“The down part. Brian’s fault?”
“We had a very heated discussion the other night. A fight, actually. A rarity for us. Brian thought I’d taken too much for granted concerning how things were going between us and called things off.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. I had no idea it was coming, although in retrospect, I think he may have been considering his decision for some time. Our misunderstanding about moving in together was all the excuse he needed.”
So far, Celia’s explanation more or less mirrored Brian’s. Still, it didn’t make sense.
“It’s all so…unexpected. I thought things were going well between you two. So give, girl. What’s the story?”
Celia lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I wish I knew. Obviously, he’s not ready for a deeper commitment than steady dating. Living together, and—God forbid—marriage, aren’t in his orbit yet. If ever.”
“I didn’t realize he was so commitment-shy.”
Her friend straightened the cuff of her sweatshirt. “Maybe it’s been there all along and I chose not to notice. We didn’t socialize much with married couples. There always seemed to be a reason why he couldn’t accompany me to friends’ weddings. But I never put two and two together.”
Come to think of it, Lacey had observed some of the same signs over the years. Their mother was an only child and their father’s family lived on the East Coast, so there’d never been other relatives around. No family models to influence either one of them. Lacey had always envied the people with families, seeing them as living fuller, more fun-filled lives than her. But as much as she wanted a family of her own, her track record with the men in her life, the father who’d abandoned the family when she was six and Alex, the fiancé who jilted her, kept her from believing she’d ever find a man she could trust to stay in her life. Which was why she put so much stock in Brian and Celia giving her a family. Probably what had lured her to specialize in single-family dwellings.
“What am I going to do, Lacey?” Celia cried, the strain clearly coming through in her tone. “I love him so much. I could kick myself for pushing him too soon. I thought he needed me to make a statement about my feelings before he’d commit. So I dragged him out to see those new condominiums in West Des Moines.”
“Brian loves you, Cee. I can’t believe he would permanently walk away from someone he cares so much about. You’ve got to be patient and give him time to figure out you’re what he needs.”
Celia turned wide, panicked eyes on her. “I can’t wait forever! Besides, Brian won’t let this float. He’s bound to take steps to separate us even further.”
Lacey went over to the other woman. “I’ll figure out something to get the two of you back together.”
“You? This is my problem. And Brian’s.”
Even though Celia was a planner, she wasn’t terribly assertive. Most likely, she wouldn’t purposely take action or take action fast enough to get her man back.
“His decision affects me too. I’ve been counting on the two of you giving me nieces and nephews.”
“When Brian sets his mind on something, I don’t know what either one of us can do to change it.”
Lacey took Celia’s hand. “Don’t give up. I need a little time to figure out how to handle this. I’ve been so distracted today, right now, it’s not easy to focus.”
“Distracted? You mean working with Jack Dalton on Project Veronica?”
Cam said the project was hush-hush. Best to play dumb. “Project Veronica?”
One corner of Celia’s mouth went up. “I work directly for Cam. Remember?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“All the senior staff know you’ve been paired with Jack on this special project. Aren’t you excited? You can finally show your stuff with something other than single family homes.”
“I like doing those. Especially working with the families. But you’re right, it’s my chance to prove myself. I don’t want to blow it.”
“What’s got you distracted? Jack Dalton? He is a bit to handle. A real maverick. The only reason he’s been able to get away with such behavior has been his incredible ability to charm the clients and bring in the fees.”
The mention of charm sent Lacey’s mind off on a course she’d been fighting hard to avoid since morning. The man didn’t just have charm. There was a magnetism about him, which made him mighty difficult to resist.
“Lacey? Did you hear me?”
“Never mind.” Celia had enough on her plate.
But Celia persisted. “Never mind what? Is something going on between you and Jack? You’ve only worked together a day.”
How to respond? It was so tempting to seek her best friend’s counsel. But she couldn’t. Shouldn’t.
Celia raised an eyebrow. “Lacey? Obviously something is going on. Has he criticized your work? Knowing Jack’s preference for autonomy, he’s probably already tried to get you to quit.”
“I can handle his criticism of my professional opinions. It’s the other…stuff…that’s got me, I don’t know…confused.”
“What stuff?”
“He…I…oh, God, Cee, I’ve got the hots for him. I don’t want to. I’ve been fighting my libido all day, but I don’t know how long before I do something stupid.”
“Jack’s a pretty spectacular-looking guy, but you’ve been around yourself. You’ve had more than your share of boyfriends, lovers. Why him? And why so fast?”
“Don’t you think I’ve been asking myself the same questions? He’s so full of himself. Thinks he can get by simply by turning on his killer smile and improvising as he goes. I doubt he’s ever done a preliminary design study in all his years with the firm.”
“He’s the firm’s superstar, hon, whatever his style. Maybe it’s the ‘opposites attract’ thing.” She stopped, bit a lip as if there was more she wanted to say. “Surely you haven’t—?”
“Slept with him? Of course not. We just teamed up this morning. But the idea’s already occurred to me.”
“What if you do? There’s no company rule against it.”
