“What do you do for her business?” Reed asked, his professional voice silky smooth.
“I schedule her speaking engagements, try to get us new speaking venues, and do all the promotional materials for the company.”
“You attend all her engagements?”
Amanda smiled at him. “Yes, I’m the one behind the scenes, setting everything up, making sure we have all the necessary handouts, the refreshments, selling tapes and videos.”
A nervous buzzing began in her stomach. This felt stilted and not at all natural like she’d imagined the interview would go.
“Her business has grown in the last two years.”
She crossed her legs and tried to relax, easing her tense shoulders. “Yes, people are tired of dating the same old way or even online. At least, by using our service, we screen who they meet.”
“Are there ever any problems? Stalkers? People who dislike each other at first sight?”
The question felt odd, and for a moment, she wondered why he wanted to know. “Every business has problems. As for stalkers, our clientele are thoroughly screened. We’ve had clients who disliked each other, but the files are marked, and we reevaluate their needs and what they’re looking for in a mate.”
His face was devoid of emotion, no excitement, no displeasure, just a blank expression, like she was talking to a robot.
“Any angry boyfriends or girlfriends come after Lacey for breaking them up?”
She frowned and wondered at his questions. Why wasn’t he asking about the business side of what they did? “Lacey is not the reason behind a couple breaking up. Our clients are taught to look inward and recognize the type of person they’re searching for. Our clients make all their own decisions. Lacey only helps them discover more about themselves and what they want. When a person knows what he wants in a mate or companion, then he makes better choices.”
Reed glanced down at his notes, like he was searching for a magical question. This interview was stranger than any she’d ever given before. She kept waiting for him to ask how they’d gotten started or how they’d grown the business, but instead he was focused on the negative.
“Even at her speaking engagements, there have never been any angry spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, looking to get back at Lacey for ending their relationship?” he asked, gazing intently at her like she was withholding information.
Amanda stopped, took a deep breath, and carefully considered her response. She didn’t understand why he was focusing on possible problems. Didn’t he want to know how they’d built this business from nothing to being prosperous?
“Never.”
He’d asked this same type of question over and over, each time from a new angle like he was trying to confuse her into revealing something terrible. It wasn’t going to work.Leaning toward her, he smiled. “Surely, there have been dissatisfied clients.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “There are always people you can’t help or who refuse to be helped. Our goal is to help the people we can. If we can’t help them, we refund their money and wish them well.”
“You refund their money?” Reed asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Of course,” Amanda responded, straightening in her seat. “We want satisfied clients.” She enunciated every single word and watched his mouth purse with displeasure.
She liked seeing him a little unsettled. His questions were creating doubts in her mind about how he intended to portray their business and that disturbed her. Lacey was her best friend, her business partner, and Reed Hunter was crazy if he thought she’d be unprofessional and spill company secrets in this interview.
Reed motioned for Ty to cut the camera. Then he stared at her. “Would you mind if I continued this interview at another time?”
Her mouth opened in surprise as unease gripped her insides like moss to wet concrete. That was it? It was over? “But we haven’t talked about the business model or our mission statement. I thought you’d want to discuss those.”
Reed smiled at her in a condescending way. “Sure. But let’s do it another time.”
Ty laid the camera down and began to pack away the equipment. Amanda watched as Reed rose from his chair and began to help the cameraman.
“What about the other employees? Do you want to talk to any of them?”
Reed glanced back at her, his brows raised. “I’ll let you know.”
Bewildered, Amanda sat there. All the questions he’d asked pointed toward the negative. He hadn’t been interested in learning about the positive aspects of their business. Maybe she’d misinterpreted something that wasn’t there, but her inner voice warned her maybe things weren’t as they appeared.
To have a documentary expose their business in a negative way would be devastating. Lacey needed to know Amanda’s suspicions about Reed Hunter.
***
Tired, Lacey rode the elevator down to the parking garage, her briefcase full of notes on clients she needed to match and ideas to research for the television show. There was always something to do, and she usually worked each night at home for several hours.
But she loved her work. She loved helping people find the connection that lasted a lifetime. She loved helping people get out of a dating rut, especially clients like James, who were shy, loveable, and lonely.
All in all, her life was good. The days of her mother’s bohemian lifestyle and being dragged from one home to the next were long gone. Sharing rooms with step-sisters, the ugly break-ups, and packing on the sly were in the past.
Now her life was stable, content and her job fulfilling. Dean and his less than perfect credit score was the only blip on the radar at the moment. They had yet to discuss the matter, and her intuition told her he was putting off the discussion.
Coach Lacey would tell a client to step back and take a serious look at this man. Make certain there were no other hidden surprises lurking before you took that next step. Yet, she felt uncertain. She loved Dean.
The elevator door dinged and opened into the depths of the garage, the smell of exhaust fumes smacking her in the face. Her heels clicked across the concrete as she hurried to her Prius.
Two cars down from hers, a man was bent over, deep into the bowels of his Mustang engine, cursing. His rear end was round, firm and… Oh, my God.
