Click - A Novella

by Valerie Douglas

  Robert’s blue eyes lifted, fixed on hers evenly.

  “I hope you don’t mind me saying this,” Robert said. “But it’s because Dan’s a schmuck, a loser, and you’re too nice a person for anyone to treat the way he treated you. And because I can. I’m tired of people screwing up other people’s lives. Don’t get the wrong impression. I don’t want to change you. I’m not Dan. I like you just the way you are, but I’m doing this because I want him to see what it was he missed. What he could have had with just a little effort.”

  Then he grinned roguishly. “And admit it Emily, don’t you want to see his face when he sees you like this?”

  As always, that unexpectedly wicked smile changed his expression from severe to mischievous.

  To be honest, she did. Emily grinned in return, as much in answer to the devilry in his eyes as the satisfaction of seeing Dan unsettled, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to take advantage of Robert either.

  “Robert…,” she began.

  He took her hand.

  “Just let me enjoy the company of a lovely woman,” Robert said, and he wasn’t just saying that. He let it show so she would see it. “And you are.”

  He wouldn’t be the least bit uncomfortable being with her tonight, although the society columns would go bananas at the sight of confirmed bachelor Robert Halloran with an unknown woman. That he wouldn’t mind that at all.

  It was now or never Emily knew. As she knew that if she asked, Robert would take her home, and only home, despite all the money he’d spent on her and never mind that he’d spent it.

  He was right, though, as childish as it was, she did want to see Dan’s face. She hated the idea that he was getting satisfaction out of the idea that she was back in her apartment pining for him, crying her eyes out as even she had thought she would.

  She was also enjoying Robert’s company enormously. A part of her wished that the handsome man sitting across from her was a real date…

  Standing, Robert offered Emily his hand. “Ready?”

  Nodding, she took the offered hand.

  Chapter Four

  The theater was crowded and noisy as people filled the lobby, while others showed their tickets to those at the interior doors for instructions on where to sit. This show was the hottest ticket in town and people chatted excitedly as some sought their seats and others talked about the show to come. Robert, already had tickets – originally purchased as a perk for his clients. He also had the advantage of height over Emily, and so he spotted Dan and his date sooner than Emily did.

  Dan Collier was exactly as Robert remembered – a good-looking man with thick, perfect hair and a nearly expressionless face. He reminded Robert of a second string news reporter.

  The woman with Collier was everything Robert disliked about some women in the city – a Sex and the City wannabe with her skin-tight dress and high heels. Nothing against that show, but some women had taken it to heart, trading substance for style, complaining about how difficult it was to find a good man while talking about nothing but shoes and the latest designer.

  At least the woman had the figure for the dress, either genetically thin or half-starving herself to get into it. Her hair was perfectly cut and her face was a façade of makeup. That was what he’d wanted to avoid with Emily, he wanted to see the dusting of freckles across her nose. He also liked her curves. She was what his father had called a ‘healthy’ woman.

  Skillfully Robert guided Emily in that direction, without warning her of what was to come, knowing she’d resist.

  He knew the moment when Emily saw Dan, as she stiffened beneath Robert’s hand.

  “You look wonderful,” Robert reminded her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

  Emily heard his words even as Dan caught sight of her and his eyes widened, first with alarm, then confusion and a little shock.

  As Robert had said, it was satisfying to see Dan’s expression as he took in the changes.

  It was still painful to see him, though. She took a breath and made herself smile.

  “What are you doing here?” Dan demanded, his voice low.

  “I ran into Robert in the lobby…,” she began, but Robert interjected before she said what she’d been about to say…that Robert had taken pity on her.

  “Once she told me about her promotion and landing the new account it seemed a shame that she couldn’t celebrate them. I had tickets to the show, but no date, so I asked her to join me,” Robert said, slipping an arm around Emily’s waist.

  Let Collier make of that what he would, Robert thought.

  Knowing the way the man’s mind probably worked, it was likely he was now wondering if Emily hadn’t also been in the process of moving on. People tended to believe that others behaved the same way they did – even when others proved them wrong. Now, despite knowing Emily, Collier would wonder. That would rattle the man’s cage.

  Startled, Emily glanced up at him.

  He smiled at her before turning back to Collier and his date.

  “It was nice to see you again,” he said, “but we have to get to our seats. Have a nice evening.”

  Robert firmly steered Emily away. He had no doubt that once Collier or his date found their seats they would be unobtrusively searching the theater for him and Emily. He didn’t buy anything less than the best seats for his clients.

  “Now that that’s over with,” he said, “we can enjoy the play.”

  “You did that deliberately,” Emily said, eyeing him.

  “I did,” he said complacently. “I didn’t want the thought of him hanging over half our evening, and I wanted you to be able to enjoy yourself.”

  Robert didn’t mention that he’d already seen the play on opening night. It would only make Emily uncomfortable. Besides, the show was worth seeing again, the performances were great. And he’d have a bit of side entertainment, knowing that Collier and his date would be looking to see where he and Emily would be sitting…and chagrined to find it was in better seats than their own.

