by Judy Angelo
“Silken, are you listening?”
Suave’s voice jerked her out of her reverie. “What?”
“Where is he, this Doctor Pintero? How soon can we talk to him?”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Silken blinked, half dazed. She looked at the screen again. “There’s no contact information but I’m sure we can find him. We’ll start at the hospital. He’s probably still there.”
Suave gave her a look tinged with doubt. “I don’t know, Silken. Twenty-four years is a long time.”
Silken shook her head. “It’s not that long, not for a doctor. Lots of them work well into their seventies.” She bit her lip. “Hopefully, he was a fairly young man when he delivered us.”
“Yeah,” Suave said, her brows creased in a tiny frown, “hopefully.”
CHAPTER SIX
Almost a week and a half passed by before Max’s hectic schedule slowed down enough for him to breathe. After what Slater had sprung on him that day he was lucky he hadn’t suffered a stroke or worse. After investing millions in having the racetrack built, to be told they hadn’t secured all the necessary licenses? That they may have to abandon the project? Jesus!
He’d had to jump in and take the matter in hand himself, even going so far as to gain audience with the California Racing Commission. His meeting paid off. Of the eight objections to the construction, five of them were resolved there and then. But they weren’t out of the woods yet. Three more to go…
And in the midst of his dilemma there was one thought that never left his mind - he wanted to see Silken McCullen again.
As he sat in his office looking out the window at the highway in the distance he smiled wryly to himself, realizing how dumb he was being. The woman had made no attempt to contact him, not once since they’d parted almost three weeks earlier, even though he’d given her his card. She’d probably forgotten he even existed. But here he was like a lovesick teenager, pining over her.
Max chuckled. Pining was probably too strong a word. Thinking about her. Yeah, he’d give himself that. He’d been thinking about her these past few weeks and now that things were just barely beginning to get back to normal he definitely wanted to see her again. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.
Silken picked up on the second ring. “Steady Auto. Silken speaking.”
“Hello, Silken. It’s Max. How are you?”
There was a gasp, very subtle, a soft intake of breath, but he heard it…and he took it as a good sign.
“Max. It’s…great to hear from you. How have you been?”
“Good. Just busy. And you? You’re fine?”
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice stronger now that she’d gotten over the surprise of his call. “Just trying to stay out of the heat, but hard to do when you’ve got cars to work on. That’s why I stick my head as far under the hood as I can.” She laughed, sounding more like her confident self.
“We just touched June. I can imagine how you’re going to sweat when we get to July.”
“Excuse me? I don’t sweat, I would have you know. I perspire.”
Her dramatically indignant tone made him laugh. “My apologies, ma’am. Let me make it up to you. If you can take a break from work there’s a new Japanese restaurant in town I want to check out. They have an indoor waterfall, perfect for calming the spirit. Very Zen. Want to come?” Then he threw in the coup de grace. “Air conditioned, of course. Perfect, after a day of baking in the sun.”
“Ooh,” she moaned, “sounds good. I wonder if I can…” She paused, as if thinking. “I’m sorry,” she said, the regret clear in her voice, “I don’t think I can get away. We have a client picking up her car in an hour. I have to be here to make sure everything’s just right.”
“So your team can’t get the job done without you?” he asked, amused. “No-one’s indispensable, you know.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh, “but that’s just me. The eternal perfectionist.” There was another pause then she said, “Hey, I have an idea. What if I swing by your office when I’m done here, around three o’clock or so? I’ll pick you up and we can have a late lunch. That is, if it fits into your schedule.”
He’d planned to make it an early evening, chill and catch a ball game or two on the tube, but what the heck. Spending the evening in the company of a beautiful woman would beat that any day. Especially if that woman was Silken McCullen.
“I can make it happen. You’re sure you want to drive all the way out here, though? We can do this closer to your place.”
“I don’t mind the drive,” she assured him. “In fact, I enjoy it. I love hitting the highway. Sometimes you’ve gotta blow out the car a bit.”
That put a frown on Max’s face. “Just as long as you drive carefully,” he said, his tone stern. “And no speeding.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Davidoff, sir. I’ll be good.”
Silken’s cheeky response put a smile on his lips. “So I’ll see you sometime after three o’clock?”
“Three-fifteen,” she said. “It won’t take me long to get there.”
“Make it three-thirty,” he replied. “I’m in no hurry.” He kept his tone casual even though he was really looking forward to seeing her. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her that. He hardly even wanted to admit it to himself.
After they’d hung up Max went out into the lobby to have a word with his new receptionist. He had already hired an office manager, a marketing executive and a sales manager, all of whom would be starting in the coming week and would be hiring staff members of their own. The receptionist, though, he’d told to get started right away. He had no time to be manning phones. He had a business to establish.
He breathed a sigh of relief every time he thought of Davidoff Cosmetics, his flagship business. He had to thank his lucky stars he had a cadre of competent managers. They didn’t need him getting involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. That left him free to pursue other interests, like this one.
