“I’m kinda stumped on a project I’m supposed to be working on.”
“What kind of project?”
“There’s this guy and he wants me to design a place for him and his mother.”
“A mama’s boy?”
“Big time,” Rachel agreed with an exasperated sigh. “He’s pure country and kinda reminds me of my cousin Pat- the one with all the cowboy boots, rebel flags and jeeps? Well this guy isn’t like that, Pat was trying too hard- but this guy is country. He’s Texan through and through. I came up with a design but he shot it down saying that I didn’t know him at all.”
“So, get to know him, see what he likes.”
“I asked him and he wouldn’t commit to anything.”
“He likes his mama, so ask to meet her,” her mother’s kind voice pushed gently through the receiver of her phone. That’s why she’d called her, for support and simply to hear that it will be okay in so many unspoken words. “Befriend her and she’ll give you what you need to come up with ideas even if he can’t or won’t. Look for an opening in the suit of armor, grab it and run with it. You know how to do this and you are the best I’ve ever seen. Don’t let him bother you.”
“Mom, he’s … hardheaded. I have nothing to go off of this week and no way to reach the man. I need help now. I can ask to meet his mother next time I see him, but I am scheduled for a presentation next week.”
“So, what do you know about the guy?”
“He likes a beat-up truck he drives, wears these incredible hip hugging worn-out wrangler jeans and looks like he’s ready to go hunting.”
“He probably does hunt. So, do a theme with that, put rusted sheet metal accents, deer antlers, fish and a bear rug. Do it up as country as you possibly can.”
“I could do that.”
“And if that’s not it- I’m serious: get to know the guy and his mother. You’d be shocked at what you can draw inspiration from. Remember that bathroom you did for that magazine contest? I would have never, ever dreamt of gilt shafts of wheat surrounding a mirror, but that was you. You have incredible imagination, heart and desire. You can do whatever you want sweetheart, I believe in you.”
“Thanks mom. I guess I just needed to hear that.”
“Everyone needs their mama – including big, gruff, country boys.”
Rachel was ready for anything when Tyler showed up…or at least she thought she was. He arrived in slacks and a button up shirt, nearly knocking her knee-highs right off of her. The dress pants fit his form nearly as snug as the Wranglers she’d seen him in all the time. He looked comfortable, yet kept adjusting his collar.
“Going somewhere special today?”
“Just here – why? Do you think I look nice?” Tyler asked, taking a seat. She saw he still had boots on underneath the slacks but they’d been polished to a dull black. They were quite worn and she could imagine they were awfully comfortable if they were that broken in. Grinning, she felt her face get hot as she realized that she’d been caught red-handed by him, looking him up and down.
“You do look nice,” she admitted softly, knowing he hated liars. She’d been tempted to play it off but the earnestness in his voice and something in his eyes prevented that.
“And you look breathtaking,” he admitted softly as he sat forward in the chair looking at her and then shook his head, “but I will be on my best behavior and refrain from asking you out again since we are working together.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you like the flowers?”
“Yes, it was quite unexpected,” she said politely, getting her laptop into position. “You didn’t have to do that you know. I’d misinterpreted what you liked and needed to redo the presentation. You don’t have to send flowers if I make a mistake, just tell me and I’ll fix it.”
“Well I wanted to let you know it was okay to ask me out.”
“I’m not going to.”
“You should.”
“And why should I?”
“Because you think I look good in this outfit and you want to see what it would be like to go out with me,” he told her with a wide smile. His teeth were perfectly straight and his lips looked like they were sculpted; he was incredibly attractive when he smiled and it reached his eyes.
“I think you are awfully sure of yourself.”
“It’s called confidence.”
“I know what it is,” Rachel quipped wryly as she clicked the button, interrupting the playful banter between them. “Shall we begin?” She needed to keep this strictly work. She didn’t want to think about his gorgeous face and handsome smile, nor did she want to think of how he looked in his pants. She almost preferred the worn-out jeans to the slacks and would never, ever, admit it.
Rachel explained her concept and idea to Tyler. She was highly encouraged to see him actually stop the presentation and ask her about the stone she’d selected for the fireplace hearth. She was finally on the right track! As she continued, she watched his expression as he stared at the screen. He looked so out of place in the dress shirt and she felt slightly guilty if she made him feel like he needed to dress up in order to be here. She certainly hoped that wasn’t the impression she’d given.
“What do you think?” she asked once the PowerPoint was finished and felt a sinking in her stomach as he hesitated. “It was wrong again, wasn’t it?”
“You are getting there but it’s just not quite it. I mean, the stonework was perfect. That was spot on but the bearskin rug? That was a bit much and unless you are on top of it? I’m out on that. I hunt deer, not bear.”
Rachel’s eyes shot up to Tyler’s and she could see the heat and hunger in his gaze that was instantly hidden behind a façade. She opened her mouth to speak and tell him how inappropriate a comment that was, but she couldn’t say a word. She could only picture what he was looking for and the image/idea burned in her mind.
“Say it,” he whispered daringly, watching her, his eyes burned fiercely. “Say what’s on your mind.”
