by Ali Parker
“I hope to hell you’re wrong.’
Max’s face fell. The pitying look in his eyes disappeared as understanding dawned.
“You’re actually gonna do it, aren’t you?”
“Max …”
“Yes or no?” he demanded.
“I don’t have a choice, Max.”
Max exhaled sharply and jumped to his feet. He jerked his head to the side, motioning silently for me to follow him.
“I’ll be right back, Pea,” I told Paisley. “Uncle Max and I need to talk about something.”
“Okay!” Paisley waved to me without looking up.
I followed my brother into the kitchen. Once inside, he spun around to face me, his face red with anger.
“You’re not doing this,” he said firmly.
“Max,” I began. “The days where you could give me orders are long since behind us.”
“It’s not an order, Ryan.” Max threw his hands up. “It’s common fucking sense! You can’t cross this line. That poor girl.”
“Poor girl?” I scoffed. “You don’t even know her.”
“Neither do you!”
“Her name is Candice,” I said, as if that mattered.
“Oh, great.” Max scoffed. “Her name is Candice. Awesome. So, what? That means she deserves to be taken advantage of?”
“I’m not taking advantage of her!” I took a step forward. “I’m doing my job, Max. I’m supporting my daughter which, as you know, hasn’t exactly been easy since her mother took off two years ago!”
That shut my brother up. His mouth snapped shut. He took a step back, all the fight draining from his body. Shaking his head from side to side, he let out a long slow breath.
“I don’t know, man,” he said softly. “This doesn’t feel right.”
“Nothing about my job feels right to you,” I reminded him.
“This is worse,” Max argued. “This is … This is something you can’t come back from. It’s not right, Ryan.”
Turning away, I ran my hands over my hair. Deep down, I knew Max was right. Whoever this Candice girl was, she didn’t deserve to be tricked, and yet how could I turn down the job?
“The money is incredible,” I said, turning back to my brother. “Enough to support Paisley and me for a long time, Max. I can’t just turn it down.”
“No amount of money is worth this.”
“I could quit,” I said quickly. “This woman, she’s offering to pay me an insane amount. If I get her daughter to take me to the banquet, then the payday will be huge, so big that I could quit. Find something more respectable.”
Max just shook his head, barely hearing what I said.
“That’s what you want, isn’t it?” I pressed. “For me to get away from Beatrice and Kason? Away from Romeo Rebound?”
Without a word, Max turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen. I followed him, too exasperated to fight. If Max couldn’t see how great this opportunity was, then that was his problem. Not mine.
“Hey, Pea,” I said, keeping my voice light. “Daddy’s gotta go.”
Paisley turned to me. “Can’t you stay?” she asked. “For a little longer?”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “My boss is waiting for me.”
Paisley’s face fell as she turned back to her toys.
“Can I get a hug?” I asked.
She ignored me, too busy rolling her wooden train over the tracks. Max’s disapproval burned a hole in the side of my face. I waited for Paisley to look at me again, but after a few minutes, I knew I was waiting for nothing.
“I’ll see you in a few hours,” I promised her. “I love you.”
I was halfway to the door before she whispered, “I love you too.”
***
Tapping softly on Beatrice’s door, I poked my head inside her office. She grinned, a cigarette dangling from her red lips.
“Come in!” She waved her arms frantically. “Close the door behind you, baby. Come in. Come in.”
I stepped inside and forced a smile on my face. My brother’s warning still echoed in my ears, but I pushed it away, determined to get through these next two months unscathed.
“So,” B said as I sat down. “Have you thought any more about Mrs. Smart’s offer? It’s a damn good deal, Ry. The best I’ve gotten in a long time. This woman has deep pockets. And when I say deep, baby, I mean deep as the Atlantic Ocean.”
“I’ll do it,” I said before I could change my mind.
B’s face lit up with excitement. She cooed and clapped her hands together. With a flourish, she crushed her cigarette into her ashtray and rummaged around on her desk. I watched her fingers fly over various pieces of paper until they closed around a bright orange sticky note.
“Here!” she exclaimed. “This is where Mrs. Smart wants you to ‘run in’ to Candice.”
Taking the note from her, I looked down to see the address for a coffee shop on the east side of town.
“According to her mother, Candice goes there at least once a day,” B said. “She takes an afternoon break around two o’clock.”
“And how soon should I plan this rendezvous?” I asked.
“Tomorrow.”
I blinked. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, baby.” Beatrice threw her head back and laughed. “Of course, I’m serious! This is a time-sensitive client, okay? Debbie wants this handled ASAP.”
B popped her lips on the P. My stomach turned over, but I fought the urge to argue. I’d worked for Beatrice long enough to know it was futile.
“You only have two months to make this girl fall head over heels for you,” Beatrice said. “I know you, baby, so I know you’ll do me proud.”
“All I have to do is get an invitation to the banquet?” I asked, suddenly nervous. “Then, I get paid?”
B grinned and leaned forward. She placed her elbow gracefully on her desk and rested her head on her palm. Eyeing me closely, her grin turned slowly to a grimace.
“Ryan,” she said slowly. “Don’t tell me this is all about the money for you.”
