by Judy Angelo
That made him laugh. “I’m not. I’m glad the old Indie is back. She’s the one I want to talk to. As beautiful as she maybe, I don’t think a fashion pot can do the job I have in mind.”
Then it was her turn to laugh and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Fashion pot? Who the hell says ‘fashion pot’?” Then she put her hands to her lips. “Oops, sorry,” she said, but she didn’t look sorry at all. “I meant ‘who the heck’.”
Serious as a judge, he replied, “Yes, of course you did.”
Then they both ended up laughing and with that the tension was broken and they relaxed.
“Indie,” Stone said, “as I mentioned to you, I would love it if you could join my team in South Africa. I’ve adopted an orphanage there. It has nothing to do with Hudson Broadcasting Corporation. This is a personal project of mine.”
“I love the idea already,” she said, her face eager. “When can I start?”
Stone sat back, surprised. “When can you start? That sounds like you’re available right away.”
“I am.” She spoke without hesitation.
Wow, could he be so lucky? She hadn’t required any convincing at all.
“My only question is…”
Stone held his breath, knowing an objection was coming next. It had been too easy, of course. There had to be an issue somewhere.
“…will you be there, too, at the orphanage? Or will I be heading out there on my own?” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Because the only way I’ll take the job is if you come to South Africa with me. At least, for the start.”
“Well, I did plan to go with you and get you established,” he said, rubbing his chin, “probably stay a couple of weeks until you're comfortable. But then I’d have to head back-”
“Deal. That sounds like a plan to me.” She sat back in her chair, a look of satisfaction on her face.
Well, that was easy. They hadn’t even discussed remuneration or benefits but already she was accepting the offer, accepting a position she didn’t even have the full details on. Her only concern seemed to be whether he’d be there at the start or not. All his hiring should be this easy.
There was something about the whole thing that puzzled him, though. She didn’t strike him as the fearful, dependent type. In fact, it was her air of independence and decisiveness that had drawn him to her. Why, then, did she insist that he go with her? It just did not add up.
And then there was the fact that she’d been so available. Immediately. Not that he minded. Like Jenna had said, he needed her like yesterday. But didn’t she have a family or obligations? He hadn't seen a ring so he guessed she wasn’t married and probably didn’t have kids but she had to have parents. She would certainly want to see them before leaving for a country so far away. And what about…a boyfriend?
“Now it’s my turn to ask you a question,” he said, and although he was dreading the answer he plunged right in. “Aren’t there people you need to say goodbye to? Your parents or…anyone else?”
“Nope,” she said, her voice firm in its finality. "Don’t have any parents, don’t have any pets, and don’t have a boyfriend.”
Well, that answered that. The boyfriend part at least. But no parents? "Forgive me for asking but...did your parents pass away?"
“My mom died,” she said, her face gone thoughtful and her voice quiet. “And my dad, well, let’s just say he’s been missing in action since I was three. That’s when my parents got divorced. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the day he moved out.”
Stone frowned. A deadbeat dad. No wonder Indie seemed so strong and self-sufficient. She’d had to be, surviving without a father. She’d probably had to fight her own battles all her life.
“Sorry to hear that.” What he was saying was inadequate but he couldn’t think of anything else that would show her that, to the extent that he could understand her life, he felt her pain.
She shrugged. “That’s okay. It was the best thing he ever did for us, walking out like that. At least I didn’t have to watch my mom crouching by the wall with blows raining down on her. Damned alcoholics.” She spat the words out in disgust.
Stone was feeling disgust, too – at himself. He’d gone and stirred up all sorts of bad memories with his stupid questions. The cross examination would end right here. He’d done enough damage for one night.
“Be ready to fly out day after tomorrow,” he said. As she opened her mouth to speak he put up a hand, stopping her. “I know you’re available as early as tomorrow but I need a day to tie up some loose ends before I move again. And besides,” he said, “you need the day to get your police record and drop into the clinic to get your shots.”
“Oh.” Her face fell. “Forgot about that.”
“There’s no great rush,” he said, trying to reassure her. “The day after tomorrow will be good enough for me. A lot earlier than I expected, actually. I thought you would tell me you’d need at least a few weeks to get ready for such a move. To tell the truth,” he shook his head, “I’m in shock. Your being ready to move right away seems almost too good to be true.”
For some reason that made her look flustered. “Oh, it’s just lucky timing, I guess.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s fate.”
Stone chuckled. He could believe that. Everything was falling into place so easily for him, the stars must be lined up just right. And he wasn’t complaining.
Around a half hour later, after they’d gone through the details of the job, Stone walked Indie to her vehicle. As she turned toward him he looked down at her, at the lips that looked so soft and inviting. He kept that thought to himself. This had been a business meeting and he’d best remember that.
He put out his hand to her. “Thank you for agreeing to work with me on such short notice,” he said. “I really appreciate it.”
She looked down then slid her hand into his. Her fingers were warm, her handshake firm, and again that comfortable feeling flowed through him. This was a woman he could trust.
