“You’re a badass. You’re so full of bravado and swagger, such rare traits in women I meet. I have full confidence in you that you can handle me.”
“I can.”
“Then we’ll do fine.”
“Are you going to apologize to me?”
“For?”
“Keeping me waiting for twenty minutes for no reason. I don’t like power plays, Ellis. I need to be treated with respect, as your equal. I don’t accept less.”
Anger flashes in his eyes, and I have to suppress a grin. He doesn’t like being told what to do, and he especially doesn’t like being put in his place.
“Fine. I apologize for disrespecting you.”
“Thank you. Now, shall we get started?”
He smiles, as his eyes search mine. “Yes, we shall.”
Chapter 5 Ellis
Watching the beauty across the desk from me, I listen intently as she opens her notebook and goes through her research she’s done on the situation, then looks up at me, fixing her amazing eyes on mine.
“My angle is that we just avoid it,” she says. “We don’t meet it head on because that’s been done to no avail. I say we reinforce who you were before this happened.”
“Good idea, except that I’m an arse.”
She laughs, tossing all that hair about. I love when women keep their hair long. I just wish I could run my hands through it. I bet it’s soft. I bet her skin is too. I bet—
“Ellis?”
I blink, pulling myself out of my fantasies. “Yes? Did you say something?”
She offers a sly smirk, revealing her awareness of my hungry gaze. “I did. I asked if you liked being an ass.”
“Oh. Er, well, I don’t suppose I’ve given it any thought. I am what I am.”
“That might be true, but not everyone thinks that. You’re also philanthropic and a huge supporter of education and arts. The amount of money you donate is staggering.”
“Yes, but no one cares about that. They just want to see me as a man abusing his power.”
“They will care, Ellis. When I’m done, they’ll care.”
I nod, soaking in the sound of her voice hoping I can replay it later. “That would be quite a feat.”
“This is what I do. Based on what I learned about you before this situation occurred, you were respected in the community, considered to give back regularly, and very eligible and sought after. I didn’t find anything negative, except that you’re a tough businessman, and you always have a pretty woman on your arm, which is mild. You’re rarely seen with the same woman twice, and there’s a lot of speculation about when you’ll settle down.”
“A fair assessment. What the media knows of me is a sliver of what I know of myself. Some of it is true, some of it is stretched.”
“Of course. The other good thing is that this is an isolated incident. If you were really what she accused you of, more women would’ve stepped up by now. It’s a good sign that they haven’t, and I’ll use that to our benefit if I have to.”
I nod. “Excellent.”
“Have you been married?”
My brow furrows. “Why?”
“Just wondering if there was anyone who knows you closely who might blindside us.”
“No. I’ve never met a woman who could convince me that she was the one.”
“Is that a goal?”
I wonder what the meaning behind her question is before I answer. “No. I like my life exactly as it is. Why pick one when I can have all?” I watch her face for a reaction but receive none. “Have you?”
“What?”
“Been married?”
“No.”
“Is that a goal?”
She smiles, shaking her head. “This discussion isn’t about me.”
“Is it wrong that I’d like to get to know you on some level? After all, we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together.”
“Fine. It’s not a goal. I like my life exactly as it is. Not all women are dying for marriage and babies. Why pick one when I can fuck them all?”
“Do you think your frequent use of the word fuck disrupts me on any level? You seem to drop it as though you think you’ll shock me, but you cannot shock me, love.”
“I don’t care what you think and don’t call me love. It doesn’t exactly help our goal of proving you’re not a misogynist.”
“A fair point.” I grin, knowing she does disrupt me. To my core.
She looks down at her notes. “There’s a ball benefiting cancer research for children Saturday that you’re attending.”
“Yes.”
“Can you get me on the invite list?”
“You want to be my date?”
She shakes her head. “I assumed you had one already.”
“I don’t.”
“If that’s the only way I can get in then that’s fine. I just want to get a vibe from people. Observe.”
“Fine. When should we announce our working relationship?”
“Today.” She slides a piece of paper towards me. “I’ve drafted this release, and I can give it to your marketing people upon your approval.”
I read it over then look up at her. “I like it. The fact that you’re American will get many talking. There will be speculation about how we came together.”
“Sometimes, you need a little rebellion to get things going in the right direction.”
I smile, nodding my head. “Perhaps that’s what’s been missing from my life.”
“Guess we’ll find out.”
Yes, we will.
“I need a place to work. Do you have space here?”
I nod. “Um, yes, we have space.”
“Just a few days a week is fine. I can work from home the rest of the time.”
“I’ll have it prepared and you may use it as needed. I’ll get you a security badge as well.”
“Thank you.”
She stands to leave, and even though my schedule is full today, I don’t want her to go. I want her to sit here gazing at me with those eyes and throwing verbal daggers at me. My eyes roam over her delicious figure wrapped in a pencil skirt, heels, and a crisp white button down blouse. She’s not as lean as her sister, more curvaceous in the best of ways, but certainly in nice shape. I want to know what she’s wearing underneath it all. I imagine lots of black lace set against her creamy skin. When my eyes meet hers, she brushes her hair off her shoulder, and just ever so slightly, flicks her tongue over her pale pink lips. God, she excites me.
