“You’re going?”
“For you, it’s optional. In my case, it’s required.”
“I don’t normally attend social functions. Could I impose on you to accompany me to this one?”
Caroline stepped into the living room as Alyssa stood, open-mouthed, speechless. Her daughter stopped when she saw her expression. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”
Alyssa shook her head.
“Alyssa?” His filtered voice through the cell phone dragged her attention away from Caroline.
“Grant, I’m sorry, I got distracted. Did you say --?”
“I asked if you’d like to attend the event with me. I know you’re new in town, and you probably haven’t had a chance to scare up a date yet. Unless … you already have an escort?”
“No. I don’t have an escort. Or a date.” Alyssa’s brain raced. It was a company-sponsored way for the two of them to get to know each other better. They could talk and share ideas and enjoy a nice meal. Yes, she was sure that was his intention.
Not the other crazy idea that had flown through her mind.
Had Grant noticed the occasions she’d admired his good looks and the great way he filled out his clothes? Grant was tall, well-built, with a face that could grace a magazine cover. She’d have to be blind not to notice him. Or paralyzed to be immune to the physical reactions he caused in her, racing pulse, shortness of breath, tingling in some very intimate places. Oh, if things were different – completely different – she could see herself falling for him.
But as things stood, he was her client. She didn’t have time to date anyway, not with Caroline and her career taking up 100% of her time. Darn it, she didn’t want him to know she was attracted to him. How embarrassing would that be?
He was waiting for an answer. If her new client were a middle-aged, balding married man with a paunch, would she even think twice at the invitation?
“Grant, I’d love to go to the ball with you. Thanks for asking.”
* * * *
On Saturday evening, Grant heard the buzzer from the bathroom where he was putting the finishing touches on his shave. He took care with the final swipe of the blade. The last thing he wanted now was an annoying scrape and the resulting toilet paper blotter for the next fifteen minutes. It would be a little tough to gain respect from his new advertising execs if he couldn’t pull off a successful shave.
The buzzer rang a second time. Grant ran warm water over a cloth and washed off the last of the shaving cream. He studied his face in the mirror, then backed up to take in the tuxedo shirt, tie and jacket.
He strolled to the intercom near his front door and pushed a button. “Give me five.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Fontaine. No rush. Just wanted you to know I was here.”
A few minutes later, he was satisfied with his appearance and left the penthouse. He took the elevator down and emerged into the lobby, where he crossed the foyer and left through the front door. His limo and driver were waiting beside the curb. At the sight of him, Tuck moved to open the back door, but Grant waved him off and got in himself, slamming the door behind him.
When they were both settled, Tuck pulled into traffic. “Off we go.”
“Yep. You have the address, right?”
“Yes, sir. You gave it to me this afternoon.”
“Great.” Grant settled back into the leather seat, then leaned forward to raise the window separating front from back. Tuck was chatty when he was driving him during the workday for meeting after meeting; he was practically giddy about a black tie evening gig. It’d been years since they’d attended one.
But Grant couldn’t deal with Tuck’s chattiness now. He needed to gather his thoughts and figure out his strategy for his evening with Alyssa. Since he’d changed gears on his mission, he could barely think of anything else. The fear that gripped his heart was not something he was used to. He’d have to be careful. No more on-the-fly changes. Too much was at stake.
Friends, that was the way. Become someone Alyssa could lean on to help her. Form a friendship with Alyssa so she would open up her home life to him. And at home, voila, was Caroline.
Challenges had already presented themselves, however. First, he didn’t know how to be friends with a woman. In fact, he hadn’t the first clue. He’d never been buddies with a woman as attractive as Alyssa. He’d spent a lot of time with women – as a boyfriend, a husband, a colleague or a boss. Never as a pal.
But other men did it, so he could figure it out.
Challenge number two: he had to fight this ill-advised physical attraction to Alyssa. It made him lose control and his ability to think, to plan. He absolutely could not fall for her. Romances could be messy, and if this one ended disastrously, his access to Caroline would be over.
Tuck’s voice came over the speaker, “This is it, boss.”
Grant looked out the car window. Alyssa lived in a brick-front row home in a solid Tribeca neighborhood, trees planted in intentional breaks in the sidewalk, pruned so as not to overgrow their designated spots. Painted flower boxes hung below each shuttered window, and wide stone steps led up to each front door. The neighborhood looked safe and cozy.
“Wait here.” Grant got out of the car. He covered the short distance from the curb to the door in a few long strides. He found the buzzer for Alyssa’s apartment and pushed it. “Hi Alyssa. It’s Grant.”
“Be right down.”
“Actually,” he rushed out, “do you mind if I come up?” He hated to be pushy but she obviously didn’t intend to invite him in, and this was as good a chance as any to meet Caroline.
She hesitated. “Uh, sure.” A buzz sounded and the lock disconnected. Grant pushed through it, and glanced at the apartment number by Alyssa’s name on the panel.
Alyssa was standing in the open doorway as he approached. She wore a stunning blue dress that clung to her curves and accentuated her shape in all the places that men dreamed of caressing behind closed doors. He caught his breath at the sight of her.