I blinked. Of course, it was about the money. What the hell else would it be about?
Clearing my throat, I picked my words carefully. “You know me better than that, B.” I let my green eyes twinkle. “I love my job, but this girl isn’t on the rebound. The usual thrill I get from helping a woman see her own beauty … Well, I’m not exactly going to get that thrill from Candice, am I?”
“You’ll find it,” B reassured me. “If she needs her mommy to find her a date, she’s a broken dove. Just like the rest of them.”
B’s words only served to make my stomach turn over again. I swallowed hard and forced a nonchalant expression on my face, Max’s warning still blaring in my ears.
“Debbie has some rules,” B said. “Hard and fast ones too.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I teased.
“Do not, under any circumstances,” B said seriously, “tell Candice who you really are.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”
“This is not a joke, Ryan,” B snapped. “Mrs. Smart made it clear that if Candice finds out anything, none of us are getting paid.”
“I know how to do my job,” I said, offended. “I’ll be fine, B.”
B smiled. “I know you will, baby.”
“What else?” I asked. “What other rules?”
“No sex,” B said simply.
“Isn’t that always our rule?” I asked innocently.
B’s eyes flashed. She snickered and said, “And you, baby, are the only one of my boys who actually follows it.”
“That’s not true.” I shook my head. “Kason doesn’t sleep with his clients.”
“Sometimes your naivete is so charming, it’s actually alluring.” B bit her bottom lip, making me shift uncomfortably in my chair.
Laughing, B brushed past the moment.
“One last rule,” she said. “Debbie would like you to, if possible, persuade Candice to step away from the c
ompany.”
I blinked. “Company?”
“You haven’t put it together yet?” B asked.
“Um.”
“Deborah Smart,” B said slowly. “Candice Smart.”
It took me a second to understand her meaning. When I did, a weight fell into my chest. Breathing sharply, I narrowed my eyes.
“As in Smart Cosmetics Magazine?” I demanded.
“As in Smart Cosmetics and Smart Cosmetics Magazine,” B corrected. “That pretty building on the good side of town? With the beautiful people smiling down on all of us? Yeah, baby. Candice owns the whole damn thing.”
Uncertainty overwhelmed me. This was a mistake. There was no way I could pull this off, not when the client was such a high-profile woman.
“Beatrice,” I began, but she cut me off with a look.
“Mrs. Smart wants you,” B said firmly. “Be flattered, Ryan. Be excited. Hell, be a little nervous. But don’t you dare back out on me.”
Beatrice glared across her desk.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Ryan Winters. Seize it.”
Chapter 6
Candice
Smart Cosmetics took up an entire building. From the top floor where my office sat to the bottom where our studios took up almost every inch of available space. The building and business had been my father’s, and then it became mine. Not a day went by when I didn’t worry about my progress, when I didn’t stress over whether I was worthy of the big New York City skyscraper.
“Jim,” I said, stepping into the conference room. “Sorry I’m late. We ran into an issue with one of the new hires.”
Jim, Smart Cosmetics’ lead accountant, rose to his feet, smiling kindly. At barely five feet tall and almost three hundred pounds, Jim always reminded me of an Oompa Loompa.
“Not a problem,” he reassured me with a wave of his hand.
“Thanks, Jim.” I joined him at the table and took a deep breath. “So, tell me. What’s the damage?”
Jim simply smiled and slid a sheet of paper to me. Frowning, I picked it up and tried to make sense of the green numbers staring up at me.
“But this …” I blinked. “This can’t be right, can it?”
“We’re up almost fifty percent from last year.” Jim’s face lit up with excitement. “And last quarter we brought in three million more than the start of the year.”
It wasn’t often I found myself speechless, but Jim left me grasping in vain for words that never came. Staring down at the spreadsheet, I knew he was right. Smart Cosmetics was doing better than I could have imagined.
“I’m sorry.” I cleared my throat and shook myself. “I’m just shocked.”
Jim laughed. “This is incredible, Candice,” he said. “You should be proud of yourself. I know your father would be.”
Trying to hide the blush on my cheeks, I smiled and quickly got to my feet. Jim had known me since I was a little girl, ever since my father started this company. Of all my employees, he was the one who could make me feel like a child playing dress up. I hated it.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” I said, my professional voice back in place. “We’ll check in with each other again next month?”
“Absolutely.” Jim held out his hand for me to shake.
I clasped his in both of mine, another way to regain my authority, and nodded once. Turning on my heel, I marched out of the conference room without another word.
Once outside, I walked past the row of windows separating the hallway from the conference room. Jim was sitting down again, his eyes roaming freely over some documents in front of him. Glancing through the window, I saw a proud smile creep across his face. As I walked away, I couldn’t help it. I had to smile too.
***
With my phone pressed against my ear, I stepped up to the counter and ordered my regular afternoon coffee. Hazelnut cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso.
“Thanks, Candice,” Mel, the barista said, as I slid a ten-dollar tip into the jar.
Smiling, I stepped aside to wait for my drink while my sister chattered in my ear.
“No, Leslie,” I said into the phone. “I can’t retire at thirty-one.”
