by Rion, Paige
Forcing a smile, Callie stands and reaches her hand out to Mr. Galveston, whose intent gaze makes her cheeks burn even more. “Hi. I’m Callie Cartwright, intern, and soon-to-be GGF employee of the year,” she quips, praying this man has a sense of humor.
The gorgeous man’s lips spread into a slow smile and the sheer perfection of his choppers could be an ad for a toothpaste commercial. Taking her hand in his, he says, “Please, call me Brian. And I’m disappointed to hear that. I was hoping maybe you’d consider Paramount Financial. I thought we could woo you with our sunny, amenable California weather.”
Mr. Bucek steps in, eyes bright. “Brian’s from our sister company, Paramount. They’re based in California and deal with smaller accounts, but they actually have a larger client base. We work hand-in-hand with them, and I thought it might be a good choice for you…you know, if you decided on something a bit smaller and cozier than GGF.”
Callie’s smile falls. What Mr. Bucek means is if she lost the job at GGF. She has heard of Paramount before, but never paid much attention. She knew a smaller sister company existed with branches out of California and Chicago, but GGF has always been where she wanted to be. Mr. Bucek mustn’t think her credit history and debt will be a problem for the smaller company if he’s recommending them to her.
Callie clears her throat and forces the smile to reappear, despite the disappointment squeezing her chest at the thought of Mr. Bucek sending her to work for anyone but him.
Shake it off, Callie. Be your charming self. This is business. Never squander an opportunity. You need to show Mr. Bucek that you’re a true professional.
“Hello, Brian,” Callie says, meeting his eyes. His grip is firm and he squeezes her hand lightly before releasing it. “You came at a good time of year, then, if you’re planning on wooing me with your temperate weather. Mid-February in Pittsburgh is far from a balmy seventy degrees.”
“So maybe the idea of winning you over isn’t lost after all.”
“I think maybe a change of pace is just what Callie needs.” Mr. Bucek winks at her, then adds, “Well, I’ve gotta make a conference call, but I’m sure Miss Cartwright can see you out. It was great seeing you, Brian.” He shakes Brian’s hand, wishes him well, then turns and leaves Callie alone with him.
Alone. With this Adonis!
It irks her a little bit that Mr. Bucek practically just threw her under the bus. Either that, or he’s trying to send the hint that Callie has no chance of redeeming herself at GGF. Regardless, the urge to run after him and insist that he explain himself is easily overcome by the handsome man standing before her. She’s not sure she can move her feet if she tries.
Callie turns her attention to Mr. Galveston—er, Brian. She’s unsure of what to say. With the way he’s staring at her and without Mr. Bucek as a buffer, she suddenly feels awkward and her nerves are ramping up her spine.
Brian leans back against the opening to her cubicle, perfectly at ease in the situation. “I suppose it’s a lost cause.”
“What is?” Her thoughts have distracted her and she must force herself to concentrate.
“Getting you to trade Pittsburgh for California. You see, I met the other two interns, and the rest of the staff. But Mr. Bucek speaks very highly of you. And now that I’ve met you myself, it’s clear to me that you’re not only the best prospective employee, but also the most beautiful.”
Callie swallows, the burn in her cheeks spreading to include the tips of her ears. She hasn’t had a guy flirt so shamelessly with her since… Hell, she doesn’t even know when.
“I don’t know about that. I mustn’t be too coveted here. Seems to me Mr. Bucek’s trying to pawn me off.”
Brian grins. “No. Not really.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and leans toward her, whispering, “I’ll tell you a secret. I’m actually his nephew. And he just knows that I have a penchant for highly intelligent blondes.” He leans back.
“Oh, really? Is that so?” Callie can’t help the smile that spreads over her face.
He raises two fingers in the air. “Boy scout’s honor.”
“You don’t look like the boy scout type.”
“Okay, I’m not. I wasn’t. But I do know how to make a mean s’more.”
Callie grins. “Well, that’s all that matters, then. Perfect s’more-making is Essential Camping 101.”