“I feel like I…”
“You feel like you want to ask me out but you’re afraid I will say no?” he questioned irritatingly. She knew that he was stalling, taunting her, toying with her.
“No, that’s not it.”
“You’re afraid I will say yes?” his eyebrow shot upwards in a silent challenge.
“What? No, yes, oh stop for a moment. My mind is racing.”
“With thoughts of me kissing you on that bear skin rug?” His voice dropped an octave and was incredibly husky. “Can you imagine that fur against your skin? I wonder what your lips would taste like...”
“Yes, no… NO!”
“Honesty,” Tyler whispered leaning forward towards her desk. “Tell me and don’t hold back, because I can honestly tell you that I’ve been sitting here thinking of nothing else since I saw that slide. I can’t remember the rest of the presentation, Rachel, just the image of you on that rug.”
“Do you want to see the rest of the presentation again?”
“Were you thinking of me kissing you?” he asked, his voice husky with desire. His hazel eyes, vibrant greens and browns, looked like they were burning with intensity. She couldn’t look away and found herself staring at him, unable to help herself.
“Heaven help me- yes I was,” Rachel whispered, her face flushing with embarrassment.
“Good,” he said abruptly and stood, shocking her. “I will pick you up here at six tonight.”
“For what?” she asked, confused and muddled, getting to her feet.
“You just asked me out and I’ve accepted,” Tyler told her with a wink, leaning forward and kissing her pertly on the cheek. His whiskers scratched her delicate skin and made her knees give out. Rachel braced herself on the desk to keep from falling to the floor in a puddle.
“I didn’t ask you out,” she stammered behind him as he walked out the door.
“You sure did, in the best way possible: my way.”
6
Rachel had no id
ea what had just happened, other than she had a date with a client tonight – an absolutely taboo thing in her mind to do. She didn’t have his phone number to cancel, nor did she want to. She kept thinking of what Tyler had said and the tone of his voice, the desire that was evident in the way he looked at her. She justified the date tonight in her mind as a way to see what he thought about the rest of the PowerPoint she’d made, and to learn more about him. If this one was wrong again, she’d soak up every detail and make sure that the next PowerPoint was perfect.
She debated on going home to change clothes but had no clue as to where they were going. The afternoon seemed to fly by in a complete blur. She found herself staring repeatedly at the computer screen unseeingly.
Glancing up at the clock, Rachel heard the loud truck in the background coming her direction and sighed. It was time to put her game face on; this was business, she kept telling herself over and over again. She hoped that their date would be casual, informal and give them a chance to talk. Deep down, part of her hoped it was incredibly romantic and she prayed that he finished what he’d started earlier in the day. What would it be like to actually kiss him?
Walking out the front door of the office, she locked it with her key and turned to see his truck there. It reminded her of her daddy’s farm truck back home and sounded like it too. She was glad her hair was pulled tightly into a bun, because the windows were down, meaning that the air conditioning was out on the truck. She was glad it still worked on her Mustang.
“No regrets?” Tyler asked with a smile as she walked up to the truck.
“Regrets about what? How I got conned into a date with you?”
“There was no conning – you wanted this and honestly I did too. Hop in and let’s head out.” Rachel rolled her eyes and opened the truck door. She was happy to see that even though it was an old truck, it was clean. She couldn’t say the same for her car. Her passenger side floorboard had straw wrappers and receipts littering the carpeted floor mat. His truck had rubber mats that were scuffed up, yet still clean. It was nice to see that he took pride in it and didn’t let it get run down any further than simply age had taken it.
“Where are we going?” she asked politely, as she buckled up.
“Someplace different,” he said evasively, pulling out of the parking lot. The power steering made a terrible groaning and grinding noise that made her flinch. She was glad there wasn’t much traffic on the road because she worried that it was even safe to drive the old truck.
“Like?” she prompted, glancing out of the corner of her eye as she watched the street ahead to make sure the old truck stayed between the lines.
“The Ford dealership.”
“What?”
“My truck is on its last legs. My mother can’t get in it and I shouldn’t be driving a beautiful lady around in this old thing if I’m trying to impress her.”
“So, you are taking me to a dealership to impress me? Excuse me?”
“No, I’m combining work and pleasure together. I want to see what you’d think I’d pick and then I will show you what I like, so maybe we can figure out the house thing together.”
“By shopping for a car?”
“Or truck, or minivan,” he agreed with a wide smile.
“You don’t seem the minivan type.”
“That’s because I don’t have any children yet,” he admitted softly and stared straight ahead. “I’d like kids one day. Little boys to make mud-pies with and teach them how to do right by others. You know? My mama worked two jobs when I was growing up and my dad died when I was young. It was only us and we struggled something awful.”
“Tell me about your mama,” Rachel offered, surprised he was opening up and actually talking instead of teasing her. She didn’t want to think of him making mud-pies with a child, it made him even more desirable to her to think that he wanted to be a daddy someday. Becoming a father meant kissing and more – a mental path she couldn’t go down if she wanted to keep things businesslike between them.
“I think she must be a saint ‘cause I was awful as a boy,” he said with a grin.
