by Sindee Lynn
That dimple was back and the gleam in her eyes said pure mischief. Dylan shook his head. Had he been that obvious or was this woman just that damned astute? He got the impression it was the latter. He bet not much got pass this one.
“Okay I’m busted. I didn’t just randomly pick your table out of all the others,” he said a sheepish look on his face.
“Now we’re getting somewhere. So, who are you? And why are you drooling over one of my friends?” she asked leaning back in her chair. Her look said she fully expected him to explain himself.
“You see there’s a very good reason for that. I work with her.”
At her raised eyebrow, he remembered she’d been at the table with several females.
“I work with Sasha,” he clarified.
“Okay that takes care of which friend. Now how about the who are you part?”
Though she maintained a relaxed posture in the chair, Dylan saw a wariness come into her eyes. He liked that she was protective of her friends.
“Dylan Matthews,” he said extending his hand to shake hers. “And you are?”
Dylan didn’t miss the look of recognition that flashed through her eyes at the mention of his name. He wondered what reference she recalled his name mentioned. For his sake he hoped it was something good.
“Caitlyn McPherson,” she said shaking his hand.
She had a firm grip.
“Well it’s nice to meet you Caitlyn.”
“So what’s the deal with you and Sasha?”
Suspicion laced her voice and the wariness in her gaze hadn't changed. Even though he now felt as if he were under a microscope, he liked her straightforwardness.
“Honestly?” he asked.
Her look answered the question better than any words could have. He found himself liking her even more.
“Nothing is the deal with Sasha and me. But I’d like to change that if I can. As a matter of fact, I’d like for there to be lots between us.”
***
Cat just sat there staring at Dylan Matthews as if he’d just grown three heads. She’d thought she recognized him as soon as he’d turned around. The disappointment she’d seen flash across his face before his smile had returned served only to peak her curiosity of why a man like him would be in Murphy’s ordering drinks for a group of black women. Well she guessed she had her answer now.
Sasha had caught the eye of a man who had been declared one of Chicago’s Most Eligible Bachelors, for the last three years, and she hadn't told any of them. No wonder she was spaced out tonight. Hell if any man could make a girl rethink some things it had to be the one sitting across from her.
Of all of their friends Sasha had always given her the most grief over her dating habits. Now look at her. She was mooning over a white man. She covered her mouth to try and stop the giggle but it refused to be contained. Before she knew it she was laughing in earnest. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She reached for a napkin to wipe them away. It was a good thing she hadn't bothered with mascara tonight. The inane thought made her laugh harder.
When she noticed Dylan frowning Cat made a real effort to stop, but every time she thought of Sasha with a white man she felt the giggles bubble up again.
“I’m sorry,” she said trying to catch her breath. “But you have to know Sasha to know how funny this is.”
A look of determination entered Dylan’s blue gaze. Here was a man on a mission. Any further laughter died in her throat.
“Ok,” she said clearing her throat and straightening in her chair. “You’re determined, I can see that. But if I were to say to you that you have no chance in hell of getting her to even consider anything personal, you would say what to me?”
His gaze hardened for just a moment. Alrighty then, Cat thought. She liked him. And maybe just maybe it could work.
“Okay I can see you're serious about this,” she said holding up her hand when he opened his mouth to speak.
Decisions. Decisions. To meddle or not to meddle that is the question.
“Listen I’m sure you're used to dealing with a certain kind of woman,” she began.
“You're not gonna pull that never dated a black woman card are you,” Dylan asked.
Cat paused.
“Excuse me.”
He gave a deep exhale of breath.
“Look no I have never dated a black woman before. No I am not just looking for a new experience. And no, any other black woman will not do,” he said a bored expression on his face.
“You’ve obviously addressed this whole thing with Sasha huh.”
“Yes and it didn’t go well to put it mildly,” Dylan said running his hand down his face. A sign of weariness and frustration.
“I can probably tell you why.”
She paused again. Once she began there was no going back. If she confided in this man and things didn’t end up well, her bond with Sasha could be damaged beyond repair. She glanced over at her friend. It didn’t take her as long as she thought it would to make up her mind. If there was anyone in need of saving from themselves it was Sasha.
“You see Sasha has these rules for dating. A list she calls her “Rules for Love” and she takes it very seriously. In fact for her to even consider anything with you would break her number one rule. No dating outside her race,” she said glancing at him to see his reaction. A smile played around the corners of his mouth.
“You're kidding me right?”
“Nope unfortunately not. There are a few that might give you some problems, just in case the first one isn’t big enough. Like rule number five, no breaking any of these rules no matter how gorgeous the guy. So the way I figure it you're kinda in a catch 22. You're white and you're gorgeous.”
