Scott slowed down beside her and didn’t say anything. His eyes gleamed, as if seeing her in a new light. He took her hand in his and pulled her slightly to stop. She was as drawn to him as he seemed to her. Suddenly his hand fell from hers and he glanced away. Just when she thought she’d lost him for a moment, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, scooped her off her feet and spun her onto the other side of the narrow pavement.
“Thanks man,” a now distant voice called.
A bicyclist had zoomed past them and would have crashed right into them in the dark had Scott not pulled them out of the way. Almost immediately, he was glued back to her eyes but now had both hands wrapped around her.
Elle breathed out. “Whew. Thanks, I um…”
He must have felt her heart beating when he pulled her against his hard chest and bent down to crush her lips with his. Though completely unexpected, his lips were soft and intense. His body was warm. Her shoulders relaxed and her arms slipped around his torso under his jacket. His hands moved from her back and traced up to her jaw. His fingers laced behind her ears and pulled lightly at the strands behind her head just as his tongue circled teasingly around hers.
A bell chimed a nearing distance and he pulled his lips off hers glancing in the direction. His hands still fastened to her face.
Saved by the bell?
How long would that have lasted? After taking a moment to recover, which seemingly only she needed, Elle spoke. “What were we talking about?” Her hand jerked to the bottom of her lip.
“Clearly something that made me want to take you in my arms and become one with you for an unfair forty-seven seconds.”
Elle blushed as Scott’s mouth widened on one side.
“But essentially you were telling me things that made you become real and no longer something that I imagined couldn’t possibly be true.” Scott looked out into the distance in front of them and they were silent for a moment.
“So tell me, Superman, why did you doubt going into business with an old friend?”
Scott shrugged. “I knew the guy on a personal level years ago and…I guess he thinks that he doesn’t need to oblige with my expectations.”
Elle was genuinely confused. “So why work with him?
“I’m careful about who I choose to help and where I invest. Naturally, I need to believe there’s potential for significant profit. I look into their competition, how much stronger they are than that competition, and finally; what the hell these guys plan to do to keep up with the market,” he paused. “I admire the service this firm provides to the public. They focus on those less fortunate.” He glanced at her. “There aren’t many who do and I’d hate it to be the reason that they drown. But the guy is just being very difficult to work with and he’s refusing to follow some of my demands.”
“Demands?”
“I need to make sure that my investment isn’t wasted, so I share my business skills to aid them.”
Elle nodded understandingly. “So, you know how their business should be running?”
Scott shrugged. “I have an idea…but it’s hard to say when the owner is keeping me at arm’s length.”
“Well I think you should forget your history with the guy and follow your instincts on wanting to save the business for what they stand for. Or send one of your associates while you oversee things from a distance. But I don’t think you should consider backing away. And who knows, there might be a hefty return.”
“But in order to guarantee that, I require full cooperation.”
Her head jerked back. “I don’t understand, is this a hostile takeover?”
“Of course not. But what they’re doing isn’t working.”
Elle threw her hands in the air. “Then find out why. They are the industry professionals. Not you. You might have the funds and good business knowledge, but they know what works for them. I think you need to find a way to work together.”
“You’re going to single handedly be the reason for my first loss.”
“Your first?” Elle’s eyes popped. Maybe the guy did know what he was talking about. Still, it sounded extremely one-sided. “I suppose you already attempted to look into why they’re sinking?”
“Overstaffed, for one,” he murmured.
“Ha. I may have to agree with you there. Managers almost never know what their employees do. They’d probably be surprised to know just how uneven workloads can get.”
Scott grinned through the side of his mouth. “Sounds like you see right through it.”
“I tend to keep a closer eye than most,” Elle admitted.
“Do you have a big team?”
She eyed him and decided not to dodge the innocent question. But it would still be a lie. She cringed. Keeping her promise was going to be impossible.
“No. I can honestly say, I do not.”
Scott nodded and smiled admiringly at her. “Perhaps that’s why someone like you might never need saving.” They reached the ice cream parlor and he pulled the door open for her. The place was brightly lit and cooler than it was at the end of October outside.
“One mint chocolate chip, please, double scoop. And…” he placed a hand on the frosty-looking glass and eyed the choices. “I’ll have the Superman.” He turned back to her and winked.
Chapter 14
Scott
Monday morning the elevator doors opened to the top floor of Hayes Enterprises. And Scott was not in the mood. Donovan had the nerve to demand his presence at a client meeting.
“Hey Mr. Weston,” Donovan’s quirky assistant called as he rushed past her.”
“Hey Kat,” Scott mumbled, then backed up a few feet. “Who’s he meeting with now?”
Her eyes bulged and she struggled to shrug. “His calendar says ‘private’.”
He narrowed his eyes and stepped toward her. “Kat, you know I can tell when people are lying to me.”
“Ms. Heart,” she corrected quickly.
Scott cursed, straightened and breathed in deep, redirecting his anger at the door at the end of the hall.
“She’s not here yet though,” he heard Kat call behind him.
