by Coleen Kwan
Lily nodded. “Yeah. You make me sound so…breezy and carefree.”
“Well, that’s the mindset you should have as far as this dating thing goes.” He clicked on the save button. “Now, let’s make sure your next date isn’t such a jerk. Who’s in your dating queue?”
“It’s not a queue per se. I have a couple more men I’m considering. I’ve exchanged messages with both of them, and they both sound nice, but after the disaster with Nick I’m leery of choosing one, in case I make another mistake.”
“Show me these guys.”
She tapped on the keyboard, and a photo of a man popped up. “This is Greg. We scored well on the compatibility meter because he’s a math teacher, he likes children and dogs, and we both think financial stability is important.”
Caleb scrolled through Greg’s profile pictures. He saw a man in his mid-twenties of average build, with mousy brown hair and a round, soft-looking face. There were photos of him walking a cocker spaniel, and one where he was sitting by the lake, gazing into the sunset with a weird expression on his face. Was that supposed to make him look soulful and romantic? Or was he just constipated?
Tamping down his inner critic, he shifted his attention to the guy’s profile. “His interests are Star Wars and League of Legends.” Caleb frowned. He liked sci-fi movies and computer games as much as the next guy, but it wasn’t something he’d highlight on his dating profile.
“Is that a problem?”
The hesitant expression on Lily’s face made him shake his head. “No, not really.”
What did he know about dating sites? The matchmaking software had said Lily and Greg were highly compatible, so who was he to say otherwise? Lily needed to jump back into the dating game soon to help her forget the last debacle. And he needed to encourage her, not plant more doubt in her mind.
“This Greg sounds like a decent, honest guy. His profile doesn’t sound like he’s talking himself up, and he definitely doesn’t have that sleazy look that Nick had.”
“No, definitely.” Lily scrolled through the photos on Greg’s profile again. “He seems nice and unpretentious, and so cute with his cocker spaniel, don’t you think?”
Cute? Maybe, in a vanilla kind of way. Caleb held back his thoughts. “Owning a pet is a good sign, and cocker spaniels make great family dogs, so let’s go with him, huh?”
“You think? Because Greg’s already suggested we meet soon, and I said I’d think about it. Should I send him a reply?” Lily gazed earnestly at Caleb.
“Yeah, definitely.” Getting Lily on another date soon was important to building her confidence. He was in two minds about Greg, the math teacher, but there was a chance it could work. So why not?
His approval appeared to galvanize Lily into action. “I’ll suggest meeting Friday night,” she said, tapping away at the keyboard. She’d barely sent the message when the laptop dinged. “Ooh, he’s replied already. That was quick. He’s suggested we go bowling. Should I say yes?” Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
“Wait.” Reaching out, he quickly covered her hand with his. As she stilled, he became aware of her soft skin beneath his work-callused palm. Smooth, delicate skin, long, graceful fingers. “Let him wait a minute,” he said, dropping his hand away.
She bit her lip. “Okay. Sure.”
“And tell him you’ll meet him at the bowling alley at seven thirty. Don’t give your address to a stranger.”
“Good point. But I’m not so good at bowling. Do you think that matters?”
“It’s only a first date, nothing serious. You’re just getting to know each other.”
She clasped her hands together. “Yes, I know all that. I tell myself that every time I go on a first date, but it’s no use. The butterflies take over my stomach, and all that casual conversation I’ve rehearsed for ages flies out of my head, and I’m left with my free-ranging mouth, and who knows where that will take me.”
“Maybe that’s it; you shouldn’t rehearse your conversation. You should just let it flow where it wants.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Honestly, your unrehearsed conversation is highly entertaining.”
She pushed back her shoulders and frowned at him. “It’s no fun being laughed at.”
Her rebuke stung unexpectedly. “Hey, I’ve never laughed at you, Lily. Not once.” He leaned toward her. “I laugh with you, because you’re fun.”
Whiskey-brown eyes were steady on his for several long moments. “Okay.”