  He was also aware that the writer for the society column of the most notorious rag in the city had seen him.

  Not that he minded. He’d set the fox in the henhouse there, too. He found their fascination with his love life a little too intrusive.

  Emily was aware of eyes on her. On them, actually, but particularly on Robert. He was a handsome man, and some of those eyes narrowed speculatively at her. She knew the gossip columns frequently speculated about him.

  How did Robert live with that every day? she wondered.

  Once the lights went down, though, she was transfixed by the play.

  All in all, for Emily it was a wonderful evening. Far better than she’d anticipated and over far too soon.

  She settled into the leather seat of the limousine and sighed with pleasure. What would it be like to live like this all the time?

  It was still raining, but it made the warmth inside the car all the more sheltering. She almost wished she didn’t have to go home. But she did.

  They pulled up outside of her apartment building and Robert slid out of the car, offering her a hand out as Eliot held an enormous umbrella to keep the rain off them.

  “Thank you for a lovely evening,” Emily said and laughed lightly. “I felt like Cinderella for a night.”

  “You’re welcome,” Robert said, taking the umbrella from Eliot to walk her to her door. It was good to see her laugh again. “I enjoyed it.”

  He had. In fact, he was sorry it was over so soon, he’d enjoyed the evening far more than he’d expected. He was also far too aware that Emily was still on the rebound, still hurting from the rejection. He wouldn’t take advantage of that or her, however much he liked her company.

  “What about this?” Emily said, gesturing at the dress.

  “Keep it,” he said. “You’ll find another occasion to wear it.”

  He hoped she’d think of him when she did…and smile.

  “Good night, Emily,” he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead while w
ishing for more.

  Once he was sure she was safely inside, he walked back to the limo.

  *****

  Hidden by the concealment of the sheer curtains on her windows, her cat Gizmo in her arms, Emily watched him glance back once before sliding into the limousine. Eliot closed the door before taking the driver’s seat. The long black car pulled smoothly away from the curb.

  She sighed.

  Looking at her reflection in the window, Emily was still a little surprised at what she saw there. Herself, but better.

  Now she knew how Cinderella must have felt after that night at the ball. Except that this time the prince – and Emily smiled, knowing Robert would have been amused at the comparison – wouldn’t come looking for her. After all, with his looks and money he had his pick of women.

  It was too soon and she knew it…but she could wish.

  Chapter Five

  Pacing across his spacious living room, Robert fought restlessness. Sundays were difficult. The markets weren’t open in much of the world, and many of his contacts were enjoying their weekends. It wasn’t just that he was bored, although he was. Something – someone – else had gotten under his skin.

  Time had gotten away from him. There hadn’t been much left over for a personal life. He’d been busy. In the early days for every dollar he earned he tried to earn back a hundred, or at least ten. Hundreds had turned into thousands, thousands into hundreds of thousands. Expensive suits, expensive shoes, had become his uniform. He’d bought the cars, then one house and another, and then it became easier to have the limo so he could work on his way to his office rather than drive.

  He’d dated. Many of them had been beautiful women, models, actresses, wealthy women as caught up in their careers as he was. Nothing had clicked. He’d always been honest about that, had never led anyone on or played games. Sometimes the relationships had just faded, both too busy to maintain it. If he were honest he didn’t want a Robert Halloran clone in heels. Once or twice there had been tears and recriminations, the woman had become too attached – more to his money and lifestyle as to him to judge by some of what they said – and then it had gotten painful.

  Smiling, he remembered Emily asking him about the dress, her protest about the cost of the haircut. It really had been pocket change for him, nothing in comparison to the jewelry he’d showered on other women.

  Emily had the same values he had.

  The reality of the breakup would have hit her now. She’d told him that Collier had asked her to get any of her things out of his apartment – while Collier was in the Hamptons, but it was adding insult to injury for Collier to let her know he’d be having a good time while she made herself disappear from his life.

  It would only have made it worse.

  He didn’t like the idea of her moping around her apartment alone.

  Robert had a place in the Hamptons himself, although he rarely used it these days, he was just too busy.

  *****

  The weatherman had promised that the day would be sunny and warm, that the rain of the last two days had been banished and they would return to summer weather.

  Emily had spent the previous day at Dan’s apartment, gathering her things. Now she put them away. And with them, all the hopes she’d had for the relationship, despite the problems, despite Dan’s sometimes erratic behavior.

  The tears had come then as she’d gathered up the thin tee shirt and loose drawstring pants she’d worn around his apartment on days like this. She’d searched for, and found, the earrings she’d lost, along with a book she’d tried to read while Dan played with his computer.

  More than once she’d fought anger, the desire to wreak havoc, to knock over the precious speakers to his stereo system of which he’d been so enamored. He’d spent a mint on them, far more than he’d ever spent on her. They were enormous, dominating the living room space.

  Or emptying all his hair products into the tub. The man had spent more time on his hair than she did.

  She’d done nothing. The temptation was there, but it was childish, she was better than that, and it would only make more trouble than it was worth. Especially at the office.