“Precisely.”
Callie relaxes her stance, enjoying the flirting probably more than she should, considering she’s at work and Brian is an associate far above her rank.
“So, this whole working at Paramount pitch… Is that for real? Or is that just a part of your attempt at seducing highly intelligent blondes?”
Brian tips his head back and laughs. “Nope. That is legitimate. We’re in need of a couple new people and Mr. Bucek suggested you to me. He said that he thought a move and some new scenery might do you good.”
Callie frowns. She’s not sure what to make of that, but she listens as Brian continues. “It just so happens that I’m in charge of recruiting a few new members to our team, and what can I say? I’d rather have the pleasure of sharing office space with you than Steve over there.” He twists his mouth and hooks his thumb back toward Steve’s cube.
She should stop. She really should stop flirting with him. It’s unprofessional. But let’s face it, she hasn’t worried about tonight since he interrupted her fretting. “I don’t know. The nerdy glasses and the Star Wars shirts over the top of his dress shirts have a certain charm about them. And sometimes,” she cups her hand around her mouth and whispers, “he even wears suspenders.”
“Ah, yes. I do love my Star Wars T-shirts. Especially paired with formal attire and suspenders.” He taps his lips with his finger, then lets his gaze roam up and down her once. “I’d be completely crazy to prefer, say, little black skirts, a woman in heels, and legs for miles. Yep, crazy.”
Holy crap, but he’s hot!
“Certifiable.” Callie laughs.
“Damn,” he says, and snaps his fingers. “Well, now that you’ve effectively destroyed my ego, I should be going. Would you care to walk me out?”
“I’d love to.” She steps around her desk and walks with him to the elevators, listening as he talks about the California office and what differentiates them from GGF.
“Really, we’re more…informal, I guess you could say. We’re not so stuffy, more laid back. I think it’s a very California attitude to have, don’t you?”
“Quite. It does sound tempting,” she says, not entirely lying, but the truth is that she’s never considered anywhere but GGF. She’s known from the second she chose her major that she wanted to work for the biggest, the best, and somewhere located near her hometown. She’s never considered other options. Even now, the thought of working somewhere else sounds nice in theory, but it’s not her reality and seems almost unthinkable.
“So, maybe you’ll consider us, then?”
Callie purses her lips. “I don’t know…”
Brian puts a hand over his chest, as if it hurts to hear. “I’m in a losing battle, aren’t I? My uncle has once again outwitted me with GGF’s hefty starting salary, his crow’s-feet, and salt-and-pepper hair that women love so much.”
Callie chuckles. “Maybe I’ll give it some thought.” It’s a lie and he probably knows it, but reciprocating his charm helps ease the nerves of what is to come the moment he steps on the elevator.
He claps his hands together and flashes her his gorgeous smile one last time and says, “Well then, mission accomplished. I’ll be staying here a few weeks on business, so I hope to see you around. Maybe I’ll do some more convincing.” With that, the elevator doors open and Brian steps in with a polite wave.
The second Brian’s gone, the heavy weight of the evening awaiting Callie descends on her. Brian was an unexpected reprieve. One she needed, and the thought that he is just the kind of guy Callie should be dating crosses her mind. But the clock above the elevator reminds her that there’s no escaping reali
ty, and now is not the time for daydreaming about a possible love match. It’s time to go home. Time to meet the parents.
CHAPTER TWELVE
DEAN
Dean pulls the knit cap down further over his head and shuffles his way into the dorm. He just spent the last two hours meandering around the mall talking himself out of purchasing a Valentine’s Day gift for Callie. Maybe he used the lovers’ holiday as a distraction to keep his mind off of the coming evening, but he wishes so badly he could get her something. He’s unsure, though, of what her reaction would be, considering they’re not really a couple. Would that be weird? Would it freak her out?
He shakes his head. Having to straddle the line of winning her heart and appearing innocent in all this is going to give me a hernia.
