by Tamie Dearen
He grunted in response. It was obviously too late to fix Katie, but he’d do better with Ms. Best. “Let me see that reservation list...”
*****
The cameras flashed as Gherring exited the limousine. He held out his hand to Alicia. She placed her manicured fingers in his palm and rose gracefully from the seat, smiling at the press and waving her unfettered hand. Her dark hair glistened in the streetlights, falling down over a low-backed evening dress with a high side-slit. The black dress, accented with beads and sequins, fell in smooth waves from a ruching on the side opposite the slit. She was striking and sophisticated, and garnered attention seemingly without effort. But effort was involved. Every move and every look was calculated for greatest effect. Her rise in the polls was impressive, due in some part to her recent association with Steven Gherring.
As she took his elbow to saunter into the fundraiser, he felt her soft warmth against his arm. He watched her scan the room as they entered and couldn’t help but admire her ability to make an impression. They chatted with the mayor and his wife and other city officials who were seated at their table. While the speaker was discussing federal funding of city projects, Gherring let his mind wander.
He examined Alicia’s profile. Her skin was a warm caramel color, and her lips were full. But his mind drifted to another image. Anne’s undecorated face, fresh clean skin with a few visible freckles, and two large pink spots that appeared when she blushed. He couldn’t help but compare Alicia to Anne, although no two women could be more different. Where Alicia was a master at showmanship, Anne possessed no ability whatsoever to hide her emotions. Every thought and feeling was plainly written on her face. As a single woman of thirty-two, Alicia was an experienced seductress, skilled and accomplished in attracting men. Anne was forty-five years of age, a widow, and a mother of two. Yet she had an aura of innocence and purity, and appeared to be distinctly unaffected. Alicia knew exactly who Steven Gherring was, and admittedly valued him for his power and influence. But when he’d met Anne, she’d had no inkling of his identity, nor the magnitude of his wealth. Yet she’d been unable to hide the flash of attraction in her eyes.
At least he hoped that was what he’d seen burning in those liquid brown pools. He could still picture her as she turned to glare at him in anger. How her soft lips opened in surprise when their eyes met, producing an instant magnetism. How her breathing became shallow and her skin flushed with heat. If only she hadn’t been so nervous, so innocent, so unworldly, he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless. The desire had been almost overwhelming. No one had affected him so strongly in years. Or had anyone ever affected him like that?
Two weeks, and she would be in New York. Living in his apartment building. Working with him every day. But he would have to court her carefully. She seemed fragile. Not her personality, for she was strong and confident. In fact, she might be a bit too confident. He chuckled at the memory of her outbursts. But he could tell she was frightened by her attraction for him.
Then an alarming thought came to his mind. What if he was wrong? What if he’d misinterpreted her reactions? What if she was trembling with repulsion instead of passion? Perhaps he was too aggressive for her.
No… No, he was certain he’d been correct. She’d felt the same attraction he had. But he was sure she’d deny it, hide it, and tamp it down. Yes, he would have to play the game carefully, but he was confident he would win. He always won.
“What are you smiling about?” Alicia asked him.
With a start, he realized the speech was over. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked what you were smiling about. You were staring at me.” She leaned in close to him, intentionally allowing him a closer view of her décolletage. “I’m hoping you were thinking about what might come after dinner tonight.” She smiled suggestively. “I’m still rising in the polls, and I feel like celebrating.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to call it an evening early tonight. I have a really long training run planned for tomorrow morning.”
She let her lower lip push outward. “But surely you could do that later in the day. Besides, I think I could give you a real workout. You might not need that run in the morning.”
“Alicia. It’s an enticing offer. But—”
“You’re not interested, are you? You’re not interested at all!” Her eyebrows flew up. “Something’s changed since last Saturday. Who is she?”
“What? Nobody—there’s no one else.”
“I don’t believe you. Last week you were beginning to warm up to the idea. Either someone has told you some lie about me, or you’ve met someone.”
“No, really. Nothing’s changed. I’m just tired.”
“Just tired? Really?” Her voice was full of doubt. “Then we’re on for next weekend?”
“Uhmm... No. I think I’ll go back to being single. You can play it however you want to the press.”
“I think I’ll just tell them the truth,” she said.
“What’s that?” he asked, warily.
“That I couldn’t stay with you when I knew you were in love with someone else.”
“I’m not in love with her. I only just met her.”
“Ahhh,” Alicia said, smiling smugly. “I knew it.”
He covered his face with his hands, groaning at his indiscretion, but Alicia laughed.
“Don’t worry, Steven. Your secret’s safe with me. I owe you one. I got a free boost in my ratings, even though you did a number on my ego.”
“Seriously, Alicia. Any man would be crazy to turn you down.”
She chuckled as she rose from her chair. “I’m just teasing. My ego’s fine.” She bent to kiss him on the cheek—a gentle, sisterly kiss. Then she moved her lips to whisper in his ear.
“I’ll be around in case she turns you down.”
And she was gone.
As Steven walked alone to his waiting limousine, the cameras flashed and a reporter stuck a microphone in his face.
