by Karen Booth
The flight had given her entirely too much time to mull over Zane’s latest rejection. She wanted to shrug it off and move ahead, but her heart just wouldn’t let her go there. Her heart wanted to drag her down to the bottom of this murky sea in which she was adrift and remind her of the reasons why it was such a shattering disappointment to have him choose his friendship with her brother over a chance with her. She was in deep, and she had no idea how to swim her way out. Scott would never buy into the idea of her with Zane. He would always think of Allison as that little girl with cancer, even when she was strong and healthy and a grown woman. And if anyone knew Zane forward, backward and every other way imaginable, it was her brother. He was convinced that Zane wasn’t capable of commitment. The allure of other women was too great, although Allison also suspected that there was more to it than that. Zane might have been unbelievably brave in the face of that storm, but he was afraid of commitment and was possibly even more terrified of love. That put Allison in the category of a good time, right where every other woman he’d ever met also resided. Allison didn’t want to be just another girl, but it sure felt that way.
With the Black Crescent building looming before her, Allison couldn’t afford to think about that. She had a job to do and a business to keep afloat. Her first allegiance had to be to herself and Kianna now. She straightened her designer jacket and shrugged her laptop bag up onto her shoulder, then marched into Black Crescent.
She approached the main-floor reception desk. “Allison Randall for Joshua Lowell. We have a two o’clock.”
The receptionist picked up the phone. “One moment, please.”
Before she could dial an extension number, another woman emerged from a side door in the reception area. “Ms. Randall?” The woman was willowy with wavy blond hair. She offered her hand. “I’m Haley Shaw, Mr. Lowell’s assistant. We’re so glad you’re here. Especially considering everything you’ve been through. I still can’t believe you were able to keep this appointment.”
Allison shook hands with Haley. “It would’ve taken more than some bad weather to keep me away from this opportunity.”
“Come on. I’ll give you the lay of the land and show you where we’ll be conducting the interviews.”
Haley led Allison upstairs to the second floor and a conference room right outside Joshua Lowell’s office. The one thing that struck Allison about Black Crescent was that no expense had been spared. Every detail was of the finest quality. It did make Allison wonder if the rumors about Vernon Lowell were true, that he’d never actually left Falling Brook and had merely been in hiding this whole time. If that was ever proved to be the case, she could imagine Zane blowing his top. Another lie from Vernon Lowell would only reopen Zane’s deep wounds. Plus, Zane was the sort of the man who wanted to get even. Knowing he could have hunted down Vernon all these years would at the very least eat at him.
“Please, make yourself at home,” Haley said, gesturing to the gleaming mahogany meeting table. “Mr. Lowell should be here in a few minutes. He’s just finishing up a phone call.”
Allison set down her Louis Vuitton bag and pulled out her laptop. “Great. We’re seeing three candidates today. Ryan Hathaway, Chase Hargrove and Matteo Velez.”
Haley pursed her lips in a particularly odd way. “Chase Hargrove, huh?” Her voice was dripping with doubt, something Allison wanted to get to the bottom of before Joshua arrived.
“Yes. He’s highly qualified for the position. And I was impressed with him when we spoke on the phone.”
Haley nodded, but seemed unconvinced. “I’m sure he has the right credentials. I just don’t know if he’s a good fit for the office.”
This was an interesting development. Allison had never had an assistant offer her opinion of a candidate, and especially not before the interview had even taken place. But in her experience assistants seemed to always know more about everyone and everything than the majority of their bosses. “Can you tell me why?”
Just then, a young man poked his head into the meeting room. “Ms. Shaw. Chase Hargrove is here for his interview.”
“Can you let Mr. Lowell know? And can you ask Chase to hold on a minute?” Haley asked.
“Sure thing, Ms. Shaw.” The man darted back into the hall.
“If there’s something I need to know, now would be a great time to mention it,” Allison said. She couldn’t afford to mess up when it came to Black Crescent. She had to nail this job. On paper, Chase was a highly qualified candidate, and Allison had found him charming and affable during their one phone conversation.
Haley seemed deep in thought for a moment, as if she was calculating her response. “I’m afraid I don’t have a specific reason for feeling that way about Chase. It’s more of a hunch.”
The meeting door opened again and in walked Joshua Lowell. Allison had never met him in person, but she’d seen his pictures all over the papers and in business magazines, especially the last few years. “Mr. Lowell, I’m Allison Randall.” She offered her hand.
“Please. Call me Joshua. It won’t be long before I’m not the boss around here anymore.”
“That’s why I’m here, right?” Allison wondered if that aspect of her job might help her smooth things over with Zane whenever he discovered she was working for Black Crescent. So much of his hatred seemed aimed at Joshua, and she was in charge of finding his replacement. She tucked the idea away in her head. The idea of needing to explain herself to Zane, all in the name of making a case for them as a couple, was a stretch. She was sure he didn’t see her as anything more than a fling.
“Absolutely,” Joshua answered. “So, please, let’s bring in these candidates.”
