The Harder They Fall Read Online Free

cobalt eyes. Something that made her nerves flutter.
    Davidson was definitely heterosexual.
    But who was she to voice her opinion on the matter? she thought, as she looked at the chart and motivational poster. So, Michael Davidson had decided that spouting platitudes would be inspirational? What a wonderful idea. Darcy spun and left the room, in search of poster board and a pen.
    Michael glared at the poster on the wall beside his chart.
Q: What Is Six Inches Long, Two Inches Wide, And Makes Men Act Like Fools?
A: MONEY.
—Anonymous
    Tacking up his next chart, Table Turnover Ratios, Michael swore under his breath. He had no doubt who’d put up that poster. He tore it down.
    The next day another one had taken its place.
The More I See Of Men, The More I Like Dogs.
—Germaine de Stael
    He stalked out of the break room. This was war, all right. All-out war.
    Darcy crossed her arms belligerently while she watched Davidson tack up yet another chart. This one was titled Breakage Chart. And beside it, where her quote about men and dogs had once hung, was yet another stupid platitude.
Happiness Is A By-Product Of An Effort To Make Someone Else Happy.
—Greta Palmer
    Darcy snorted. “If you want to make this someone happy, you’ll disappear, Davidson.”
    He glanced over his shoulder. “Likewise, Wel—” He stopped, looking past her. “Wellington.”
    Darcy turned and found Wendy behind her. Wendy’s big blue eyes went wide, probably in shock over Darcy’s impertinence. Darcy didn’t care. She was too angry to care. She turned back to him, scowling. “What are you going to do, put gold stars by the winners?”
    The next day there were gold stars by the winners’ names. He’d pasted three beside Darcy’s name on the Breakage Chart.
    Davidson smiled at her as he departed from the break room.
    Wendy sighed. “What a waste of hunky male.”
    Darcy wanted to scream. Instead she turned to Wendy with an innocent smile. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Davidson’s not all that great.”
    “Are you blind, woman?”
    “Did you know he adds extra padding to the shoulders of his suits?”
    “No!”
    Darcy nodded. “And don’t tell anyone, but I’ve heard he wears lifts in his shoes.”
    Michael glanced down at his checklist. “If we start buying our wine in quantity from our select vintners for all of the restaurants, instead of allowing each restaurant to order for itself, we’ll save a bundle.”
    Tom Murphy nodded. “I suggested that to Ed many times. He didn’t want to be bothered.”
    Checking off the item, Michael moved his pencil down the list. “Ditto with the desserts. We can save plenty by contracting with Sweet Nothings.”
    Tom frowned. “You mean, give up the desserts currently on the menu?”
    “Right. Sweet Nothings makes damn good desserts.”
    “Our desserts are what got us where we are, Davidson. That’s what Welham’s first became famous for. I think changing that would be a big mistake.”
    “You’re right,” Michael said, after some consideration. He crossed that item off his list. “Ed made his name creating some of those offbeat recipes.”
    “Ed didn’t create them.”
    Michael looked up. “Oh. His wife, then.”
    “Nope, not Jeannie, either.” Tom smiled slightly. “Darcy created them.”
    “Darcy?” Michael repeated dumbly.
    Tom’s grin grew wider. “That’s right. I think she was ten when she created the coconut cheesecake.”
    “You’re kidding. That’s Welham’s biggest seller.”
    “That’s right. She can’t cook worth a damn, mind you. But she knows how to throw flavors together. It’s almost uncanny. Most of the desserts, and a few of the entrées, Darcy created.”
    Michael tried to adjust to the news, and failed. Until that moment, he’d have guessed that Darcy Welham was a useless ornament in the scheme of things. A beautiful ornament, to be sure. But useless nonetheless.
    If Darcy realized what a positive effect she’d had on the success of Welham’s,