She jumped into the Land Rover and just like last time she gave him a wave. “See you in a couple of days.” Then she was off.
As she drove out of the parking lot he stood there staring after her. If Indie’s chameleon act was anything to go by, this trip to South Africa promised to be an interesting one. He was looking forward to what this mystery woman would do next.
CHAPTER FIVE
“You have to find lots of opportunities to catch him alone.” Tessa’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “If you can’t find opportunities, create them. Just do anything you can to get him alone with you.”
Skeptical, Indie shook her head. “I’ll do my best but there’s just so much you can do in four weeks. No, three and a half.”
“Just use the strategies I gave you,” Tessa pressed her.
“Yeah, like last time?” Indie grimaced. “I almost broke my behind walking in those high heels you put me in. It was darned embarrassing, too.”
“This is different, Indie. This time I’m not going to try to make you into something you’re not. No more makeup or high heels, I promise. You just have to remember these three little things.” She went and sat on the bed next to Indie, her face earnest. “If a girl wants to snag a man in the shortest possible time she has to use frequent proximity, inviting body language and attitude.”
Indie leaned back against the headboard and stared at her friend. “I get the frequent proximity and the body language part,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest, “but give me that attitude part again. I thought I had more than enough of that.”
“You’re not listening, Indie.” Tessa punched the bed with her fist. “I’m going to explain this one more time and you’d better listen because I’m not going through it again.” She scowled at Indie. “I swear, whenever I speak you have a filter in your head that holds on to some of the stuff and the rest, it just leaves by the wayside.”
Indie smiled at her sheepishly. Tessa was right. Half of the stuff she said, she didn’t listen t
o anyway. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. It was just that if you absorbed all of Tessa’s chatter your head would explode. “Okay, okay,” she said, releasing her arms and putting her hands up to defend herself from Tessa’s wrath. The girl had been known to punch with very little provocation and a punch on the arm from that little fist could leave you in pain for days. “I’m listening now. Give it to me again.”
Tessa heaved a sigh. “Okay, one more time. When I talk about attitude I mean that you should carry yourself like a princess. Never ask yourself if you’re worthy of him. Ask if he’s worthy of you.”
“Okay.” Indie drew out the word which made her sound doubtful which, of course, she was.
“Let him know he’s the one who’ll have to work for your favor. Let him do the chasing. And never, ever, come across as desperate.”
Indie cocked an eyebrow. “Even though I am?”
Tessa sighed. “Yes, Indie, even though you are.” She touched her friend’s arm. “The fastest way to send a man running is to let him know how badly you want him.”
“Got it,” Indie said and hopped off the bed. "Now come help me finish packing.” Then she grinned. “If all goes well, the next time you see me I’ll be a married woman.”
“That’s the plan.” Tessa grinned back and slid off the bed. Then her face went thoughtful. "One more thing. Please be helpless every once in a while. I know you always love to do everything by yourself but men love to help a maiden in distress. It makes them feel manly.”
Indie straightened from where she’d been digging in her suitcase. She held up her hand. “One maiden in distress, coming up.”
“Indie, I’m serious.” Tessa swatted at her. “You joke around about everything.”
“All right, all right, I’ll try to be more helpless if you want. I pledge to do everything in my power to charm this man, even if it means acting like a wimp.”
“Good. Remember, this is not for you. It’s for the clinic you plan to build in Haiti, and the home in-”
“Got it, Tessa. I said I’m going to give it my best shot and I will. Now come and help me pack before I have to throw you out of my house.”
Next day at the airport it was an emotional Tessa who hugged and kissed Indie goodbye.
“What are you crying about?” Indie asked as she hugged her close. “It’s not like I don’t go off on these far away trips every few months. This one is no different.”
“I know,” Tessa said, “but you’ve never gone so far away before. It’s like the other side of the world.”
“I’ll be back in no time. You’ll see.”
They gave each other one last hug then Indie pulled away and headed off toward her gate. At the security check point she turned to give Tessa one last wave and then she went toward the security guard beckoning to her to proceed.
She always hated this part, when Tessa dropped her off. Like her, Tessa was an only child and they’d come to value their friendship so much that they were more like sisters than friends. Which was the amazing thing because they were so different in both looks and personality. But from the day they’d met four years ago something had clicked and they’d been a big part of each other’s lives since then.
Indie collected her shoes from the bin, put them on then gathered up her carry-on items and headed for her gate. She had a whole hour to spare before boarding time and she planned to use it to catch up on her reading. It seemed that these days the only time she could find the time to engage in that favorite hobby was when she was sitting in an airport. She headed for the lounge where she’d wait for the boarding of Stone’s private jet.
She was absorbed in a nail-biting scene in her suspense novel when she felt a weight on her shoulder. She jumped then looked up and there was Stone, smiling down at her.
He lifted his hand from her shoulder. “Sorry to startle you.” He dropped his garment bag on an empty seat then relaxed onto the chair across from her.
“Wake me when the pilot calls us,” he said with a groan. “I’ve had a long day.” It certainly looked like he had. Within seconds he was breathing deeply, obviously dead to the world.
