by Tamie Dearen
She grinned, in spite of herself.
Yep, you’re right. But I shouldn’t have used the L-word. He wasn’t ready for it.
The afternoon before the big fundraiser, hundreds of people were darting around like bees, moving tables and chairs, decorating, preparing the media. Everyone had a job to do.
Where is he?
Ever since that fateful kiss the previous day, she’d barely seen him. Now the banquet time was approaching, and she would be forced to sit next to the man, at a table full of important donors, and pretend everything was fine between them. The problem was, everything was not fine. In fact, everything was a mess.
Somehow, after sharing the most powerful kiss she’d ever experienced, Finn Anderson had strolled downstairs and casually announced to a roomful of reporters that she was simply a rising employee at Limitless, and he was her employer. End of story. No relationship. No feelings. Then he’d given her a perfunctory handshake and sent her on her way, while he remained to field questions about Phantom Enterprises’ latest projects and the upcoming Limitless fundraiser.
How had it happened? One second their lips were joined in an electrifying kiss. The next he was out the door, announcing they were late for the press conference. When he dismissed her from the meeting, she’d hung around in the back, hoping to continue the conversation he’d shut off so suddenly. While she waited, she’d practiced her arguments.
Number one… being with you is not throwing my life away. And number two… being with you is not throwing my life away. And the same for number three and number four and number five!
But she never got the chance to say it aloud. He’d slipped away with a group of reporters and returned in the wee hours of the night. She knew it was later than two a.m., because that’s how long she waited in for him on the hard wooden bench outside the elevator. Saturday morning he didn’t show up for breakfast and sent a text that he had been called away to a lunch meeting. And now it was time for her to get dressed for the evening, and they hadn’t had a single moment to talk.
Laurie had a lot to say, and it was building by the second. When she saw him she’d probably explode. She pictured him in his tuxedo splattered head to toe with bits of green word-goo.
“What’s so funny?” asked Francisco, a bright, temporary hire who’d become her right-hand man over the course of the week.
She blew a stray piece of hair off her face. “Nothing. I’m just ready to get this over with.”
“Not me,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “This is the best part. I thrive on it.”
“I can tell,” she said. “You’re a hard worker. I think you’ll go a long way.”
“Not me. I’m nobody. Just a college dropout. This is about the best I can do.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him square in the eye. “You listen to me. There is nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it. Now, I’m going to be back in a year, and I expect to hire you again.”
“Sounds good.” He shrugged.
“And… I expect you to tell me how many college hours you’ve completed during that year.”
His eyes got big. “I can’t afford it. I’ve got a family to feed.”
She pulled one of her business cards out of her back pocket. “And I happen to know someone who funds scholarships for people just like you.”
Guess it’s a good thing I’m going to be talking to Dad again. Hope his scholarship program is still going.
He grinned. “You mean it?”
“Absolutely, I do.”
In his excitement, he threw his arms around her neck. “Thank you so much. I won’t let you down.”
In the next breath he jerked backwards and stumbled against the wall, pinned in place by Finn, who had him by the collar. “Don’t touch her.”
“Finn, what are you doing?” She pushed her way between them. “Francisco, go take care of the auction items.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She watched as he scurried across the room and out of sight. Then she turned to face Finn, but he was already walking away.
“Oh no, you don’t.” She trotted after him, catching him as he reached the elevator. “Where have you been? We have a lot to talk about.”
“I don’t have time. I need to do my treatment and get ready for the fundraiser.” He punched the elevator button five times in rapid succession.
“Then we’ll talk on the way upstairs,” she said, as the elevator dinged its arrival.
The doors opened, and Finn stepped inside, with Laurie on his heels. He puffed out a breath, like an angry bull and stomped off the elevator before the doors could close.
“Where are you going?” Laurie asked, following him down the hallway.
“I’m going up the stairs,” he announced, throwing open the door and taking the first flight, two steps at a time.
