Perfect Fit

by Brenda Jackson

  So here he was, fighting an attraction for a woman that he didn’t want to become involved with. He wouldn’t balk at the opportunity to get to know her better if he was certain that she wasn’t on the rebound.

  Yet he couldn’t stop the pounding in the center of his chest when he reached her table. He had thought of her often—although he hadn’t wanted to. But she would not get next to him, he assured himself. They were associates who worked together and nothing more. The only time they had spent together had been for strictly business reasons. And no matter how much he wanted her, that would be the way things stayed.

  “Sage.”

  “Gabe. How are you?”

  He shrugged, taking the chair across from her. “That depends on you. I understand you met with John Landmark this morning and suggested an idea that may cause a delay in the completion of Eden.”

  Sage swallowed. Gabe hadn’t wasted any time and had gone directly into the reason for their meeting. For that she should have been grateful and not feeling an unexplainable loss. “Yes,” she said, trying to put a level of excitement into her voice, although she definitely sensed his displeasure. “Did he tell you about it?”

  Gabe nodded, not taking his gaze off hers. “Yes, he told me about the dinner theater.”

  She smiled wryly, hoping some of her seemingly good mood would rub off on him. “So, what do you think?”

  “I think your company dropped the ball, and now they’ve picked a hell of a fine time to decide that this is what Eden needs. Something like that should have been discussed in the planning stages and not after my men have laid the foundation to begin work.”

  Sage nodded, knowing he was partly right. The individuals who had been part of the Denmark marketing team to submit the original proposal hadn’t necessarily dropped the ball by not coming up with the idea of the dinner theater, but they had lacked the vision she had for Eden. As a way to put her troubles behind her, she had immediately become enmeshed in the project as soon as she’d been selected to come to Anchorage. The key was to not make Eden comparable to the other resorts she had visited, but to make it better. There were many other ideas she and her team had come up with, but the one involving the theater was the only one that entailed major structural changes.

  “Does it matter at this point, Gabe? I think the most important thing is to do whatever it will take to make Eden the ski resort all of us want it to be. I’m not willing to settle for second best. I want the best. And I think that you do, too. I’ve visited other ski resorts and seen some of the things they lack. Those are the things I want for Eden.”

  Sage stopped talking when a waiter came up to see if Gabe wanted something to drink. He declined anything. When the waiter walked off, Gabe leaned back in his chair. “That’s all well and good, Sage, but did you give any consideration to my work crew?”

  Sage lifted a brow bemusedly. “Your work crew?”

  “Yes. What your company is proposing will result in my men staying in Anchorage longer than scheduled, possibly four to six weeks longer. Some, but not all, brought their families with them. What about those that didn’t? They are as anxious to get back to their loved ones as the next person … except maybe for you.”

  Sage flinched. “What are you trying to say?” she asked in quiet anger, knowing she’d been a target and his words a direct hit.

  Gabe leaned in close so only she could hear his words. “I don’t know what happened between you and your fiancé, and frankly, I don’t give a damn, since chances are the two of you will eventually kiss and make up. But I do care that you are using your move to Anchorage to give the guy a chance to miss you and straighten up and fly right. My men didn’t come to Anchorage to escape their problems. They have a job to do, and they also have people they’re eager to return home to. I personally don’t appreciate you not considering them with your whim to make your fiancé suffer by deliberately finding ways to extend your stay in Anchorage.”

  Sage struggled to fight back the tears that weighed heavily in the back of her eyes. How dare he say such things to her. How dare he question her work ethics! “You think you have me and my situation all figured out, don’t you? Well, you’re so totally wrong about the situation involving my ex-fiancé and me, especially the notion of us getting back together, that it’s pathetic. It’s also none of your business.” She stood after throwing enough money on the table to cover the cost of the two cups of coffee she’d consumed.

  “But then, I should have expected something like this from you. After all, you’re a man. As far as I’m concerned this meeting is over.” With that, she picked up her purse and walked out of the restaurant.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Gabe rested his head against the seat of his car with his gaze fixed on the building across the street, the one the Denmark Group was leasing. For the first time in two weeks it had not snowed. There was a brisk coldness in the air, but the sky was clear.

  He sighed deeply, knowing he owed Sage an apology. A big apology. He never should have said those things to her and had to make amends for his unprofessional behavior. His attitude had been the worst it had ever been, and he knew for him the issue wasn’t just about the theater. The plain yet not so simple fact was that he was attracted to her—although he didn’t want to be—and that had been one of the reasons for his grumpy mood. And to make matters worse, after he had thought more rationally about what she’d been proposing, he agreed that adding that dinner theater would be a good idea.

  He’d also thought about the harsh words she had spoken about expecting a certain behavior from him because he was a man. Her fiancé must have really done a number on her for her to have such an attitude.

  He was about to open the car door and walk across the street to her office when his cell phone rang. “Hello.”

  “Gabe, I got your message to call. What’s up?”

