by Layla Holt
"Trendy places," Corrine said. “I book your appointments remember."
"Those are business appointments," Lance said.
The waiter came with the menus and they ordered their food and drinks. When they were alone again, Lance said, “So, tell me, what is it like teaching special education kids?"
Her features softened further, if such a thing was possible. "It’s fun, crazy, exhausting, rewarding...in short, it’s the best job in the world." She laughed softly.
"Teaching special ed kids means no one day is the same as another. Today you might have a kid who has decided that she won't wear shoes all day and in the next, another is having a huge meltdown."
"Sounds tough," Lance said. He couldn’t imagine dealing with the chaos that Corrine had described.
"That's the thing, you see," Corrie said her voice brimming with passion. "These kids don’t know how to navigate the world and all the emotions that come with it, so it’s our job as teachers to hold their hands and show them how to."
"When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound tough. It sounds doable and noble."
She smiled. “That’s because it is a noble job. It’s a privilege to have a chance to impact a child’s life in a manner that affects their lives in such a major way."
She had him laughing as she told him stories of her kids as she called them. They continued talking through their food being served and the waiter withdrawing.
Regret came over Lance as he listened to Corrine. He hated that she was his secretary, putting her out of bounds for him. An idea came to him then. If she stopped working for him there was nothing to stop him from dating her.
Listening to her, Lance could tell that her true passion lay in teaching her special education kids. If she went back to teaching, they would be free to date. His heart pounded hard against his chest.
"Have you thought of applying for special ed jobs here in Lockwood?" he said.
She did not look shocked by his question. "I have but I don’t want to leave you in a lurch."
He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. Sparks leaped from his hand to hers. His hand wanted more. He ached to run his fingers over the soft bare skin of her arms, all the way to the dip between her shoulder and neck.
"I'd rather lose you but know that you're doing what you love," Lance said. “Think about it. I don’t want to be the one standing in your way."
After that, her mood seemed to deflate and he couldn’t understand it. He would have thought that giving her the freedom to pursue the career that she loved would make her happy.
They ate the rest of the meal in silence but something had definitely changed. He introduced a light topic of conversation but he did not manage to bring back the earlier mood.
Chapter Thirteen
DESPITE HAVING BEEN excited for the barbecue during the week, Corrine contemplated not going as she got ready. Lance's words kept repaying in her mind. He wanted her to look for another job. Why was he so eager to get rid of her?
The question had tortured her half the night. She had believed that there was something special between her and Lance. She felt like an absolute fool for being so wrong. She wanted to weep from humiliation. How could she have read his signals so wrongly?
It was tempting to text Lance and tell him that she wouldn’t make it after all. The problem was that he knew that Aunt Maureen was out of town, so what excuse would she use?
She had already messed up by revealing her feelings the previous day when he had shown her that she was replaceable. His words had been a stab to her heart and she’d been unable to pretend that she was okay.
Corrine made up her mind. She would go to that barbecue and not show Lance Cohan how much he had hurt her. She would pretend that all was well and on Monday, she would start looking at jobs.
She dressed in a flowery maxi dress and spent too much time doing her hair. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, she let it hang loosely on her shoulders and ignored the irritating voice in her head reminding her that Lance liked it that way.
She wasn’t doing it for Lance, she said out loud and felt silly afterwards, when her own voice echoed back. If her mother was there, she would accuse Corrine of losing her mind.
Lance arrived at the cottage at exactly two on the dot. She saw him from the window and went to open the door. All air left her lungs as she took in his white chino shorts and matching t-shirt that showed off his compact body.
“You look beautiful,” Lance said.
Mere words. Lance was used to flattering women. Words just left his mouth automatically. She had made the mistake of taking his words seriously.
She smiled bravely. "Thank you. You look good yourself."
Unlike him, she meant every word. She hoped that she would never be the kind of person who vomited words without giving any thought to them. She considered herself a genuine person and she vowed to always be that person—the one whose words meant something.
"Thanks," Lance said. "Did you grab your swimsuit? The weather is perfect for a dip in the pool."
She hesitated for a second. "Okay, I'll grab one." She rushed back into the cottage and to her room. She pulled the drawer open that contained her swimming stuff. She took the only two she had and quickly debated which one to take.
One was black, simple and almost matronly. The other was a lilac, high cut, one-piece swimsuit with a plunging neck line. She picked the sexy one. A part of her wanted to show Lance what he was missing.
It was twisted thinking and she didn't understand it herself. She’d never had such reactions to a man as she did to Lance. Even his rejection brought out a side of her that she hadn't know she possessed.
She stashed the swimsuit as well as a towel into a tote bag and hurried out. She found Lance waiting by the car. When he saw her, he went around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
Despite a promise to herself not to let Lance charm her again, she was charmed. What woman did not love being treated like a lady?
"Thank you," she murmured.