“With any luck, I’ll be out of here before she is.” Fists clenched and anger boiling under his jaw, he pushed Donovan’s door open and stormed into his office. “You called me here for a meeting with Claudia?
Donovan leaned back in his chair; a smirk on his face. It irked the hell out of Scott every time he saw it. It only meant one thing. That Donovan needed Scott on a new deal.
And it had to end.
“Look I know how you feel about the woman. I just wanted you to hear her out. It sounds like she’s got something we could both use.”
“I’m not on the market for new projects. I’ve got my hands full.”
“Then you need more hands.” Donovan stood and crossed to his bar at the opposite end of the large room. He poured himself and Scott a glass of scotch. Tossed an ice cube in Scott’s and handed it to him.
Scott crossed to the window. Every time he did since last weekend, all he could do is wonder where in the busy bustling and crowded city she was. Isabel was all he could think about since he left her Saturday night. The evening had been one for the books. It was fun, pleasant, honest and more than anything, unpredictable. It wasn’t often a woman was real with him. And if they were, he’d prefer they weren’t. Isabel was rich with grace, warmth, even humor. She took his breath away. And that wasn’t something he thought possible.
“Look, I’ll sit in and advise if you need me to,” Scott pointed his drink at Donovan. “For a fee,” he insisted. Not that he needed Donovan’s money, but whenever Scott felt like his time had been wasted on stupid shit, he’d get pissed and send Donovan and his assistant a bill for “advisory services”.
“You know I’m good for it, Weston.”
Scott turned back to the window. “So what’s this about any—”
The door flew open as the devil let herself in. Scott glanced back to the window then faced the wo
man in the ironically appropriate red dress.
“Gentleman,” Claudia practically sang out. Her long legs strode to the center of the room to greet Donovan with a kiss on the cheek. Her platinum blond hair was down today, nearly reaching her elbows. Large gray eyes, full lips he’d wished he could say he never kissed. She was an alluring woman, no doubt, to anyone who didn’t really know her.
“Hello Claudia,” Scott said in his dullest tone.
“A pleasure to see you as well, Scott.” She turned to Donovan. “You know I don’t like to waste time, so I’ll get right to it. I have a proposition for you.”
Scott knew her proposition plenty and refused them all; except for that one time. Which he’d live to regret.
“I’m hosting a fashion show in December. We have the models lined up but I’m looking for a few more sponsors for the event. I need big names. No startups.”
Donovan chuckled, “What kind of business you think I’m running here, advertisement?”
“Surely you have clients in need of great exposure?” Claudia looked back and forth between the two of them.
“Don’t look at me,” Scott said, “My aim is to keep firms from losing their name, not spending an enormous amount of money for a spotlight at a fashion show.”
Claudia was the head of marketing for Empire Fashions, one of the largest organizations to promote and showcase the biggest names in the industry.
“Look this event needs funding and more importantly a display of sponsors preferably from reliable sources.”
“Who do you have so far?” Donovan asked.
“Rim’s Athletics, Sidium Bank, and of course they’ll have a display of some vendors. I can’t use any of our modeling agencies or designers.”
“Of course not, they’re all involved,” Donovan agreed.
“We need to show we’re backed by trustworthy organizations.”
“Hayes Enterprises is a private firm. We have no business sponsoring a fashion show for exposure.”
“And you don’t need it, either,” Scott agreed from where he still stood by the window.
“Fine,” Claudia said. “I’d figured as much for Hayes Enterprises. But surely over the last few years, you’ve made billions for a large stack of accounts.”
“Those were privately managed and not up for display,” Scott barked, stepping in.
“Look, I’ll leave this list for the two of you on what we ask per size and location of the ad,” Claudia was a relentless woman. She didn’t typically give up after merely ten minutes of a proposal. She laid it on Donovan’s desk, which he picked up and looked over.
“You’ve got quite a list of spots available.”
“Don’t get too excited over the little ones. Most of them are going to be vendors. We’re looking for sponsors to use on the main room and the tables, gift bags…”
Scott’s ears perked. “You don’t have them lined up yet?”
“No, that’s why I’m here. We still don’t have a gift bag sponsor, which of course would be the biggest. Someone willing to—”
“I meant the vendors,” Scott interrupted.
“No, we leave that part to the event coordinator.”
“Naturally. Which is?”
“I’m not sure yet. Our go-to firm recently folded; Brightman.”
Scott huffed at the name. “And no one else comes to mind?”
“I believe the search for one is mid-flight.”
Scott couldn’t believe that there was only one event planning firm that came to mind for one of the biggest fashion events of the year. Starr-Levy Events were clearly on no one’s radar. And if no other firm seemed to be, then they still had a shot. The book and the exposure might be just what they need.
Donovan raised an eyebrow at Scott; the man always knew an opportunity where one presented itself.
Scott pushed off the window and walked over to the bar. Claudia’s drink choice was typically vodka. He scooped a generous amount of ice into a glass and added the strong clear liquid, then handed it to her.