“Promise me you won’t waste any time rehearsing conversation,” he said.
“I’ll try, but no promises. Sometimes I can’t help it.”
“I’m going to call you up during the week and make sure you’re not.”
She shook her head. “How would you do that?”
“I’ll talk to you, distract you with all the fascinating goings-on of my life. You’ll be so enthralled you won’t have time to worry about what you’re going to say on your date.”
She let out a breathy laugh that he knew was in no way intended to be provocative, but once again a sudden punch of heat flared up in his groin. Damn. Why was this happening? He’d thought Lily wasn’t his type, but his body was telling him something else.
“So should I do it now?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Reply to Greg’s message.” She pointed at the laptop.
“Oh. Yeah. Guess you’ve made him wait long enough.”
Five minutes and a couple of messages later, she looked up at him, her expression triumphant. “It’s done. I’m going on a date with Greg! Thanks. I wouldn’t have gotten that far without you helping me.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“And thanks for rewriting my profile. It sounds a lot more interesting now.”
“You are interesting, Lily.”
“Thank you.” She smiled briefly then pressed a hand to her midriff, her face dimming. “Ugh. My stomach’s churning already. I think I’m going to need your pep talks this week.”
“I’m here whenever you need me. That’s the whole point of our deal. I’m going to help you have a great date with Greg.”
But deep down, buried beneath his confidence, a small, metallic shard jabbed at him. He wasn’t totally happy about this, but it was a success. Why shouldn’t he be?
Chapter Five
“Rummy.” Bill Baker laid down his set of cards and cocked his head at Lily. “Sorry, buttercup.”
“That’s okay, Dad. I shouldn’t have discarded that eight of spades.” Lily started to gather up the cards. It was something of a family tradition, playing cards and drinking mocktails with her dad on a Wednesday night. Now that she was an adult, they could have moved on to proper alcohol, but by tacit agreement she and her dad liked things how they were. Tonight they were having nojitos.
“You seem a bit distracted,” Bill said. “Anything on your mind?”
Yes, plenty. Starting with the bargain she had struck with Caleb. But she wasn’t quite ready to tell her dad about that. As much as she loved him, her dad could be overprotective at times. He was aware of her relationship woes, and she knew it pained him, which was why she wasn’t always forthcoming about her dud dates. He would be seriously alarmed to learn she was actually seeking out a dating coach.
“Oh, nothing in particular,” she replied vaguely.
“I’ll get us some more corn chips.” As Bill rose from the table, he winced and pressed a hand to the small of his back. “Dang, that hurts. Like a mean donkey’s kick.”
Lily glanced up in concern. A fall last year had put her father out of action for weeks, and the injury had continued to plague him throughout the winter.
“Oh, Dad. Is your back giving you problems again? Should we make an appointment with Doctor Sanchez?”
“No, no. Don’t need to see any doctors. I just have to take it easy for a while, that’s all.”
“Yes, you really should cut back. Learn to delegate. You have plenty of employees.
Let them do the work.”
“Sounds fine in theory, but you know it doesn’t work like that, buttercup. Employees tend to focus on one task, but I’m the only one who has the big picture. The buck stops with me.”
“Only because you refuse to take on a partner.”
Bill walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up a bag of corn chips. “Well, that might change in the near future.”
Lily paused in her card shuffling. “So it’s true? You are getting a partner?”
“I’m thinking about it.” Bill refilled the bowl of chips on the table. “Thing is, I mentioned it to someone at the Elks, next thing I knew I had all these fellers calling me out of the blue or turning up at the office wanting to be my new partner. Got tired of being hassled real quick.”
“Right. So you haven’t actually brought anyone on board yet.”
“Not yet. But I’ve been talking to a feller, the first one who approached me before word got out.”
A feller who wasn’t Caleb. “Who?” she asked.