“No? That’s shocking,” she taunted.
“Oh yeah, I was plum awful. Snuck out of the house, took the car, played as many sports as possible without a second thought of how much it cost for uniforms, even got a tattoo when I was seventeen. That’s when I grew up,” he said softly to himself, staring ahead. His hands clenched on the steering wheel and Rachel saw his throat work as he swallowed. He still got choked up over the memory playing in his mind.
“I made her cry and realized how much I had taken from her over the years. I tested out of high school and got my GED so I could hurry up and go to work to help out. I worked two jobs for a long time and paid off quite a bit of the bills she’d racked up over the years. I had no idea how much it costs to raise a kid and I was an expensive little jerk.”
“So, you want to give her a place as a thank you for all she’s done for you,” Rachel said softly, suddenly understanding. Her heart leapt in her chest at the idea of this arrogant man having such a soft spot and respect for his mother.
“I do,” Tyler confirmed, glancing at her with almost relief in his eyes. He was happy she understood what he was trying to explain in so many words. “That’s why it has to be perfect for her. She’s getting on up there and had me late in life. Before I hit the jackpot on the lottery, my mother sold her house at my urging in order to be able to finally quit work and retire. She was killing herself for $400 dollars a week and barely making ends meet.”
They pulled into the dealership as the sun was setting in the west. The sky was streaked with pink bands of light against a deep blue background. The fluorescent lights in the parking lot came on as they drove up to the front of the showroom. He got out of the truck and opened her door just like a true gentleman, extending his hand towards her. For the first time ever, Rachel accepted his hand instead of pulling back and pushing him away. She was truly impressed with the layers and depths to his character.
“My lady,” he murmured, kissing her knuckles politely with a soft smile. “What would you pick out if you were to choose something?”
“For you? A big black truck with lots of flashy chrome trim on it, but your mama would never be able to get in the cab.”
“So, we need to look at cars then?”
“Or vans.” Rachel was surprised to see several salesmen come racing over once Tyler had been spotted. She knew instantly why and he did too. Everyone recognized the local billionaire apparently. He let out his breath and shut his eyes looking quite irritated, almost embarrassed by the sudden attention. It was like Sharkweek and someone had just chummed the water where they had begun to swim.
“We’ll call you when we need you,” Rachel barked out, grabbed his hand and walked him away from the impending herd that had been approaching them. She put her hand up arrogantly and pointed at the man closest to them. “Get! Go on now, or you are going to ruin a sale before it even comes close to starting!” It wasn’t her place, but she wasn’t about to let this side of Tyler that he was revealing piece by piece to slip away.
“I could kiss you for that alone,” he promised, relief in his voice was palpable.
“Nah, just think of it as a friend protecting a friend. Pushy sales people can be annoying and we don’t need them to just look around. You only need them hounding you when you are ready to sign papers if you decide on buying something.”
Circling the lot, her feet began to pinch in the high heels and she was certain she was developing a blister. She showed him a flashy truck that looked perfect for him, or how she interpreted him to be like. It was black with side steps, a brush bar, but most of all? It had dark tinted windows so he could keep his privacy…and then Rachel saw something that caught her eye: a bright green mustang convertible in the corner of the lot directly under the parking lot lights. She ran over immediately, not waiting for Tyler in the slightest. She was drawn to the vibrant green car like a moth to a flame. If
she was shopping with imaginary money, she could imagine herself test driving the iridescent green machine.
“It’s not what I’d pick for you and I don’t know your mother, but it’s certainly pretty and sits down low,” she laughed as a sort of apology for when Tyler caught up to her. She had heard Tyler walk up behind her from where she was peering in the window glass.
“True.”
“Did you ever name your truck?” she asked suddenly, thinking that it might give more insight to how he thought or get him to talking a little bit more about himself.
“No, did you name your Mustang?”
“Yes – her name is Marshmallow.”
Tyler chuckled and opened the green car’s large door. Rachel peered inside and smiled. “Yeah this is decidedly not for you. The seat is whip-stitched with green thread. Maybe you could take a pic with your phone and show your mother to see what she would think. It’s not a sensible car, but – wait- speaking of phones? I need your number so when I have a question I can call you.”
“What would you suggest my mom name this car?”
“Oh, that’s easy. Her name is Fern.”
“Just like that?” Tyler told her, snapping his thumb, with a knowing smile on his face. “And no cell phone.”
“What do you mean, no cell phone?”
“I like my privacy.”
“I realize that, but…”
“I’m going to get a cell phone now that I know you want to call me all the time,” he teased, “All you had to do is ask, Rachel.”
Just as she started to argue the point, he walked off towards the throng of sales staff that were hovering nearby. She couldn’t help but watch the smooth way he moved across the parking lot. He had a devastating walk that immediately drew her eyes. Tyler pointed at the large black truck she’d recommended. Rachel took that moment to take off her heels and stand there for a few minutes to give her worn out feet a brief respite. Returning to her, Tyler frowned as he noticed the difference. She instantly began to put her heels back on but he stopped her.
Winning the Billionaire Page 5