“I’ll tell you what. Donovan and I will come up with two or three of one our biggest clients to sponsor the event. In exchange, you hire a firm I’ve recently signed on with to plan it.”
Claudia opened her mouth to protest.
“I just had them plan Donovan and Elaine’s party of over one hundred people and they did an astonishing job.”
Claudia eyed Donovan as if to confirm. “Thanks for the invite,” she mumbled. “Who is it?”
“Starr-Levy Events.”
“Done.”
“I’m not,” Scott continued. “In addition to them running the event, you give them a spotlight. One of your top three. At no cost.”
Claudia’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be joking. We’ve reserved the floor lineup for our biggest names. Starr-Levy Events is nowhere near—”
“And my job is to get them there.” Scott shrugged and motioned his hand, which still had his drink, to the exit. “Think about it. Call me.”
“Fine. I’ll consider it. But if I do hire them and give them a spotlight…I’ll have conditions too.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
With one last look at the two of the men, Claudia set her drink down and walked out.
* * *
Back in his apartment, Scott thought quite a bit about getting involved with Claudia again.
When he met her, she showed up at Hayes Enterprises looking to outsource some of her company’s divisions to cheaper firms. Considering that the plan was to outsource about half her company’s departments, it was quite a project. One that required some late-night calls with international vendors and an overseas business trip.
Claudia was indeed a knockout. Naturally, their attraction was inevitable. One passionate night turned into a few consecutive ones.
Next thing he knew she was making decisions on both their behalf’s on certain deals. She’d broken deals with vendors that they’d previously agreed to. She used Hayes Enterprises resources and ran the deals herself, in the end breaking some important connections. He tried to set her straight, but she clouded his judgement in every way that worked. Ways that he was ashamed to admit. It is no wonder people say never to mix business with pleasure.
Scott didn’t doubt one bit that Claudia would fine-tune the agreement to her liking. But Dean and Starr needed the exposure; especially since they weren’t even considered after Brightman folded.
Ronald Brightman.
The man had stubbornly refused Scott’s help for a bailout. Especially since Ron felt that if he couldn’t save the business on his own, without Scott’s bailout investment, it wasn’t worth saving.
And what? You’d come back in three to five years and save it again? No thank you. I think it might be time for warmer climates for me anyway.
For some reason he thought of Isabel. She seemed so wholesome and warm. Unlike any woman he’d ever met; especially not someone like Claudia; who was cold, opportunistic, and a liar.
He couldn’t imagine that a woman like Isabel would have anything to do with Hayes Enterprises, where the types of people he typically dealt with were usually as devious and cunning as Donovan and Claudia were.
He pulled out his phone and considered calling her. Saturday night was incredible but she left it strange and cold. Something was on her mind.
This wasn’t good.
He needed to pull himself together. Maybe it was best to see her from a distance. Avoid getting too attached. After all, he had no idea who she was.
‘Just Isabel’ was not someone to be trusted…yet.
Chapter 15
Elle
Elle didn’t mind a busy work day. She was grateful for how motivated and eager everyone had become since Dean and Starr’s announcement to get with it or get out. All of a sudden, every minute of the day counted. There was no longer any idle coffee chat; no one commenting on other’s plans. Well everyone except for Bobby, who still believed he was untouchable. And maybe the worthless wo
nder was.
But she needed to focus now. She pulled up a long list of connections from when she worked at Brightman. Surely they’d all heard that the great Ronald Brightman folded after twenty long and hard working years— having built an empire from nothing and becoming one of the fastest growing names in the industry, with the largest staff and most well-known clients. How he got himself into a state he couldn’t get out of was beyond her.
She’d drafted a crafty professional email with a slight personal touch to each of her contacts that typically held annual winter or holiday events. She only needed to solidify one, after all.
This was definitely not Elle. Not the one she knew herself to be. Elle could juggle effortlessly more than one big project at a time.
She thought of Scott, and immediately buried her head in her hands. Rubbing her temples at how odd that whole thing turned out to be. She tried to convince herself she didn’t have an amazing time with an incredible guy, who happened to also be sexy as sin. Of course she’d found a way to screw it up before it even began.
“Stressed for a profit event?” Mimi whispered, pulling her chair behind Elle’s.
Elle popped her head up and just knew she looked hopeless. “Huh? Oh. No. I’m not concerned. How’s your search going?”
“Oh terrific, can’t you hear my phone ringing off the hook?”
Elle shrugged. “I’m happy to help if you need it.” she grinned and swirled in her chair back to her computer.
“Hey if you’re looking to share some ideas, you should come to the ‘planned perfection’ meeting we have twice a month here. We just kind of brainstorm off each other and help with gaps. It’s kind of like a workshop that Starr hosts, but I swear, it's just another way for her to keep track of what we’re working on.”
“Oh Starr did forward me the invite for that. It’s tomorrow right?” Elle clicked on her calendar.
Mimi pushed her chair back toward Elle. “So about that guy you were thinking about?”
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