The other guys around the table started clapping. Devon didn’t so much as lift a hand. He had that look that made his eyes beam. He knew what he had to do. Tim Galloway was putting out a compelling offer but all Devon wanted was to be back in the hotel with Aria.
Could he actually walk out? He’d never considered a woman over a major business deal. That had never even crossed his mind before. But he found himself seriously considering getting out of there.
And then suddenly he was striding toward the door.
“Devon,” Tim called after him before he could leave. “I’m so glad that you could come.” Tim quickly caught with Devon. “I hope that you like what you’ve seen today.”
“I’ll be honest, Tim. I did but I have a previous engagement and can’t stick around. Maybe I can give you a call later?”
“Actually, perhaps I can meet you for supper tonight? I can go over the plans and we can work something out. Just supper and a couple drinks and I’m sure we’ll be able to strike a deal?” Tim laughed and patted Devon on the back.
Devon smiled and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Aria is back at the hotel and I don’t think it’d be very nice to leave her for another night. I hope you understand.”
The guy’s eyes lit up. “Believe me, I understand completely. I didn’t know you were married.” Devon started to open his mouth to deny it, but the guy was continuing. “That’s even better, actually. My wife has been complaining that I haven’t spent any time with her and so the ladies can come along. Besides, I like doing business with family men. This will give our women reason to dress up for the night, if you know what I mean.”
Devon laughed. He didn’t know if he should point out that Aria wasn’t his wife. He didn’t want to ruin any kind of deal, but then again what kind of deal should start off with lies? “That sounds great. Aria would love that.”
“Perfect. Let’s plan on six-thirty. There’s a restaurant that serves all types of food just down the strip. You can walk there from the resort. You can’t miss it. It’s called Fiji Nights. Does that work?”
“It does. We’ll be there.” He said goodbye and left the conference room. Devon walked back to the room, all in hopes that Aria would be as excited as he hoped she would be. At least they would be spending the evening together. He took the elevator to their floor and got off, then walked to the room.
This time when he opened the door, he found Aria right there. She was sitting on the couch, her legs propped up, flipping through a magazine. She looked up when he walked in. There was no anger in her eyes. Instead, she was grinning. “I was hoping you’d be home soon.” She tossed the magazine down to the table and started to sit up.
He motioned with his hand for her to stay seated and he sat down beside her. He grabbed her legs and propped them up on his lap. She watched him, an amused grin on her lips. This position seemed all too familiar, but the last time she wound up storming out of his place. It wasn’t going to go down like that again.
He started to massage her feet and she sighed. He laughed and glanced in her direction. “I was thinking about the last time I tried to give you a foot massage,” he said.
She snickered. “Yeah? I was thinking about that too but in my defense, the massage I loved ... it was what happened after that worried me a little.”
He laughed. “Yes. I believe I recall that. How things have changed.”
She laughed, snorting slightly and he chuckled and looked at her. His fingers dug deeper into the balls of her feet and she let out a deep groan. “You do give great massages.”.
“I certainly do my best,” he stated.
She closed her eyes and relaxed. She could stay there all day and let him massage her feet, but that wasn’t logical. She felt all her inhibitions leave her.
“So, I have to tell you something,” he said.
“OK,” Aria said. She kept her eyes closed. The feeling was too amazing to lose.
“Well, I know how I’ve been leaving you a lot so far this week, but I have a busy schedule. I know it’s not fair to you but it really can’t be helped.”
“Yeah. I know. I’m trying to understand that,” she replied.
“I appreciate that.” He dug harder into the balls of her feet and she moaned. It was painful but it still felt good. “But business is business. I have to meet this client for dinner in a couple hours.”
She opened her eyes and stared at him. She wanted to be understanding, but she thought they might actually be able to do something for a change. She pulled her feet back and dropped them to the floor, sitting up fully on the couch. “Well, you have to do what you have to do. I hope you enjoy your meal. I’ll order room service ... again.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. He heard it right away and he couldn’t blame her. If he was truly planning on deserting her again for another meal, then rightly so she should be upset.
She got up but he reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her back down to the couch. “It’s not what you think, Aria.”
She glared at him. “Really? You’re running off for another client engagement and I’m trying to stay supportive. Don’t coddle me and tell me that it’s not what I think. If I want to fume over it in my mind, just let me.” He continued to hold her wrist as she tried to squirm out of his grasp. He started to laugh which only infuriated her even more. “This isn’t funny,” she said.
“Aria, listen to me,” he said, “I do have to go to supper with this client, but you’re going to come with me. His wife is also going to be there.”
She stopped squirming and looked at him. She was overcome with excitement. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He laughed between kisses. “Really?” she asked, pulling back and staring at him, hoping he wasn’t just trying to tease her or get a rise out of her.
He nodded. “There’s just one catch.” She frowned and fell back into the couch.
“And that catch is ...”
“We have to pretend we’re married.”
“What?”