Laurie started after him. “You’re walking up twenty flights of stairs,” she called, “just to avoid talking to me?”
“No.” His voice echoed from above, along with his rapid footsteps. “I’m running up twenty flights.”
Determined, she trudged upward, but stopped at the top of the third flight, completely winded, his footsteps growing quieter as he gained ground. That’s what I get for not working out.
“You can’t avoid me all night, Finn Anderson,” she huffed, bending over to catch her breath. As if he could hear her threat, she ranted on. “Now that I know you’re jealous, I’m going to hit you with everything I’ve got. Do you hear me? That’s right… be afraid. Be very afraid.”
She reached for the exit door, but stopped with her hand on the handle, listening to the faint footsteps sounding from far above.
“And when I’m finished, you’re not going to tell me I’m throwing my life away,” she called. “You’re going to tell me we should never spend another minute apart.”
With fresh resolve, she pulled out her cell phone and searched through her contact list. Locating the number she sought, she pressed send, crossing her fingers.
“Laurie?” a male voice answered. “Is that you?”
By the time Finn reached the top, he was gasping for air and coughing. He fumed that his cardio fitness had regressed so far since his hospitalization. In his room, he started his nightly CF treatment, adjusting his schedule around the banquet. For a moment, he let himself imagine his life if he and Laurie were married… his life if he were a selfish man who cared more for himself than Laurie’s happiness.
Perhaps she would tell him stories about her day as he went through his monotonous routine. Maybe, with her understanding of CF, she wouldn’t be turned off by his deep, hoarse cough. She might even don a skimpy outfit as added incentive for him to finish.
Dream on, buddy.
Because he loved her, it could never be more than that—only a dream. He refused to discuss it with her, because he knew what she would say. She was a romantic… an idealist. He was a realist. He could be mature and rational about the whole matter. Somewhere out there was another man who could make her happy for the rest of her life. Finn’s job was to keep her safe until she found that man. But he had to be disciplined. That kiss—that amazing, incredible kiss that made his brain stop functioning—that kiss could never happen again.
Meanwhile, he needed to warn her about men. She was too trusting—that much was obvious. What if Finn hadn’t come along in time to save her from that overzealous worker? And hadn’t he overheard her talking to Steph about missing her ex-boyfriend—the very one who must’ve been abusing her in some form or fashion?
Freshly showered, he donned his favorite tuxedo. Standing in front of the mirror, his fingers moved automatically, deftly tying the black bow tie in perfect form. Satisfied with his work, he headed downstairs with a generous forty-five-minute margin before the event. He would likely hang out in the lobby to greet the guests until close to starting time, so that he and Laurie wouldn’t accidentally find themselves alone at the head table.
He stepped off
the elevator and crossed the large lobby, arranged with standing conversation tables, draped with white linen tablecloths. A table near the banquet room was already manned with workers ready to direct guests to their assigned tables. A quick glance at the seating chart revealed only three or four empty places. Laurie must have worked hard to have commitments for almost every seat, even with last-minute cancelations.
First to arrive were the Worthingtons, William and Audrey, who owned this exclusive hotel chain, along with a dozen smaller ones. Audrey was still a beauty at seventy-five, the age she proudly proclaimed, bragging about the fact that she’d never had a bit of “work done.”
“Audrey, you look lovely tonight,” said Finn, lifting her fingers to his lips. “If only you weren’t married to this rascal.”
She blushed and giggled as Bill proclaimed, teasingly, “Boy, you’d better keep your hands off my woman.”
“Let’s see… your table is… ah… number seven, right up front. Audrey, I hope you’ll save me a dance.”
“I doubt we’ll stay past the auction.” She looked genuinely disappointed. “Bill’s not much for dancing.”
Next up were the Barnes, of Barnes Investments. Then came a steady stream of arrivals that kept him busy greeting people until his cheeks hurt from smiling.
He was listening to a tall tale narrated by the real estate mogul, Harvey Parsons, when Harvey stopped mid-sentence, his eyes bugging out like someone was choking him.
