Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2)

by K. F. Breene

  Sean smiled.

  Mr. Hartling joined them again, having shaken off the overeager young businessman. “Mr. McAdams, good to have you.”

  “Please, call me Sean,” he shook Mr. Hartling’s hand.

  “And call me Tory. Your team delivered today.”

  “Thank you, Tory. I think our Krista here saved the day,” Sean said, looking down on her with eyes that glowed.

  “Yes, she was the bulb to shed light on the presentation. Once I knew what angle you were taking, though, it all made sense. Insightful marketing strategies.”

  “Yes, that’s Marcus. He’s brilliant, but until now no one has really been able to...find his angle, as you said.”

  “And that angle was uncovered by Mr. Simmons, correct? He produced some truly ingenious imagery.”

  “Ben, yes. He and Krista worked on bringing Marcus’s idea to life. Krista was the numbers, Ben was the graphic design, and together—well, you saw the finished product.”

  “Yes,” Tory said, thinking. “And where is Mr. Simmons tonight?”

  “He got a free pass to stay home.” Krista laughed. “He’s not really into these types of things. He got duped into helping us—he’s my roommate—then beguiled into joining the team.”

  “He’s your roommate?” Tory said, a sparkle in his eyes. “And how did you dupe him?”

  Emily excused herself, probably bored with talking shop. Krista waited for Emily’s graceful exit before she said, “I know his favorite takeout place. And also do his budget.”

  “They are good friends,” Sean said. “And Ben is always willing to help. He’s currently finishing up an art degree in graphic design, but he is also an exceptional painter.”

  “You seem to have found many exceptional people for your team,” Tory remarked, looking at Sean.

  “I merely gave an opportunity to those who had previously been passed over or hadn’t yet received a chance.”

  People were starting to take their seats for dinner. Krista still had no idea what the dinner was for, but if the cattle call was sounding, she needed to get to her trough.

  “Yes,” Tory said reflectively as he looked at Krista.

  Sean stepped a bit closer. “Shall we take our seats?” His arm curved around Krista’s waist.

  Krista tried to bat down the fairy lights of pleasure as they swirled around her. She had to remind herself that it wasn’t the time for lovesickness. Sean wasn’t being respectful of her space. Normally she wouldn’t mind, but with their history, and with a prospective client right in front of them, space was a good thing. A very good thing. She was sure her face was a lovely shade of tomato red.

  Krista nodded and smiled. “I have to get in position for dessert,” she joked.

  Tory, remembering her fondness for chocolate, smiled with her and nodded as she let Sean lead her away.

  When they were out of earshot Krista asked, “You afraid Tory is going to leave Emily for me or something?”

  He chuckled, “I can’t imagine Emily would allow that. No, I am afraid our neglect of your salary is going to bite us in the ass.”

  “Their company wouldn’t need a researcher, so I can’t imagine he would try to steal me away.”

  Sean was quiet on the matter. They sat at their marked table and drank some wine while talking with John and his girlfriend. His girlfriend was Krista’s age, platinum blond hair, fake boobs that were too big, and a fake tan that looked orange. It was amazing--she spent a bunch of money to look that ugly. The bitch of it was she could have been attractive without all that.

  But then, John seemed to like it and he was wealthy, so what did Krista know?

  Salad came and went while John and Sean talked sales. Marcus and his date were supposed to be at their table, but were nowhere in sight. Judy and Ray were at another table, gabbing merrily. Luckily for Krista, the blond girl was both behind a center piece, and also didn’t seem all that interested in talking to anyone. It meant Krista was bored, but that was better than annoyed.

  The other girl probably thought the same thing.

  The main course came and went and the night just got more boring. Krista looked longingly at Ray and Judy’s table, thought briefly about texting people or playing a game, realized that would be unprofessional, and sat there, drinking wine and watching the room. Sean glanced over often, but he didn’t include her in their conversation, which was just fine with her. She didn’t want to talk sales, and she didn’t want to change the subject to something personal John might want to talk about. She saw the type of girls he liked—he couldn’t have anything to say that Krista wanted to hear.

