture issue for the condo had been resolved. They had decided to mix some of each of their current pieces with a few new things. The other pieces had been sold. The condo was furnished and ready to move into that week.

  Dresses had been bought, tuxes had been ordered, flowers were chosen and everything else seemed to be running according to schedule. Lyndsey had fallen in love with the first gown she’d tried on and couldn’t wait for John to see her walking down the aisle on Bob’s arm.

  Bryan and Janis had returned home and Lyndsey had met with Janis on several occasions to discuss the wedding plans, but also to speak of something of a more personal nature.

  Things at the publishing house were busy, but Lyndsey was all set for a two week vacation. She planned to take the week before the wedding and the week after. John still hadn’t revealed the destination of their wedding trip to her.

  She was meeting Janis for lunch that Monday, the first day of her vacation. They planned to meet at the mall and after lunch, Lyndsey was going to do some last minute shopping. Since she didn’t know where they were going, it hadn’t been easy to shop for their trip, but John had told her to dress for the season, which was early autumn.

  “Lyndsey, hi, you look great,” Janis said as she greeted her in the parking lot of the restaurant.

  “Thanks, and married life sure seems to
agree with you,” she responded as she hugged her new sister-in-law.

  “Ah, well, it has its moments.” Janis laughed.

  “Let’s grab a table. I want to talk some more about what we discussed the other day,” Lyndsey said as they walked inside.

  After they had ordered and the waitress had walked away, Janis asked, “So, are you having second thoughts about your decision?”

  “Oh, no, not at all, I’m perfectly okay with John being the head of the household. And so far, I’ve behaved myself according to his standards, so there’s been no need for … punishment.”

  “Now, that’s where I had issues, as you well know.”

  “Since it hasn’t happened with us yet, I’ll have to let you know on that one.” Lyndsey giggled.

  They discussed the wedding after that.

  “Are things falling into place? Is there anything you need help with?” Janis asked.

  “Believe me, Maeve has it all under control. The woman is in her glory.”

  “She loves you like a daughter, Lyndsey. She wants everything to be perfect.”

  “I know and I love her like a mother, but we all know Maeve.”

  “I guess I’ve become one of her biggest supporters, which probably shocks you. Once we got past all of our differences, she’s become like a second mom to me.”

  “I couldn’t be happier. I never imagined things would turn out so well. I thought after they gave their blessing for your marriage, things would be cordial, at best.”

  “They want their children to be happy, as any parent would. I know Maeve has her oddities and her opinions, but once you get past all that, she’s an old softie at heart. She adores John.”

  “She had done a marvelous job with this wedding, that’s for sure. There’s no way John and I could have done such a production, with our work schedules and his move.”