Warren's office
"Why not give him another chance?" Warren pleaded. He was facing Erin. She was furious and he had a good idea why. Cade had not answered his phone for the last couple of days so he figured a lovers quarrel. The proposal must not have turned out well.
"What for?"
"I'm sure you can work it out together. Sam tells me the two of you could barely take your eyes of each other."
"That doesn't mean anything," Erin intervened. "It was an affair, and a short-lived one. Now leave it alone, Warren."
"Look, nobody's perfect," Warren tried again. "But I've been married to my Emma for the last thirty years and we still love each other."
"Good for you," Erin said calmly but the tone clearly bespoke of her total disinterest in continuing the subject.
"What I'm trying to say is that love doesn't come flying on a magic carpet. You have to work for it."
"And?"
"And I'm positive the two of you are just perfect for one another- if you'll only give the relationship a chance."
"You've planned this all along, haven't you Warren?"
"Planned what?"
"This whole set-up is one of your great plans for finding a woman for that precious nephew of yours? There never was any embezzlement, was there? No, don't say anything," she almost screamed as he opened his mouth. "I can tell when you're hiding something. You lured me into dressing like a prostitute and seducing that damn macho-man."
"Now see here. It was done with the best of mind - for both of you. "
"How?" Erin snarled at him. "How can any of this disaster help
me
in any way?"
"Of course I wanted Cade to settle down. He's always working too hard and caring too little about finding a person to share his life with. And so are you. I want my employees to have a life besides work."
"Ah ha. So this was all done in
charity
?" Erin practically screamed at him.
"I wouldn't have put it quite like that, but..."
"But nothing," Erin shouted. "Stay out of my personal life, Warren! Or I will have to find somewhere else to work." She stamped out of his office and closed the door with a loud bang.
Warren just stared at the closed door. How had his plan turned out so bad? It had gotten along so well he had thought he had everything in hand. Damn them both. He had only tried to make them happy and look where it had gotten him. Neither of them was behaving like reasonable adults these days. The next time he would leave all the matchmaking to Emma. She was much better at this.
***
"What's up, girl? Are you going to let me in or what?" Stella's voice was beaming into the door phone. Erin had managed to avoid her for the last couple of days by letting the answering machine sort her calls. So far it had worked, but Stella was not one to give up that easily.
"All right, you'd better come up then," Erin said and pushed the door button.
"How did it go?" Stella asked as soon as she entered the apartment. "I haven't heard a thing about this assignment of yours. Warren is not saying anything and you're avoiding me. What's happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Stella. Can't we just let it rest?"