Fabric of Fate

Chapter One

Audrey Brennan stared at her computer screen and ignored the incessant beeping of her phone. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she refined her presentation, tinkering with the phrasing and font type. Time was of the essence. The client would be here within minutes.

A sharp rap on the door was quickly followed by it opening. Her assistant Gwen poked her head inside. “Ten minutes.”

“I know. I know,” she muttered under her breath and waved Gwen away. She hit print and sat back as pages began to spit out of the machine at a rapid rate.

Audrey rubbed her tired eyes. They were burning from lack of sleep. This last campaign had been a killer with the client changing his mind almost daily, but she had it now. The perfect tagline and punch for the print and television ads. The final piece of an already perfect puzzle.

The storyboards were set up in the conference room along with some preliminary photos and the PowerPoint presentation. Everything was ready.

She reached for her coffee cup only to find it empty. A quick glance told her the pot sitting on the credenza was also empty. Had she really drunk the whole pot herself? The burning in her stomach told her that she certainly had. It was only 9:50 in the morning but she’d been at work for almost five hours. Of course, she hadn’t left work until midnight the night before, so she was operating on about three hours of sleep and a gallon of caffeine.

“Just get through this and you can have a long rest and some decent food.” Of course, she was lying to herself. Once this campaign was nailed down there would be another one and another one. It had been like this for—she paused to count—ten years now. Where had the time gone?

“Suck it up,” she ordered herself. She yanked open her top desk drawer and pulled out a roll of antacids, popping two in her mouth. She chewed the chalky tablets, praying that her stomach would settle and the burning in her chest would subside.

The last page popped out of the printer and she grabbed the stack and shoved them into the presentation folder. She stood and ignored the slight dizziness and the sharp pain in her head. No time.

She paused in front of the mirror and gave herself a critical once-over. Her hair was pulled back in a business-like chignon but her skin was pale and her lipstick nonexistent.

Audrey swore and went back to her desk and pulled out her emergency makeup kit. It only took her a few seconds to swipe on some lipstick and give her cheeks a light touch of powder. Not too much, just a hint. Satisfied, she tossed the makeup back into the case and threw it into her desk drawer.

Her vintage velvet Chanel jacket went well with the simple black pencil skirt she wore. The style and obvious designer label were designed to give the client confidence in her abilities but understated enough so as not to overwhelm them. Her black velvet and leather Prada pumps matched the jacket to perfection and added a couple extra inches to her five-five frame. She was as ready as she’d ever be. There were millions of dollars on the line here and she was the one who had to get them for Claymore and Butler.

She scooped up the folder and headed to the door. Two minutes to get to the conference room. Gwen would have everything else set up by now. Audrey knew she could depend on her assistant. Of course she could, she thought wryly, Gwen was gunning for Audrey’s job. The advertising world was a cutthroat business worth millions daily. She hadn’t stayed on top for all these years by burying her head in the sand. Audrey was always aware of what every member of her staff was up to.

A sharp pain in her chest brought her to a grinding halt just short of the door. She gasped and slapped her palm over her heart. “Okay, that’s it. No more coffee for you. Time to switch to herbal tea.” She’d never had heartburn this bad before but she was running on empty and she knew it. “Just get through the presentation and then you can go home and rest.” It was a promise she planned to keep.

She took another step and a wave of dizziness hit her, sending her stumbling sideways into the wall. “This is ridiculous.” The folder fell from her fingers, papers scattering at her feet. “I don’t need this now.”

Sweat beaded on her forehead and it got more difficult to breathe. For the first time, Audrey began to worry. “Water. I just need a glass of water.” Rather than a few simple steps, the mini fridge seemed miles away.

Her phone line buzzed on her desk, her cellphone vibrated in her pocket and Gwen knocked on the door. “Audrey, the clients have arrived downstairs.”

Audrey wanted to answer Gwen and both calls but couldn’t move. She, the queen of multitasking, couldn’t take one step. Her chest hurt and her arms seemed heavy and numb. She opened her mouth to call to her assistant but nothing came out.