  Krista spotted Marcus at the bar with his boy toy, and very nearly got up to go talk to them. If it wasn’t for the dessert showing up at that moment, she definitely would have. Leaving chocolate uneaten was practically sacrilegious! Pure evil!

  “Good?” Sean asked.

  Krista popped her head out of her chocolate fantasy and noticed Sean looking at her mouth with heated eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Delicious. Did you try it?”

  Sean, still looking at her mouth, shook his head slowly. Then started to lean in.

  In a moment of panic that he would kiss her, because it was very clear that’s what he intended, she speared her syrupy cake thing with a fork and shoved it in his face.

  “Try it,” she said with a warning in her voice.

  Sean’s hooded eyes lazily looked up into hers. In a flash, realization dawned. His brows dipped and he minutely shook his head.

  “Sorry. I forgot myself,” he muttered, eyeing the chocolatey goodness on her fork. “I have my own, thanks.”

  “You’re embarrassing me, Sean,” Krista seethed quietly. “Please act normal. John is sitting beside you for cripes-sakes!”

  Sean’s shoulders hunched before he regained himself and straightened up. It was at that moment that a string quartet started at the end of the dining area. Tory and Emily got up hand-in-hand and led the way.

  They were excellent dancers. A few other people got up to join them, and thankfully, so did John and his blond.

  “I’m sorry, Krista. I just saw that look on your face, and your enjoyment—I’m sorry. I forgot…”

  “It’s fine, Sean. Just—try to be more careful in the future, okay? If we were dating it would be one thing, but as it is, I don’t want gossip for something I’m not even doing.”

  “I know, Krista. I’m sorry.” Sean’s shoulders hunched again as he surveyed the dance floor.

  Krista followed his gaze, passing them into miserable silence before Sean tried to switch directions, or maybe erase what had just happened, by saying, “Painful, huh?”

  Krista checked the direction of his eyes and noticed he was looking at John and the blond girl haphazardly making their way around the dance floor.

  “The dancing?”

  “Well, that and having to sit next to them. John goes on and on about work. All he thinks about.”

  “I didn’t listen in. But his date is painful!”

  “Definitely. What is up with the tan?”

  “What is up with the boobs?”

  Sean laughed, easing out of his mope. “I was hoping you would comment! They looked like they did not belong.”

  “You were hoping I would comment so you wouldn’t sound like a womanizer?”

  Sean smiled bigger, sharing the joke. “I’ve learned never to bring up breasts around women unless they bring it up first. And then only comment if it is in the negative.”

  “Wise,” Krista said looking at him. He was looking back. The ensuing moment was intense with longing, interrupted by John and the blond woman taking their seats.

  “Would you like to dance?” Sean asked before John could open his mouth.

  “Sure,” Krista said, getting up.

  As they left the table, John made a joke about not being able to show him up.

  “Does he actually think he’s a good dancer?” Krista asked quietly.

 
; “Not sure. I never wanted to ask in case the answer was yes.”

  “Again, wise.”

  They reached the large dance floor. There weren’t a lot of young people—as usual—so the dancers knew various ballroom dances and made their way slowly but gracefully around the dance floor. Sean reeled Krista in, his eyes intense, his focus on her completely.

  They started to dance, slowly so as to keep the pace with those around them, and because they were sharing each other’s embrace. They knew each other’s bodies pretty well by now. Krista could take his subtle cues, and he likewise. They wouldn’t win any competitions in a ballroom setting, but they fit in just fine.

  When the song was over, Sean grudgingly let Krista go and continued to look at her as she clapped for the band. They both headed back to the table, which lasted about three steps before Krista was ambushed by some business guy and regretfully couldn’t come up with a reason to turn him down other than, “Eww, you’re gross.”

