Chasing Glory

by Galbraith, DeeAnna

  “I enjoy a challenge,” he continued. “Knowing the odds are against me heightens the stakes. I’ve spent my adult life mixing ingredients so they complement and enhance each other. Once I get her attention, with your help, the rest should be easy.”

  She sighed. Catherine would have a lot to say about Glory helping a guy in the basement pursue her. “Catherine is lovely and sweet and would make a wonderful wife, but I’m afraid she’s only interested in men with lots of money. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is and I don’t see it changing.”

  Hazel eyes regarded her in confusion. “Who’s Catherine?”

  Glory’s surprise was complete. There was no other woman she worked closely with. “Catherine is the beautiful brunette executive assistant I work with upstairs. Isn’t she who we’re talking about?”

  Tal shook his head. “I’m sure she’s great, but I’m interested in a relationship with Alyssia Hartford.”

  Glory stared dumbfounded, but couldn’t help it. Her stomach clenched. Alyssia Hartford, ladder climbing, ice queen, vice president of marketing and sales? That Alyssia Hartford? She would not wish that woman on her worst enemy, let alone the neophyte sitting across from her. She picked up her tablet, then backed toward the door. “Sorry. All bets are off.”

  Tal jumped, the backs of his legs shoving his chair to bounce against the wall behind him. “Wait. Why?”

  She’d only known this guy for five minutes, but Glory sensed he deserved the truth. “Look, Tal. I think you’re nice, and the money would’ve come in handy. However, I can’t bring myself to subject you to the humiliation that would come your way if I helped you pursue Alyssia Hartford. I won’t do it.”

  Something in his demeanor changed. The expression in his eyes sharpened, overriding his casual, low-key persona. Glory re-evaluated the man in front of her and found more substance than she’d originally thought.

  “I understand Alyssia is hard to get to know,” he said. “But she’s always been nice to me and a lot of people who are hard to get to know are worth the effort. Don’t you agree?”

  Glory considered his assumption for about two seconds, then tried again. “It isn’t that. You came to me because I work with Alyssia and know what kind of person she is.” Glory straightened her spine. “Frankly, Ms. Hartford would have you for breakfast and not think twice.”

  He laughed. “As I said before, I enjoy a challenge. Why not leave the difficult part to me? Say you’ll at least think about it.”

  Persistent and a blind spot as big as a Mack truck, Glory thought. She eyed the spreadsheet and smiled back. “Would you mind if I discussed your request with someone else? I won’t use your name.”

  He gave her a strange appraisal. “I don’t mind. Can you come down for coffee tomorrow morning? Give me your answer?”

  That was fair, but he hadn’t brought up a key factor. “One more thing,” she said. “Catherine and I both support Alyssia, but Catherine is her primary. Why didn’t you ask her to help you?”

  Tal shuffled papers on his desk, not meeting her gaze. “Truth? I considered it, but your back-up, Catherine, you said? She’s, well, the couple of times I’ve interacted with her … Let me put it this way, you seem more approachable. Less intimidating.”

  Glory turned to the door to hide her smile. He thought Catherine was intimidating? He had no idea when it came to intimidation and Alyssia Hartford. It was a shame he was determined to be fodder for the Hartford paving machine. If, that is, Alyssia even noticed he was in front of her. It would be better for him if she didn’t.

  Chapter Three

  The short elevator ride gave Glory little time to reflect on the bizarre events in Tal Kingston’s office. His offer was certainly providential, but if she accepted, and Catherine, or heaven forbid Alyssia, found out, she could lose a friend, or her job.

  When she got off the elevator, Catherine looked at her quizzically and pointed to the phone.

  Glory glanced at the officers’ closed doors and picked up her ringing line. “Find your contacts?”

  “Yes.” She held up a bag from the hot sub place next door to their building. “My treat for watching my phones.” She wiggled the bag. “And telling me where you were sent. Shelly said it was company business, but didn’t say what.”

  Glory nodded and forwarded her phones. They weren’t allowed to eat in the reception area so they went into the small room behind Catherine’s desk where they could still hear the phones. The room was equipped with a mini-fridge and small table. She grabbed a drink and was opening it when Catherine blurted, “What’s up?”