She lurched to the side, desperately trying to make it into the client chair in front of her desk. She just needed to rest for a moment.

She didn’t make it.

The floor seemed to rise up to meet her. Audrey stuck out her hands to catch herself on the desk but all she accomplished was to shove her phone, penholder and a stack of files onto the floor, where they scattered like leaves in a wind.

The world took on a dark, hazy quality. She had a vague sense of someone coming into her office without permission, which was usually a no-no. Someone screamed and then there were people around her.

Time lost all meaning. She blinked and there was a stranger leaning over her, asking her questions. She wanted to answer him but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying.

The presentation. The client. She was going to be late.

She struggled to catch his arm, her hands flailing. He caught them and continued talking to her in a calm, even tone. She frowned. “Presentation.” Or at least that’s what she thought she said. She wasn’t sure. It sounded kind of garbled.

Then she was moving. The ceiling rolled above her and she struggled to understand where they were taking her. She had a presentation to give.

But she was so tired. She decided she’d just close her eyes for a moment. Just for a few minutes. Then she’d figure out what to do.

The steady sound of a beep woke her. Audrey tried to open her eyes but it wasn’t easy. She’d never been a quitter and so she kept at it until they fluttered open. The room was stark white and there was a curtain around her and several scary looking pieces of equipment next to her bed. It took her befuddled mind a few moments to process that she was in a hospital.

She’d had a pain in her chest and gotten lightheaded. She frowned and pushed harder to remember exactly what had happened but came up blank. There were flashes of memory—something over her face, strangers talking to her and urgent voices giving orders. Obviously something had happened to her. Had she collapsed due to exhaustion? Fainted? How embarrassing. Her bosses wouldn’t be impressed and someone else would have given her presentation to the clients. All her hard work taken over by someone else, probably Gwen.

The beeping got faster and she turned to glare at the annoying machine. The blips were rolling across the screen at a rapid rate.

The door to her room was pushed open and a nurse hurried in. “You’re awake. Good. How do you feel?” The short-haired blonde moved briskly to the side of her bed and checked the machines.

“Fine. I feel fine.” She tried to make her tone brisk and businesslike and was appalled with how weak she sounded.

The nurse gave her a look of disbelief and inspected the IV line running into Audrey’s arm. Audrey glanced at the woman’s name tag but couldn’t quite focus on it enough to read it. She hadn’t even noticed the IV and was vaguely surprised. “What happened?”

The nurse shook her head. “The doctor will be in to see you in a few hours. Rest and relax until then.”

“I want to know now.” The beeping got faster.

The nurse shook her head. “Please relax, Ms. Brennan. You’re not doing yourself any good by worrying. I’ll page Dr. Harper and see if he’s available.”

With that she was gone, leaving Audrey to lie on the cool, scratchy sheets and stare at the ceiling tiles. She was more awake now, more aware of her surroundings. She could hear muted voices beyond her door and the occasional set of footsteps. The doctor would be here soon and then she would get checked out of this place. She needed to get back to the office and find out what had happened with the presentation. She had no doubt it had gone ahead in her absence. After all, Claymore and Butler had a reputation to uphold.

A sharp rap on the door startled her out of a doze. Before she could call out the door was pushed open and a man walked in, obviously a doctor from the look of him. He gave her an absent smile, went to the end of the bed and picked up her chart. While he scanned it, she studied him. About fifty, graying hair and fit. He appeared competent, which was a good thing considering he was her doctor.

“I’m Dr. Harper and I hear you have questions, Ms. Brennan.”

She struggled into a seated position, which wasn’t quite as easy to do as she thought it would be. “I do. Have questions that is.” She managed to move up enough so she wasn’t lying flat on her back. She hated to be in such a vulnerable position around a complete stranger.

The doctor replaced her chart and worked the controls on the bed, raising the head until she was upright.

“Thank you. Now, what happened?” The quicker she got answers the faster she’d get out of here.

“To be quite blunt, Ms. Brennan, you collapsed in your office. We thought it might be a heart attack at first, but we’ve ruled that out. My best guess is a panic attack. You’re undernourished, dehydrated and anemic.”