Allison asked Haley to go ahead and bring Chase in for his interview. The instant he walked through the door, the energy in the room changed dramatically. Tall, handsome and completely self-assured, Chase was a formidable presence. With Joshua also in the room, it was no easy task to take center stage, but Chase seemed to do it at will. Was this the reason for Haley’s hesitancy when it came to Chase? Was he simply too much to deal with?
Chase sat opposite the three of them at the conference table and Allison wasted no time conducting the interview. This was not about putting the candidate on the spot—she’d already gone over these exact questions with them over the phone. They’d also already been fully vetted by Allison and Kianna. This process was all for the client. This was Chase’s chance to put his well-honed answers on full display for Joshua.
When Allison was finished, she was fairly certain Chase could not only land the job, but could perform the duties with aplomb. But she wasn’t done with showing off the product of her hard work—Ryan Hathaway and Matteo Velez were up next.
“Thank you so much, Chase, for coming in today. We’ll be in touch,” Allison said.
All four of them stood and Chase began to round the table.
“I’ll fetch Mr. Hathaway,” Haley blurted, darting out the door before Chase had a chance to shake her hand and say goodbye.
Chase took notice, watching as she disappeared. “Ms. Shaw sure is on the case, isn’t she?”
Joshua extended his hand to Chase. “She’s the best. No matter who comes in as CEO, Haley needs to stay. She makes this office run.”
“Believe me, if I get this job, Ms. Shaw is the last person I’d dream of replacing,” Chase said. Allison couldn’t ignore the glimmer in his eyes.
Just then, Haley walked in with Ryan Hathaway, who Allison recognized from his headshot. Typically, Allison did not want the candidates for a position to encounter each other in the interview room, but what was done was done. She made the introductions, and Ryan seemed immediately suspicious of Chase.
“I suppose this is my cue to make way for your interview,” Chase said to Ryan before turning to Haley. “And, Ms. Shaw, I hope to see you again very soon.”
Haley’s face flushed with a brilliant shade of
pink. She was noticeably conflicted as they shook hands. “I wish you the best of luck.”
Ryan seemed to take notice of the sparks between Haley and Chase, arching both eyebrows and pressing his lips together firmly as he witnessed their goodbye. He pulled Allison aside as Haley and Joshua talked privately.
“Is there something I need to know about that guy? Did he already get the job? I don’t want to interview for a taken position,” he said.
Allison shook her head, but she could tell that Ryan was seriously concerned. Given their earlier conversations, she was eager to put him at ease. “Everything’s fine. I think he’s just a little heavy-handed with the charm. If I had to place a bet on it, I’d say he has a bit of a crush on Ms. Shaw.”
Ryan glanced over his shoulder. Joshua and Haley were still conferring. “Okay. Good.”
Allison gently placed her hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Definitely. I’m just used to guys like that being rewarded for their bad behavior. You know what they say. Nice guys finish last.”
Allison took a moment to consider Ryan’s words. Had he been burned? Was that where that was coming from? If so, she felt his pain. She’d gone for what she wanted, and it had been a miserable fail. “Nice guys finish first with me. As long as they’re qualified and nail the interview, of course.”
Ryan grinned. “I’m glad you recruited me. I really enjoyed our conversation while you were on your trip. I’m so relieved you weren’t hurt in the storm. Everything I saw on the news looked terrifying.”
“It wasn’t fun, that’s for sure.” Except that it had been. It had been amazing. She’d never felt more alive when the sea seemed determined to carry them away, but Zane was resolute about keeping her safe. She’d let herself be vulnerable with him, something she rarely ever did, and in the moment, it had been so richly rewarding. Even with Zane behaving like an ass since then, and trying to discount everything that had happened between them, she knew in her heart that it had all been worth it. Kissing him, touching him, having his hands all over her body. She’d wanted him for so long. How could she have ever said no? Even if she’d known all along what would happen? She couldn’t have.
Allison shook her head and brought herself back to the present. She couldn’t daydream about Zane right now. Not with work on the line. “I have to ask if you’re looking at other positions right now,” she said to Ryan.
“I have a few more interviews over the next several weeks. But I’ll be honest. This is the job I really want.”
There was no greater satisfaction than finding the right candidate for the job, and Allison had a good feeling about Ryan. “Music to my ears. Now, let’s see if Mr. Lowell and Ms. Shaw are ready to get this show on the road.”
Ryan hit it out of the park during his interview, as did Matteo after him. When it was time to say goodbye to Josh and Haley, Allison knew she’d done an amazing job.
“Very impressive, Ms. Randall,” Joshua said, sitting back in his chair. “Thank you for going the extra mile in making today happen.”
“Literally,” Haley added. “She just flew back from the Bahamas last night.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make my clients happy.” Allison collected her papers into a neat stack. “Do you have a sense of the timeline for the hire?”
“I’m eager to get the new CEO in as soon as possible. What are your thoughts as far as the timing for second interviews?”
“It’ll depend on the candidates’ schedules and yours, of course, but Haley and I can coordinate. I do recommend you think about it for at least a week. Spend some time with the files and background info I provided. In my experience, it’s best to not rush with a decision like this.”