  “Food first,” Glory said. “I’m famished and had to endure the fabulous smells from the R&D floor.”

  “Oh,” Catherine said. “No one of interest down there. They’re almost as geeky as the computer lab guys on the third floor.”

  Glory took a bite of her Bar-B-Q sub, chewed, and sighed in appreciation. “I got called to Talbot Kingston’s office.”

  Catherine slapped her hand on the table. “Of all the luck. Too bad he isn’t on the list. I’d be after him in a shot.”

  Ah. The list. A file of the top two hundred most eligible bachelors with the highest bank balances in the Seattle and Greater King County area. She had no idea how Catherine got the information, but was assured it was kept up-to-date.

  “You are shameless and shallow.”

  The brunette nodded happily. “I know, but it’s just as easy to marry a rich guy as a poor one.”

  Glory didn’t respond to the quote she’d heard many times. “I didn’t even know Tal Kingston existed. He’s nice, though. Especially since I threatened to call Security on him earlier.”

  Catherine choked on a bite of sandwich. “That was Talbot Kingston? Did he have you sent downstairs so he could yell at you?”

  “Nope. He said I had every right and thanked me. I don’t get it, though. I checked and he’s not on the org chart. Anywhere. But he has his own office. What’s with that?”

  Catherine lifted her hands. “Uber geek. He’s head of R&D, but hates the corporate shuffle. Avoids meetings, email chains, and general company interaction. Had himself removed from the org chart so he can spend all his time making magic in the basement. He does his own correspondence. I know, because I asked.”

  Glory admired her friend’s single-mindedness. “I thought you said he wasn’t on the list. Why would you be interested? And how’d you find out about him, anyway?”

  Catherine sighed. “I’m thinking of starting a “B” list. Those good-looking, mysterious men I can’t get a line on and who aren’t very social. I worked at Microsoft for three years and met dozens of them. Unfortunately, you could never pry any of them away from their computers. Talbot Kingston’s got good looks and brains, so he’d qualify for the top of the list.”

  She got up and poked her head into the quiet expanse of the executive suites, then returned to her chair. “I worked in Human Resources when I first came here. Got the lowdown on all the single guys, but the information on him was very skimpy. What did he want?”

  Wow, Glory thought. Black Ops had nothing on Catherine. “He wanted to hire me to help on a project for a shy friend.”

  Her friend’s mouth formed an O. “What kind of help? And what kind of money?”

  Glory squirmed. “Too much for what’s involved. His friend is interested in knowing Alyssia on a personal level.”

  Catherine dropped her sandwich. “Oh, my God. Corporate Takeover Barbie? I wouldn’t wish her on my worst enemy. And that’s saying a lot.”

  “My thought exactly. I made it clear what a huge mistake it’d be, but he insisted his friend could handle it.”

  “Interesting,” Catherine said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Maybe since you’ll be working with Mr. Kingston, the two of you could get involved.”

  Glory shook her head. “I haven’t said yes. Besides, Tal’s a little too flaky. Not that he isn’t pleasant and nice looking.”

  Catherine tipped her head to the side. “Tal?”
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  A blush warmed Glory’s face. “I didn’t know he was a department head. Another reason not to get involved. Look what happened the last time I dated within the same company. Besides, he asked me to.”

  “Don’t call him that within hearing distance of anybody up here.” Catherine rolled her eyes. “As for nice looking, are you kidding? I’ve seen him shirtless, playing handball at the Washington Athletic Club. Let me tell you, he is one fine specimen. He can park his court shoes under my bed, at least temporarily, any time.”

  For some reason, that irritated Glory. “He doesn’t strike me as a temporary kind of guy. But it’s interesting that he has a membership at the WAC.”

  “You’re typecasting, again,” Catherine said, wrinkling her nose. “You know I pay dearly for my membership and we’re not all superficial networkers. A lot of members actually go there for the athletic part. That’s probably his reason. Anyway, who’s the desperate man he’s trying to help? And does he have money?” She flapped her hand. “Silly question. Of course he does. Anybody with a nodding acquaintance can see Alyssia’s high maintenance.”

