CEO'd By Him Complete Series Box Set

by Nella Tyler

  “Pssst… Your hair looks great, by the way. Where did you get it done?”

  Mackenzie looked over at Lucy and could see she was trying to make amends for their sharp words to one another. “I don’t remember her name, but she was very nice. It was at the salon inside Clorie’s,” she told her in a soft voice. “Do you really like it, or are you just being nice?” she wanted to know.

  Lucy was nodding enthusiastically. “No, no, I really do like it. It makes you look younger and healthier. And to tell you the truth, I was getting pretty sick of that hair you had. Have you considered getting a makeover?”

  “Let’s talk about that at lunch,” she suggested, noticing that the boss was beginning to watch them. Lucy nodded and both women went back to work.

  It was later at lunch that Mackenzie brought the topic up again. “So, what did you mean by a makeover?”

  “Well, there are several kinds. You can go see a clothing consultant who will help you pick styles and colors that are flattering to you. That’s your big chance to buy yourself a whole new wardrobe and throw out everything you’ve been wearing day after day, hint, hint, hint.”

  Mackenzie smiled. “I get the hint, even if it was very subtle,” she added. “What other kinds?”

  “Well, you can also get shoes to go with your new wardrobe, new lingerie, a manicure, new perfume and hey, while you’re at it, stop by the makeup counter and let them give you some tips on applying all the new makeup you’re going to be buying.”

  “I’m buying new makeup, am I?” She was smirking at Lucy’s managing of her life.

  Lucy nodded, smiling. “You can’t just stop with the hair. It would look funny. Like a road that leads to a dead end. Why not splurge a little and perk up your spirits? It really might help you, you know.”

  She nodded. “Well, as a matter of fact, I already did buy a few new things to wear, but nothing appropriate for work.”

  Lucy’s ears perked up at this information. “Does this mean that you’re going somewhere other than home, work, or the grocery store?”

  “It could,” Mackenzie allowed. She wasn’t ready to confess everything quite yet. She thought to insecure about what she was doing, even a little bit embarrassed.

  “You went online, didn’t you?” Lucy accused her with a gasp, her face lighting up as she realized what had brought about the change in Mackenzie’s appearance and attitude.

  “Well…”

  “No, don’t try to fool me. I can see it in you. There’s been something different about you the last two days. Oh my gosh, you’ve met someone haven’t you?”

  “Not really, at least not in the sense that you might think. Okay, I’ll confess. I have talked to a few people and met one of them for a glass of wine, but that’s as far as anything has gone.”

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for you.” Lucy’s face was animated. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’re like a babe in the woods when it comes to being online. There’s so much you don’t know, and I don’t want anyone taking advantage of you.”

  “I’ve been getting a little on-the-job training, so to speak.”

  Lucy cocked her head in question. “On-the-job where?”

  “Well, one of the people I met online, Harry, has been kind enough to tutor me in what to expect from the guys I talked to on there. He’s been online a good deal longer than I have and gave me some very helpful pointers.”

  “Oh, this is so exciting. I hope he took the time to explain the dangers to you, as well?”

  “Oh, yes. He talked about those first. I think he’s a pretty decent guy.”

  “Has he asked you out yet?”

  Mackenzie looked over her shoulder to see who might be listening. She leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “No, not yet. He has mentioned that he was interested in me, but at this point, we’re just friends.”

  “So, tell me about this guy you met for wine.”

  “Oh, gosh, I’m not sure ready to talk about it yet. It was just that one time and we were there only briefly.”

  “Well, did you like him?” Lucy was desperate for some juicy bit of gossip that she could dwell upon as the afternoon hours slowly rolled by.

  “Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. He lives not far from here. It was sort of an impromptu thing; he dared me to meet him for a quick glass of wine and I did it.”

  “I’m so proud of you! Honest to God, I really didn’t think you had it in yourself to reach out like that. You have really grown. And, Mackenzie, in case you’re having guilt, David would have wanted you to find someone new. He would’ve never wanted you to spend the rest of your life alone.”

  “Oh, let’s not go there yet. I don’t think one glass of wine constitutes wedding bells.” Mackenzie was getting a little nervous how close the conversation was coming.

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  She shifted in her seat, bundling up the rest of her sandwich with the empty chips bag, which she then tossed into a nearby trashcan. “Well, he did ask me to dinner Friday night, but I told him I would let him know. As a matter of fact, I emailed him last night to ask whether he minded if I did a background check on him.”

  “Oh, my God. You’re deeper into this that I realized. I can see your online buddy is teaching you the ropes. Make sure you get all the information you can on him. Even if he doesn’t give you permission.”

  “I really want his permission. It would seem like an invasion of his privacy if I did it without asking him first. Especially, if he said no.”

  “If he says no, then surely you’re not going to meet him again, right?” Lucy’s face was white, aghast at the thought that Mackenzie might be so careless.

  “Of course not. If he won’t let me do the background check, that pretty much tells me there’s nothing good there for me to find. So at that point, I tell him no thank you.”

  “Good girl. Well, I’m going to pop into the ladies’ room and powder my nose.” Lucy got from the table, and as she headed away, Mackenzie pulled her iPad out of her bag. She held down the button to power it on and counted the seconds, which seemed interminable. She wanted to check her mail before Lucy returned.