“Reed?” she asked.
He rose and turned to gaze at her, his face red from being bent over. “Hi.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, seeing the frustration etched on his scowling face.
“My car won’t start.”
Lacey set her briefcase down, glanced under the hood, and wiggled a few wires.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
Why did men always assume a woman knew nothing about cars? Big mistake. “Step-father number four was a mechanic and insisted my sister and I learn the basics of auto care, in case we ever stalled somewhere,” she said, not rising up from examining his engine.
“Oh,” he said, surprised.
She rose and glanced at him. “Your problem is pretty easy. You have a dead battery.” She pointed to the poles. “See that corrosion? That’s acid and you don’t have any juice left in it.”
“Damn! You can see I haven’t spent much time under the hood of a car,” he said, peering inside at the ugly white chemical goo. “I could call the auto club, but they’ll take forever. I’m expected at Skyline High School in twenty minutes.”
“I think you’re going to be late.” She gazed at him. “Can I give you a ride?” She had no plans tonight other than to work at home, so she didn’t mind helping him.
“Would you? That would be a big help. I’ll find a ride back from the school afterwards.”
“Not at all. My Prius is over here.”
“You drive a Prius?”
“Yeah, I love it,” she said, as he slammed the hood of his car and manually locked the doors.
“Are you all green and into the environment?” he asked.
People just assumed you were
an environmentalist when you drove a hybrid. Though her reasoning was she loved the little car, and its gas mileage.
“I try to do my part. At forty miles to the gallon, it gets me around,” she said, opening the car door and climbing in. “How many miles does that Mustang get?”
He shook his head. “Let’s not go there. Love the engine, love the sports car image, but gas mileage is not its top priority.”
She pressed the on button and put the car in reverse. No sound emitted as she accelerated out of the garage and into traffic. At thirty miles an hour, the gasoline engine kicked in and propelled the car down the road.
Reed sat in the passenger seat, watching her drive. His warm gaze created a little catch in her breathing. Sensuality oozed from him, and her body responded to the sexual signals, leaving her aware of him as a man.
Yet, she was nearly engaged to another man.
Lacey did a mental reset on her wayward thoughts and glanced at Reed. He smiled at her as if he could read her thoughts and knew she was aware of him as a man. She had to distract him. “Why are you going to the high school?”
“I sponsor a film club. I meet with them twice a month. They show me what they filmed that week. Then we discuss camera angles, lighting, and general overall film making.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” And she was. Any man who worked with high school kids had her respect.
“I have one kid who’s gone from juvie to filming his neighborhood. I helped him apply for a scholarship into film school. We’re waiting to hear if he won.”
Reed’s enthusiasm for this kid and his class filled the little car. Surprised, she watched him talk animatedly about what they were working on, startled at this unexpected side of him. She liked the way he gave back to the community. “What made you decide to help these kids?”
He shrugged. “I kind of figured I was lucky, and I should pass on some of that luck.”
“What do you mean you were lucky?” she asked, glancing over at him, wondering what he meant.
A smile curved his lips, and his green gaze sped up her heartbeat. Awareness tingled along her spine, tripping into her midsection and heating other parts of her.
“My background kind of looks like Ozzie and Harriet. Mother and Dad have been married for forty years. I grew up in a decent middle-class suburbia setting. Mom worked, but was waiting at home for us after school. I went to college without working two or three jobs to put me through, and I have no school debt to repay. That kind of life doesn’t happen to every American kid. This is my way of paying back the universe for putting me in a good place.”
She smiled at him. There was more to Reed Hunter than she’d expected, and she liked that about him.
“What about you? You mentioned step-father number four. What kind of life did you have growing up?”
“I didn’t quite have the privileged life you’ve had. You know about the four step-fathers. I worked my way through college with the help of a scholarship and student loans. But my business is growing, and I’m in a good place now,” she said, concentrating on driving and not the masculine scent of Reed that evoked thoughts of tangled sheets and intertwined bodies.
“See, you need to pay something back to the universe for your good luck,” he said, leaning close to her. His breath sent a shiver of heated awareness through her, even though the car’s air conditioner was working at full blast.
“I guess I’ve never thought the universe gave me this life. I’ve always believed I earned it,” she responded, refusing to take her eyes off the road and look at him.
Reed’s large body, his scent, his touch, his voice enveloped her little Prius. Combine all of that with his warm gaze and she felt trapped in a sensual cocoon that she wanted to explore.
“Either way, it doesn’t hurt to help those less fortunate than us. You had the step-father thing going on, so you could probably help a lot of kids who are dealing with that same issue. They need to understand they will get through this and make it on their own.”
Finding it difficult to concentrate on what he was saying, she wanted to run her fingers over his full lip and let her hands explore how he felt beneath that shirt.
“Maybe,” she said, not committing as they arrived in front of the high school. She put the car in park and turned to gaze at him. “You’re different when you’re not working on the film.”
He grinned at her, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “You mean I’m a nice guy?”
