Her lips tilted into a soft smile and Mason inwardly groaned. She had to figure out how wrong Thom was for her, he thought desperately. Otherwise, Mason’s heart was going to be broken. Along with Sophie’s. Because there was no doubt in his mind that Thom was a user and Sophie was just soft enough and vulnerable enough to let him.
“Wes doesn’t always put what’s on his mind into words, and that makes some people view him as a cold stuffed shirt. But he’s really fair minded. Dad is tough and expects everyone around him to be the same. But like I said before, there’s a softer side to him if you take the time to look.”
To have a father like Gerald Robinson was something Mason wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. He’d noticed that Sophie didn’t talk that much about her family, but whenever she did, he got the impression they weren’t exactly like the warm, fun-loving groups depicted on a 1950s sitcom. And given the scandals that had recently surrounded the Robinsons, he could certainly see why their family ties might be strained.
“When I left the building last night you were already gone,” he told her. “I was going to see how your interview with Ariana Lamonte went. I could tell you were dreading it.”
She was carefully clutching her cup and as Mason studied her dainty fingers, he tried to block out the image of Thom sliding an engagement ring onto her left hand.
“It wasn’t anything like I expected. She was much younger than I thought she would be. And clever. She certainly knows how to make a person talk. We chatted mostly about Robinson Tech and what made me decide to work for my father. And of course, she wanted to know my feelings about becoming a Fortune.” She sighed and shook back her long brown hair. “The woman should know that discovering your father—that you’re not really who you thought you were all these years—well, it’s something that can’t be described in words. It’s like the ground has tilted beneath my feet and still hasn’t righted itself.”
This was the most she’d ever mentioned to Mason about the scandal that had rocked Austin and the business world beyond. The fact that she would share this much with him made him feel special. It also made him want to comfort and reassure her.
Reaching over, he curled his fingers around her slender forearm. “Sophie, no one is accountable for the choices a relative makes. No matter how right or wrong those choices might be.”
She turned a rueful expression on him. “You’re right, Mason. It’s just that when you learn someone you love hasn’t been entirely truthful with you—it hurts. A lot.”
He gently squeezed her arm. “You can’t let it drag you down, Sophie.”
“I don’t intend to let it,” she said with conviction, then glanced at the clock. “I’d better get back to my desk.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to get back to work, too,” he said.
Moments later, while they were walking side by side down the busy corridor, Mason dared to ask, “So what do you plan to do about the hockey game?”
She slanted him a look from beneath her dark lashes. “I’m going to give him a weather forecast. He surely can’t think I’ve stirred up a weather storm just to avoid a date.”
Mason felt like letting out a loud whoop and making several triumphant fist pumps. Instead he tried to appear as cool as Agent 007 ordering a shaken martini. “He’d never think it in a million years.”
At the door of the human resources department, Mason was trying to think up some sort of excuse to see her later tonight, when she suddenly turned and swept him with a demure look.
“Valentine’s Day is less than a week away,” she said. “Do you have your special date lined up yet?”
He cleared his throat and for one reckless second considered the idea of asking her flat out to be his Valentine’s date. But she’d already made it clear she wanted to be with Thom on that special night. And Mason wasn’t good with rejection.
“Uh—no. Not yet. I’m still considering.”
She frowned at him. “Mason! If you don’t quit dragging your feet you’re going to end up spending Valentine’s alone. And no one should have to be alone on such a special night of love.”
“You’re right. I’m going to get my act together and show my lady love just how much I adore her.”
“Now you’re talking,” she said, then with a little wave, disappeared through the door.
His mind still on Sophie, he didn’t notice Thom until he’d crossed the corridor to his own department. By then, the other man was walking straight toward him and from the tight look on his face, he didn’t appear all that happy. Had he seen Mason and Sophie together?
“Hello, Nichols. You need to see someone in R&D?”
“Not exactly. I’m on my way out of the building. For a business luncheon across town.”