He laughed and quickly told her the story about how the client assumed that he was married and how he was going to argue the point but then thought it could be detrimental to his business relationship. His newly merged company needed to book that deal. It was important and send a message to the industry about the new TransWest.
She listened intently to everything he said. When he was done, she crossed her arms in front of her.
“And what happens if you work together in the long run? You’re not married,” she laughed and he shrugged.
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” He was hopeful that he hadn’t scared her off. “Are you in?”
She scrunched up in her nose as if in thought, but the truth was that she was excited about the evening. She could definitely play his wife and love every minute of it. “I think I can handle this job,” she said.
He laughed. “I have no doubt you could.” He slipped his fingers up the back of her neck and pulled her to him. They kissed, each excited for the evening, and even more so for coming back to the resort and spending the night together. The possibilities were endless.
DEVON AND ARIA HELD hands as they entered the restaurant. He could tell that she was nervous. The truth was that he was also nervous. He didn’t want to ruin things at the meeting, but he had confidence when it came to Aria. She would do well with his potential investor. He was certain of it.
He lifted her hand to his lips as they entered the restaurant. “You’ll do great,” he whispered.
She smiled and relaxed at that moment. They held hands as they made their way to the hostess station. “Hello and welcome. Just two of you today?”
“Actually, we’re here to meet with Tim Galloway.”
“No problem. They are expecting you.” The woman grabbed two menus and we followed her back to where Tim and his wife were seated. Tim stood up as we approached. “Devon, I’m so glad you came,” Tim said. He held out his hand and shook Devon’s hand. “And this must be your wife.”
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Devon turned to Aria. He was smiling widely and Aria could feel a blush coming on. “This is indeed my wife Aria.” He let go of her hand, so that Aria could shake hands with both Tim and his wife.
“Nice to meet you dear,” Mrs. Galloway stated, “my name is Regina.”
“Nice to meet you,” Aria offered.
Both Devon and Aria sat down in their places, after Devon pulled out her chair for her. Regina was quick to speak to Aria first. “How long have you two been married?” she asked.
Aria shot Devon a look. They had gone over some logistics, but she worried that she would forget some of what they discussed. “Two years,” she said, turning back to Mrs. Galloway.
Regina’s face lit up. “That’s amazing. You’re still newlyweds, but you are familiar with the type of business your husband does. I’m sure you’re used to his crazy schedule so none of this is new to you. Correct?”
Aria giggled. “That is true, but I am always proud of what Devon does. Plus, he tries not to stay away for too long.” She reached under the table and he grabbed onto her hand. He squeezed it and thought to himself of how amazing she already was handling things.
“Good for you, son,” Regina stated. “It took a long time for me to convince Tim that he shouldn’t stay away, but now I get to see more of him.” Regina leaned over, and they kissed.
Devon stared at them and then turned to the side to see that Aria was watching in awe. He smiled at her and that brought her eyes to his. “We should order our drinks and supper and then get down to business,” Tim said as they parted from the kiss.
Devon nodded in agreement and they looked down at their menus. Once they were settled on what they wanted, the waiter came over and got their drink and meal orders. As he had stepped away, Regina spoke again.
“How did you two lovebirds meet?” she asked.
Devon could feel Aria’s hand getting sweaty. She cleared her throat and looked his way. “I’ll let Devon handle that story. He tells it so well,” she said.
Devon smiled and he nodded. “She just likes to hear me talk.” He snickered and winked at Aria. Aria blushed and looked away. She felt like a teenager with her first crush. There was something special in the way that he looked at her and she loved every minute of it.
“We were set up on a blind date, actually,” he said.
“Really? Do tell us more,” Tim said.
The waiter stopped off with their champagne and glasses and Devon stopped long enough to pour everyone a glass. He looked up and smiled. “My mailroom manager thought that Aria and I would be perfect for each other. So, we both willingly agreed to give it a shot and it was the best decision we ever made. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I wanted to marry this girl. She had this charismatic persona that drew me in and has captured me ever since. I can’t imagine never having met her.” Devon turned to Aria who was staring at him. Her eyes were lit up and he could have sworn that he saw a touch of tears in her eyes. “She was sent from heaven, that’s for sure and she’s made me happier each and every day beyond.”
“Wow.” Devon turned to see Regina was staring at them. Her eyes were set on both of them and she had a smile on her lips. “That is sweet.”.
“Yes, it is.” He turned to see Aria gawking at him. The smile on her lips was infectious. He leaned in and they kissed. He couldn’t pull back. She let it linger and the sigh across from them was audible.
“They remind me of us, dear,” Regina said.
Devon and Aria pulled back from the kiss and turned to Tim and Regina. She was leaning against her husband and they were both beaming at the other couple. Devon chuckled and reached back across to reclaim Aria’s hand. “Tell me...how long have you two been married?” he asked.
“We’re going on twenty years,” Tim said, “and my wife is rarely wrong.”
“That’s what keeps us married,” Regina piped in.
Both Devon and Aria laughed. “She’s right,” Tim said, “I should say that she’s never wrong.”