Dean pauses at the elevators and stabs the button with his finger. He has no idea what to expect tonight, but he’s resolved himself over the course of the week to simply enjoy the evening. It may be torture in the long run, if this thing with Callie doesn’t end the way he hopes, but what else can he do? He needs to live in the now, enjoy this, despite how awful he feels about lying to his parents.
No matter the guilt gnawing on the edge of his conscience, he discussed this with Callie several times already. They’re going along with the charade, which means he needs to erase any reminders that he and Callie are not really together. He has to truly feel as though they’re a couple. If he can’t pull that off, his mother—the all-powerful Oz—will know something’s up. So, for one night, instead of focusing on how he can get Callie to fall for him, he’s going to let himself feel how he would be if he and Callie were really together. Foolish or not, he’s going to allow himself to believe it’s truly genuine, and there’s only one thing that would make it all feel more real. A kiss.
When the elevator doors slide open, he steps out into the small lobby and turns to head to his room.
“Dean!”
The voice stops him mid-step. Swinging around, he blinks at the person standing before him, as if he’s imagining things. “Maya. What’re you doing here?”
She’s dressed in skintight black pants and a matching leather jacket. She’s pretty, not like Callie, but in an edgy way that Dean first found appealing because of the stark contrast of the two women.
“I needed to talk to you. I told myself a million times I shouldn’t but… Just hear me out,” she says, taking a step forward. She reaches her hand out in front of her and envelops Dean’s in her own. “I know you’re with Callie. And I realize she’s the girl you’ve had feelings for all this time, but something’s not right with you two.”
Dean’s frowns, taken aback. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s...” Maya glances away, then back to him again, her green eyes studying him more than he likes. “She’s going to hurt you. I can feel it, and I can see it on her face. She doesn’t care for you like you want. She doesn’t feel the same—”
“Stop.” Dean steps back and wrenches his hands from hers, fisting them at his sides. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Except that she does, and that thought burns him. “And, I’m sorry I hurt you, but this really isn’t your concern.”
“See, that’s why I’m here. It is my concern.”
“How?” He shoves his hands in his pockets, forcing his fists to relax.
“Because…I know the other day I said that I’ve moved on and I’m happy, but the truth is that I still have feelings for you. And seeing you with her has just reminded me of that. And the fact that I know she’ll just end up hurting you makes me feel so sure in what I’m saying and how I’m feeling.”
“But…” Dean’s mind goes blank. This is exactly what he didn’t want to happen. He had figured Maya hated him after he dumped her the way he did, and when she said she was happy and over him the other day, he believed her. Why is it women couldn’t just say how they really felt.
She steps toward him again and brings her hand up to his face, tracing the line of his jaw. Dean swallows and leans away from her, but not before she can say, “I’m going to get you back, Dean Michaels. And if she hurts you before then, I’ll be standing by, waiting to pick up the pieces. And this time, you’ll have eyes for no one but me.”
#
Dean storms inside his room. “This is so fucked-up!” he yells.
Emmett practically falls out of his desk chair at Dean’s sudden entrance. Ripping the earbuds from his ears, he says, “What the hell, man?”
“Maya just confronted me in the lobby.” He runs a hand through his hair and lets out a deep breath.
“Oh, shit. What’d she say?”
“She wants me back. And she thinks Callie’s going to hurt me. I don’t know how but she senses something’s off with us.”
Emmett whistles. “Teaches you for dating smart, intuitive chicks. Maybe you need to dumb it down next time you choose your girl.”
“Dude, shut the hell up,” he says, not in the mood for Emmett’s sarcasm.
Emmett sighs. “Okay, fine,” he says, as if being serious costs him something. “What are you going to do?”
“No idea. If Callie finds out about this, it’s all over. She’ll think we accomplished our goal and that will be it. Maya wants me back. Game over.”
“Yikes.” Emmett places his hands on his hips. “Seems to me you need to resort to drastic measures. Pull out the big guns or some shit like that.”
Dean scrubs a hand over his face and nods. “Yeah. I need to kiss her.”