That was the way with the marketing personnel, Mason thought. They seemed to always get added perks. Especially Thom.
“Better take a coat. Bad weather is moving in,” he warned.
“Thanks for the advice, but I don’t like coats. Never wear one.”
Tough guy. Sure, Mason thought drily. If the truth was known, the man probably wore flannel pajamas and slept under an electric blanket.
“Suit yourself,” Mason said, then started to leave.
Thom moved just enough to one side to block Mason’s path.
With a smug grin, he said, “I thought you might like to know that Sophie and I are getting on great. In fact, I have a huge evening planned for Valentine’s night. The woman loves sports, but this time I’ve decided to surprise her and blitz her with an evening of pure romance.”
Mason suddenly felt ill. The hockey game hadn’t impressed her, but the romance would. What in hell was he going to do to stop this from happening? He had to come up with something. He couldn’t just sit around and hope that Sophie would get over this crush she had on Thom. He had to come up with a plan to ambush Sophie’s heart before Thom could ever get his hands on her.
His mind already preoccupied with options, he muttered, “Sophie will be thrilled, I’m sure.”
The grin on Thom’s face deepened. “Dinner at the Riverside restaurant, dancing, flowers—the works.”
At least he’d not mentioned a ring, Mason thought. But that would be coming soon, no doubt. If he was right, Thom would never let Sophie slip away. Not if he believed she’d be a boost to his bank account and career.
Mason glanced thoughtfully toward the entrance to Sophie’s department. She clearly didn’t want to go on a date with Thom tonight. Whether that was because she disliked hockey or something else, Mason wasn’t sure. But either way, the idea gave him a glimmer of hope.
Mason said, “Sounds look you’ve put a lot of thought into this Valentine evening for Sophie.”
“I’ve put more than a thought into it. I’ve already invested a small fortune in it. If this doesn’t make her swoon at my feet, then she’d have to be colder than a block of ice.”
Ice. Before the day was over, Mason prayed the stuff would fall from the sky in bucket loads. He didn’t want Sophie going anywhere for any reason with this man.
“Uh, speaking of ice,” he said casually, “did you know Austin is under a winter storm warning for sleet this evening?”
Thom looked stunned before muttering several curse words. “Are you kidding me?”
“I checked the weather site on my computer less than an hour ago. Isn’t it weird? We rarely ever have brutal weather like that. The weather gods must have it out for us.”
A tight grimace pulled his features. “Or me,” he muttered. “Excuse me, Montgomery. I need to go.”
“Have a nice lunch,” Mason called to the man’s retreating back, then whistling under his breath, he headed back to work.
*
Later that afternoon, Sophie had just finished speaking with Thom and was on her way out of marketing, when she heard a low hissing noise to her right.
Glancing over, she was surprised to see Olivia trying to draw her attention. Knowing she very well couldn’t avoid her sister, Sophie walked o
ver to her.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“I’m on my way back to programming,” Olivia replied. “Let’s step out in the corridor.”
Sophie followed her sister into the hall where they found a quiet alcove.
Olivia said, “I just saw you talking with Thom. He looked none too happy. Have you already called it quits with him?”
Sophie frowned. “What are you doing? Did you follow me here just to keep a watchful eye on me?”
Olivia shot her a droll look. “No. I had to confer with someone about advertising. But I should be following you, since you seem to have lost all common sense.”
Hoping the mix of emotions churning inside her didn’t show on her face, Sophie said, “I hate to disappoint you, but I can still think for myself. As for Thom, he’s not exactly your business but I’ll tell you anyway. He had this big evening planned to fly to Dallas tonight. I told him I couldn’t make it. I explained that Dad would have a fit if I boarded a small plane with the threat of an ice storm looming.”
“And Thom didn’t take it well, I see. Hmm. Sorry, sis, I take everything back. He’s the one lacking common sense. Not you.”
Sophie smiled at her. “Thanks. I can use my brain once in a while.”