“Mr. Gherring. You arrived with Alicia Esparza tonight. But now you’re leaving without her. Does that mean the two of you are no longer dating?”
“That’s correct. We’re not dating.” He started to duck into the door of his car, but the reporter pressed him further.
“Mr. Gherring. It’s going to be quite a contest. Who do you think will win the race?”
He imagined the upcoming arrival of his new personal executive assistant, and couldn’t suppress a grin.
“I will!”
From the Author
I hope you enjoyed this short peek into the mind of Steven Gherring. Read on for a preview of Her Best Match, now free. It includes the entire job interview from Anne’s perspective!
Her Best Match
(Excerpt)
Chapter One - Interview
Anne tried vainly to stop her knees from trembling, pushing on her legs with her hands. But her hands were shaking, too. Was it because the reception area was too cold? Or was it because her rivals were too intimidating? She shivered in her short-sleeved beige cotton blouse and straight brown linen skirt as she glanced around, sizing up the competition. What was she thinking when she agreed to this interview? She didn’t really stand a chance of landing this job. The room was filled with twenty-somethings. Nine other women and two men were vying for the same executive assistant position. Without exception, the other applicants were impeccably dressed in smart business attire and carrying leather attachés that stored their MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones. Somehow each one looked beautiful and confident, as if stepping out of the pages of some style magazine.
She attempted to smooth her skirt, hopelessly creased from the long cab ride across Manhattan. Why had she chosen to wear linen, knowing how badly it wrinkled? But she knew the answer. When the recruiter called about an interview in two days’ time, she’d packed hurriedly, throwing in every skirt she owned—a total of three. Only after arriving at the hotel in New York, two hours before her appointmen
t did she realize that only one skirt still fit her. And that one only barely.
For the fifteen years since her husband died in an accident with a drunk driver, Anne Best had thrown herself into raising her two daughters. But once both daughters were out of the house and independent, she discovered she’d lost interest in ordinary activities. Activities like eating and shopping. So she had no alternative but to wear the linen skirt, which hung loosely on her hips and fell to an unflattering length just below her knees.
She tried to look nonchalant while grabbing the yellow legal pad that was slipping from her lap. But when the pencil slipped from the pages of the pad and rolled across the floor, she cringed at the disdainful glances directed her way. Why didn’t she have some sort of briefcase like the others? To one particularly haughty glare, she returned a scalding look like she would give a misbehaving child in public. The girl gasped and quickly averted her eyes.
At two o’clock on the dot, a pair of large carved wooden double-doors swung open and a secretary invited the first candidate to enter the inner sanctum. The beautiful blonde’s three-inch heels clicked on the marble as she strode confidently into the interview. From her manicured nails to her elegantly stylish coif and vogue skirt suit, she looked flawless, and Anne hated her. Well, maybe she didn’t exactly hate her, but she hated how old and frumpy she felt in comparison. Children! They were all just children! Of course they looked beautiful and perfect and firm everywhere. It wasn’t fair—they didn’t even have to try. Just wait until they’d been through real life for another twenty years. It was disheartening to realize her age, forty-five, made her old enough to have parented all the other candidates.
Anne pushed a stray hair behind her ear. She knew there were a few grays peeking through, but she’d never been bothered enough to start coloring the brown unruly masses that fell just past her shoulders when not confined to their usual barrette. She’d always thought her hair was one of her best features, but she felt outclassed as she compared her ten-dollar Supercut to the fashionable hairstyles that graced her challengers.
Yet again, she inwardly berated herself for even applying for this job. She had a home and a job in the small Texas town where she and Tom had settled after graduating from college. Granted, her job of fifteen years at the small travel agency provided little challenge. But she’d been happy enough working part-time while raising two daughters. Though now Tom was gone and both daughters had moved away from home permanently, there was little to hold her in Weatherford.
Since the girls left, she’d gone through the motions of life like a robot, not caring much about anything. Then recently, her old college roommate started bugging her to try something new, change jobs, make a move. Anne realized she could do something different with her life. And different sounded really good to her. So when the recruiter called at the last minute about this job interview in New York City, she decided she had nothing to lose. In the face of her competitors, however, she determined she’d lost something after all—her courage.
She startled as the wooden doors opened and Miss Clickety-Stilettos exited the room with her still self-assured smile. Another applicant was called into the office, leaving Anne in nervous contemplation. What was her potential boss like? Was he younger than she was? Would he scoff at the idea of hiring someone her age? What kind of questions would he ask? She wished fervently she’d studied the information in the email links she’d received from the recruiter. She’d assumed she didn’t have a real chance of being hired, only coming on the interview as a lark. A chance to visit New York City! Now she regretted putting so little effort into preparation. She stared at her ragged fingernails to avoid the sight of the other too-perfect interviewees sitting across the reception area. Time dragged as one Barbie or Ken after another marched in to their meetings.