  Telling Lucy about Bill was one thing, but having her witness the disappointment if he hadn’t written yet was more than she was willing to allow.

  She opened her email and quickly scanned the scrolling length of messages. There was nothing there from Bill. On an impulse, she clicked on her sent folder to make sure the email she had written had actually gone out. It certainly had.

  This was almost disappointing – well, there was no almost about it. It was really hurting. She wondered why he wasn’t answering. He’d had almost a full day and since he had asked her out, certainly he would be checking his email for her reply, and yet there was nothing. Perhaps he had become offended when she asked to do the background check? Even worse was the thought that there was something he didn’t want her to know about.

  She thought about how that would make her feel. In one sense, she would be very disappointed, it being her first date and all. On the other hand, it might make her feel more confident that she was taking good care of herself. Either way, she had hoped that he would at least respond.

  Crestfallen, she put her iPad back into her bag and was just heading back to her desk when Lucy came up behind her.

  “Keep me up on what’s going on, will you?”

  Mackenzie nodded and sat down to return to her work.

  * * *

  Mackenzie had no Wi-Fi signal in the parking lot when she returned to her car after work and flipped open the iPad. Disappointed, she considered where she might find the closest Wi-Fi. There were always was Ben’s Saloon and of course the coffee shop. She opted to go straight home, instead. It felt like one of those things you needed to prepare yourself for the result.

  She let herself in the front door and tossed her bag and keys onto the sofa as she went into her bathroom, quickly showered, and put on her comfy clothes. She went into the kit
chen and made herself a cup of hot tea, pouring an ounce of blueberry syrup into it for flavoring. It was one of her favorite drinks and made her feel very healthy.

  She opted for her desktop computer and flipped it on. As it booted, she sipped her tea and tapped her fingers on the surface of the computer desk. She was stealing herself for the disappointment she might now find. The computer booted, and she quickly opened her mail program. Scanning the list her, eyes finally lit upon it. Bill had written.

  Excited, she clicked on it and leaned forward to read every word.

  Dear Mackenzie,

  I’m sorry I’m late in getting back with you. I’ve been tied up with my son and with work. I understand you might have some reservations about dating someone you don’t know. I could assure you a hundred times over that I’m a safe guy, I am sincere in wanting to get to know you, and I could even give you personal references.

  I guess what bothers me, is that you don’t trust me. I had hoped that we had gotten past that part. I know you are a fine woman who is new to the dating world, but I also think that you need some time to build your sense of confidence in your own instincts.

  So, for your own good, I’m going to say no. I would not approve of you running a background check on me. While I have nothing to hide, I’m a decent man and it bothers me that anyone would question that. Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, if that so, then maybe it’s something I need to work on.

  I wish you the best of luck in finding a romance you deserve. So, I won’t be seeing you on Friday and if you should happen to come in with another date and we see one another, please know that I will consider you a friend and acknowledge you with a smile, but say nothing.

  Best wishes to you,

  Bill

  Mackenzie felt as though she had been kicked in the stomach. She reread the message twice to make sure she had not overlooked some word or misinterpreted some thought.

  One part of her said that it was entirely his privilege to keep his life private. In fact, she realized she probably wouldn’t be very fond of someone checking out her own background. That said, she felt as though he should be a bit more sensitive to her situation and open enough to let her satisfy her sense of misgivings in a harmless sort of way. Then again, he might be lying, and there may be something that he was trying to hide. Nobility always made shame look better.

  Then came the painful assumption that maybe he just didn’t like her and was waiting for her to answer about Friday night’s date so he could turn her away. Was it possible that it had nothing to do with her wanting the security check? Maybe that was all a ruse?

  She felt as though her entire evening, if not week, was now ruined. She admitted to herself that she had gotten the new hairstyle, the clothes, etc., and had told the Lucy about her escapade, all with the assumption that she would be having dinner with Bill on Friday. Now, here she sat, alone and feeling very unwanted.

  She felt the urge to go online and look for someone new. That also made her feel shameful – the need to have someone be interested in her. She sat there, temptation versus embarrassment, and eventually temptation won.

  She opened a new browser window and went directly to the dating site. Logging in, she was excited to see that there were more than twenty emails in her inbox. She steeled herself for the likelihood that most of them were undesirables, but there was always that chance that a nice guy might pop up.

  There was a ding and a message box came on the screen. It was HarryM.

  HarryM: Hey there, pretty lady. It’s nice to see you online again. How’s the fishing in your part of the pond?

  AliceWonderland: Hello, Harry. It’s nice to see a friendly face. Well, to tell you the truth, I’m a little sad at the moment.

  HarryM: Why is that?

  AliceWonderland: Well, I was supposed to have dinner was someone that I’ve been chatting with on here this Friday. I sort of got ahead of myself, getting a new hairstyle and some clothes. But worse than that, I let myself begin to have some fanciful dreams.

  HarryM: So, what went wrong? I’m getting the idea that the dinner is off.

  AliceWonderland: Yes, you’re right. Remember how you told me to check up on everyone before I went out with them?