Indie raised her eyebrows. And she’d thought she’d been busy these last two days, getting ready for the trip. But if Stone’s plunge into slumber was anything to go by, he’d had a heck of a rough time since she’d last seen him.
Slowly, she rested her novel down and leaned forward to peer at the sleeping man. She might as well do it now, get to know every inch of his face. She guessed that normally it would take at least three dates to be able to memorize a face down to the last detail. She didn’t have the luxury of leisurely ‘getting-to-know-you’ dates so she would take advantage of the opportunity she’d been given and absorb every detail while she could.
She slid off her seat and slipped into the one beside him. Then, trying not to seem too obvious in case anyone walked in, as casually as she could she rested her chin in the hand she’d propped up on her knee and leaned over for a better look.
Stone Hudson wasn’t a man you’d call eye candy. For one thing, his jaw was too firm for that description. And his forehead was too broad and strong. And his lips? Too tight. But there was a manliness about him that could not be denied. When you looked at him you knew that this was a man who was no walk-over. He was the kind of man who would defend his woman, protect her, be a source of strength for her. Indie gave a little smile. She liked that.
She was still smiling when Stone’s eyes opened and he looked straight at her.
Indie jerked away and pressed back into the seat. Then she stole a sideways glance and saw that Stone was laughing at her.
He began to straighten up. “Was I snoring?” he asked with a rueful smile. “Don’t tell me I was so loud you couldn’t get any reading done.”
“Not at all.” Indie shook her head. “You were quiet as a mouse. I just thought I saw a…mosquito or something. I didn’t want you to get stung.”
He gave her a slow smile. “Thanks for looking out for me.”
“No problem at all,” she replied then she escaped back to her seat across the aisle, picked up her novel and sought refuge behind it. That was a close one. She’d better watch herself from here on. Few people took kindly to being stared at. She should know. She hated it herself.
Indie kept a low profile until they boarded the plane and even then she tried to keep a safe distance between her and Stone, making sure there was a seat that separated the two of them and reaching for a magazine she could hide behind. But then she remembered the real reason she was there – to attract this man, get him to want her so much that he would ask her to marry him. So far she’d been doing the exact opposite. She definitely had to work on her alluring side.
She dropped the magazine onto the middle seat and looked over to where Stone was peering at the screen of his laptop. She’d pretty much ignored the man since takeoff but now she would repair that. They had almost a day's worth of travel ahead of them so what better time to get to know him? Proximity, Tessa had said. She’d certainly have lots of that, stuck in a plane with Stone for the next several hours.
She cleared her throat and he looked up immediately. “Sorry,” she said, giving him an apologetic smile, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Of course she'd meant to disturb him. She knew that and he knew that but it was the polite thing to say.
“Not at all,” he said and pushed the laptop onto the nearby counter. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just a bit…bored.”
Stone laughed. “What? With all the entertainment on the plane? You’ve got your choice of newspapers, magazines, music, movies and, my favorite, video games.”
“You’ve got video games? Point me to them.” Then she chuckled. “Just kidding. If you don’t mind,” her laughter softened to a smile, “I’d prefer talking to you. I mean, isn’t it weird that I’m working for you now and I don’t know that much about you?”
He shrugged. “Not weird at all. I have lots of employees I’ve never e
ven met. But you’re right. It makes sense for us to get more acquainted. What do you want to know?”
“Well, for one, what made you get involved with an orphanage all the way in South Africa? Are you in some kind of competition with Oprah? She built a school for girls and you decide to take on the boys?"
Stone’s lips twitched with amusement. “Nothing like that. Oprah’s in a class by herself. For me, it all started two years ago when I visited the country to launch Hudson Broadcasting Corporation in Johannesburg. I met a little boy, Moekebi Okechuckwu, a bright and shining star on the South African landscape…” as his voice trailed off his face looked thoughtful, “…and he was dying of AIDS.”
“Oh, no.” A familiar pain gripped Indie’s heart. Since leaving university her whole life had been dedicated to working with children just like Moekebi. And no matter how many little ones you held in your arms while they made their finally journey to the next life, you never got used to it. Each case was a fresh, new heartache. She had a pretty good idea what Stone must be feeling right now.
“But that wasn’t the worst part,” Stone said, his eyes going back to her. “He was leaving behind a little brother who was only six years old and a sister who was only two. At twelve, he’d been both mother and father to these little ones.”
“Their parents?”
“Already dead from the disease.” Stone was silent for a moment then he spoke, and his voice was filled with the determination and hope now reflected on his face. “It seems like a daunting task, taking on the problems of a nation, but then I thought, no matter how small, doing a little is better than doing nothing at all.” He shifted slightly in his seat, turning toward her. “Before he died I promised Moekebi I would take care of his little brother and sister. He died whispering my promise. That means a lot to me.”
“And the children, they're at the orphanage now?”
“No, they live in a home just outside Johannesburg. I hired a home mother to care for them. She provides me with regular updates on their progress. Little Someleve just started kindergarten and Botuli is in the second grade.”