“Wait. Hold up.” Emmett holds a hand up. “Dude, you haven’t even kissed her yet? Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“I tried, but—”
“No. Not in front of hundreds of people, on a basketball court, when you’re all nasty and sweaty. Dude, you’ve gotta have game, and you’ve proven you have some in that stupid head of yours. You did the whole rose thing. Asshole move, by the way. You’ve raised the bar for every guy because all the girls at the game that night want sappy shit like that now. But that’s beside the point. This is your time, and you’re wasting it. You two are supposed to be pretending to be together and you haven’t even kissed yet?”
Dean plops down in his desk chair, feeling his face flush in full force. Nothing like being called out by your best friend. “It’s complicated.”
“No. It’s black and white, and you’re being a pussy. I don’t care how you do it, but it’s time. You did this whole thing to get the girl, man. So stop pissin’ around and go get her. You need to kiss the shit out of her. Kiss her like you’re the last two people on Earth, like you’re from The Blue Lagoon movie, except without the creepy incestuous part. You’ve gotta bring the moves and kiss her like you might never get another chance to lock lips with another chick again. Like every second away from her lips is killing you. Like you’ll die if you don’t get her—”
“That is how I feel,” Dean says, exasperated. His heart throbs in his chest at Emmett’s words because it’s as if they came straight from his own heart. “And I said I needed to kiss her, didn’t I?”
“Yeah. You did. I’m just making sure you actually do it.” Emmett stands and punches Dean in the arm. “It’s time. Stop being such a douche and show her what it’s like to be with Dean Michaels. How it feels to kiss him. Because the way I see it, you’re losing the battle fast. Your ship is sinking, and the only way to save yourself is to pull some tricks out of the bag. Lift the wool off her eyes, man, and fucking show her what she’s been missing with you this whole time.”
Dean purses his lips. “You’re just full of metaphors today.”
Emmett shrugs. “Hey, what can I say? I’m smart like that.”
“But I wanted our first kiss to be because she wanted to kiss me. Not because we’re showing off or pretending.”
Emmett stabs a finger at him. “Do it, dude! Just do it. That shit can come later. Let me ask you: do you want to win her over, then have the privilege of kissing her the rest of your life because she wants to? Or do you want to
risk waiting for the moment that may never come? Soon enough, she’s going to find out Maya already wants you back and then this charade you’ve worked so hard for will be over, along with your chances.”
#
The sun has already set in the sky and dusk has turned to dark as Dean pulls up to his family home. Lights from within glow golden behind thick drapes, cocooning the house from within. Dean can see his mother’s silhouette moving inside, probably preparing the table and excitedly awaiting their arrival.
He glances over to Callie, who sits next to him. Her face is a mask, completely unreadable in the dim light, and he wishes he could better see her expression to get a glimpse of what she might be feeling.
Clearing her throat from the backseat, Jinny pipes up, “Well, I’m heading inside. I’ll let you two lovebirds go in together.”
Jinny hasn’t given her opinion on their decision to let their parents think they’re really a couple. In fact, she’s been surprisingly mute on the subject.
“Why didn’t you bring Todd again?” Callie asks as Jinny opens the door.
“Pfft. You think I’m crazy? No way in hell am I bringing anyone home unless I’m thinking marriage or babies. And Todd? Mom would take one look at his long hair, raise one brow, and I’d be either scurrying to defend him the rest of the evening or cowering in the corner at her interrogation. No thanks.” She gets out of the car and closes the door, shouting through the closed window. “I’ll tell Mom that you’ll be in soon. Don’t be too long, though, or she’ll die of anticipation.” Jinny rolls her eyes and leaves.
Dean watches Jinny walk away. His stomach is a bed of writhing snakes. All he could think about all day is Maya and her declaration of feelings for him. Before long, she would blow the lid off Operation Get the Girl and it would be over. Callie would walk away, thinking she helped him, and where would he be? No further than he is now. He’d be stuck in the same rut he’s been in for the past seven years.
There’s no way he’s letting that happen.