  HarryM: Sure

  AliceWonderland: Well, that’s what I did.

  HarryM: And, you found something you didn’t like?

  AliceWonderland: No, not exactly. I felt disrespectful to look him up without asking his permission first. He didn’t answer for a couple of days and when he did, he said that it bothered him that I would question his integrity. He broke the date and withdrew permission.

  HarryM: So, the guy’s got something to hide?

  AliceWonderland: I’m really not sure. He acted insulted. He seemed to think that I needed a little more time to build on my dating skills.

  HarryM: That’s a bunch of crap. He’s hiding something, believe me. It’s probably a wife, some petty crime from his past, or maybe something not quite so petty. Whatever it is, you did the right thing.

  AliceWonderland: I hope so. I can’t help but feel a little bit sad about it, though.

  HarryM: Hey, kiddo, don’t let it get to you. This is about him, not you. Hang in there, there’s plenty more where that came from and a lot of them are decent guys.

  AliceWonderland: I thank you for your vote of confidence, but I have to admit, I’m a little bit disenchanted.

  HarryM: Of course you are. That’s the way it works around here. You win some, you lose a whole lot more. Remember it only takes one to be happily ever after.

  AliceWonderland: You know, you’re right. I never thought of it that way. Thanks, Harry.

  HarryM: Any time, sweetheart.

  Harry had cheered her up a bit. With her renewed enthusiasm, she went to the list of emails.

  There was one from a man named Stephen. He simply wrote to say that he had read her profile and seen her picture and was interested in getting to know her. He didn’t live terribly far away and she thought she may as well jump in with both feet. The little green dot next to his name indicated that he was online. She clicked on his name and a message box opened up.

  AliceWonderland: Hi, there. I got your message. I see that you don’t live terribly far from me. There’s always room for a new friend. Tell me a little bit about who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for.

  Mackenzie waited for him to respond, having second thoughts as it took some time for him to do so. She felt a bit forward, as she had never asked a strange man to talk to her before.

  StephenD: Hi there, Alice. I’m going to guess offhand that that’s not your real name, but that’s cool.

  AliceWonderland: Hi. It’s nice to meet you, too. You’re right, it’s not my real name, but I am a real person. I’ve been told it’s a good idea not to use your real name on a site like this.

  StephenD: I’d say whoever told you that gave you some pretty good advice. There are a lot of weirdos around here.

  AliceWonderland: Funny, but I never thought about women being dishonest or misleading. I guess I was being a little naïve, wasn’t I?

  StephenD: Oh, there are plenty of crooked ladies to be had. Mostly, they’re after money, a green card, or believe it or not, some of them really just want to get laid.

  AliceWonderland: Well, let me tell you right up front that I’m none of those. I work in a small office, am a widow, no children, and my best friend convinced me that I should begin dating again.

  StephenD: Have you ever used a dating site before?

  AliceWonderland: No, and I’ve only been on here a few days. This is my first site, and probably will be my last. It makes me feel a little dirty to be on here.

  StephenD: Oh, don’t let it do that to you. If you think about it, anywhere you go, there’s a certain percentage of people nearby who are scumbags. You just don’t notice them, even if they do notice you. On here, they get the opportunity to catch your attention, and they read you better than you read them.

 
; AliceWonderland: Okay, let me ask you a really honest question, if you don’t mind.

  StephenD: Shoot.

  AliceWonderland: Now, don’t get the wrong idea but, let’s just say that you and I talked for a while and hit it off and agreed to meet somewhere. If I asked your permission to do a background check on you before we met, would you let me?

  StephenD: Sure, if you want to pay the money, you can do the deed.

  AliceWonderland: So, you wouldn’t mind?

  StephenD: No, why should I? I don’t have anything to hide.

  AliceWonderland: So, if you ask somebody’s permission to do a background check on them and they wouldn’t let you, would you think they were hiding something?

  StephenD: I sure as hell would.

  AliceWonderland: Thank you for that.

  StephenD: I take it that you asked and he said no?

  AliceWonderland: You got that right. I was afraid of insulting him, but the more I thought about it, I realized that he had gone on the offensive because there was something he was feeling defensive about.

  StephenD: Good instincts. So, tell me what you like to do for fun.

  AliceWonderland: Fun? Gosh, believe it or not, this is the first time anyone has asked me that. I like to do lots of things. Yard sales, flea markets, movies, dining out, shooting pool, bowling, concerts… I’m pretty flexible. How about you?

  StephenD: Okay, I can do the pool, bowling, concerts, and maybe even dining out, but it’s liable to be a burger and beer served on paper plates. I don’t suppose that’s what you had in mind?

  AliceWonderland: I’ve been known to eat off of a paper plate or two in my life .

  StephenD: That’s my kind of gal. Will you marry me?

  AliceWonderland: Cute. What do you do for a living?

  StephenD: At the moment, not a whole lot. I had an auto repair business in Denver, but I had a partner who seemed to believe that the work belonged to me and the profit to him. He took off with what was in the bank and I just couldn’t bridge the gap. So, I lost the business, moved here because my cousin temporarily put me up. You might say I’m looking ambitiously.