  Glory shook her head. “Tal didn’t say. Only wanted to find out about Alyssia. You know, her likes and dislikes. I agreed to let him know if I’d help tomorrow at morning break.”

  Catherine tapped a perfectly manicured nail on the table. “If his friend’s an absolute dweeb, you could throw him in Barbie’s path and annoy her mercilessly. I’d love to see that.”

  Glory frowned. “What’s with the snarky attitude? This isn’t like you.”

  Catherine sipped her drink. “Sorry. CTB has been especially gruesome this week. She’s juggling a renewal plus an opportunity for new business. I’d quit, but that would only give her satisfaction and make her enslave some other poor soul.”

  Glory saw her friend’s eyes widen. “Hey. How come he didn’t ask me to help him? I deal with her highness the most.”

  They’d been friends for years, so Glory grinned. “He thinks you’re intimidating.”

  The brunette sagged and stuck out her lower lip. “Some men have a hard time dealing with direct women.”

  Before she could respond, they heard a door open and the murmur of voices.

  “Meeting’s over,” she said, and started clearing the evidence of their lunch. Just then, the topic of their conversation came through the door.

  “Catherine, my messages were not in order of importance, but chronological order. Again. And that simple contract I gave you to type two hours ago hasn’t found its way to my desk. Will I have to wait much longer?”

  Catherine never gave excuses. She waited for Alyssia to finish, then sat without speaking until she went away.

  This was Glory’s chance to study Kingston’s vice president of marketing and sales. Alyssia Hartford was a tall, too thin, embellished blonde with a cool, haughty manner. She’d graduated from Bryn Mawr and wore expensive Italian jewelry and shoes. Her closet, if her office attire was any indication, held only designer clothes.

  Women not directly accountable to Alyssia or one of her peers were ignored. Any man in her acceptable socio-economic group was not. Glory didn’t trust her ethics, either. Alyssia had recently made an outrageous promise to a customer that the manufacturing division had to scramble to keep, and she had wangled a bonus for doing so.

  A chill climbed Glory’s spine at the thought of Tal Kingston in Alyssia’s clutches. She straightened and shook it off. He’s a big boy and says he enjoys a challenge.

  A few notes would be a good start. She likes sashimi or any kind of pretentious cuisine, and makes the rounds of the trendy downtown Seattle and Eastside restaurants, judging by the number of reservations she has Catherine or me call in for her.

  Glory stopped musing. Did this mean she was going to take Tal’s offer?

  Chapter Four

  Glory carried dinner and iced tea to her patio. A spate of warm spring days had blessed the area, and she looked forward to a meal amid the sounds of her neighborhood. Afterward, she’d tackle the far wall of her living room with a hand-held steamer. Her house was almost a hundred years old and she had started stripping the many layers of paint and wallpaper, one room at a time.

  The mindless work would give her the opportunity to think about Tal’s proposal. She had to admit that what he saw in Alyssia was a beautiful, smart, unattached woman who was nice to him. If Glory had thought the same about a man and someone she didn’t know told her he was unsuitable, she would want to find out for herself, too. It was Tal’s approach that weirded her out. Kind of like a lab experiment. Which, in his experience, worked for him.

  She’d just finished drying the dishes when her cellphone rang. It was Catherine.

  “Hi, it’s me. I’ve been thinking about this guy Tal Kingston wants to fix up with Alyssia. Couldn’t you find out more about him? I mean he has to have money, right? So, unless he’s some kind of gargoyle, why waste him on her when I’m available?”

  Glory considered it for about a nanosecond. “You’d actually want someone who would be so superficial as to fall for CTB?”

  “Pffft. That just means he’s trainable,” Catherine said. “And if not me, this could be an opportunity for you. It’s way past time you had a rebound fling.”

  Why was she trying to convince Catherine that Tal was superficial when she didn’t believe it herself. “Besides,” Glory said. “I’m more likely to find someone at Home Depot’s garden center. So, no. I’m not going to throw you, or me, in this guy’s direction. In any case, I still haven’t decided if I’m going to say yes.”

