by Layla Hagen
“Can you make a dry martini?”
“Sure thing. Let me find the ingredients.”
I found everything I needed in the second overhead cabinet. I mixed a martini for her, poured whiskey for myself.
When I turned around to hand her the glass, I noticed she’d opened a recording app on her phone and froze.
“What are you doing with that?”
“I like to record conversations in case I forget details.”
“No.” The word came out clipped and cutting, and I expected Hailey to give me shit about it. To my surprise, her gaze softened.
“Okay. I won’t record this. But I’d like to take notes, if that’s okay? Just key words. They won’t mean anything to anyone else... you know, in case they fall into the wrong hands.”
Brilliant. Now she was handling me with gloves. I nodded, feeling idiotic. She’s here to help. Not sell you to the press.
There were stools at the sleek counter, but we ended up sitting at the dining table. Hailey took out paper and pen.
“Want to tell me why you changed your mind about our collaboration?”
I hesitated. She held up her hand. “You know what, you don’t have to tell me if it’s not pertinent to the case.”
“It is pertinent.” I forced myself to keep talking. “My sister said she’s been having a hard time at school since this whole issue started. It’s paramount for me that she and my parents are kept out of this. I don’t really care what anyone writes about me unless it hurts them. And it looks like it is.”
Something changed in her gaze. It was still soft but different than before.
“I understand. It’s an unfortunate side effect of scandals. Families sometimes must deal with the fallout. Reporters hound them.”
I stiffened. “You think that’s likely to happen?”
“Hard to tell. You’re not what they’re usually looking for. But since Marion is a celebrity....”
“That can absolutely not happen. How do I fix this?”
“First things first. I will talk to your sister, give her some advice on how to respond to verbal attacks.”
I had not expected that.
“It’s not a PR problem, per se. Bullies at school.”
“I can still give her advice.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I can’t stand the idea of kids being bullied.”
I felt an instant kinship with Hailey. I liked this woman.
“As I said, I can give her tips.”
“I would appreciate that. I tried, but it’s not my area of expertise.”
“I can also coach her and your parents preemptively about what to tell reporters, so they’re prepared in case they’re contacted.”
“I don’t want to worry them except if it’s absolutely necessary.”
She pursed her lips. Fuck, they were just beautiful and begged to be kissed.
“We’ll circle to that another time.”
I smiled. “This is your idea of a compromise?”
She smiled back saucily before sipping her drink. She then ran her finger around the rim of the glass. Was she even remotely aware of how sexy this was? How sexy she was? I barely stifled the impulse to move closer to her.
Her next words reminded me why she was here.
“Let’s talk about Marion.”
I just grunted, tightening my grip on the glass. She was here to sign me on as a client, nothing more.
“She alleges you cut off access to her funds and cut off her friends’ access to her. What’s your stance on all this?”
I looked straight at her, because I only planned to say this once and I wanted to leave her no doubt it was the truth.
“She cheated. With my friend, the former manager of this hotel, Lincoln. When I found out, I reviewed the payments she’d made with my credit card. Turned out she’d paid for a lot of their entertainment with my money. I froze her access to my accounts and fired him.”
I hadn’t said this to anyone. Not one soul. I had to admit, it had a therapeutic effect. I also felt like the world’s biggest moron.
Hailey went very still.
“Why did you not make a statement?” I appreciated that she wasn’t pitying me. No, I’m sorry, or this sucks.
“How would that make me look?”
“Like you put your trust in the wrong people.”
“Like I was an idiot for not seeing what was going on right in front of my eyes. They played this charade for two years. Two whole years. And you know what she said when I finally discovered it? That I’d been asking for it.”
“She didn’t!”
Maybe it was the fact that she was indignant on my behalf, but I just couldn’t stop talking.
“She said I never wanted to entertain her. Hell, what do I know? Maybe I did bring it on myself. I asked him to look after her when I was away on business trips, or worked late, because they were getting on well. Now I know why.”
I’d gone from not wanting to say a word on the topic to spilling my deepest fear. How had that happened?
“Reid, trusting your friend and your girlfriend does not make you a fool. I cannot tell you how to feel, obviously... but from an outsider’s perspective, you’re the scorned party here.”
“I don’t want this public. In fact, I would like you to keep this to yourself.”
She nodded. “I will not discuss this with anyone. I promise. But it will be harder to retaliate if you don’t want to give your side of the story.”
I closed my eyes. “I don’t want to retaliate. I just want the story to die down.”
Her silence told me just how impossible that was. Hailey tapped the pen on the paper. She hadn’t written down one word.
“Why exactly were you supporting her? She used to have a lucrative career as a TV moderator and now as a lingerie designer.”
“She also spends a lot more than she earns.”
“Ah, that explains why she’s pushing to have her own modeling TV show. Dragging this breakup through the tabloids is ramping up her profile. It’s a questionable tactic, but unfortunately, it often works.”