Audrey’s jaw dropped open. “A panic attack? That’s impossible. I’ve just been working a little extra hard these past few weeks.” In a flash of clarity, she understood that if word got out about this her career was over.

He shook his head. “It’s more common than you think. People are working harder and not taking care of themselves. It’s a result of overwork, poor nutrition and lack of exercise.”

“But a panic attack?” She was still having a hard time wrapping her head around the mere idea. She was the queen of calm, a multitasking maniac. She always got the job done and on time.

“Call it what you will. Chalk it up to too much coffee in your system along with not enough food or proper rest. Your body rebelled, Ms. Brennan. You’re lucky it wasn’t a heart attack. At least there isn’t any lasting effects.” He paused for emphasis. “This time. This is more or less a wakeup call. You need to make some lifestyle changes if you don’t want to end up back in this bed, or worse.” He crossed his arms and stared down at her. “Stress is a major contributing factor. Your body is run-down. You’re anemic, undernourished and just plain worn out.”

Audrey frowned. “I’ve just been putting in some long hours lately.” She hated repeating herself and she especially hated the defensiveness in her voice.

“How long?” he challenged. “I see workaholics in here every day and you’ve got the earmarks of one.”

She bristled at his tone and the implications behind it. She opened her mouth to refute him and then closed it. He was right. She’d been thinking the same thing herself only moments before she’d collapsed.

He patted her hand. “You have to decide how much your life is worth to you. You have to make changes or suffer the consequences.” He straightened and his manner became brisk again. “Do you have any family or friends you can call? You shouldn’t be alone when you go home. It’s just a precautionary measure.”

Audrey shook her head, aware of how pathetic she must seem to the doctor. “No, I don’t have any family.” An uncle she’d never met, but he wasn’t worth mentioning. “It was just my mother and me and she passed away years ago.”

“I’m sorry. Friends?” He was frowning at her now, almost as if he was going to reconsider letting her go home.

“Sure. I can call someone.” She was lying through her teeth but he couldn’t know that.

His expression cleared. “Good. I’ll have the nurse give you a list of instructions for you to follow. I want you on an iron supplement and a multivitamin until your levels are back to normal. I’m also going to give you a mild prescription for sleeping pills. If you pass a quiet night we’ll release you in the morning. But I’ll want to schedule some more tests. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have an ulcer and a few other minor conditions that need treating.”

Audrey thought about the earlier burning in her gut and kept her mouth shut.

“Rest, relaxation and good nutrition are the keys. You’re off work for two weeks. Doctor’s orders. A month would be better.”

She wanted to shriek at him. Two weeks was a lifetime in her business. Hell, she hadn’t even taken vacation the past three years, afraid if she did someone would have taken her place by the time she got back. “Two weeks is fine,” she agreed. She’d consent to anything to get out of this place.

Dr. Harper stared at her, as though he was trying to read her thoughts, testing the truthfulness of her words. She kept her features calm and her face unreadable. She was very good at projecting any image she wanted to.

He sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, obviously not buying into her ready cooperation. “Your life is in your hands, Ms. Brennan. Be sure you make the right choices.” With that, he was gone.

Audrey dozed in and out all night long, not really able to sleep in such a strange environment. Nurses came and went, a breakfast of juice, oatmeal and dry toast was served and cleared away and a nutritionist dropped by with a new eating plan for Audrey to follow. She set it aside on the bedside table as soon as the woman left.

She’d already been up and to the bathroom, dragging her IV pole behind her, and washed as best as she could. She’d also discovered her clothes in the closet, but no purse. It was probably back at the office.

Exhaustion was dragging at her and her movements were slow, but she wanted out of this place. The faster the better. She didn’t like hospitals. She’d spent far too many hours in them when her mother was slowly dying of cancer.

Finally, a nurse came in just before lunch with the necessary paperwork to release Audrey. The IV was unhooked and she was given the prescriptions for her vitamins and sleeping pills along with a list of instructions. She wanted to jump for joy when the nurse brought her clothing to the bed and helped her dress. “Is there someone coming to pick you up?”