“Don’t bullshit me, sis,” Leslie hissed. “We both know you could retire right now.”
“It’s not retirement if it happens in your thirties,” I argued. “It’s just being rich.”
“Which we are.”
Sighing, I stepped out of the way as a man walked in front of me. I craned my neck around him to see how soon my cappuccino would be ready. Mel always pushed me to the front of the line because she knew how busy I was. And because of the ten-dollar tips.
“The company is doing well,” I told Leslie.
She cleared her throat pointedly. “Insanely well.”
“Yes, insanely well.” I rolled my eyes. “But that’s only because I work so fucking hard. If I stop, then the company fails.”
“So you keep saying, but I’m …”
Leslie kept talking, but I didn’t hear a word. The man in front of me turned around and fixed a pair of brilliant green eyes on me. He smiled casually, cocking his head an inch to the side. Those green eyes filled with interest as they surveyed me.
“Hey, Leslie,” I said loudly. She shut up quickly. “There’s a random guy eye-fucking me, so I’ll have to call you back in a second.”
“What?!”
I hung up and stuck my phone in my back pocket. The man heard every word I said to my sister, but he didn’t move. Continuing to hold my gaze, he took a step toward me and held out his hand.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m Ryan.”
“Hello, Ryan.” I looked at his hand but didn’t reach for it. “Can I help you? Or, is staring just your thing?”
“Staring?” Ryan chuckled. “Did we already downgrade from eye-fucking?”
“So, you did hear me,” I said, unabashed.
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “Wasn’t that your hope?”
“Hope is a strong word,” I said.
Laughing, Ryan put his hands in his pockets and considered me. When he finally spoke again, his tone was determinedly casual.
“Just to set the record straight,” he said. “I was not eye-fucking you.”
Now it was my turn for raised brows. “No?”
“No.” Ryan shook his head. “I make it a point to admire one beautiful thing a day. And, well, today that one thing is you.”
“Wow.” I laughed and stepped around him. “Nice line.”
“Is it a line if it’s true?”
Stepping up to the serving counter, I made a point of ignoring him. I stood on my toes to peer behind the espresso machine. Mel smiled and nodded, silently letting me know that my cappuccino was almost ready.
“Okay.” Ryan moved beside me, his hands held up in surrender. “Okay, you’re right. That was a bad line.”
“Ya think?”
“Let me start again.” He cleared his throat and ran his hands through a mess of dirty blond hair. “Hi, I’m Ryan. And you are?”
I looked up at him but didn’t speak. His casual smile was back in place, his green eyes still twinkling. To his credit, those eyes never once fell below my face.
With a sigh, I turned and stuck out my hand. “Candice,” I said. “Nice to meet you, Ryan.”
“There.” Ryan wrapped his fingers around mine. “That’s a much better start, don’t you think?”
He kept his hand gently in mine. I wanted to move away but something about him held me there. I found myself wondering what he would say next.
“A start to what exactly?” I asked, my voice weaker than I liked.
“Well.” Ryan finally dropped my hand. “Now that I know your name, I was kind of hoping your number would come next.”
“Ah.” I lifted my chin and turned back to the counter. “Yeah, no.”
“No?”
Before I could answer, Mel placed my cappuccino in front of me with a flourish.
“For you,” she sai
d. “See you later, Candice!”
“Thanks, Mel.”
Turning on my heel, I spun around and made my way to the door. Ryan followed close behind, that same easygoing smile plastered on his lips. With a roll of my eyes, I rounded on him.
“Leaving so soon?” I demanded. “You didn’t even get your coffee.”
“Oh, I’m not leaving,” Ryan said confidently. “Just walking you out. You know, like a real gentleman.”
“Is that what you are?” I asked.
Ryan grinned and shrugged, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
“So, Candice,” he said. “About that number …”
“Not gonna happen, Romeo.”
Ryan laughed as if I’d let myself unwittingly into some private joke of his. He ran his hands through his hair again and his T-shirt pulled up just enough to reveal a sliver of abs. My eyes dropped, but I quickly snapped them back to his face.
“What’s so funny?” I demanded.
“Not a thing.” Ryan grinned. “I know when to accept defeat. Have a great day, Candice. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh?” My eyes widened. “You will?”
“Of course,” he said flirtatiously. “Today, I accept defeat. Tomorrow is a different story.”
“And what makes you so sure you’ll see me tomorrow?”
Ryan laughed again. “You and the barista are on a first name basis,” he said. “It’s pretty clear this is your haunt.”
He was right. Every day at exactly two o’clock, I ordered a hazelnut cappuccino from either Mel or Bobby, whoever was working that day. Still, just because Ryan was right, that didn’t mean I was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Ryan.” I pushed open the door. “But you definitely will not be seeing me tomorrow.”
“Hmm.” Ryan watched me go, his eyes lingering on my body for the first time. “We’ll just have to see about that.”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, we will.”
The door fell closed behind me. Through the window, I watched Ryan turn back to the counter to wait for his drink. With a shaky breath, I started my short walk back to the office.
As I walked, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly called Leslie back. She answered on the first ring.