“Need a pit stop already?”
He was so busy admiring the sensational vision she made in that dress, he missed her question. “Excuse me?”
She laughed and stood back so he could come in. “The same thing always happens to me when I get dressed up. The restroom is down that hall, second door on the right.”
Oh. “Thanks.” He headed there. He would play along because it would seem less odd than coming in and saying, “I want to meet your daughter.” Especially when, as far as he could remember, he’d never spoken to her about having a daughter. Tread carefully. Don’t blow it.
He closed the door to the bathroom and checked his reflection. He poked at his hair and washed his hands. He counted to fifteen and returned to the living room. Alyssa stood holding a cape.
“May I say, you look sensational,” he said.
She looked at him like she wasn’t sure if he was serious. Her face blushed. “Thank you, Grant.”
He was glad he’d blurted out exactly what he was thinking.
“You look very nice as well.”
Nice. Yes, that’s the reaction he wanted. He needed to stop himself from becoming wrapped up in her beauty. Friends only.
“Thanks.” He glanced around the apartment. “Nice place.”
“I was lucky it was available when I needed it. I love the location and the neighborhood’s safe.”
“Yes, it seems to be.” He took a few steps over to the bookshelf. He picked up a portrait of Alyssa and Caroline and stared at it. It was the first studio portrait he’d ever seen of his little girl. Did she share any features with him? Definitely the eye color. The shape of the nose maybe? A long moment passed and he cleared his throat. “Is this your daughter?”
Alyssa nodded as she stepped up behind him. “Caroline. She’s eight.”
Grant was 100% honest when he said, “She’s beautiful.”
Alyssa smiled. “Thank you. She’s a sweetie.”
“How does she like New York?”
“S
o far, so good. She’s a trooper, she has to be. I’ve moved her around the country several times in her short life, but she’s hanging in there.”
Grant placed the portrait back on the shelf but couldn’t pull his gaze from it. “Maybe you’ll stay in New York. You two can stay put.”
Alyssa’s expression tightened momentarily. “We hope so. We’ll see.”
He’d crossed a line. Take it slow, take it easy. He pulled himself away from the portrait and glanced around the room. “Is Caroline here?”
“No. She’s spending the night with a little girl in her class. I’ll pick her up tomorrow.”
His mood took a plunge. It would’ve made the night perfect if he’d been able to meet her tonight. But, it wasn’t to be. “Are you ready to go?”
She nodded and headed for the door. He took one last long glance at the portrait before following.
* * * *
Alyssa stepped through the doorway into the brisk autumn evening. The leaves on the elm tree near the curb were just beginning their elaborate turn. Grant followed her through and placed his hand on her elbow, keeping a protective hold. The contact was kind of nice. Just in case she should stumble.
On the way down the stairs, she noticed a shiny black stretch limo, complete with a uniformed driver who stood beside the open back door. The driver took her hand and helped her into the seat. Her breath came a little shorter than normal as she sank into the leather seat. She took a moment to control it.
She shouldn’t be getting breathless over this man. The last thing she needed was to get swept away by his good looks and sexy charm, not to mention his wealth and prestige. The man was practically a legend in the business community.
Yet, how could she not be affected by all this, at least a little bit? Grant looked damn irresistible in his black tux. In addition to picking her up with a limo and chauffeur, he even came up to her apartment and showed interest in her family. If she weren’t such a determined professional, she could easily have her head turned by this guy.
This was a business evening, nothing more. And she’d be well-served to keep that foremost in her mind tonight.
Grant climbed into the back seat beside her. The driver maneuvered the car into traffic. Grant turned to her and smiled, a brilliant white smile that would’ve made her heart melt if this were a normal date.
“Limo – nice touch,” she said.
He nodded. “It belongs to my company. Comes in handy when I have to get around the city. I can work in the back seat and he can handle the traffic headaches.” He jabbed a thumb toward the front seat, then pulled a bottle of champagne from a bucket at the side. The ice that had been chilling it crunched.
“Would you like to start the evening with a toast?”
She blinked. “Why not?”
He handed her a long crystal flute filled with the wheat-colored bubbly liquid. “To a long and successful partnership between Calibrite and McDunn and Early.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Alyssa guided the glass to her lips and sipped.
“And to a long and successful partnership between Grant Fontaine and Alyssa Stark.”
The second toast made her cough. A tiny bit of champagne escaped her lips and Grant produced a napkin. “Thank you,” she murmured as she brushed it over her lips.
“You okay?” He leaned in close to her and put his hand on her back. His delicious scent of cologne drifted to her nostrils, making her want to bathe in it. A unique scent of spice combined with leather, very masculine. And with his hand on her bare neck and back, she wondered what his hands would feel like on other bare parts of her anatomy as well.
And just what had he meant by that last toast anyway?
“Sure. Just went down the wrong pipe, that’s all.” She took another sip and set the glass aside.
He put his hand back in his lap. She missed his warm touch on her skin. So much so, that she picked up her flute again and had a crazy fleeting thought of forcing another choke so he’d touch her again. The thought made her smile. She stole a look at him and was mildly surprised to see that he’d been watching her all along.