As Olivia folded her arms against her chest Sophie thought how beautiful her sister looked in the lapis blue dress she was wearing and the way her dark hair waved so perfectly around her face. Olivia was always so poised and sure of herself. She would never get herself into an awkward situation with a man like Sophie had. Olivia was too smart for that. A fact which only made Sophie feel even more foolish.
Olivia asked, “What’s the deal anyway? Is flying to Dallas a bit much for the middle of the week?”
Sophie shrugged while wondering how much she could say to her sister without revealing the fact that she was quickly and decisively coming to the conclusion that Thom was a jerk. “Actually, I was thinking the same thing.” Leaning closer to Olivia, she lowered her voice. “When I first told you my plans to get Thom to be my Valentine’s date—”
“It was more than getting him as your date, Sophie,” Olivia interrupted. “The way you were talking, he was the man who was going to slip a wedding ring on your finger.”
Perhaps all that gushing she’d done about Thom to her sister had been a bit overboard. Funny, but most of what she’d said, she couldn’t even remember now. But at the time Sophie had truly believed she’d been mapping out her very future. Which only proved how quickly life could alter course.
“Okay, so maybe I was letting my dreams get a little out of hand. I’m walking on earth now. And I’ve been doing plenty of thinking these past few days.”
“About Thom?” Olivia prodded with a tad of sarcasm. “Or something more important?”
“About Thom and…other things.” Her expression turned sober as she looked at her sister. “Olivia, do you ever wonder about people? The ones who are supposed to be our friends? The ones who are supposed to love us? Sometimes I ask myself if they’re close to me simply because I’m me or because my name is Fortune Robinson.”
Olivia swatted a dismissive hand through the air. “That’s just a part of who we are. Sure, there will always be people who want to use us. But you don’t have to be rich to be used, you know. Even a poor woman can be taken advantage of by a man. That is what you’re thinking about, isn’t it? That Thom or some man might pretend he loves you just so he can get at your wealth?”
Now was hardly the time or place to be getting into such a conversation with her sister. But she couldn’t stop herself.
She nodded glumly. “There are times I wonder if I can trust anyone. I mean, we don’t even know if our parents are being honest with us.”
Olivia frowned. “Our parents,” she repeated blankly. “Everyone knows Dad has carried secrets, but you said ‘parents.’ Mom doesn’t have Dad’s deceptive ways.”
“Do you know that for certain?”
Olivia was shooting her a disgusted look when Olivia’s cell phone rang.
Sophie used the interruption to give her sister a departing wave, then scurried toward the elevator. She’d already said more to her sister than she should have.
Chapter Nine
Four days later, Sophie was sitting at her desk, wondering how she could finish the day when a smiling Mason suddenly strolled in carrying a foam container.
“What is that?” she asked, gesturing to the object in his hand. “It smells like food.”
He pulled up the extra chair she kept in her cubicle and sat a short distance away from her.
“It’s a snack. Just for you. I’ve been to Bernie’s.”
Excited now, she grabbed the container. “Bread pudding! Oh, you darling man!”
He pulled a plastic spoon from the pocket on his shirt and handed it to her.
“I stopped by to see if you wanted to have lunch, but your neighbor told me you were in a meeting with Dennis.”
Nodding, Sophie quickly dug into the rich sweet. “Mmm. That’s right. I haven’t even had a chance to eat lunch. We’ve been bombarded over this health insurance thing. I think Dennis and I have convinced Ben if he sticks with this new plan his employees are going to flee like rats on a sinking ship.”
Mason grunted with faint amusement. “I have no intentions of running out of the building. If I did that, how would I ever see your smiling face?”
He was so sweet and funny and endearing. And special. How had she worked near him for so long without noticing him? Why had she let Thom’s sexy grin and confident attitude turn her head when she should have been looking at a man she could trust?