“Thank you for your time, Ellis. I’m actually excited to see what we can do together.”
Standing, I shake her hand, holding it a moment too long in mine. She pulls away gently, but I notice how her cheeks turn crimson.
“As am I, Avery. As am I.”
Chapter 6 Avery
Once outside, I stop to take a deep breath. That man unnerves me. He’s so sexy I can barely stand to be in his presence. He smells good, sounds good, looks good. His words are eloquent, delivered gracefully, with a voice that makes my insides tingle. And good lord, the man can wear a suit. I can only imagine the body hidden by his tailored, clearly expensive clothing. Even his hands are nice. Trying to focus on work with him is near impossible. I only got through it by keeping my eye on the prize. If I can fix this, not only will I resolve my financial woes, but I’ll get a full time corporate gig and off the fucked up celebrity roller coaster. I just need Ellis to trust me and the British public to buy what I’m selling.
After checking my watch, I decide to make my way over to see my sister at the Natural History Museum, catch some lunch, and then find a nice café or coffee shop where I can sit and do some work. By Saturday, I need a solid plan to get Ellis in the papers in a good way. Now, I just have to figure out how to make that happen.
Since I’m not feeling brave enough yet to navigate the London subway situation, I hail a cab to get me over to the museum. I love the neighborhood where Equis is, so historic even though it’s dotted with modern businesses. It’s
beautiful, and I immediately feel like I belong here. Even with the lack of sunshine, I don’t miss California yet.
About twenty-five minutes later, I arrive at the museum, pay my fare, and hop out of the cab. Walking inside the massive museum, I admire the architecture as I pass. I don’t know what period the building is from, but I bet Annabelle could tell me. At the front desk, I pull my cell phone out of my handbag and hit the button for her, waiting a moment until she answers.
“Hello, sister. Where are you?”
“In the lobby of your museum. Do you have time for me?”
“Definitely. Be down in about ten.”
“K. I’ll just be looking at dinosaurs.”
She giggles. “Sounds good.”
I pace the entry waiting for Annabelle to appear while being visually stunned by the beauty of the building around me. A few minutes later, I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to my sister.
“Hey,” she says.
“Hey. Hope you don’t mind me just stopping by, but I wanted to tell you about my meeting with Ellis if you have time.”
“I do.” She loops her arm through mine as we walk through the museum.
“How old is this building?”
“It opened to the public in 1881, but it was built in the late 1700’s.”
“Wow. It’s really breathtaking.”
“I agree. I’m so lucky to work here. Want to see my area?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. It’s the Blue Zone where we keep the whales and dinosaurs.”
“Cool.”
As we walk, we swing hands just as we did as kids, and smile at all the second glances we get as people realize we’re twins. There was a time when we were so close, we were never apart, we dressed the same, and did everything the same, but that was a long time ago.
“Hey,” I start. “Remember that time we got detention for going to each other’s classes all day?”
Annabelle laughs. “Oh yes, in tenth grade. Once Mrs. Hazelton figured it out, we knew we were busted.”
“Never try to fool a science teacher,” I mimic, wagging my finger. “Remember that?”
“Definitely. Personally, it was worth it.”
“Sure was. Those were fun times when we were best friends.”
“You’re still my best friend, Avery, even if I’m not yours.”
Smiling, I nod softly. “You are. I just forgot I had one.”
“Well, you don’t have to remember anymore. You’re here now.”
“Yeah.”
Entering Annabelle’s area, I look above me at the enormous hanging skeletons of long lost animals, while she explains in scientific terms what everything is. I smile and nod, more interested in our time together than the history around me. We pass and enter a small area where we can sit for a moment.
“So,” Annabelle starts. “How did it go?”
“Rocky at first. He kept me waiting for twenty minutes until I barged in his office. His assistant looked like she was going to faint.”
My sister laughs. “I bet.”
“He was sitting in there reading the paper. Can you believe that?”
“Oh, that guy.” She shakes her head. “What did you do?”
“Told him off, of course. I said my time was valuable and he needed to respect it.”
“Hmm, didn’t go over well I imagine.”
“Nope. Apparently he’d done some research on me and found out about the Atlanta thing. He was questioning my ability.”
“Oh dear.” She scrunches her nose. “What happened then?”
Shrugging, I continue. “I told him the truth. All of it. I figured it was my best bet.”
“I agree. How’d he take it?”
“Better than expected. We talked it out, and we’re still moving forward. His people will announce it later today.”
She pats my leg. “That’s wonderful, Avery.”
“Yeah.” I bite my lower lip for a second. “I’m going with him to some charity ball on Saturday so I can start figuring out how he dances with the media here.”
“That’ll be good.”
“Except one thing.”
“What’s that?”