“Don’t get cocky. I mean you’re different. The verdict is still out on whether or not you’re a nice guy.”
“Any time you want to explore the option of finding out if I’m a nice guy or not, let me know,” he said, his smile inviting. “I’m available.”
“But I’m not,” she replied, knowing exactly where his flirtations would lead.
He opened the car door. “Too bad. It could be interesting.”
She laughed. “Or not.”
Reed Hunter was the type of man who flirted outrageously, chased insanely, and left his path littered with broken hearts. Not her type of man.
“Thanks for helping a stranded guy out,” he said, exiting the car.
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”
“Later,” he said and slammed the car door.
Lacey couldn’t help but grin as she drove off. Reed Hunter was just as attracted to her as she was to him. A dangerous combination and she couldn’t help but wonder if his credit score was above six hundred.
Chapter Eight
Lacey knocked on the door of her mother’s apartment, dreading this meeting. Her mother had called and demanded they meet today to discuss Kerri’s wedding and Lacey’s participation as a bridesmaid.
Brenda swung open the door. “Lacey, I’m glad you came.”
“Hi, Mom. Of course, I came.” Did she think Lacey would shirk her duties as a daughter and not show up?
She walked into the apartment, the cinnamon aroma of something baking luring her in the door. Her mother’s eclectic taste of Middle Eastern and Western culture furniture made for an odd mix decorating the living area. Not that Mom had any Middle Eastern ties, she just loved their furniture.
Sinking down onto the couch, Lacey looked around the apartment. “Where’s Kerri? I thought she was coming. Aren’t we talking about the wedding?”
“This is just between me and you, dear,” Brenda said, as she walked into the kitchen and begin to pour iced tea for both of them.
Startled, Lacey realized this parental summons was so Brenda could let Lacey know she didn’t approve of her reaction to Kerri’s wedding. She sat back, her defense walls rising in anticipation of the upcoming battle.
Brenda glided into the room, her caftan flowing around her. In her hand, she held a plate loaded with cookies. “I made snickerdoodles, just because I knew how much you love them.”
Most definitely Lacey was in deep doo-doo. The cookies represented Brenda’s way of saying she loved Lacey, yet she was pissed. Baking always confirmed Brenda’s anger.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Brenda sank down into her chair across from Lacey. “Dear, I wanted to speak to you because Kerri said you haven’t called her to discuss the wedding plans. Your sister needs your help.”
“We met for lunch a week ago, since then I’ve been kind of busy. This week, I had three speaking engagements along with taking care of my clients, not to mention the documentary I’m the subject of,” Lacey said, defending herself, but also aware of how much she didn’t want this wedding to happen.
“Is your work the real reason or don’t you want your sister to get married?” Brenda raised her glass of iced tea to her lips, her eyes watching Lacey over the rim of the glass.
As if Lacey were a misbehaved child, her mother was sitting her down to discuss the matter. Growing up, she always started with a discussion and ended with her punishment.
“Both. I’ve been busy at work, but yes, I think she’s making a huge mistake,” Lacey admitted, not willing to bac
k down from her original assessment.
“This is your sister’s decision. Not yours.”
“Why? So, she can ruin her life? Kerri doesn’t have time for a husband or even a steady boyfriend.”
Lacey yanked a cookie from the plate. “Mom, don’t you wish someone would have pointed out to you before you married Ted that he was a drunk? Don’t you wish someone would have saved you that heartache?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Oh, God.” The words slipped from her lips without her thinking. She bit into the cookie, needing something sweet as she pondered the depths of her mother’s insanity.
Brenda leaned forward, her brows knit together. “I knew Ted drank when I married him. We had three wonderful years together, before his drinking spiraled out of control.”
Aargh, her mother thought with her emotions, not her brain. “I just don’t want Kerri to marry and then realize she’s made a mistake.”
Brenda leaned back, giving Lacey a penetrating frown while she sipped from her tea. “We’re here to support her, not make her decisions for her.”
“Okay, I’ll call and help her with the wedding, but I don’t have to be happy she’s marrying,” Lacey finally admitted, knowing there would be no rest, until she participated in this wedding disaster.
“Then remove yourself from the wedding party. She should be surrounded by people who are supportive of her on her special day,” Brenda said, her eyes darkening as she delicately picked a cookie off the plate.
As Brenda stared, Lacey could feel her anger gripping her insides, making them sizzle like a hot frying pan. She took a bite of the sugar and cinnamon cookie and slowly chewed, savoring each bite, refusing to be swayed by her mother’s arguments. Lacey and Kerri had vowed not to be disillusioned by love, and now Kerri was putting love ahead of her future.
“Mom, I love her very much. That’s why I keep hoping she’ll come to her senses,” Lacey said, trying to rationalize with her mother.
Brenda’s face tighten into a grimace, as her fingers curled into her palm. “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but understand, I loved each husband when I married him. I don’t know why you girls think the perfect man will keep you from experiencing divorce. My husbands were each perfect when I married them.”
The Relationship Coach Page 10