Hailey rubbed her temple, casting her eyes over the table, then back up at me.
“Right. Well, I just need your sister’s phone number from you tonight. I’ll be in touch about the rest.”
I hadn’t expected that. I’d envisioned Hailey staying here for hours on end, throwing question after question at me.
“I thought this would take longer.”
“I need some time to come up with ways to tackle this. My usual approach is to fight fire with fire, but I can see why you don’t want that, and I can’t come up with solutions on the spot. For now, I want to talk to your sister.”
Damn, I wanted her to stay. I didn’t care if we talked about me or not. In fact, I preferred if we didn’t, and talked about her instead. I wanted to know why she’d chosen this career, why she was so adamant to talk to my sister. Did she get so personally involved with all her clients, or just me?
She rose from the table.
“I just have one more thing for you. The contract. Read it, and after you sign it, you can mail it to me.” She took a stack of papers from her purse, laying it on the table.
“So, you’ve officially decided I deserve to be your client?”
She gave me a sassy grin. “Well, yes. You’ve made an impression today.”
“Good enough to persuade you to have another drink?”
“Oh, no. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Wouldn’t dream about it.”
“One drink was enough.”
“Was it?”
She cast her gaze down, then quickly back up before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. I was making her nervous. Did it make me a bastard that I enjoyed it? The way her cheeks flushed a little when I shifted closer, until there were just a few inches between us. The way she’d averted her gaze after I asked her to stay, as if she didn’t trust herself to say no if she looked me in the eyes.
“I’ll be in touch. Send me your sister’s number and the signed contract at your earliest convenience.”
The business tone was back on, and she glanced at the elevator. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. Probably the best course of action, but all I wanted was to find an excuse to keep her here.
“I will.”
“Have a great evening, Reid.”
She hurried to the elevator, and I barely held back from going after her. Jesus. How had we gone from being at each other’s throats in my office to this?
Chapter Five
Hailey
All my nerve endings were on fire as I slid into the back seat of the black Mercedes again, sinking on the soft leather.
The car smelled like sandalwood and pine. I’d noticed it on the way here too. Now I associated the smell with him, even though he wore no cologne.
All my senses had been assaulted since the moment I’d stepped off the elevator.
The penthouse was pure understated elegance. Hardwood floors, granite counters, black leather on the chairs and couch.
Seeing Reid in ripped jeans was a shock, but he wore them well, and that shirt had been a bit damp, as if he hadn’t toweled off completely before putting it on.
We’d had a battle of wills back there, and he had a dominating personality. That appealed to me on a visceral level. He’d wanted to be in charge, and I’d almost let him. Reid Davenport was dangerous to me. It was too easy to cross a line, and too difficult to backpedal.
We hadn’t made as much progress as I’d hoped tonight, but I couldn’t have possibly continued. When I’d asked about Marion, I’d expected something like irreconcilable differences, or him not putting up with her diva behavior anymore. I had not expected to reopen a gaping wound. Reid’s words had been so raw, they betrayed how deeply he was still hurting. There was no way I could have continued questioning him. I hadn’t wanted to twist the knife more.
I’d have to go about this differently, find a way to pose questions that wouldn’t automatically make him question himself. Yeah, that was just about as impossible as it sounded, but I was going to fight for it.
When he’d talked about his family, I’d decided on the spot that I’d go through with helping him even if I had to fight his own broody ass to achieve it. I was a sucker for men who would do anything for their families, and they were few and far between.
On Monday, the office was bustling with energy. Cameron held a weekly team meeting, where we brought each other up to speed regarding client acquisition. Occasionally, if someone’s case turned out to be more complex than anticipated, they required additional manpower.
I loved working at Hollywood PR. The work was as varied as the clients. I was never bored. It had been a big change from my previous jobs. After college, I interned for a real estate developer for nine months, then an oil company for another six months before ending up working as a business consultant for years.
It had made sense, because I’d always had strong analytical and problem-solving skills. But that job had slowly killed my soul. It was all travel, spreadsheets, and deadlines that kept me working late into the night. They paid handsomely for my time though, so I’d stuck there for years.
Cameron had taken a chance on me, and it turned out to be a dream job. The best match for my problem-solving skills.
I’d started the week with Reid on my brain. The man captivated me, pure and simple. I wanted to peel off every layer, find out what was beneath each. I’d have to, anyway, if I wanted to have a real shot at fixing his situation, but I couldn’t lie to myself: my interest wasn’t strictly professional.
The way he’d looked at me when he’d asked me to stay for that second drink.... God, it had felt as if he’d been seconds away from telling me to take off my clothes. As if he was seconds away from stripping me naked himself.
I shuddered at the memory, then blew out a breath. I’d been so close to saying yes. So close.
But then what? Why did I have to be attracted to him? Why couldn’t I instead want to go out with Severin, the guy from the firm across the street? Because laid-back and docile didn’t do it for me. Broody, sexy as sin, and ready for a fight whenever I picked one? Sign me up.