“This is a joke isn’t it? There is no way a sane and rational woman like Sasha could hope to abide by those rules. She’d have to be living in a bubble somewhere,” Dylan said disbelief clearly written on his face.
Cat grunted her agreement.
“That’s only two of the five rules. You don’t get a break with any of the others either. For example, rule number two – no mixing business with pleasure. Rule number three might give you a problem as well, but that’s only if you can get pass rules number one, two and five. No casual sex,” she said on a whisper.
You're not laughing now are you, she thought as she took in Dylan’s wide eyed expression.
“What’s number four? No kissing outside on your front porch if there’s a full moon?” he asked, a sarcastic twist to his lips.
“Close but no cigar. It’s no believing in fairy tales.”
Cat sat back in her chair, her legs crossed at the knee and waited. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he must be thinking. In her opinion he should get a date just for not running straight for the hills after hearing all five of those stupid ass rules. She shook her head as she recalled how many times she’d been regaled with them after yet another of Sasha’s relationships had ended. She could have told her why they never worked out. Her friend had the very bad habit of always going for the wrong guy and she put way too much thought into it all. Prime example Louis, the snooze from next door. Who said if you were a black woman you had to limit your choices to only black men? The way she figured it you had just cut your options for finding a good man by a good seventy percent.
Feeling his gaze upon her, Cat lifted her eyes to meet Dylan’s. A frown was creasing his brow but to his credit he was still sitting there. She saw the determined gleam was back within his blue gaze. His jaw was set. She’d shocked him but he was back on his feet. A smile took shape on her lips. Yeah she liked this one.
Chapter 7
Dylan shot a quick glance over at Sasha. What the hell was he about to get himself into? Or had he already gotten into because try as he might to deny it he was in for the long haul. Anything else was not an option. And apparently she was more complex than even he’d originally thought. Either that or she was crazy as hell. And further more what did it say about his own sanity to be considering mo
ving forward in his efforts to woo her?
“I’m not sure whether or not I should thank you for telling me why my chances are slim to none or not. In hindsight I think I would have preferred to remain in the dark.”
“What and continue to think you were loosing your knack with the women? No I couldn't do that to you.”
He tried to return her smile with one of his own but it didn’t quite make it. His brain still challenged the logic of the decision his body had made the instant Sasha had stepped onto that elevator a month ago.
“So I guess you’ll just have to continue to drool from afar.”
The question was clear. She wanted to know what he was going to do. Once more he found himself glancing in Sasha’s direction. The back of her head greeted him same as it had all evening. What he wouldn't have given for her to turn in his direction and give him a smile. Some kind of sign his efforts were not in vein. That he hadn't imagined the connection between them. But as much as he willed it she didn’t turn.
“You know when I interviewed Sasha I had no idea...”
Dylan paused when he noticed the surprised look on Cat’s face.
“When you interviewed Sasha? I thought her interview was with Michael Shaunessy, not the big money guy at Presco. Or did you get demoted and that failed to make the front page of the Chicago Tribune?”
Dylan’s loud bark of laughter had people turning in their direction. He didn’t even question how she knew of Michael Shaunessy or of his position with Presco. He’d pegged her as intelligent from the moment he’d turned to find her there and the longer he spoke to her the more she proved his point.
“Uh no. I have not been demoted. I am still CFO or the big money man of Presco as you put it. And I took over Sasha’s interview at the last minute when Michael got called away.”
“Okay time out,” she said making the sign with her hands.
“So you interviewed Sasha, she got the job. And then what? At some point between then and now you addressed your interest in her. And you got the whole I don’t do office relationships lecture or the I don’t date white men sermon.”
Oh she knew her friend well.
“Actually, I had the great pleasure of being on the receiving end of both of those.”
Cat laughed.
“I’m not surprised. Sasha doesn’t do very well when faced with things outside of her comfort zone. And I would have to say that you Mr. Matthews are way outside her comfort zone.”
“So she hasn’t said anything about me at all, eh? I don’t know how much more of this my ego can take,” he said putting on a pained expression for her benefit.
“Then maybe you should consider another woman. I’m pretty sure her intention when she left your office was to forget all about you. But I would hazard a guess to say you’ve been on her mind.” At Dylan’s raised eyebrow she explained.
“She’s been a little preoccupied lately. We all just assumed it was due to her neigh... her new job. But now I have to think it could be you.”
A look of disbelief passed across his face.
“She made her feelings pretty clear about not wanting to have anything outside of business between us.”
“Damn, that must have been some interview,” Cat said laughing again.
“Let’s just say it wasn’t your everyday run of the mill variety.”
He laughed himself as he recalled certain details of that day. The elevator scene had begun showing up in his dreams with a different ending each time. Though they all had something in common, he always got the girl.