“Yes.” Audrey lied without batting an eyelash. No way was she risking not getting out of this place. Her cell phone was still in her jacket pocket and she planned to call for a car as soon as the nurse left the room.

“I’ll be back with a wheelchair in about twenty minutes. It’s hospital policy so you should rest until then,” the nurse ordered.

The moment the woman was gone, Audrey pulled out her cell phone and put in a call to a car service she used on occasion. “This is Audrey Brennan. I need a car in about twenty minutes.” She listened and then gave further instructions. She had several stops to make before she went home.

The simple act of dressing and making the phone call exhausted her. She eased herself down onto the chair and rested her head against the back of it. She was so tired. What she needed was a hot bubble bath and a good night’s sleep. She’d be fine in no time.

The nurse was back before Audrey knew it and she was wheeled down the hall and into the elevator to make the short trip to the lobby. She had her prescriptions and paperwork clutched in her hands. As ordered, the car was waiting just outside the entrance. The driver was one she’d had before and he got out and hurried toward her.

“Hello, Malcolm.”

“Ms. Brennan.” He inclined his head and looked around for any baggage.

“It’s just me, Malcolm.”

“Very good.” Malcolm was a man of few words, but he was a good soul. He helped her out of the wheelchair and into the back seat of the car. The nurse whirled around and disappeared back into the hospital.

Audrey gave a sigh of relief when the door shut with a thunk. She closed her eyes and inhaled the rich leather smell of the seats, simply drinking in the silence.

“Where are we headed, Ms. Brennan?”

She opened her eyes and offered him a smile. “To the office first, Malcolm. I’ll need you to wait and take me home after.”

“Very good.” He pulled into traffic and she let herself drift as he drove. She really was tired. She’d stop into the office long enough to pick up her purse and arrange to take a few days off. Heck, maybe she’d even take a whole week. But first, she’d find out what had happened with her presentation.

Her chest tightened and she forced herself to take several slow, deep breaths. Her stomach was none too settled and her hands had a slight tremble. She clutched the paperwork tighter.

The traffic wasn’t too bad, not for New York, so it didn’t take them too long to get to the office. Malcolm pulled up in front of the tall building. “Don’t bother coming around to get the door. I won’t be long.”

She shoved open the door and used it to help pull herself up and out of the vehicle. Her muscles were like jelly, begging for rest. “Almost there,” she muttered.

She made her way across the sidewalk, into the building and back to the bank of elevators as quickly as she could, which actually wasn’t that fast at all. It was as though she was moving in slow motion.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She stepped inside and hit the button to go to the tenth floor. The ride up was mercifully quick and the doors to Claymore and Butler were before her.

The receptionist’s mouth fell open when Audrey pulled open the door and stepped inside. “Ms. Brennan. We weren’t expecting you.”

Audrey waved her away. “I know. I need to pick up a few things from my office.” She walked briskly down the hall, aware of all the eyes watching her as she passed. She could do this. Show no weakness.

Gwen wasn’t at her post, but Audrey’s office door was open and Gwen was sitting behind her desk in her chair. “Making yourself at home, I see. Don’t get too comfortable there.” Audrey hadn’t meant to snap, but seeing the younger woman sitting at her desk had hit her hard.

Gwen jumped out of Audrey’s chair and smoothed down the back of her skirt. As always, Gwen’s sleek black hair was impeccably styled, her makeup perfect, and the deep purple blouse she wore brought out the color of her blue eyes. Beside her, Audrey felt as appealing as a wet dishrag.

“Audrey, what are you doing here? I thought you were still in the hospital.”

She refrained from making any further snide remarks and marched around her desk and yanked open the bottom drawer. “I was released this morning, but I couldn’t go straight home. No keys.” She dragged her purse out and plunked it on the desk.

“I’m sorry. I should have thought of that, but it was so crazy here yesterday. You have no idea.” The younger woman straightened her shoulders and offered a smile that was anything but friendly.

Audrey had every idea as to what had gone on after she’d been taken out of here on a stretcher. “I trust you gave the presentation.”