  Gabe’s lips curled into a smile as he settled back into his seat upon hearing Christopher’s voice. “Nothing much, but I just wanted to apprise you of a possible change in the layout of a few of the buildings for Eden.”

  “All right.”

  As briefly as he could, he told Christopher of the changes the Denmark Group suggested regarding the theater.

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Christopher said seriously. “I always thought the Landmark Project had more potential than what the original marketing team had come up with. Their ideas were good, but I had expected better, especially with all the money John Landmark is putting into the resort. He doesn’t want it comparable to the other ski resorts; he wants it better. And as far as our work crew goes, they won’t have to start the next project for thirty days after completing this one, so they’ll be okay.” A few moments later he asked, “Who is the person that came up with the idea for the dinner theater?”

  Gabe heaved a gut-deep sigh. “Someone the Denmark Group sent as the marketing manager, a woman by the name of Sage Dunbar.”

  “Oh, yes, Sage Dunbar?”

  Gabe raised a brow. “You remember her?”

  Christopher chuckled. “Yes, from that meeting over six months ago. And I also remember that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her. She was quite a looker.”

  Gabe frowned and blew out a frustrated stream of breath. He was actually feeling jealous. “Need I remind you that you’re a married man?”

  “No, and trust me, there’s no way I’ll forget my marital status. Maxi is all the woman I’ll ever need and want.” He chuckled. “And all the woman that I can possibly handle. I can’t imagine my life without her. I was mainly asking about this Sage character for you.”

  “For me?”

  “Yes. You may as well know that Ma Joella has elicited my help in finding you a wife.”

  Gabe’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Thanks for the warning.”

  “You’re welcome. And just so you’ll know, she wants Maxi to introduce you to her cousin Fannie Mae from Blakely, Georgia. She’s twenty-eight, been married twice and has four children.”

/>   Gabe cringed. “Tell Maxi not to bother.”

  Christopher’s laughter echoed through the phone before he said, “I did.”

  “Can’t say that I’m surprised by Blackwell’s attitude,” Malcolm said, tucking papers into his briefcase, ready to call it a day like the rest of the team had done earlier. Sage had just told him what he felt was an abbreviated version of what had happened at lunch. He knew she wasn’t telling him everything that was said, but decided not to dwell on it since he was sure she had her reasons.

  “Well, I can’t accept it,” Sage said in an irritated voice. “I would never do anything that would deliberately keep his men from returning to their families.”

  “Well, deliberate or not, you will be keeping them from going home when they anticipated, and I guess Blackwell, being the considerate, compassionate and trustworthy employer that he is, felt he had a right to speak out about it.”

  Sage lifted a brow. “And what makes you think he’s a considerate, compassionate and trustworthy employer?”

  Malcolm shrugged. “Just repeating what I’ve heard. His men like and respect him. They also trust that he and Chandler will make the right decisions about anything involving them.”

  “Well, I don’t like being accused of being devious for my personal gain.”

  Malcolm nodded. “Don’t lose any sleep over it. And with that last bit of advice, I’m out of here. Leanne and I have made plans to go out for dinner since the weather is nice for a change. There’s no telling how it might be tomorrow. Don’t hang around here too late. And try not to take Blackwell’s attitude personally. It’s all about business.” He picked up his briefcase and said, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “All right. I plan to leave as soon as I finish coming up with some more ideas for this brochure. Drive carefully.”

  After Malcolm had left, she thought about his suggestion of not taking Gabe’s words personally. The thing about it was she had. She hadn’t told Malcolm everything he’d said, especially his reference to Erol. It bothered her that Gabe would question her motives, and to tie Erol to it was unthinkable. He had crossed the boundaries of business etiquette when he’d attacked her personal life. In essence, he didn’t trust her to be fair in her dealings with his company, and for a person who put a lot of stock in an individual’s trustworthiness, the mere fact that he questioned hers didn’t sit too well.

  A few moments later Sage was studying the design of a brochure she was working on for Eden when she heard the door open and close. Thinking it was Malcolm returning, she didn’t bother looking up. “Back already? Did you forget something?”

  “No, I didn’t forget to bring my manners this time.”

  Sage snatched her head up at the sound of the deep, masculine voice. Her eyes met those of Gabe Blackwell and visibly bristled when she remembered all the things he had said to her earlier that day. “What are you doing here, Gabe?”

  “I came by to apologize for my behavior at lunch. I was completely out of line.”

  Sage was surprised by his apology. “You had no right to say those things,” she said curtly, remembering his words.

  “Yes, you’re right. But when it comes to my men, I tend to get somewhat protective. I know the sacrifices a lot of them made coming here, and I want to make sure they spend as little time away from their families as possible. But I do think that what you’re proposing is a good idea, and I would like to take a closer look at it to see how much time we’ll have to extend our stay here if any.”