  “Come on,” Catherine chided. “What have you got to lose?”

  “Which? Going for the rich guy, myself? Or taking the job Tal offered?”

  “Taking the job. Think of it as an adventure. Oops, my table is ready.”

  And she was gone.

  Glory shook her head. No doubt Catherine had gone to her miniscule apartment and transformed into a sleek creature of the night who was, even now, sitting at a tiny table at the latest “in” dining experience. Glory felt no inclination to join her friend in the date race. Even though she believed Tal Kingston was a nice guy, she still had size eleven footprints on her back where her ex-fiancé had kicked her to the curb.

  • •

  Tal swung at the hard little ball, getting just the right angle to send it spinning into the hot zone. Nate was ready for it, but dove a split second late and missed the return. Hitched breathing brought both men to their knees.

  Nate ran his wristband across his forehead. “Rematch?”

  Tal grinned. “Hunh unh. Somebody already has the court for seven-thirty. Besides, this win brings me one ahead in the quest for world handball domination and I want to gloat.”

  His friend chuckled. “Only because I’ve had other interests to keep me occupied at night, so I’m not at my best this early.”

  “Lame,” Tal said, as they stood to walk toward the men’s locker room. “Using your married status to explain your performance? I’ll cut you a break next time. I might have that excuse myself soon.”

  Nate stopped. “I thought you’d sworn off the idea of getting married. What changed your mind?”

  “I’ve run the numbers,” Tal said. “My parents got divorced because my father’s jealousy suffocated my mother. Even after she remarried, he never got over his obsession. I intend to marry someone with common interests and a compatible nature. No emotional commitment if it doesn’t work out.”

  “That’s it?” Nate asked. “No passion, no big deal? Are you nuts?”

  Tal sighed. “Why go through the misery of a failed marriage if I don’t have to? I’ve seen how messy it can turn out. Mutual goals in life. Best for both parties.”

  He mopped his face with a towel. “So, I hire someone who knows the woman I’m interested in, and have her help me find out what she likes. It’ll save a lot of time.”

  “You’re missing a big piece of the puzzle,” Nate lamented. “But it’s your life. Who’re you get
ting to help you?”

  Tal hadn’t heard Glory’s decision yet, and since she was a friend of Nate’s wife, he would leave it up to Glory to share, if she took his offer. “Made a proposal to the best candidate. She’s letting me know this morning.”

  Nate’s mouth turned wry. He shook his head and started walking again. “You’re goal sounds like a corporate merger. Maybe you’ll find out everything can’t be made manageable by assigning it a number.”

  “It’s a straightforward business arrangement. Should work.”

  Both men frowned at the handwritten note taped to the locker room door. PLUMBING LEAK. DO NOT USE SHOWERS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

  “I was going to have breakfast, then wait for an out-of-town client we have registered here, anyway,” Nate said. “I’ll have them let us into the room and use the shower there. They won’t mind since we’re members and they’ve inconvenienced us. This sign wasn’t here when we came out.”

  Tal bumped the door with his shoulder. “I’ll grab my stuff and run the two blocks to my office. I can shower in the workout room. It’ll give me a chance to think how to counter any objections my about-to-be hired help might come up with.”

  Nate held up his hand. “Keep me posted.”

  A few minutes later, Tal jogged down the front steps of the WAC and headed to Fourth Avenue. He whistled through the alley behind his building and punched the security code to the back entrance.

  The corridor inside was lit, and he heard a faint whirring sound but dismissed it. Nobody would be here before eight.

  His whistle died in his throat when he slid his key into the workout room lock. The door swung open. The small room held a treadmill, elliptical, a wall-mounted set of dumbbells, a narrow shelf with electrical outlet, and standing just outside the tiny shower, Glory Danvers.

  She hadn’t heard him coming because she was leaning forward brushing her hair in front of a hair dryer. The reddish blonde wing covered her face and the towel she wore covered too much of the rest of her. Tal couldn’t have whistled again if his life depended on it.