Devon squeezed Aria’s hand again and she felt at peace with what they were doing. She had never been happier than playing the part of his wife. The food came and they assumed that Tim would want to get down to business, but instead he opted to wait until they were finished eating.
Devon periodically kept turning to look at Aria and admire her beauty. It was something that he would never get used to and hearing Tim and Regina discuss how they reminded them of them as a couple, made him feel complete.
When they were finished eating, after enjoying a pleasant conversation with the older couple, it was time for the business to take place. Regina turned to Aria. “While the gentleman talk, we should go to the ladies’ room? Nothing bores me more.”
Aria laughed and nodded. She turned to Devon and he let go of her hand. She stood up and followed Regina to the back of the restaurant, but the truth was that she was missing Devon already. She came to appreciate him, and she did not want that taken away.
Chapter 12
“I like you,” Regina said, surprising Aria when they went into the ladies’ room.
Aria smiled. “Thanks. That’s sweet of you to say.”
Regina turned to the mirror to freshen her makeup, pulling things from her purse. Aria did the same. “I mean it. I have been around many wives and they are all so boring. You, however, seem to be a great match for your husband. Whoever set you two up sure knew what he was doing.”
Aria smiled and thought about it as she applied her lipstick. She couldn’t thank Tyler and Chris enough. She was the happiest she had ever been, and she owed it all to them. “I thank them nearly every day,” Aria stated. “I didn’t ask but how did you and Tim meet?” Aria asked.
“Well, I can tell you this. It wasn’t love at first sight in our case.” She laughed and had a strange look on her face, as if she was thinking about it. “In fact, the first night I met Tim, I ended up pouring a bottle of water over his head.”
Aria laughed. “What? Why?”
She put her makeup back in her purse and turned to listen to Regina’s story. “Well, we were just graduating college and I was invited to this party. I knew of Tim but didn’t know him personally. When I got to the party, my best friend deserted me, and I wound up spending the evening by the refreshment table.” She laughed, and her eyes glazed over in thought. “He came over and started talking to me. He was honestly very forward, so not like me. I kindly told him to back off and he wouldn’t. He grabbed my hand and asked me to dance and I took the bottle of water that I had in my hand and poured it over his head. I just assumed I would never see him again.”
“What happened then?” Aria asked.
“Well, two months went by and I was at the movies with this guy. We were mostly friends but there were times when I thought it might be more. However, he wanted none of that. So, after the movie, he wound up hooking up with this other girl. He left me there. I lived in an apartment with a roommate, but my roommate wasn’t answering her phone. I was stuck on the curb and thought I might be out there all night, when lo and behold, Tim pulled up in his convertible.”
“So, basically, he saved you?”
Regina laughed and nodded. “You could say that, but I didn’t see it that way. I was convinced he was following me or something and I told him off and said that he needed to leave me alone, or I would call the cops. He was all genuine and told me that it was the least he could do and everything. He made me feel foolish and ultimately I accepted a ride back to my place, as long as I rode in the backseat.” She shrugged. “The rest is, as you say, history. I fell in love with him that night. He was different to other guys. We parked outside of my building and just talked for hours. I moved into the front seat, eventually, of course.” She laughed. “He called me up and asked me out and I couldn’t refuse. I have been loving him every day since.”
“Wow,” Aria said, grinning as the story came to an end. “That’s pretty magical and amazing that he drove up at that very moment. I think it was f
ate.”
“You and me both,” Regina replied. “We were married four months later.”
“Do you have any kids?” Aria asked.
Regina nodded. “We have an eighteen-year-old daughter. She’s getting ready to go off to school at NYU. We’re super proud of her.” She smiled widely as she talked about their daughter. “What about you? Do you have kids? Or, are they in your near future? We waited two years.”
Aria chuckled and thought about it. The thought of having kids with Devon was nice. She wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibility. “We don’t have kids, as yet. I don’t know. I would like to have kids with him. He would make an amazing father and I know that he would like to have a son to carry on his name and legacy.” She thought about the company and she had no doubt that Devon felt that way. She just hoped that she wasn’t speaking out of turn.
“Kids are a great blessing,” Regina said. “Who knows...perhaps you could start while you’re on this trip.” She winked at Aria and Aria could feel her cheeks growing warm.
It was way too early to consider kids, but Regina wouldn’t know that. Aria just smiled. “You just never know.” She felt excited thinking about it, but she wouldn’t give Devon that kind of news. She was just looking forward to seeing what could come of their next chapter.
HEARING TIM TALK ABOUT his plans, Devon felt more confident that he would make a great business partner. However, he realized that his mind kept wandering to Aria. He wondered what was keeping them away for so long. It seemed like it had been forever since they had left the table.
He heard Tim talking and pulled his attention back to him. “I have to say that I’m impressed by you Devon. In fact, I’m even impressed with your wife and we all know she made an impression on my Regina.” He laughed, and Devon snickered at that.
“Thank you. Aria has a way with people.”
When I Dream of You: A Valentine's Day Romance Page 12