Had she heard right? She was actually advocating going to bed with the man? “No! I need to maintain all my wits and creative energy to keep up with him. Sleeping with him might turn my brain to mush.”
Celia leaned back in her seat, studied her. “I’ve never seen you like this. Are you sure this is just some physical thing?”
Lacey recounted the incident of the slippery hill and landing under the tree trunk on top of Jack. “My body goes crazy every time I am near him.” There, she’d finally said it out loud. Brought a certain relief. Then guilt. “I’m sorry, friend. Here you are in the dumps over Brian and all I can do is go on about Jack Dalton.”
“Actually, you helped take my mind off your brother for a few minutes. I’m glad you told me. Even though it looks like we won’t be family, I hope we’ll still continue to confide in each other like sisters.”
“I refuse to believe your split is permanent. Brian needs to realize what he’s given up.” She considered her words. “He told me he wanted you to find someone else to build a life with. I wonder what would happen if you actually followed through.”
Well, duh! There it was, the way Celia could get Brian back. “We need to find you a new boyfriend, Cee. Someone so fantastic, Brian will forget about his commitment phobia and come running back to you.”
“Good idea, but easier said than done. It’s not like I keep a bullpen of potential suitors just waiting to take Brian’s place. Most people, like me, think/thought Brian and I are/were headed to the altar.”
“I don’t mean a real boyfriend. Just someone who’d be willing to play the part long enough for Brian to wake up and take notice.”
“Someone like…say, Jack Dalton?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Lacey! Jack Dalton. If you were serious about wanting to stifle your libido while you’re working with him, he would be perfect.”
Lacey
started to negate Celia’s suggestion. It was such a bad idea, because…because why? She didn’t want to give him up? She had to. “You wouldn’t actually…”
“Sleep with him? To make it appear more real? Or to save you from yourself? No to both,” she chuckled. “This would be clearly pretend and only at times when Brian would see us.”
Celia wasn’t at all Jack’s type. Yet, if it helped her get Brian back, Jack Dalton was probably the one candidate they knew who wouldn’t misunderstand his role and get his feelings hurt in the offing. “Would he do it?”
Celia rose and squared her shoulders. “We won’t know until I ask.”
“Keep my name out of this, okay?”
“Okay, but why? You’re already partners on this big secret project.”
“Because if he knows I’m in on this, we lose the buffer part. Yes, I’ll know it’s fake, and he’ll know it’s all made up, but if he thinks I don’t know, he’ll sell it better.”
Celia’s eyes narrowed, apparently processing Lacey’s premise. “I feel like I’m Ethel Mertz and you’re Lucy Ricardo, conning me to help you with your latest scheme.”
“Okay, here’s another reason. The guy’s very competitive. I’m going to be fighting him at every turn to get him to take me seriously. If he agrees to be your new boyfriend, the less he knows I’m in on this plan, the more likely he’ll be to listen to my ideas about the project.”
“Now you’re scaring me, because you actually made sense.
Chapter Four
Lacey barely had a chance to settle at her desk the next morning when she received a text summoning—not inviting—her to Jack’s office. Already attempting to show her who was in charge? She grabbed her tablet and set off to meet with the great man.
Jack’s office, along with those of three other senior architects, was located down the hall from Cam’s quarters. Unlike Lacey and several other junior architects who had to fend for themselves, Jack’s group shared a secretary. Lacey tried to recall her name as she breezed past the woman. She couldn’t, so a wave had to suffice.
She was about to knock on Jack’s door when the woman showed up at her side, slightly breathless. “You can’t go in there without an appointment.”
“Watch me.” She knocked and opened the door in one movement and swooped into the room. “Here I am, as ordered.”
He looked up from something he was sketching, a comma of hair punctuating his forehead. “It’s okay, Jean.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Dalton.” The woman clasped her hand to her chest. “She charged right by me.”
“This is Lacey Rogers. She works on the second floor.”
“Oh?” The older woman actually sniffed. Turning to Lacey, she raised heavy, dark eyebrows and said, “I didn’t realize.”
Lacey started to say something conciliatory when she was cut off.
“Next time, please check in with me first.” The secretary exited as quickly as she’d arrived.
Lacey could have sworn the woman clicked her heels before leaving.
“Do we need to discuss protocol?” Jack asked.
“What century is she from?” The firm operated on an open-door policy.
“Jean, Miss Sarducci, is a little more formal than we’re used to, but she makes a mean cup of coffee.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t realize she was so great. A thousand pardons.”
“What can I do for you?”
“What can you do?” She flounced into one of the leather chairs facing his desk.
“Have a seat.” He extended a belated hand.
“I received a text to come here as soon as I arrived. To discuss Project Veronica, I assume.”
“Pretty late arrival time for a newbie, Rogers. Especially with our priority project looming. I’ve been here for hours. In fact, I just finished some preliminary sketches.”
Finished? “You’ve been working on it already?”
“Do I need to remind you this project is on the fast track?”
Lacey shot from her chair. She would have rushed around the desk to check what he’d been working on but caught herself at the last second. “We’re supposed to team up on this assignment. That means work together. Like in, not by ourselves.”