After he’d assigned Mrs. Redman her tasks for the afternoon Max hopped into his car and headed out to the offices of Dundix and Crawford. Before they could tie things up they had to get the matter of the outstanding licenses resolved. Only then would he rest easy. Billionaire or not, sinking three hundred million into an investment only to then be forced to abandon it would be a major financial loss and a bitter pill to swallow.
Normally he would have had his deputies handle such matters but this time it was important enough for him to tackle the issue himself. When he’d launched Davidoff Cosmetics and until he’d formed a team he could trust he’d been very much a ‘hands-on’ CEO and now, with this new business, he planned to do the same. When it was up and running smoothly he would hand it over to the team but definitely not before.
He didn’t have an appointment with Dundix and Crawford. He didn’t need one. They knew how critical his situation was, so they were treating his case as a priority. They’d better, with all the money he was paying them.
But when he got there the senior partner, Carl Dundix, was not in.
“He’s had to step out but he’ll be back shortly,” the attorney’s secretary told him. “But Ms. Crawford is here. Would you like to speak with her?”
“It’s okay,” Max said, pulling out his iPhone. “I’ll wait. I need to speak to both of them. Together.”
The woman nodded and ushered him into the visitors' lounge. “Please,” she said, her voice soft and her smile pleasant, “make yourself comfortable. May I get you something? Tea or coffee? Water?”
Max settled into the sofa and shook his head. “Nothing, thank you.”
The woman gave him another nod and then she was gone.
As he waited Max made full use of his time, conferencing with his offices in New York, London and Sidney, making sure all his operations were running smoothly. He got so involved in his discussions that he was shocked when he glanced at the time and realized he’d been sitting in the lounge almost an hour. He frowned. Had Dundix’s secretary forgotten him?
He was just leaning forward, making to get up, when she appeared at the door, smiling.
“Ah, Mr. Davidoff, you’re all done. I peeped in earlier but I could see you were busy so I didn’t bother to disturb you.” Then her face took on a regretful look. “I’m so sorry but I called Mr. Dundix to tell him you were here but he said it would take a little while longer before he gets here. Are you sure you don’t want to meet with Ms. Crawford in the meanwhile?”
Max stood up and shoved his phone into his pocket. He gave a grunt. “I guess I’ll have to. But give me a second, will you? I have to make one more call.”
The woman nodded and turned to go.
“Thank you, Mrs. Stockett.”
The secretary glanced back at him, a quick look of surprise flashing across her face. Then she gave him a tiny smile and went on her way.
Max sighed. He hadn’t planned to spend his afternoon sitting in the visitors' lounge of a law firm but he had no-one to blame but himself. He didn’t have an appointment, after all. Despite that, he’d been pissed when he’d been told the man he was waiting for was still not in, a whole hour after he’d arrived. He’d taken out his annoyance on Mrs. Stockett - it wasn’t what he’d said but how he’d said it - and from the tightening of the secretary’s lips and the coolness that fell over her face, he could see that he’d offended her.
And, as far as he was concerned, there was no excuse for rudeness.
And that was why he’d made sure to thank her for giving him the message. As old as he was, a whole third of a century, he could never forget the lessons his mother had taught him at her knee. And being courteous at all times was one of them.
He dug the phone out of his pocket and dialed Silken’s number. “I’m sorry,” he said when she picked up the phone, “but I’m at my attorney’s and I may not make it back to my office by three-thirty."
"Where's your lawyer's office?"
"De Anza Boulevard."
"That's on the way here. I can meet you there and then we can find a restaurant nearby. This is actually good. It's like halfway between my place and yours."
"I may be a little while."
"No problem. I'll wait. What's the name of your lawyer? Is there a sign outside?"
"It's Dundix and Crawford. You'll see the sign out front."
"Dundix and...are you talking about Carl Dundix?"
"The same. You know him?"
There was a hiss in the phone, an angry sound, and then Silken spoke again. "That snake? You're dealing with him? That scrawny little man, I could ring his neck."
Her vehemence took Max by surprise. He’d been told this law firm was the best in the Cupertino area but based on Silken’s reaction it seemed Dundix and Crawford were not quite as wonderful as he’d been led to believe. “What’s your beef with him?”
“If it were up to him, Suave and me, we’d have lost our business to a greedy shark who wanted that whole block for a strip mall. His client.” The last two words came out in a snarl that dripped with disgust.
“That’s business,” Max countered. “He was hired to do a job and I guess he was doing it.”
“Yeah, by employing underhanded tactics. He came over and tried to bully us to leave. The slime."
That didn’t sound too good. Max placed a high value on integrity and if Silken wasn’t exaggerating then it seemed there was not much of that to be had here.
“You be careful, Max,” Silken said, her voice tight. “Don’t let him screw you around.” Then she gave a quick snort. “He’s taken your money and not delivered, hasn’t he? I bet he took the job halfway and you’ve been waiting months for him to wrap up your business.”
Max grunted. “Not quite months but getting there.”
“I knew it,” Silken said, her voice both triumphant and angry. “He’s no good for you. Take your business and run.”
Max heard her but he didn’t want to make any hasty decisions. He needed to dig further, figure out what she really knew about this man, but he’d let it rest for now and question her when he saw her at lunch.