Joshua nodded, seeming to consider all she said. “I suppose you’re right. I’m just ready to move forward.”
Allison couldn’t help but think of the subtext—he was eager to move on with his life. He had love and happiness ahead, and he didn’t want to wait. “Of course. I understand.”
“Will you be able to stay in Falling Brook for a few weeks? It would be great if I knew I could call on you to walk us through this process. The phone is one thing, but there’s no substitute for having someone on hand.”
Allison knew this was her opening for driving home the deal she wanted to make. “It depends on whether or not I’m on retainer. I have a partner out in Los Angeles and other clients who also expect my time.”
“I’ll pay triple your normal retainer for the next month.” Joshua hadn’t hesitated to up the ante. “That should give us enough time to make a hire for this position.”
Allison swallowed hard. Three times her normal rate was certainly a great starting point. “And beyond that?”
“The new CEO will ultimately make the call as to whether we put you on permanent retainer. But I will certainly have a say in it, and, as far as I’m concerned, you have the job.”
Goose bumps raced over the surface of Allison’s skin. Any sliver of victory in business felt good, and Kianna was going to flip out when she got the good news. Even so, there was a downside. A month in Falling Brook would make it impossible to stay away from Zane. And that meant she had to come clean with him about working with Black Crescent. “Fantastic. I’m staying with my brother here in Falling Brook, working out of his house. I can be on-site anytime you need me. Just call.”
“You can expect to hear from me.”
Allison strode out of the meeting, feeling as though she was walking on a cloud. She’d nailed it, in every sense of the term. She called Kianna and told her everything as soon as she got in the car.
“You are not only a badass, you’re a rock star,” Kianna said.
“It’s only a month. It’s not the long-term retainer we wanted.”
“It’ll come. I know you’ll get it done.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“So, can you tell me about the guy in the Bahamas?”
Allison hesitated, not sure she wanted to dive into the topic. This wasn’t a quick conversation, and there was so much about this situation that she was still trying to mentally unpack. “His name is Zane. I’ve known him for fifteen years. He’s a friend of my brother’s, and we just happened to end up at Rose Cove at the same time.” She decided to skip the heavier part of the story, the details about how she’d been longing for him all those years and that the idea of letting go was a miserable one.
“Did he at least rock your world?”
“Oh, yes. Several times.”
“And now?”
“I don’t know. I think we’re back to just being friends.”
“Are you happy with that arrangement?”
Allison sighed. She wasn’t happy with it, but she also didn’t see a way past it. Maybe it really was easier if she and Zane stayed friends. “I’m not sure, but I’ll figure out at least some of it tonight. He’s coming over to my brother’s for dinner.”
Ten
Zane’s first day back at the office after the Bahamas trip was less than productive. Between a million phone calls from concerned friends and clients, and his pervasive thoughts of Allison, he got very little work done. For some ridiculous reason, he kept seeing flashes of Allison flitting around the island in her sarong. It was so bad that he’d referred to one of his marketing managers as Allison when her name was in fact Maria. He hadn’t even been close. A mistake easily swept aside when he blamed it on the exhaustion from the storm, but it was a sign that he was going to have deal with this. It had been shortsighted to think that he and Allison could sleep together, shrug it off and return to their old dynamic. So where would they land? He had no idea.
By the time he’d hopped in his BMW to head to Scott’s house for dinner, he was still catching up. He’d left a voice mail for his mom, but she was just now calling him back. He pressed the button to
put her on speaker.
“Hi, Mom. I take it you got my message?”
“I didn’t even know you’d left the country. Shows you how out of the loop I am.”
“Would it have been better if I’d told you I was down there? Wouldn’t you have worried? I know you don’t like to worry.”
“Well, of course, I would’ve been concerned, but you’re a survivor, Zane. I never doubt your ability to figure out how to find your way through a tough situation.”
The undertone of her comment was that he’d managed just fine in his teenage years when everything had gone south. It was nice to get that stamp of approval, although he knew that it was just his mother being a mom. “Thanks.”
“What took you down there? New marketing client in the Bahamas?”
“I went on vacation.”
“No!” His mother gasped, which turned into her musical laugh. “My son? Went away for fun?”
Zane had to chuckle, too. “Believe it or not, yes. I’ve been stressed, and I needed to get out of Falling Brook to clear my head.”
“Are things at work not going well?”
Zane took the turn onto Scott’s street. Scott and his wife lived in one of the original Falling Brook neighborhoods, which was seeing a revival. Older, stately homes were being remodeled and updated, with young families moving in. Zane saw it as a move in the right direction. This town needed some freshening up. “Actually, things at work are amazing. We’re too busy, but in a good way. We’ve reached the point where we’re turning away potential clients. That’s something I never even imagined six or seven years ago.”
“Then what’s bothering you?”
Zane pulled up in front of Scott’s house, a recently restored five-bedroom Tudor with a pristine putting green of a front yard that was Scott’s pride and joy. Zane put the car in Park and killed the engine, sitting back in the driver’s seat and running his hand through his hair.
“You’re being quiet,” his mom said. “Just come out with it. You know you can tell me anything.”