“You look like the cat that ate the canary.”
The limo pulled up in front of the Waldorf Astoria and Grant jumped out, extending his hand to help her. When they climbed out, the limo whooshed away. His hand rested protectively on the bare skin of her lower back as they walked up the stairs, and it sure felt like a caress. A pulse of adrenaline invaded her heart, causing its beat to come a little faster.
It’s just business, Alyssa. Just a business dinner. You’ve been to thousands like them.
Signs posted around the hotel lobby directed them to the McDunn and Early event in the beautiful Exodus ballroom. She’d heard of it, seen it on TV several times, the location that many New York socialites held their wedding receptions. But when they stepped in, she couldn’t help feeling like a princess on the arm of the most handsome Prince Charming in the room. Her own wedding, a decade ago, was a casual, impromptu affair; her bridal attire consisted of the shorts and shirt she’d been wearing that day. If she ever got married again, she’d do it up right – long gown, flowers, photographers, lots of friends and associates around….
“Alyssa?”
She looked up into Grant’s concerned eyes.
“You just jolted like you had the shock of your life. Are you okay?”
She nodded, unable to push out words. Why was she thinking about weddings on a night like tonight? She determined to clamp down on romantic notions and conduct herself like the consummate business professional she was, before she blew whatever chances she had to impress this client of a lifetime. The fact that they were both dressed up, that she was exposing an unusual amount of skin, and he had picked her up in a limo, didn’t change the fact that he had hired her to do a job. And she would do it, to the best of her abilities.
“No, I’m fine. Just caught a chill breeze, that’s all.”
Which caused him to wrap a strong arm around her shoulders. “I’ll try to keep you warm. Would you like my jacket?”
She shook off his offer, and also the images in her mind of other ways they could explore to keep her warm.
A waiter collected their invitations and escorted them to a table near the front of the ballroom, facing the staged platform. The table of six already seated four others and heading for an empty seat, she was thrilled to see Tony occupying the chair across from her.
“Tony! Good to see you.”
Tony stood and came around the table. He placed a fast kiss on her cheek. “You look fantastic,” he murmured, and then held a hand out to Grant. “Welcome to the Big Shark dinner. And thanks for spending so many bucks with McDunn and Early. It helps insure a good year for all of us.”
Grant smiled, then helped Alyssa into her seat. Alyssa had to wonder if Tony’s tongue was already loosened by several glasses of champagne, but a glance at Grant assured her that he hadn’t taken offense at Tony’s attempt at humor.
Tony completed the introductions around the table, including his date, Melinda; another Account Executive Alyssa hadn’t met yet, Brittany, and Brittany’s husband, Derek. Dinner proceeded and light conversation took place. The salad was delicious, and the main course of salmon, rice and asparagus was perfectly cooked.
Before dessert, Daniel McDunn got up from his seat at the platformed head table and moved to the podium in the center. He cleared his throat. “Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being our guests at the annual McDunn and Early Client Appreciation event. I’m Daniel McDunn, your host this evening.”
The guests responded with light applause.
“I’ll read the names of all our clients present, along with their Account Executive, and I’d like each of them to come up to the platform and accept a token of our appreciation.”
Alyssa glanced mildly over at Grant, and he shrugged at her. “I’m game if you are.”
A few names were announced, and pairs from all over the ballroom approached the stage, acc
epted a gift bag, stood together for handshakes, photos and applause, and returned to their seats. When Grant’s and Alyssa’s names were announced, Tony motioned her over. She swung by his side of the table and he whispered, “They call them in order of their expenditure. Being called third means he’s one of the top spenders this year. Don’t think fifty other Account Execs are squirming in their seats, green with envy.”
Grant was waiting patiently for her. He put his arm around her waist as they made their way to the front, Alyssa trying to push the “green with envy” comment from her mind.
Daniel’s words came crisply over the microphone, “We’d like to welcome one of our newest clients, Grant Fontaine of Calibrite Electronics.”
The applause pulsated through the room. People rose to their feet, standing and clapping, people Alyssa didn’t know, but assumed were her colleagues. A couple of them gave her thumbs-up gestures. Grant took her hand and squeezed it. She glanced over at him and realized he looked extremely uncomfortable bathing in all that adoration. Knowing his history, which they’d never talked about, she felt a wave of empathy for him. She squeezed his hand back and leaned into his ear. “Soak it in. This is all for you.”
He studied her face for a moment, then rolled his eyes. He turned to Daniel and gave him a “get on with it” sign with his fingers. Daniel nodded. “And another welcome to our newest member of the McDunn and Early staff, and the woman who reeled in Calibrite within her first three weeks with us … Alyssa Stark. Welcome, Alyssa.”
Alyssa waved to the crowd. Advertising involved a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, creative brainstorming and effective communications. Not much soaking in the applause of an appreciative crowd. She smiled as she looked out at everyone. She knew this moment wouldn’t come often and she was determined to enjoy it.
As the applause died down, it was Grant who leaned into her ear this time. “You are positively beaming.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Nor should you. You look gorgeous.”
She smiled her appreciation at him as Daniel began speaking again.
Hidden Agenda Page 6