  The thought of going there the next day with everyone knowing what had happened made her want to cringe, to crawl in a hole, but she knew she’d have to face it. In time it would get easier.

  It had been strange, though, to look around Dan’s apartment as she dropped her key into the dish on the stand by the door. Only then had she realized how little of herself had been left there. An ache had settled around her heart as his door had shut behind her.

  Curled in the window seat with Gizmo in her lap, she tried to focus on the book she’d been trying to read. At least now she’d have more time for things like that. The kind of things she’d done before Dan.

  A glimmer of sunlight turned the street below into a ribbon of silver. Maybe it would be a nice day after all.

  The knock at the door startled her. Maybe Dan had had second thoughts? Romantic fantasies ran through her mind, but she knew they were just that. He had someone else. He was gone.

  Dislodging Gizmo to the little cat’s protests, Emily got up to open the door.

  “Robert,” she said, and where a moment before she had been half-anticipating, half-dreading who she’d find there, to see Robert made her heart lift a little. She couldn’t help but smile. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can I come in?” Robert asked.

  He hadn’t been sure of his reception, but the welcome in her expression relieved that.

  “Of course,” she said, swinging the door wide without a thought, and then glanced down at herself in obvious dismay.

  To his surprise, she blushed. He hadn’t thought anyone still blushed in this day and age.

  Color flooded Emily’s face as she realized that she was just wearing another of her tee shirts and drawstring pants. No bra. Bare feet. No makeup. She’d only just run a brush through her hair.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” she said with a wave, spinning away to hurry into the bedroom. “There’s fresh ground coffee brewing in the pot, cups in the cupboard above it.”

  Amused, Robert watched her disappear into another room.

  He hadn’t missed what she’d been wearing, and had found a few fantasies dancing through his head. The little tee shirt hadn’t hidden but had hinted at much, clinging in all the right places.

  Deliberately, he took a breath to get himself back under control.

  “Change into something suitable for walking on the beach,” he called, drawn to the aroma of fresh coffee that filled the little apartment.

  The bedroom door popped open and Emily’s head peered around it, her expression bemused.

  “What?” she said, clearly bewildered and a little startled.

  “It’s cool by the ocean,” he said, carefully keeping his voice even as he smothered a smile. “You might want to bring a sweater or a sweatshirt. Oh, and you’ll need a scarf for your hair.”

  “Robert…”

  “Admit it,” he said, “all you’re going to do is mope around your apartment.”

  It was a very nice apartment for all its small size. She’d made the most of the space, creating a cushioned window seat by lining one wall with low, sturdy bookcases and covering them with cushions. Live plants anchored each end. The colors of the walls were all light, making the room seem larger. It somehow managed to be both cozy and bright. A small brindle cat peered around one of the potted plants at him.

  Robert smiled.

  “Wouldn’t a walk on the beach be better?”

  He could see in her eyes the battle she fought, but in the end he and the beach won. She disappeared back into the bedroom while he helped himself to the promised cup of coffee. It was good coffee. It seemed they shared a taste for that as well.

  Sunlight poured in the tall narrow windows. Being daring, the cat minced toward the band of sunlight, watching him warily, then stretched out to warm itself in the sun.

&n
bsp; One thing was certain, Emily didn’t waste time getting ready as so many women did. When she returned she was still barefoot, but there was a pair of deck shoes in one hand. She wore simple clothes, khaki cargo pants and a thin sweater, with another tossed over her shoulders. She’d taken the time to put a little makeup on and brush out her hair, but she hadn’t gone overboard with either as one of his dates once had. Which had been a waste, all things considered.

  “Ready?”

  She dropped the shoes on the floor and slipped into them. “Ready.”

  Emily snagged her purse as she went out, letting the door with its automatic locks shut behind her, very aware of Robert’s hand at the small of her back.

  Only moments before she’d been thinking of Dan, and now…? All she could think of was Robert.

  Then even that thought was chased away as she spotted the car, a little light-blue BMW convertible.

  Now she understood Robert’s request for her to bring a scarf.

  She smiled in pure delight. “Oh, that’s wonderful.”

  Just the thought of feeling the wind in her hair, the sun on her skin, was enough.

  That expression of open pleasure was all Robert needed to see as he held the door open for her.

  With the top down, it was nearly impossible to talk much, but it wasn’t necessary.

  It was obvious that Emily knew where they were going once they neared. Robert slowed to match the speed limit, making it easier to talk.

  “I have a place here, too,” he said. “It’s on the beach although I don’t use it much. I thought you might enjoy it.” He glanced at her. “This has nothing to do with your ex. I enjoyed your company the other night and just thought you might be able to use some time away.”

  That was reassuring. Emily relaxed as they drove. She hadn’t risen quite high enough in the company, or made the kind of contacts that had homes in the Hamptons.

  Until now.

  Some of the houses were simply enormous for what were called beach cottages. They were painted the colors of sherbet with white accents, while others with their cedar shingles were more rustic.