“Who is that?” he asked, under his breath, gaping over Finn’s shoulder.
Following his gaze, Finn turned toward the majestic open staircase that curved down from the overlook. His breath caught in his throat. Laurie!
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. With graceful ease, she descended the grand, curved stairway, draped in a sleeveless silver dress that hugged her curves and fell to the ground in iridescent waves. Her mass of long, tight curls was pinned up in an artless manner, with a few curly strands escaping to adorn the gentle slope of her neck. The overhead lights reflected in the sparkle of diamonds that lay on her golden-brown skin.
Harvey let out a low whistle. “Now that’s one hot chick. And I’m betting she’s single, too.”
Finn’s right hand curled into a fist, one that was itching to deliver a stiff uppercut to Harvey’s chin. But he kept a fake smile plastered on his face.
“She’s too young for you, Harvey.” Finn could barely make his lips move to form the words.
Harvey threw his head back and laughed. “Son, you know how they say love is blind? Well, let me tell you money is blinder. I’ve yet to find a single woman who thinks I’m too old.”
With his eyes zeroed in on Laurie, Harvey took a step toward the stairs, and Finn moved to block his path, hoping to avoid a scene. But then Harvey’s leering grin faded, and he spat out a curse. “Never mind, she’s with someone.”
“She is?” Finn whipped around, just as she reached the bottom and threw her arms around a man’s neck.
Finn’s feet were moving before his brain kicked in. By the time Laurie released her hold, Finn was standing at her side, eyeing the stranger who’d won her enthusiastic affection. This was no fuzz-faced young man, like the boy Finn had chased away that morning. No, this man had broad shoulders that could only come from lifting heavy weights. And the custom fit of his tuxedo suggested he had money, as well. Finn cleared his throat to gain her attention.
She jumped when she saw him. “Oh! Hi, Finn. Uhm… this is… this is…” she stammered, darting glances at the guy.
“I’m Jerome.” He jutted his hand forward, and Finn got his first look at the guy’s face.
“I know you,” Finn said, shaking his hand with an extra firm grip, to prove he wasn’t a wimp. “You’re Jerome Shields.” He also knew a lot of the Jerome’s football stats, but it seemed too creepy to mention. He didn’t mention he was a fan… especially since his status had just changed to former fan.
“Jerome, this is my boss, Finn Anderson,” said Laurie.
“Nice to meet you,” Jerome said, with no apparent recognition. Not surprising. He probably didn’t spend a lot of time on the computer. This man was a star quarterback— solid muscle… a perfect physical specimen… the opposite of Finn in every way. Was this what Laurie really wanted? She seemed to have forgotten yesterday’s declaration of love. He ought to be glad. So why wasn’t he?
“How do you know each other?” Finn crossed his arms, attempting to keep his expression neutral.
“We’re uhm…” Laurie exchanged an awkward glance with Jerome.
“I’m an old friend from college,” he explained, moving over to sling his arm around Laurie’s shoulder. “We used to be close… very close. Right, Lorelai?”
She giggled. “You’re the only person who ever got away with calling me that.”
Could this be the man who’d abused Laurie? Finn tried to gauge the tension between the two, but Laurie seemed relaxed with this behemoth of a man groping her bare shoulder.
“I don’t remember your name on the guest list,” Finn said. “A late addition?”
“That’s right,” Jerome answered quickly. “Laurie called me to fill an empty seat.”
“And I ordered him to bring his checkbook for the auction,” she added, jabbing his ribs with her elbow. “Do you have it?”
“Right here.” He patted the chest of his tux. “What do you want me to buy for you?”
“I have my heart set on this Bach tour in Germany,” Laurie said. “Of course I’ll have to take a boat to cross the ocean.”
“Still don’t like flying?” Jerome asked.
For some reason it irritated Finn that Jerome knew this intimate secret about her.