  Sage lifted a brow. Why was he being so cooperative all of a sudden? A part of her also wondered if she could trust his motives. What if he had gone to John Landmark asking that she be replaced? She sighed deeply, knowing that she had to stop questioning and dissecting everything. She was beginning to let her personal hang-ups flow into the business aspect of her life, and that wasn’t healthy. Nor did it make good business sense to be one of those people who brought their personal problems to work. It was in her best interest to try and get along with Gabe Blackwell on a business level. She didn’t have to deal with him at all on a personal one.

  “Could you at least explain to me why you questioned my work ethics and my trustworthiness as one of your business associates?” she asked.

  He met the glare in her eyes. “Maybe for the same reason that you distrusted me because I’m a man, Sage. I think the best thing for us to do is to put aside whatever hang-ups and differences we have. And the only excuse I can present for my earlier behavior is that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” he said as a wry smile touched his lips. Especially when I opened my eyes and discovered it had all been a dream and you weren’t in bed with me after all, he thought further.

  Deciding to accept his apology, Sage allowed the corners of her mouth to lift into a smile. “The wrong side of the bed, uh?”

  Sage’s smile actually made Gabe feel better, less the heel. A slow, reciprocating smile curved his lips. “Yes, the wrong side of the bed. Can you imagine such a thing?”

  Sage grinned, remembering her mood swings a few months ago when any male had tried getting too close. She had been quick to lash out at them with her tongue, which had been so unlike her. “Yes, I can imagine it since I’ve awakened on that same side a few times myself.” After a brief few moments, she said, “And I accept your apology.”

  Gabe’s tensed body relaxed with her acceptance of his apology. “Thanks, I appreciate it. And while I’m here, I’d like to take a look at your proposal to see just how much work might have to go into it. I’ll also need to make arrangements for you to speak with Parnell after the architect has revised his plans.”

  Sage relaxed, glad he was willing to work with her. “All right.”

  “Were you about to leave?” Gabe asked, noticing the blinds had been pulled down, and her coat and purse were placed across her desk.

  “Yes, but that’s okay. I’m eager to show you what I have. There’s nothing waiting at home for me but a can of soup and a sandwich anyway.”

  Gabe chuckled. “Sounds like you have more waiting at home for you than I do for me. Trust me when I say that my cupboards are bare.” He paused and leaned against the wall. “After we finish up here, how about having dinner with me?”

  He held her stare, and Sage felt a torrent of warm sensations seeping through her limbs. To associate with him other than for business was not a good idea. She knew it, but a part of her felt some sort of pull toward him, and it didn’t help matters that an irresistible smile creased the corners of his mouth.

  “Dinner?” she asked, to make sure she’d heard him correctly.

  “Yes, that thing we’ll probably get deprived of if we go home, since our options don’t seem too bright.” His smile widened. “Besides, today should be one to celebrate.”

  Sage lifted a brow. “Celebrate what?”

  “No snow.”

  Sage couldn’t help but laugh, and then against her better judgment, she said, “All right, you’ve convinced me that there’s a reason to celebrate. I’d love to have dinner with you after we finish up here.”

  Gabe thought of the last time that she had laughed with him, nearly a month ago over a business dinner. He had liked the sound then, and he liked it now. He felt a ripple of uneasiness at the thought. “Good, then let’s begin.”

  Sage’s stomach twisted, and she nervously twined her fingers together. She swallowed tightly when Gabe met her gaze across the table and decided that she couldn’t take it anymore. He’d said he would give her his opinion of everything over dinner.

  “Well, what did you think?” she asked anxiously, unable to hold back any longer. Not only had she given him her thoughts on the theater, but she’d also given him a rundown of her other ideas.

  Gabe leaned back in his chair, smiling. “The theater will be the most costly, but depending on how the architect redesigns the interior, it’s workable, and like I said earlier, I see a great benefit to what you have in mind. My only concern is the extra time nee
ded to complete the job, and we won’t know that until the architect draws up revised plans.”

  Sage nodded, was silent for a moment, then said softly, “About what you said today at lunch, about me deliberately prolonging time to stay here in Anchorage.”

  Gabe’s breath snagged as he remembered what he’d said, what he had accused her of. “I was out of line,” he said, regretting the words he had spoken earlier that day to her. Even if he had thought she had an ulterior motive for wanting to include the theater at this late date, he had no right to tell her that. “I had no right to say what I did,” he added.

  “Yes, but evidently you felt there was credence in what you thought or you would not have said it. What makes you think that I’m here pining away for my fiancé?”

  As much as it bothered him to discuss this topic of conversation with her, he figured he had brought it on himself by accusing her of anything in the first place. He inhaled deeply as he met her inquisitive gaze. “I guess to me it made perfect sense. When I met you a little over six months ago, you were happy over the entire idea of getting married, and it was plain to see you really cared for the guy. Therefore, it stands to reason that whatever happened between the two of you is something that can possibly work out, and the cliché ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ may apply.”