Exhaling slowly, I run my fingers through my hair. “I’m insanely attracted to him.”
Annabelle smiles. “That’s not terribly surprising. The first time I met him, he said, ‘hello Annabelle’ and his voice made my cheeks turn red. I felt so guilty later I apologized to David.”
Laughing softly, I ask, “And his reaction?”
“He said, happens to all the girls. So, if it makes you feel better, you’re not alone.”
“I wish that helped, but it’s distracting to be around him. He’s…” I sigh, not sure of the words I want.
“Hot?”
“More than that.”
“Sexy?”
“Hmm, closer.”
“Smoldering?” She wiggles her eyebrows causing me to laugh.
“I like that. It’s all those things, but it’s how it’s packaged, you know? I’m so used to cocky men who can’t back it up, but Ellis can definitely back it up. He runs a successful company, clearly is doing well financially. He’s educated, classy, and that face. Mother hell, that face.”
“All true about him. He’s very intelligent and business savvy.”
“It’s too bad he’s a raging dick.”
Annabelle laughs. “He’s not, I swear. He just comes across that way because…” She pauses, then leans closer. “Well, I’ll tell you this. One night months ago right after the scandal broke, he came over in the middle of the night and woke us up. He was completely trashed and could barely stand up. The taxi driver was standing there holding him up and waiting to get paid.”
“Really?”
She nods. “Yeah. So we brought him in and put him on the couch and he was just going on about how he can’t trust anyone but us and how people just use him for money or status and women were the worst. He said he was lonely, but he had no one to call so he came to see us.”
“That’s so tragic.”
“I know, and so uncharacteristic of the self-assured businessman we usually see.”
“But alcohol can be one hell of a truth serum.”
“So true.”
“Then what happened?”
“We helped him get undressed and got him a blanket and sat up with him for hours just listening to him talk about his life and this whole drama with that woman. He was so worried that this would ruin him, and he said…” She pauses, shaking her head. “Avery, he said that without his wealth and his business, he was nothing. It was so sad.”
My brow creases. “Wow.”
“In the morning, he thanked us for being real friends and for letting him be himself. He was embarrassed, definitely, but we assured him we didn’t judge him. Since then, we have him over for dinner often, and sometimes I even send extra food with David to give him so he’s not always forced to eat take away.”
“Take away?”
She smiles. “Take out. Same thing.”
“Ah.” I sit silently for a moment with this news. “Maybe I have more in common with him than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can relate to that level of loneliness. It’s the real reason I got a roommate. I hated working all day and then coming home to an empty apartment. I don’t really have any friends, except casual acquaintances, but they distanced themselves when I got fired. L.A. is a finicky town, and you can’t really count on anyone.”
“I didn’t know you were lonely. You should’ve called more. I’m always happy to hear from you.”
I stare out the window in front of us as I speak. “I would think about it sometimes, but then I would convince myself you were busy, or that I didn’t want you to worry or feel bad. I didn’t want to dump my problems on you. I kept myself really busy with work, so it didn’t feel so bad. Men…” I shake my head. “Let’s just say, I haven’t had a good run lately.” Smiling, I pat her hand. �
�Why do you think it was so easy to get me to stay in London for six months? I have no job, no friends, no stuff, and no money. I’m basically not killing it right now.”
“Oh, Avery, it breaks my heart to think of you out there in that big city all alone. I know you’re tough, stronger than anyone I know, male or female, but you still have a heart.”
“Sort of. It’s suffered a lot of damage the past few years.” I blink my eyes, refusing to tear up. I don’t cry. Not anymore.
“I know, Avery. Mine too.”
“But you had David to help you. I had to stitch it up myself and keep going.”
She nods. “But you’re here with me now, and I love you, and I missed you, and I’m better with you than without you. I hope you feel the same about me.”
“I missed you too, and of course I love you, but I just feel so unaccomplished when I compare us.”
“That’s why you shouldn’t compare. Your time will come, Avery. You’ll get all the things you want.”
“I don’t know what I want.”
She smiles, brushing her fingers across my cheek. “Then life will just surprise you. It does that sometimes.”
Smiling, I nod. “I could use a good surprise.” Glancing at her, I study her face for a moment. “What happened to you? You used to always criticize me, condemn my choices, try to get me to settle down, as you called it. What changed?”
“Time changes everything, Avery. I’ve grown up. I finally see that even though we look the same, we’re not. David helped too. He told me that so many of the reasons why I love you were the very reasons I criticized. He said it wasn’t fair, and he was right. I was just scared.”
“Scared?”
“Of losing you too. I thought if you followed a safe, predicable path, then you would never get hurt.”
“Aw, Annabelle.”
“But David asked me if I thought my parents were reckless. I said no, and he said, but they died anyway. It was tough medicine, but it opened my eyes. You have to live your life your way, and I love you, no matter what.”
“That’s kind of gushy.”
She laughs. “Always for you. You want to get some food? I’m starved.”
“Definitely.”
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Mind the Line Page 5