Finally, she was alone in the room. The previous interview had been over for a full ten minutes. Had they forgotten about her? Maybe her name wasn’t even on their list. Maybe they didn’t even realize she was out here. Had they already given the job to one of the others? Should she go and knock on the door? Or should she simply leave quietly? She considered herself a confident person, but this whole New York City interview experience was way out of her comfort zone. She’d even practiced speaking without a Texas accent, but her determined efforts had only produced snickers from her older neighbor, Minnie. That hadn’t stopped her from encouraging Anne to go to New York City.
“Oh honey,” she’d said. “This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ve got to go!”
Suddenly the doors opened, and a deep stern voice spoke her name.
“Ms. Best!”
The voice resounded in her head. She stood up quickly and gathered her mettle. She maintained her composure despite a racing heart as she quietly entered through the foreboding doors. Ah, at least she wouldn’t be alone for the interview. She noted a petite young woman pouring coffee for the man bending over the contents of the file on his desk in intense concentration. She could only see the top of his head since he didn’t bother to look up when she entered. She waited quietly, studying his thick dark hair, peppered with grey. Anne threw a questioning look to the woman when the man continued to ignore her presence.
She offered a kind smile and indicated a chair opposite the desk.
“May I offer you some refreshments, Ms. Best? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
Anne was about to politely refuse and meekly take her seat, when the gentleman behind the desk spoke sternly.
“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Carson. Please, leave us alone.”
“Yes, Mr. Gherring,” she murmured, heading for the door.
Anne felt the blood pounding in her head. She might not have any chance of being hired for this job in the face of her young, sleek competitors, but she would be treated with respect. She turned to stop the woman who was leaving the room.
“Wait! Uhmm… Ms. Carson? Please wait. Yes, thank you, I would love some water.”
Anne stared fixedly at the startled woman, who froze in place, and glanced hesitantly from her boss to Anne and back to her boss again. Silence hung like ice in the room. She felt his eyes boring into the back of her head.
“Well, Ms. Carson, what are you waiting for?” asked the man in a sarcastic voice. “Please retrieve some water at once for our honored patron, Ms. Pest.”
Anne swirled around to face the man behind the desk, who now gave her his full attention.
“My name is Anne Best, and I can see this interview is a waste of my time and a waste of your resources. Sorry to have inconvenienced you!”
Anne shook with fury as she glared at Gherring, but it wasn’t rage that took her breath away. The man was striking! He wasn’t cute or handsome like a young, smooth-faced jock. His face seemed chiseled, and his jaw was strong. He had dimples that appeared as he flexed his jaw, without a hint of a smile on his face. He was the kind of guy whose looks only improved with age, and he’d obviously started off really well. How old was he? Maybe late forties or early fifties? He regarded her quietly with his intensely blue eyes. She kicked herself inwardly. How could she be attracted to this boorish, obnoxious man? He obviously felt his position of power gave him the right to treat others any way he pleased. Yet she felt tingly all over as he slowly perused her from head to toe.
Suddenly acutely aware of her rumpled, sub-standard appearance, her strange combination of vehemence and attraction was quickly replaced with acute embarrassment. She dropped her eyes and fumbled with her purse and legal pad as she began to slink out of the room, blinking back tears.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she mumbled. “It was a mistake to come—”
“Wait!” demanded Gherring as she attempted to push past the assistant who was still frozen in shock. “I said, wait!” commanded the voice.
Anne hesitated a moment and glanced over her shoulder.
“Please!” he said, somehow having arrived right behind her. “I meant to say… please wait.” He lowered his voice and spoke soothing
ly. “Please, Ms. Best, would you come back and sit down? I’ve obviously started off on the wrong foot with you. I’ve given you a bad impression.”
He gently guided her to the interview chair, and motioned for the assistant to bring the water. He wore a satisfied smile as he sat back down, noticeably more comfortable as he gained control of the situation. “And you’ve given me an interesting impression as well.”
Anne felt anything but in control. Abruptly dry-eyed, she noticed a tingle where he’d touched her elbow. Experiencing a bit of light-headedness, she smiled gratefully as Ms. Carson handed her a glass of water. She took a sip and tried to control her shaking hands.
“Shall we begin again?” he inquired in a polite voice, clearly a bit bemused at the situation. “Do you know who I am, Ms. Best? Let me introduce myself. I’m Steven Gherring. I’ll be interviewing you today for the position of my personal executive assistant.”
He was staring at her, waiting. What did he expect? How was she supposed to react to his revelation? She forced a grim smile and stuck out her hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Gherring. My name is Anne Best.”
He seemed disappointed in her response.
“Perhaps you’ve heard my name before.”
She shook her head. It sounded familiar. Where had she heard the name before?
“Well, I’m sure you know of my company, Gherring Inc.?”
“Do y’all make car parts?” she asked hopefully.
He sighed. “No, I’m afraid not. We’re an international trade company with holdings… You mean you really have no idea who I am? No idea at all?”
“Well, no. I’m sorry. The recruiter just said y’all were in the Town Center Economic Tower, on the top floor.”
“Yes,” he said, shaking his head with obvious exasperation. “That’s because we, or I, own the tower. I’m the chairman of Gherring Inc.” He sat back as if waiting for the information to sink in.