After the meeting, I went back to my desk, plopping down on my chair and spinning it once. Oh, yeah. This was going to be a terrific week. Before I had time to dig into my calendar, Cameron stepped in.
“Hailey, you have a few minutes?”
“Sure, boss.”
“When did you turn things around with Davenport?”
I’d mentioned during the meeting that I’d signed him on as a client. I’d told Cameron last week that things hadn’t worked out.
“Saturday.”
Cameron smiled. “Doing extra credit on the case already? You’re gonna run things around here one day, Hailey.”
I straightened up, barely kept myself from grinning.
“Is he giving you headaches? Davenport?”
“Not the easiest person to deal with,” I admitted.
“Would you rather I assign someone else to the case? You have plenty of work as it is, and quite a few new clients ask for you exclusively. If you think Davenport will be a time suck, cut him loose.”
I briefly considered that. My senses were still overwhelmed from our encounter on Saturday. Handing his case over to someone else would certainly bring whatever this was to a screeching halt, but I was no chicken.
Besides, handing him over to a colleague meant he’d have to rehash the story, and it had cost him enough to open up to me.
So what if I was attracted to him? I’d just have to get over it.
“I’ve got this, Cameron. Don’t you worry about me. I’m on top of things.”
“You always are. Cry out if you need help.”
I’d never done that, not once since I’d started at the agency. I shimmied in my seat, suddenly so full of energy that I could run a mile.
I rolled up my proverbial sleeves and got to work. About an hour later, Reid sent me a message with his sister’s number and her break times at school.
My stomach flipped a few times. I was ridiculous.
Her break started at lunch, at the same time I climbed into my car, heading out to meet a client. I put my phone on loudspeaker and called her.
“Hello. Who is this?”
“Hi, Bianca. This is Hailey Connor. I’m—”
“Oh, yes. Reid told me you’d be calling. Wait a second, I’m in the cafeteria. I’ll just go outside so no one can eavesdrop.” A few seconds later, silence replaced the buzzing background noise on Bianca’s side.
“That’s better.”
“Right, so Reid told me a few things, but I’d like to hear everything from your perspective.”
I had meant the bullies at school. Instead I got a five-minute rant about how Marion was a heartless diva and nothing she said was true. I listened without interrupting. The girl clearly needed to get it off her chest. Once she was done, I gently steered the conversation to the situation at school. Bianca’s enthusiasm instantly plummeted. I imagined the girl shrinking into herself. I almost wanted to drive to the school myself and shake some sense into the bullies.
I had no idea how they unerringly picked up on your worst fears and insecurities. They made you feel small and insignificant, as if there was something fundamentally wrong with you.
“The secret is to show them strength. Not indifference, because that just drives them to push harder, to get a reaction out of you.” I recited a few general lines I’d prepared for her yesterday.
“That sounds straightforward enough,” Bianca said cautiously.
“Call me if you feel you need more advice.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“So, you’ve got a plan for my brother too?”
“Working on it.”
“Can I help?”
That was an interesting turn of events. “How would you like to help?”
; “Well, I know that talking to my brother sometimes feels like drawing water from a rock... especially if you’ve just met him.”
“That’s a very good way of putting it.”
I could ask Bianca more about him. She was clearly dying to tell me. But I instinctively knew Reid wouldn’t appreciate it. He wanted to keep his family out of this as much as possible. But Bianca started talking without my prompting.
“Look, he kind of likes to keep to himself and has these strict rules about everything, but he’s a great brother. He takes me shopping, even though he hates it. He’s just generally an awesome guy, just takes a while until he doesn’t fight you on everything.”
I’d gotten a glimpse of the man Bianca was talking about but only barely.
“He just has terrible taste in women. Just awful. I am not sure what he saw in Marion. Then again, I also don’t get why anyone would date the mean girls at my school, and every guy is tripping over his own feet to score a date. I guess it’s just the way life works.”
“Bianca, I promise you life gets so much better after high school.”
I should know.
“I’m just glad Reid didn’t marry her.”
That was true, but the heart took betrayal equally deep, signed papers or not.
“Hmm, let’s see. Anything else you want to know?” Bianca went on.
“I think I’ve got enough for now,” I answered. “Thank you, Bianca. And I mean it, if you need to ask me anything, or just want to talk to anyone, call me anytime.”
“I will.”
After ending the call, I debated messaging Reid but still hadn’t made a game plan, so I turned my attention to the road. When I arrived at the restaurant where I was meeting my client, I noticed Reid had texted me.
Reid: Bianca called. Thanks for talking to her.
Hailey: No problem. She’s a lovely kid.
Reid: I know.
Hailey: She also worships you and is a wealth of information.
Reid called the next second.
“Hailey.”
It was the first time he hadn’t called me Ms. Connor. My entire body felt on fire. How was this happening?
“Reid, hello.”
“So, what exactly did Bianca say?”