“Guy called Oliver Marsh. He’s been in the business for a while. Got an okay reputation. Bit too full of himself sometimes, but no one’s perfect. I haven’t made up my mind about him yet. You know me, pumpkin. I’ve been working on my own since forever. Don’t like having to deal with a partner, but I’m getting on. I can’t keep working like I used to. I wouldn’t mind slowing down a bit, but I’m not ready to hang up the boots altogether, so taking on a junior partner seems like the best compromise.”
It was clear her dad had been mulling over his situation for quite a while. That he was cautiously open to the idea of a partnership boded well for Caleb, but the fact that he was already talking to someone else was not so good.
“I’m glad you’re thinking about it, Dad, but you won’t rush into any decisions yet, will you?”
“Me, rush? You know I’m an old, slow buffalo. This thing is too important to rush. That’s what these young fellers don’t understand. Take this Oliver Marsh, for example. He was so eager to get my attention, he joined the Elks just so he could bend my ear, and then, for all his talking himself up, when it came to brass tacks, he didn’t even have a business plan for what we could do together.”
Lily glanced up. “A business plan?”
“Yeah. Any new partner of mine will be buying a share of my business, using his or her own money or a bank loan. I want to see his vision of how we might grow the company. I don’t want him just riding on my coattails; he’s got to show he can make a contribution, and for that I need to see some sort of business plan. Oliver said he’d get right on it. I hope he does, and I hope he does it properly.” Bill motioned to her. “Pass me your glass. I’ll get you another mocktail.”
Lily handed him the glass while her mind raced. For Caleb to stand any chance, he’d have to draw up his own business plan. She’d worked on several as part of her job, so she was familiar with what was expected. She needed to tell Caleb to get his finances in shipshape order before he even thought of approaching her dad.
…
Caleb rested his frame against the wall and wedged the phone between chin and shoulder. “Just a friendly call to check you’re not worrying about your date,” he said.
“Thanks.” Lily chuckled on the other end of the call. “I did start looking up Star Wars facts last night, but then I remembered and forced myself to stop.”
“Good.”
He shifted the phone so he could down a gulp of Coke. It was noon, Thursday, and he was back at Mrs. Simpson’s house. When this job was done, he’d have to start casting around for other work. There was a big condo development in Sacramento; the project manager had already offered him good money to take the job, but he wouldn’t be his own boss, the traveling sucked, and he wouldn’t be able to assist his dad with Little League. A more cautious man wouldn’t have got his dad’s hopes up, but he didn’t regret it. He wanted to help his dad, wanted to center his life in Pine Falls, so making that commitment to his dad just added an extra impetus to his plans.
“We should probably meet again so I can give you a few more tips,” he said. He’d been thinking about Lily this morning. Wondering how she felt about her upcoming date with the math teacher.
“Yes,” she said immediately. “We should meet, but not just about the date. Something’s come up.”
“Yeah? What?”
“I saw Dad last night. He told me he is considering taking on a junior partner, but he’s already been talking to Oliver Marsh.”
Caleb almost spat out the mouthful of Coke he’d just taken. “Jesus, not him!”
“You know him?”
“Do I ever. He’s been a thorn in my side for years,” Caleb growled, slamming down his soda can on a nearby work bench. “Whenever someone steals a job from under my nose, it’s Oliver. It’s like he’s got this sixth sense about what I’m planning, and he takes great pleasure in thwarting me every way he can. Even if there’s no profit for him, he enjoys stymieing me.”
“Why would he be so obnoxious? Did you do something to annoy him in the past?”
Sighing, he ruffled his hair. “A few years back I dated his little sister for a while. It didn’t end well, and ever since then Oliver has enjoyed sticking it to me.”
“I see.”
Her tone was perfectly neutral, but it made him bristle. “Look, I accept I was a player back then, and I didn’t behave very well. I apologized to Nicola at the time, but her brother took offense, and I guess I let my temper get the better of me. There were words, and a few punches. It happened years ago.” He massaged his knuckles. “Is it too late? Has your dad already committed to Marsh?”
“Not yet. You still have a chance—”
“Great. How soon can you set up a meeting?” His mind thrummed with everything he needed to say.