She playfully wrinkled her nose at him. “I would never allow you to quit Robinson Tech. I’d be lonely without you. And hungry,” she added teasingly.
He glanced at a heart shaped box of candy lying on the far end of her desk. “Looks like you’ve already been given something to eat. Pecan pralines.”
She tried not to grimace. “Thom sent me the chocolates this morning. But I can’t eat them. I had already told him that I can’t eat nuts—especially pecans, but he seems to have forgotten.” Or never bothered to pay attention to her in the first place, she thought drearily. Since she’d turned down the Dallas date, Thom had started leaving little gifts on her desk, along with silly little notes that sounded as phony as a three dollar bill. Like she was the only woman he’d ever fallen for, or wanted so much. Who was the man trying to fool?
Who do you think, Sophie? You’re the one who thought Thom was a prince on a white horse. You’re the one who flirted your way into his life without ever really taking a good, hard look at him. You thought because every other woman in the building wanted him, he had to be Mr. Wonderful. Now he’s a nuisance. One that you don’t know how to get rid of without making yourself look like an idiot.
“I’m sure Thom will make up for the candy on your Valentine date.”
It wasn’t only the chocolate that had her mentally shaking her head. Last Friday she’d found a beautifully wrapped package on her desk only to find the contents was a woolen scarf that had looked like something a lumberjack in the far north would wear. The day before that, she’d found a DVD of pro wrestling matches in the seat of her desk chair, along with a note that had read: In memory of our special night together.
There had been a time when Sophie would have cherished anything Thom might have given her. Even the most garish gift would’ve been appreciated if he’d given it with genuine sincerity. But these past few days she’d begun to doubt Thom’s motives, not to mention his integrity.
Sophie took another mouthful of pudding. Why couldn’t Thom have given her something as thoughtful as her favorite dessert?
Because Thom doesn’t know you like Mason does. Because Thom will never know much about anyone, except himself.
“It really doesn’t matter,” she said honestly. Nothing about Thom seemed to matter to her anymore.
“I’m sure you know he has big plans for your date tomorrow ni
ght. You must be very excited about that.”
Frowning with confusion, she looked at him. “Big plans? How would you know?”
“He made a point of telling me. A ‘blitz of romance’ is the way he described it to me.”
She could hardly keep her mouth from falling open. “He told you that?”
He nodded and for a split second Sophie thought she saw a flash in his eyes that looked something like disapproval. Or had it been jealousy? The notion gave her a glimmer of hope. If there was a slight chance that Mason could see her as more than a friend, she had to grab it and hold on for dear life.
He said, “I suppose I shouldn’t have mentioned it. He probably wants to surprise you.”
Any sort of romance from Thom Nichols would be more than a surprise, it would be a stunner. As far as she was concerned, the man had the romance of a rock.
“It would be a surprise all right,” she muttered.
She could feel his eyes studying her closely and she glanced up to see confusion on his face.
Before she could say more, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Everything, Sophie wanted to say. But she couldn’t pour her heart out to Mason now. Especially here at work where coworkers might overhear. The gossip mill would spin so fast it would probably catch fire.
“Nothing is wrong,” she said, trying her best to sound casual. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all. Dealing with this insurance change has been a giant headache.”
“Hmm. You normally thrive on challenges. And I’ve never seen you tired.” His eyes narrowed with concern. “I hope you’re not coming down with the flu. That would be awful to finally get your Valentine date and then not be able to enjoy yourself.”
Sick? Mason was partly right. She was definitely heartsick over her misjudgment of Thom, she thought grimly. “I feel fine, Mason. Really.”
She swallowed the last bite of pudding and tossed the container into the trash.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “I just thought—”
She glanced around to see him shaking his head with doubt and for one wild second Sophie wanted to leap from the chair and throw herself into his arms. Mason could make everything right. He could fix the troubled thoughts in her mind and the hollow ache in her heart. But he didn’t know that. He might not even want to know it.
Her Sweetest Fortune Page 11