  He was a middle-aged, balding, short and portly dude who had too much money. What’s more, he tried to hold her too close and the entire dance was spent trying to wriggle away. Even worse still, he wasn’t married.

  After that another guy asked her to dance, and in a desperate glance up to be rescued, she saw Sean with a woman about his age and pretty, and Marcus at the bar pointing and laughing. She got a shock of jealousy at Sean before she pushed it away, and sent a glare Marcus’s way. She had no choice but to dance with the tall, gangly partner. But as soon as that dance was over, she nearly sprinted to her table, telling the next yahoo that she was too tired to keep going. If that failed, she would blame her prosthetic hip!

  Back at the table, sitting alone and ignoring Marcus laughing at her with Judy—she would get him back if it killed her—she watched Sean, who got asked up yet again by another attractive woman. Were there no attractive men to ask her? What the hell?

  She realized someone sat down next to her. It was Emily, thank God. She was half worried it was John. Or one of her aforementioned partners.

  “So...girl talk. How long have you been with Sean?”

  Krista did a double-take and started stuttering.

  Emily laughed, “Relax! I recognize a woman in love. My lips are sealed. So?”

  Krista sighed and looked back at him miserably. “I’m not with him. He’s afraid he’ll treat me badly, so he ended it before it really began.”

  “Men.”

  “I hear that a lot.”

  “He seems to really like you. Tory was like that once upon a time—lamb-eyed, I mean,” Emily laughed. “I would say this to you, being that I am old and have been there a few times myself. I would say, sometimes all a man needs to know is that we aren’t breakable. Back that up with how you feel about him, and his insecurity won’t be as big of a problem anymore.”

  Krista wasn’t so sure. She continued to look at Sean, who was breaking away from his partner and heading back to the table.

  “Think on it,” Emily said as Sean arrived. She made an excuse to leave and glided away.

  “Don’t leave me alone again,” Sean said as he sat down, face shiny from fatigue.

  “Why? You get all the pretty girls whereas I get a bunch of ugly old dudes.”

  “My girls are the dates of your dudes. Wealth doesn’t attract you?”

  “Not as a sex stimulant. Eww.”

  Sean laughed at her and they fell into silence, watching the dancers for a minute while sipping their wine. As the silence lengthened it got less and less easy. Krista knew she needed to say something to ease the tension, but she just didn’t know what else there was to say.

  It was then that she figured she might give Emily’s advice a chance. Why not? It couldn’t hurt.

  Krista took a breath to steel her courage, then let it out just as quickly when John’s voice sounded behind them.

  “We were just invited to Mr. Hartling’s house for a pool party tomorrow! You are both going. You are celebrities. Make it work. Sean, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Sean looked over at Krista in agony, noticing her in consternation with the need to talk. But if he told John to buzz off it would make matters worse for them both. The last person who needed to know he and Krista had something going, or had something once, was a creep like John.

  Sean gave her a look of concern before stepping away.

  Krista took that as a sign to look after herself. Being that she needed to steer clear of the dance floor, or anyone even remotely interested in shaking a leg, she went straight to the bar. People up that way were more likely to be drinking than dancing.

  She had just ordered champagne when a non-Sean-like presence leaned up against the bar next to her. She quickly thought of an excuse why she couldn’t dance.

  “Krista, where has your knight in shining armor gone?” Tory asked.

  “Thank God, I thought I was going to have to tell you I had a bum leg.”

  Tory looked at her quizzically.

  “I thought you were one of the random guys who keeps asking me to dance. I didn’t know it was you…” As his expression cleared, replaced by a smile, she quickly continued, now trying to hide her lack of professionalism, “I assume you mean Sean, and he went to talk shop with John.”

  Tory tsked, “A woman should never be left unattended.”

  “I can’t imagine your Emily would let you get away with saying that in her presence.”