“We’ll talk later, all right?” he said, not wanting to prolong that discussion, at least not over the phone while he was standing right there in Dundix’s office. “See you around three-thirty, then?”
“I’ll be there.” And before he could repeat his admonition to be careful on the road, she was gone.
In the end it was a good thing that Mrs. Stockett had encouraged Max to go ahead and meet with Ms. Crawford. After forty minutes in her office Dundix still had not shown up. Surprisingly, the absence of the senior partner seemed to have been a blessing. Without the shadow of the charismatic lead attorney hanging over her Ms. Crawford proved to be a knowledgeable and highly competent resource, particularly where licensing laws were concerned. It made Max wonder, was she the brain behind this operation? Was Dundix nothing more than a loud-talking showman?
They covered good ground in the time he spent with the lady lawyer and Max ended up not missing Dundix at all. At the end of the meeting he stood up and when he shook hands in farewell he was smiling. “You’ve clarified a lot, Ms. Crawford. Thank you.”
As he left the office and strode back to the lobby he felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Even though his problems hadn’t been solved, at least now he had a sense of direction. And now he could put his problems behind him for the moment and go out and enjoy his meal.
A tiny smile crept across his lips. Silken would be here by now, probably in the visitors' lounge waiting for him. It had been weeks since he’d last seen her and he was looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon feasting his eyes on her fresh-faced beauty.
He was almost at the lobby now, just getting ready to turn the corner when he heard her.
“Don’t you dare think you can screw him around like you’ve done to so many others. He’s no fool so don’t even try it.”
What the hell? Max’s brows fell and he turned the corner just in time to see Carl Dundix walking toward him, his face grim. And hot on his heels, like a feisty puppy making sure her voice was heard, was Silken.
When Dundix saw Max he came to an abrupt halt, his face reddening, and Silken almost ran into his back.
“What’s going on here?” Max looked from one face, red with what must be embarrassment to the other, flushed with obvious anger.
Dundix said nothing but Silken stepped around him and planted herself right in front of Max. “I know this man and what he’s capable of,” she huffed, her eyes flashing with fire, “and I warned him not to try it with you.” She turned to glare at the small-bodied man who’d now gone from flushed to pale, still saying nothing in his own defense. “He knows he can bully the little guys like me and Suave but with you, he’d better watch out. You can crush him like a bug-”
At that point Max reached out and grasped her upper arm and steered her toward the door. “Excuse us,” was all he said to the man still standing stock-still in the lobby. Then he marched his bristling captive out the door.
When they got outside he did not release her but kept walking, ignoring her struggles, until they were at the far end of the parking lot, partially hidden by his car. Once they were protected by this relative seclusion he let her go.
Now Silken turned her glare on him. “What did you do that for? Dundix deserved everything I said to him and more.”
Max took a step toward her, stopping mere inches from where she stood, her chest still heaving with rage. His brows fell and he fixed a dark scowl on her. “Don’t you ever do that again,” he said through clenched teeth, fighting to maintain a hold on his anger.
She scowled back. “Do what? I was only defending-”
“I don’t need you fighting my battles for me,” he said, cutting her off. “I’m a grown man, Silken. I can speak for myself.”
“But-”
“No ‘buts’. Whatever your beef with Dundix, what you did inside there was uncalled for and it was rude.” He slapped his forehead with his pa
lm. “God, where do you get off thinking you can do things like that?”
“I’m…sorry,” she said, looking half shocked, half confused at his reprimand. “It’s just that I know that man and he’s nothing but a low-down snake.”
“Yes, you’ve said that before,” he said, shaking his head. Then he gave her a heavy sigh. “I appreciate the warning but let me handle my own business, okay? All you succeeded in doing just now was embarrass yourself and Dundix and me. Happy?”
“I…I didn’t think…” Her eyes grew wide as she stared up at him and her brows lifted in a look of concern and regret.
“You’re damn right, you didn’t,” he said, his voice full of reproach. “If you had, I wouldn’t be in this predicament now. I practically had to throw myself out of their office.” Then he snorted. “And worst of all, it was goddamn humiliating having a woman come in to defend me. Where do you come off doing shit like that?”
Silken looked mortified, her eyes big as saucers as he spat the words out. “I’m sorry,” she said finally, her voice a pained whisper. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just got carried away…”
She dropped her gaze and ducked her head like she was trying to hide her emotions. But too late. He’d seen the stricken look in her eyes, the shame in her face, and the remorse. And he’d seen the way her bottom lip – so soft and full and tempting – trembled in her contrition.
Feeling like he needed to comfort her, wanting so badly to soothe her, he reached out to stroke her lip with his thumb.
That seemed to have the desired effect because she grew still and lifted her eyes to his, and in them he could see the conflict – the uncertainty and the desire.
Max knew he was taking advantage of her moment of vulnerability but he had to taste those lips again. His hand slid down to cup her chin and he lowered his face to hers then he was pulling her close, so close that they were only a breath apart. Then he touched his lips to hers, gently at first, giving her time to relax and give in to his demand. As he felt her acquiescence his kiss became more insistent and he pressed her softness against him, molding her body into his.