“You were saying something about Sasha’s mood and she might be thinking about me. How can you be sure it’s me and not some other guy? Like perhaps this neighbor of hers?” Dylan asked with a wink, letting her know he had caught her faux pas from earlier.
She laughed good naturedly at being caught.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about him if I were you,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You’ve got tons more personality than he does. Not to mention you’re much better looking. And besides I like you.”
Her words gave his spirits a much needed boost. He wondered if all of Sasha’s friends were this cool.
“So you really want to do this?”
He knew exactly what she was asking him.
“Caitlyn, when I first met Sasha I felt something I haven’t felt in a long time towards a woman, a genuine interest in getting to know her better. And I know she felt something too, she’s just too stubborn to admit it. All I want is the opportunity to explore what we might have together. If it doesn’t work out then it wasn’t meant to be. But I just want the chance to find out.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and allowed his attention to be distracted by what was going on around him. He couldn't believe he’d just laid himself bare for this woman. How far the mighty had fallen? He never would have guessed that when he found a woman he really wanted to get to know it would be this difficult. Dylan glanced back in time to see a slow smile spread across his new friend’s face. Sure enough he had been correct in his initial assessment. She only had one dimple.
“My friends call me Cat,” she said smiling at him and stuck her hand out again.
His relief was unequaled and he gratefully accepted her hand and her help. Dylan lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss on the back of it, smiling his thanks. Things were definitely looking up.
***
Sasha’s heart stopped beating for a moment and her eyes got big as saucers. She jerked her gaze away from the scene and felt an odd sensation in the area of her heart. She fought the urge to rub her chest as the tingling spread. She didn’t want to examine what she was feeling. Well, she had been right after all. Dylan was definitely Cat’s type.
Chapter 8
“Sasha Jordan.”
“Ms. Jordan, Mr. Matthews would like to see you in his office at eleven forty-five,” came the no nonsense voice of Dylan’s secretary, Carla, on the other end of the phone line.
It was more like a command than a request.
“Do you know what it’s regarding?”
She didn’t think anything she was currently working on required a meeting with the CFO of the company. Not to mention the fact she really didn’t want to see him. Liar her body replied. Despite the way things had turned out on Friday she had still gone home and had the most erotic dreams of him. She’d woke Saturday morning feeling guilty. Had she and Cat ever lusted after the same guy before? Hmph doubtful.
“No I do not. Just make sure you're on time. Mr. Matthews hates tardiness.”
The line went dead.
“Yes sir.”
Leaning back in her chair she tried to think of any reason he would need to see her in his office. When she’d seen him in the coffee shop this morning as normal she had braced herself for the encounter. After all he and one of her best friends had made plenty nice on Friday night. She was certain he would approach her but she had been wrong. He had gotten his coffee quietly and left. Now that she thought back on it he looked to be deep in thought. Probably still thinking on the events of Friday night, she thought pushing herself to her feet. It sure as hell hadn't been far from her mind for the rest of the weekend. Once Cat had returned to the table they had left shortly after that for the club. The only thing she’d wanted to do at that point was go home but she’d done her best to act as if nothing was out of sorts with her. In doing so she’d over indulged and had a helluva hangover on Saturday. One so severe she didn’t fully come back to herself until Sunday. But even that had not been enough to stop the damn dreams. Pacing back and forth in front of her window, the thought of what Dylan could want continued to plague her. Certainly he couldn't be calling her in to talk about Cat.
“No way,” she said to her empty office.
That would be just plain tacky.
Thirty minutes later, on her way to Dylan’s office, she was still pondering the same issue. Memories of her first meeting with him, assailed her as she exited on h
is floor from the elevator. Sure she’d walked away that day with her dream job in hand but Dylan had offered her something more. He’d offered her an opportunity to step outside of her normal and for the first time she had actually wanted to accept the offer. But thank goodness her common sense had prevailed. Common sense or fear, a little voice questioned.
Seeing the desk outside his office empty, Sasha wondered where his watch dog was. She supposed it wasn’t a fair statement but every time she saw Carla she reminded her more and more of a bull dog. And did the woman have something against smiling. Maybe she didn’t have any teeth. That brought a giggle from her. When she glanced at her watch and saw she was now five minutes late for her meeting, all laughter died. Dammit she hated being late. Tapping her foot in agitation she glanced at the closed door to Dylan’s office. Maybe he was in there waiting for her. Her steps faltered as she moved towards the door. Taking a deep breath she knocked softly.
“Come in,” came the reply from the other side.
Dylan sat behind his massive desk, his head bent.
“Carla has Ms. Jordan arrived yet?”
“Yes I have.”
She tried to hide her pleasure at the look of shock on his face. But her smile wavered some at the slow once over he was now giving her as well as the smile lifting the corners of those full lips.