  Tory laughed, “God no. Are you kidding? She would say it was men who needed supervision. What I meant was that a gifted, hard-working woman should never be unattended when she is just starting her career. How are things monetarily with your current employment?”

  “Oh. Well, in fairness, I haven’t asked for an increase. Yet.”

  “No. However, you are doing the work of a Senior Researcher, or even Research Manager, if what I hear is true, and getting paid like a newly hired analyst.”

  Who’s he been talking to? “True, but I’ve just proven myself and now have a bartering chip.”

  “You are loyal, I see. Another good quality. But this is business. You need to look toward your best interest.”

  “How would you feel if an employee of yours was stolen by someone else?”

  “I would feel like I missed something, find out what the employee is really worth, and possibly make a counter-offer. I am an excellent judge of worth, Miss Marshall.”

  “And probably even better at figuring out what an employee will settle for?”

  Mr. Hartling laughed, “Yes, exactly. So you must judge whose hands you are safest in.”

  “Well, I trust Sean implicitly. I trust him to fight for what I am really worth. I also trust him to be honest with me if he can’t get it. He has backed me from the beginning—made me what I am now. And yes, I am loyal to those loyal to me. I will stick with him for now and see what he can do. Besides, you don’t need a researcher.”

  “You’re right, I don’t need a researcher. What I need is a leader who is a good manager, a good debater, and a loyal asset. Your role would entail meeting with marketing researchers, like yourself, to determine the value of their work. You are extremely thorough. I also hear you have overly high expectations. You would be a real asset to me. You would see through people like you, and you would eat up anything less.”

  That did sound tempting.

  He went on, “And as for our young McAdams making you what you are ... he merely saw you for what you are, and gave you an opportunity. It shows remarkable insight on his part. It also shows he is a good manager, and uncommonly good at what he does. He would be a good asset to acquire, too. Difference between the two of you is he knows his value. He plays the game. At present I can’t offer him what he is about to gain. So I have to hold off. You, however...”

  “I, however, am safest with Sean for now. I owe him a chance to at least make an offer.”

  Tory looked at her shrewdly. He was a man who got what he wanted in business matters. So was Sean. It was one against the other. The
problem was, Tory had deeper pockets.

  “Okay. For now, I say okay. But I think I have tempted you. You are smart, educated and ambitious. You also have school loans, if I’m not mistaken. Sometimes, at the end of the day, the important thing becomes paying off your debt.”

  And with that, Tory walked away, drink in hand.

  Krista felt drained. Being an adult was tough stuff sometimes. She didn’t even think he was trying to win her just yet. It seemed more like he was trying to gauge her, first to see if she was worth taking, and second, to see what it would take to get her. She felt elated that he would even be curious. That had to be something, right?

  Krista took her drink and wandered around until she found the exit, avoiding the dance floor entirely, and walked out onto a good-sized balcony. She went to the edge, half thought of throwing herself off, and instead leaned on it and looked over the city. It was chilly outside—it was always some state of chilly in San Francisco—but it felt good to have some air. And some space.

  “Krista.”

  “AH! Why do people insist on sneaking up on me?!”

  Sean stopped next to her at the railing, humor in his eyes. “It isn’t sneaking so much as walking. You simply don’t pay attention.”

  “Hmm,” she turned back to the night, feeling comfortable with his presence next to her.

  “I saw Tory talking to you.”

  “He is trying to claim me for his second wife.”

  “I am aware he is trying to claim you. I am also aware of why you turned him down. So far. Judy overheard.”

  “Jesus. Judy and Marcus chose the wrong profession. They should be private eyes. But Tory hasn’t offered me anything. There was nothing to turn down. I figured I would say something to you, and see what you said.”

  “Do you really trust me that much, Krista? After what I have done to you?”

  This stopped her up short. It wasn’t the direction she thought he would go.

  “Look, Sean... In answer to your question, yes I trust you that much. Of course I do. You’ve never led me wrong. I trust that.”

  “But I have--”