The weather was perfect for an outdoors sort of day. Puffs of clouds chased each other in the blue skies. Corrine chuckled as she remembered an exercise she used to love doing with her kids to cool them down after a meltdown, which happened more times than not. She'd take them outside and they'd all lie on their backs gazing at the sky. Then everyone would say what shape they could make out from the clouds.
The answers were as funny as they were ridiculous. A car. A man on a bicycle. Half a plate. A bear. An elephant with half a trunk.
"What?" Lance asked, bringing her back to the present.
"I was remembering something I like to do with my kids," she said and went on to explain to him.
"You must have been a wonderful teacher," Lance said. "The kids were lucky to have you."
His voice sounded awed. Genuine. Maybe she had misunderstood what he meant when he spoke about her job. It could be that he wanted her to be as fulfilled as he was in her work.
Suddenly she didn’t know what to think or whether or not to continue being mad at Lance. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt but guard her heart at the same time.
With that decision, Corrine felt herself relaxing and looking forward to the afternoon ahead.
"It must be so nice to come home to this," Corrine commented as they drove down the bumpy road that led to Dean and Ruby's home.
"I’m sure it is," Lance said. "The old man who sold this land to Dean is selling twenty acres further north and I'm thinking of buying it. My plan is a little different from Dean’s. I want to build a home as well as a two-mile-long, forty-foot wide racetrack.
She knew he loved race cars. The screen saver on his phone and computer were all of racing cars. But to build a race track in your back yard? "That’s crazy."
"Why?” Lance said. "It's a hobby just like any other. Dean has a photography studio in his backyard, my parents have a tennis court, other people have swimming pools."
C
orrine laughed. "You’re right in theory but in reality, a race track sounds so racy."
He laughed. "Very funny."
Corrine thought about the cost. "It must be very expensive."
"It is but I can afford it," Lance said in a matter-of-fact voice. She took a moment to take that in. She couldn’t imagine being in a financial position to buy whatever she wanted.
“Speaking of which, I’m going out of town next weekend,” Lance said.
“Business or personal?” Corrine said.
“A little bit of both. I have a meeting with a medium sized company who might be interested in a merger.”
“Oh, another one?” Corrine asked, familiar with the details of the prospective merger.
“Yes, but my main interest is Vista Gums. It doesn’t hurt to put out feelers for the market.”
“And the personal?” Corrine said.
“It’s a Point Series motor racing weekend in Indiana,” Lance said, his voice tinged with excitement. “Simply the greatest motor show in the country. I’d like you to come with me.”
Corrine’s insides shifted. Was he asking her to go out of town on a date or in a professional capacity? The minute the thought was out, she caught herself. She was making the same mistake she had made earlier. Making assumptions.
She was his secretary so of course he would ask her to go on a business trip with him. “Okay,” Corrine said.
“Great. I’ll give you the details on Monday,” Lance said.
He brought the car to a stop in the designated parking area. There were already other cars in the parking lot. A Maserati, a silver Porsche and other high-end cars. She felt as though she was in a car showroom.
Grabbing her handbag and tote bag, she followed Lance up to the massive entrance. He pushed the door open. As soon as she stepped into the cool interior, muffled voices wafted into her ear.
“I’m sure they’re out back,” Lance said.
Corrine was struck anew by the beauty of the house and the tasteful furnishings. Just as they were padding across the foyer, footsteps sounded from the stairs.
“Hi! Welcome.” It was Ruby.
They waited for her as she walked down the spiral staircase. Corrine had a wide grin by the time Ruby got to the bottom. Ruby was a splash of color in a room. There was something special about the other woman. Her happy disposition was contagious. It was as if she sprayed happy dust wherever she went.
She kissed each of them noisily on the cheek and asked after Aunt Maureen. She shepherded them through the gourmet kitchen, busy with chefs and uniformed workers. Smells of food assaulted Corrine’s stomach making it rumble.
She glanced at Ruby and then Lance. Neither seemed to have heard the embarrassing noises from her tummy.
As soon as they stepped out into the back, Corrine was taken aback by the number of people. She had estimated that there would be at most fifteen people in the family barbecue. A glance estimated the number to be at least double that number.
Lance took her to a table where his mother sat next to a gentleman in a wheelchair whom Corrine deduced to be Lance’s father. Lance kissed his mother and father, and then greeted the other occupants of the table by waving his hand.
“Everyone, I want you to meet my secretary Corrine,” Lance said.
Disappointment flooded her. She liked to think that they had become more than boss and secretary. That maybe Lance would introduce her as a friend, as he once had.
He introduced her to his father and then to Leah’s parents and a long-term family chauffeur, Mr. Jacobs. She knew that Mr. Cohan had had a stroke. He seemed to be recovering well and, apart from the wheelchair and slow speech, a stranger could not tell by looking at him that he’d been seriously sick.
Lance then took her to meet his sister Megan. Good looks genes were plenty in the Cohan family. Megan was petite, with gorgeous big eyes and long ringlets of blond hair. Her gaze shifted from Lance to Corrine and a smile lit up her face. She stood up.