“Not so fast,” Lily said. “Dad wasn’t too impressed that Oliver Marsh hadn’t presented a business plan. Do you have one?”
“A business plan? You mean a document setting out how much capital I’ve got available and how it should be spent? I’ve got a rough spreadsheet.”
“That’s not good enough. We need to present my dad with a well thought out, professional document.”
“We?”
“Yes, ‘we.’ I’ve done business plans before. I can help you with yours.”
He was so taken aback he couldn’t speak for several seconds. “You’d really do that for me?” he eventually asked, touched by her offer.
“Of course. If I’m going to set up a meeting for you and Dad, then I want it to be productive and meaningful.”
“Right. I’d be really glad for your help. When do you want to meet?”
“Well, how about tonight?” She hesitated. “Is that too soon?”
“Not at all. And here’s a dating tip: when you’re suggesting a time, don’t sound so tentative. Just put it out there. ‘How about tonight?’ you ask. And I say, ‘Great. Come over to my place at seven, and I’ll cook you dinner.’”
“Your place? Dinner?” Now it was Lily who sounded startled.
“Yeah. My place because all my financial records are there, and dinner because I owe you for your help.”
“You’re already helping me, so you don’t owe me dinner.”
Caleb paused. “Well, I’d like to cook you dinner, okay?”
There was silence on the other end of the call, then she answered softly, “Okay. I’ll be there.”
“See you then.”
The call ended, and Caleb downed the rest of his soda in one gulp. Good thing Lily had given him the head’s up about Oliver Marsh. And the business plan. It seemed she was on his side, and not just because of the deal they’d struck.
The thought of Oliver Marsh going one up on him made him crush the can in his fist. He’d lost out to his nemesis too many times. In the past he’d sometimes let Marsh win, perhaps because deep down he still harbored a little guilt about the way things had turned out with Marsh’s sister. But no more. This partnership was t
oo important for him to back down. He had to put up a fight.
And Lily was going to help him. Lily who, he suspected, was a financial maven beneath that sweet, quirky, awkward exterior. She was willing to help him, was happy to expend her time and intelligence for his cause. A warm glow spread through him. For most of his working life he’d had only himself to rely on; it felt good knowing someone was in his corner.
But he shouldn’t get too carried away with the feels. After all, Lily had a vested interest in supporting him. She needed his help with her dating problems, and with her dad already leaning toward Marsh, she might think Caleb would lose interest in her. Plus, she had her own reputation to consider. If she was going to broker a meeting between him and her dad, then she’d want him to present well, or it would reflect poorly on her.
Yes, there were all kinds of reasons why Lily wanted to help him, and not all of them were because she held a high opinion of him.
…
Lily leaned back in her seat and rubbed her eyes. “Well, we’ve done the financial projections. Now we just need to finalize the strategy and implementation summary, and we’ll be done.”
In the armchair opposite her, Caleb arched his back and stretched his arms above his neck. “That went faster than I expected. Thanks for all your help.”
She tidied a few sheets of paper, trying not to let his praise go to her head. She had enjoyed helping Caleb with his business plan, not least of which because he appreciated her intelligence. Plus, it was no hard task sitting next to such a handsome man. While they’d worked together, he had leaned right in until his shoulder was nudging hers, and she was enveloped by his clean, soapy fragrance. Instead of punching numbers into her calculator, her fingers had itched to touch his warm, golden skin.
Now he was flexing his biceps right in front of her, without a shred of self-consciousness. Like a magnificent lion stretching himself on a rock overlooking an African plain, lord of all he surveyed, his shaggy dark hair emphasizing the blueness of his eyes. Blessed with those looks, he could’ve been conceited, but not once had she detected any arrogance. Confidence, yes, but there was no vanity about him. And the fact that he valued her expertise and asked for her opinion on a number of matters only made him more attractive to her. With him so tantalizingly close, she felt almost drunk on his physical aura, the urge to stroke her palm over his tawny skin almost overwhelming.