The man barely moved. He let her stand there tapping her foot for what seemed like an eon before he spoke. He even favored her with a condescending smile, a gash under his nose. “Lacey, Lacey. Calm down. It’s not like I’ve finished the concept piece. I wanted to experiment with a couple ideas before showing you.”
“Fine, but before we go any further, let’s get this straight. I haven’t signed on as your assistant or your intern. I do, however, realize I can learn from you, which is important to me. I want to be the next superstar.”
“Duly noted.”
She sensed the color inching up her neck. “What I meant was…”
“I know what you meant. Look, I’m all for ambition. Hell, I invented the notion around here. But I’m used to working at my own speed, using my own techniques. I’m not about to stop myself every time something creative strikes and wait for you to catch up.”
“Then I expect the same understanding from you.”
He blinked, like he wasn’t accustomed to co-workers standing up to him. Good. She’d caught him off guard. Time to press harder. “As for your guard dog, I want free access to your office.” Brilliant thought. Sure to make her point. “In fact, why don’t I move in here for the duration of this project? Then, whenever something creative strikes you, I’ll be here to start the applause.” She widened her eyes, conveying the epitome of cooperation.
“Share my office?”
She made a show of taking in her surroundings. “Sure. You’ve got an actual office. With a door. Triple the space of my little cubicle. Why, you even have a separate conference table over there in the corner just waiting for me.”
He blinked twice before he scuttled over to the table, his arms splayed wide, like he was blocking her tackle. “I told you, I have my own work style, which doesn’t include letting someone else into my space.”
“’Fraid I’ll discover you’re a fraud who gets all his ideas from the Internet?”
Triple blink this time. Had she gone too far? She was just trying to establish herself as strong enough to trade jabs with him. But having voiced the idea, she wasn’t so crazy about it. Being in such constant close proximity to him the next several weeks would prove too tempting. She could only resist her attraction to the man so far. Why ask for trouble?
Her new partner didn’t respond to her putdown. He appeared to be having difficulty breathing. Biting down anger. Had she struck a nerve?
“I’m definitely not a fraud. But, as you’ll discover, I’m no computer geek. My ideas are organic.” He touched the area around his heart. “They come from here. I listen to my clients. Get them talking about themselves. Then I translate those impressions to my plans.”
Boy, he was even smoother than she thought. Hypnotic. Inspirational. She didn’t need his smarter-than-thou attitude challenging her confidence every minute of every day of the next month.
****
“Hello, sunshine. Word has it you wanted to see me. Did I screw up my expense report again?” Jack draped himself in the doorway of Celia Fairchild’s office. Though the office manager had a bit of a rep as a straight shooter, he liked her. She called things as she saw them and rarely let him snow her. Word had it she’d been going with some accountant for months, so Jack didn’t worry about Celia being out to snare him.
“Nothing so mundane. Have a seat.”
He kept his smile intact, but a one-on-one with Celia, other than to hear how his latest attempt at creative expense reporting wasn’t going to work, was rare. He settled his lanky self into the guest chair facing her desk. When she rose and closed the door, his foreboding meter kicked in.
“Don’t look so panicked.” She returned to her desk. “I have a proposition for you. You’re the only person I know who can pull this off.”
Interesting turn of phrase coming from her. “Pull what off?”
Celia fixed him with what appeared to be a sincere, self-assured smile. “I’ve been seeing Brian Rogers exclusively for almost two years. He’s Lacey Rogers’ brother?”
No kidding. Interesting connection. But then, until yesterday, he hadn’t paid Lacey Rogers much attention period. “Yeah?” Blank face.
“He broke things off the other day. Didn’t want to get too serious.”
Nice going, guy. “Sorry.”
“I want him back, but I need your help.”
“Me? How?”
“I need a new man in my life to make Brian jealous. To make him realize what he’s given up.” Pause. “You fit the bill.”
It took all of two seconds to react. He shot out of his chair, no longer in lounging mode. “Me? And you? No offense, Celia, but I thought you realized our little daily exchanges were pure banter. I never meant to lead you on.”
She chuckled. “I know. But you’re the best man I can think of to make Brian sweat.”
He relaxed his shoulders and leaned against the chair he’d formerly occupied. Of course, he could make any man jealous, if he set his mind to it. But his mind was a fickle animal. Needed incentive. “You want me to act like I’m the new man in your life?”
“Exactly. Brian has to see us together a few times. I’ll pay for whatever dinners, plays, etc. we take in. But you have to make it look real. Brian is slow to be convinced of anything.”
Jack fingered a front button on his shirt and grimaced. “I’m no good at playacting.”
“You deliver the charming playboy act every day, which makes you the perfect person to do this. It won’t take Brian long to scout out my new man, and once he hears about your so-called reputation, I’m counting on his protective instincts to come save me.”
“You really know how to stoke a guy’s ego.”
Her forehead crinkled. “Sorry. I was a little too candid.”
“I appreciate how you don’t mince words. But I’m not your guy.” He headed for the door.
“What will it take, Jack?” she asked his retreating back. “Surely we can make a deal.”
Saved by the Salsa Page 4