“You must be Corrine,” she said and kissed her on each cheek. “I’m Megan, Lance’s sister.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Corrine said, admiring the younger woman’s perfect good looks. “Have a seat, join us...unless of course Lance wants you to himself.”
CORRINE WAS A GOOD swimmer but no matter how hard she pulled her arms and kicked her legs, he remained ahead. The finish line was a couple of meters away. If she did not try harder, he would win.
Instead of taking a breath after every alternative stroke, Corrine dipped her head in and pushed herself harder than she ever had. Her hand touched the surface of the pool and she raised her head from the water. She met a grinning Lance.
“You won?” she said.
“Yes, and might I add that it did not take too much effort,” Lance drawled.
She closed the gap between them, grabbed a handful of water and splashed it on his face. It caught him by surprise but he recovered fast and before Corrine knew what was happening, water hit her face.
She shrieked with laughter and tried to get away. A strong hand went around her waist under the water and whirled her around. Laughing, Corine allowed herself to be turned around and came up against Lance’s hard, compact body.
Her laughter died in her throat as his nearness overwhelmed her. The water did nothing to dispel his masculine scent, which made her feel warm, too warm. His hands rested lightly around her waist but they might as well have been hot embers scorching her sides.
Corrine’s gaze fell on Lance’s mouth. Her mind blanked and all she could think about was how much she wanted to kiss him. She would deal with the consequences later. She lifted her gaze to his eyes. There was no mistaking what she was seeing.
His eyes were two pools of dark desire. Her heart hammered hard against her chest. Then Lance dropped his hands and took a step back.
“Let’s get out and have a bite to eat,” he said.
She managed to wet her lips. “Sure.” Ignoring the thumping of her heart, she followed Lance to the edge of the pool and took his offered hand to get out of the water.
Chapter Fourteen
LANCE FOLLOWED CORRINE back to the lounge chairs in a daze. He loved her! He had fallen stupidly in love like his brothers. How else would you explain the stupid grin that he was trying to keep from splitting his face, or the way his world lit up as long as Corrine was within his line of vision?
It was crazy and frightening and exhilarating. He wanted to shout it to everyone in his family. He, Lance Cohan, was in love with the beautiful sweet, Corrine Roberts.
Lance allowed himself a few seconds of awed exhilaration and then sobered up. He had to protect Corrine's reputation. He knew she was considering going back to teaching and he would encourage her gently to do so. When she left Candin Inc, it would not be under the shadow of having had an affair with her boss.
Corrine stopped abruptly and he almost bumped into her. She, along with everyone else, were watching a scene unfolding on the sand pit. Matt lay on the ground twisting his body. He let out a piercing scream while Adrian and Leah attempted to calm him down.
They knelt on either side of him but whatever it was they were saying was not working because Matt went into a full-blown tantrum, kicking and punching.
"What's going on, Matt darling?" his mother said, joining Adrian and Leah.
Matt responded by screaming louder and then in the next moment he seemed as though he was struggling to breath.
Still in her bathing suit, Corrine made for the group with Lance following close behind.
"May I?” she said.
There was something confident in her voice that resonated with Adrian and Leah because they got up to give her space. Corrine got on the ground and lay as Matt did, facing the sky.
"I'm so sorry, Matt," Corrine said, her voice low and soothing. "I know you're upset. Let it out. It's okay to cry.”
Matt continued crying but the hysterical note had disappeared and he was beginning to breath properly.
Cor
rine did not touch him, instead she let her voice do the soothing. Lance was just as transfixed as everyone else. Matt grew quieter and quieter until he stopped crying altogether.
"Would you like to sit up?" Corrine said to him.
He nodded. She sat up first and then offered him her hand, which he took.
"Some water?" she said.
He nodded.
"How did you know what to do?" Lance asked her later when he was taking her home.
"I'm a Special Ed teacher," Corrine said. "We're trained to deal with meltdowns. You have to understand that for children on the spectrum, it's not a tantrum. It's a reaction to an overload of emotions and they can’t deal with that like other kids."
"So how come Leah and Adrian were unable to calm him down?" Lance said.
"Space. What Matt needed was space and they were unknowingly in his space and forcing eye contact. By lying next to him, I was offering support and understanding, without appearing threatening."
She was so beautiful and smart and compassionate.
Leah had taken Matt for a nap and then returned to speak to Corrine. She'd confided in her, pouring out the red flags she and Adrian had noticed but had tried to ignore or excuse them as part of growing up. She had sounded frightened but Corrine had reassured her and shown her that Matt had a bright future ahead of him even if he was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Lance pulled up next to the cottage and killed the engine. "I'll walk you to the door."
She turned to him and smiled. "I had the best day," she said in a low sultry voice that made him want to kiss her.
Lance reached out to smooth the stray strand of hair on her cheek; instead he slid his hand under her jaw and caressed her.
She covered his hand with hers and sparks leaped between them. She held his gaze and any resistance he might have had evaporated. He kissed her softly and he felt her tremble as he deepened the kiss.