“It’s ten days, all over Germany,” said Laurie, “and you get to walk in Bach’s footsteps. The tour guide is an organist who plays Bach compositions on the organs in each of the churches where Bach composed the pieces.”
“A Bach tour?” Finn pulled the auction program from his inside coat pocket. “I don’t remember that being an auction item.”
“Page two. Fifth item. See it? You don’t know about it because I got the donation all on my own. It includes a two-day trip to Warsaw at the end, for a Chopin tour.” She practically danced on her toes. It was the trip of her dreams, and Finn wasn’t about to let some other man take her. Especially one who might’ve been abusive.
“It’s a trip for two. Are you planning to go with her?” Finn gave Jerome a measuring look. “You’re a fan of Bach?”
“Sure I am.” Jerome stuck out his jaw. “I love the Moonlight Sonata.”
“That’s Beethoven,” Laurie said, with a chuckle, as if the mistake wasn’t a travesty. “I helped you learn this for Music Appreciation class at State. Remember? Moonlight has nine letters and so does Beethoven.”
“Bach. Beethoven. Same difference. Both start with a B.”
Laurie seemed to think Jerome was hilarious.
Finn disagreed.
When new arrivals forced Finn to resume his duties at the banquet room door, Laurie’s wound-up muscles finally relaxed. He’d been a lot more antagonistic than Laurie expected. Especially since Jerome hadn’t said or done anything remotely romantic.
“I guess this job pays pretty well,” said Jerome. “That ice around your neck must be worth fifty grand.”
“Four times that,” Laurie corrected, holding up a trembling hand. “And these earrings are a hundred grand and this ring is about a quarter of a million.
“Is that an engagement ring?”
“No, it’s an auction item, and I have to model it. That’s why I’m wearing it on my right hand.” She checked the necklace clasp, yet again, to be sure it was secure. “I have to wear this set all night. Any other woman would probably love it, but I’m scared to death. I’m supposed to be walking around showing it to all the women, but I’m thinking I should stay here and let them come to me.”
“We can’t stay.” He glanced over his shoulder toward Finn, who appeared to have
one eye glued to Laurie while he welcomed another donor to the event. “We need to hide from that boss of yours. I get the distinct feeling he doesn’t like me. Does he have something against blacks?”
“Maybe he hates football players,” she teased.
“That’s worse.” He winked and gave her an affectionate squeeze.
“It’s not because you’re black. He likes me, just fine.”
“Yeah, but you look more Hispanic. You’ve always taken after your mom.”
“Whatever. He’s not prejudiced. He’s just…” She hesitated to reveal their almost-relationship. “He tends to be a bit overprotective, and he doesn’t know you’re my brother.”
“We probably shouldn’t make it public, yet.” Jerome frowned, rubbing the neatly trimmed beard that contrasted with his shaved head. “You don’t need to work for a jerk like that. You can be my personal assistant. I’ll double your salary.”
“Wow. What would my job be? Trimming your fingernails?” She rolled her eyes. “No offense, but I didn’t get my MBA to be your personal assistant.”
“You have your MBA, now? I’m so proud of you. I’m not really surprised, though. You were always the smart one.”
Laurie let his comment slide. They both knew Jerome had graduated magna cum laude with a political science degree and had a guaranteed acceptance in law school when he was ready to retire from football.
“I like my job, actually.”
“If you say so. I wouldn’t want to work for him.”
“Be nice, brother. He’s a good guy. Phantom Enterprises pumps a lot of money into Limitless, and they help a lot of kids with disabilities.”
“Phantom Enterprises is behind this? I thought you said it was called Limited.”
“No, I said, Limit-less. That’s the non-profit arm of Phantom Enterprises. Finn is one of the four guys who started the company.”
“I know Phantom Enterprises. I just got a PE control system for the house.” He frowned, tapping a finger on his chin. “I guess I’ve probably heard Finn’s name before, then.”
“You probably have, unless you have your head in the sand. He’s been on a few magazine covers.” She gave him a playful poke in the side. “Not as many as you, of course.”