"I was so tired," she murmured, trying to sound more coherent than she felt. "I sat down to rest. I guess I fell asleep." She blinked again, then wished she hadn't as she recognized the man crouched in front of her. He'd passed her in the hall when she first interviewed for the job. The office manager had identified him as Jeffrey Ritter, partner, professional security expert extraordinaire, ex-soldier.

Her boss.

"Mommy, you're awake!"

The familiar voice normally made her heart leap with gladness, but now Ashley felt only horror. Maggie was up? What time…? She glanced at her watch and groaned when she saw 5:10 a.m. glowing in the light of the hall. She was supposed to have finished her cleaning by two, and she always met the deadline. She remembered something about security systems reactivating after she'd left.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ritter," she said, forcing herself to scramble to her feet and ignoring the weakness that filled her when she did. "I don't usually sleep on the job. Maggie had the flu last week and I think I caught her bug." In fact, she was sure of it. Not that the stern, unsmiling man standing in front of her would care one way or the other.

He turned his attention from her to her daughter. Ashley winced, knowing it looked bad. No one had ever explicitly said she couldn't bring her daughter to work, but then no doubt no one had thought they would have to. Four-year-olds didn't belong in the workplace.

"Mommy says preschool is a germ mag-mag-maggot?" Her rosebud mouth couldn't quite get around the word.

"Magnet," Ashley offered automatically. She smoothed her hands against her jeans and offered her hand to the man who was very likely going to fire her. "Mr. Ritter, I'm Ashley Churchill. Obviously I clean the office. Usually I'm out by two."