“Of course.” Gwen sidled behind her and around to the front of the desk. “I was searching for the preliminary notes for the Baxter Corp job. Mr. Claymore was asking for them.”

Audrey strode to a tall file cabinet and yanked open the top drawer, pulling out a file. “They’re right here.”

Before she could hand them to Gwen, a male voice boomed across the room. “What are you doing here, Brennan?” That was Mr. Claymore. He called everyone by their last names like they were in the military and he was the general.

She shut the cabinet door and handed Gwen the file. “That will be all for now.” Gwen nodded and hurried out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

“I’m here because I didn’t have my purse or my keys, sir. I couldn’t get into my apartment without them.”

“Someone should have thought of that.” He shrugged and she knew it was forgotten. If it didn’t directly impact the company, Michael Claymore III didn’t care. But he was right. Someone should have thought of it. “What did the doctor say?”

“Nothing serious. I just need a few days rest.” She knew it was best to downplay her illness. And no way in hell would she mention the dreaded words panic attack.

“Good. Good. You know those young pups are always nipping at your heels.” He gave a sly smile and she was tempted to slap it off his face. She was very well aware of the competitive style of management that was encouraged here. No one really made friends and everyone was a potential enemy. Suddenly, Audrey was tired of all of it—him, her job and this entire company. All she wanted was to go home to bed.

“I’ll be gone a week, maybe two. I’ll get back to you on that.”

He frowned and resembled an unhappy bulldog with his jowls. “That long. Are you sure that’s necessary?”

It was necessary. It surprised her how abruptly her goals had changed. When she’d left the hospital she’d planned to get back to work as fast as possible. Now she didn’t care if she ever saw the place again. “Yes. Doctor’s orders.” She grabbed her purse and strode past her boss. “I’ll be in touch.”

She didn’t wait for a reply. The man seemed to be stunned. Of course, this was the first time in ten years she’d put herself ahead of the company. And how sad was that? Gwen watched her pass. There was no concern in her eyes, only ambition. They’d worked side by side for two years and yet Gwen hadn’t even thought to call and ask if there was anything she’d needed. None of them had.

She kept her gaze forward as she made the long trek back to the elevator. She was grateful it was empty and she didn’t have to share it with anyone. The trip seemed much longer this time but finally she was back in the lobby.

Malcolm was still waiting in the car and jumped out when he saw her coming. He had the door open by the time she got there. He didn’t speak but hustled her into the car and hurried back to the driver’s seat. The car eased into traffic. “Where to next?”

The papers next to her crinkled. Her prescriptions. She’d all but forgotten about them. “I need to stop at the pharmacy.”

God, she was tired. Tears welled in her eyes but she willed them back. As if sensing how close she was to the edge, Malcolm took her prescriptions in to be filled and waited until they was ready. Then he drove her home. It was taking all her energy to keep herself together.

Utter relief hit her like a sledgehammer when her building came into view. She was almost home. Malcolm parked and came around to open her door. She didn’t discourage him from doing so. She was as weak as a newborn kitten at the moment and needed all the help she could get.

Audrey gathered her purse, papers and the bag with her medication. Malcolm put his arm around her shoulders, helping her out of the car. “Thank you.” His small kindness almost broke her. She gave him a watery smile.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Ms. Brennan?”

“I’ll be fine, Malcolm. Thank you.” Of course she would be. She didn’t have any other choice.

“I’ll walk you up.”

“There’s no need.” But his offer touched her. He really was a nice man.

“Yes, ma’am, there is.” He let her lean on him all the way into the building.

She dug out her keys and unlocked the inner door. He opened it and led her to the elevator. They were both silent as they went up six floors. Her apartment was the last one on the left. She unlocked her front door and smiled at him. “I appreciate your help.”

He nodded. “If you need anything else, you call.”

“I will.” He looked as though he might say something else but didn’t. She watched him walk back down the hall before closing the door to her apartment.

She locked the door before setting her purse and package on the table just inside the apartment. Silence enveloped her and the first tear rolled down her cheek.