by Lexi Ryan
Seriously. Men like Mark should come with warning labels.
Caution: Prolonged exposure to this smokin’ bod will leave you hot and bothered.
Ben nudged her and handed her his phone.
Ripping her gaze away from Chicago’s Most Eligible Bachelor, she frowned at Ben. “What’s that for?”
He nodded at Mark. “Thought you’d like to take a picture.”
She snorted and punched Ben’s arm, her cheeks warming. “I can’t help it. He’s eye candy.”
Ben grunted.
No, not eye candy, she mentally corrected. The Hawk was sex personified and stood for everything she wanted since Lance left her last spring. Years ago, as a sensible young woman, Mark was exactly the kind of man she steered clear of. Now, as a recovering doormat, he was the only kind she wanted.
“How was the meeting?” Ben asked.
“Mortifying.”
“In what way?” He tilted his glass to his lips.
“She wants me to take Sex Goddess 101.”
Ben choked on his beer. “She wants you to take Slut Hotness 101?”
Reese rolled her eyes at the guys’ nickname for the program that was, perhaps, more infamous than famous. “I know, ridiculous, right?”
On the other side of the pool table, Mark caught her gaze and winked. Lord have mercy, the man was delicious. It wasn’t like she wanted to be his girlfriend, but she’d led a really good, decent life, and just once she’d like a man like Mark to take her home and use her for hot, dirty, not-gonna-call-you-in-the-morning, drunken sex.
Maybe then women like Halie McCormack wouldn’t bring up her sex life in the middle of a business meeting.
Ben was staring at her as if waiting for her to speak.
Reese cringed. “Sorry. What’d you say?”
Ben frowned. “I asked if you were going to do it. The program?”
Laughter burst from her mouth, and then bubbled up again and again until she was breathless. Luke and Mark were staring now, so she did her best to compose herself.
“Oh, God. You’re hilarious.”
Luke shook his head and racked the balls for a new game. “Reese, you joining us for trivia tomorrow night?”
“I can’t, Luke. Sorry.”
“Why not?” Ben asked.
Reese grabbed avoided eye contact. “No reason,” she mumbled.
“Tell us,” the men chorused.
“I have a date,” she said quickly. She should have concocted a cover story ahead of time. Not that it would have made a difference. She was the world’s worst liar.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” Luke asked, stepping closer.
Ben narrowed in on her with that piercing gaze.
“Does he deserve a sweet girl like you?” Mark asked.
“Don’t know,” she mumbled, suddenly very interested in her nails. Hmm. That one was short and that one was shorter. Fascinating.
Luke chuckled. “You’re going on a blind date?”
Reese did her best to keep her expression blank. How had she let her love life become so pathetic that having a date made headlines among her friends? And worse, so pathetic she’d resorted to a blind date?
“Think you’ll get lucky?” Mark asked.
Ben didn’t say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her. He wanted the scoop. That was generally how that whole “best friend” thing worked, but she didn’t want him to know, not when he’d been witness to her last blind date.
“Just wish me luck,” but she was less concerned about having luck and more concerned about getting lucky.
Halie was right about one thing: She was overdue.
***
“Good morning, Sex Goddess.”
Reese settled into a seat across from Masey. “That’s me,” she said, waving a hand at her workout clothes. “Had to fight the men off with a stick on my way here.”
Masey grinned. “I don’t doubt it.” She flashed a smile over her shoulder to the suit paying for his drink.
At the counter, the man reached for his latte without taking his eyes off Masey. Just as he winked at her, he spilled the drink all over the barista.
Reese shook her head. Masey’s sweet smile, blond hair, and Marilyn Monroe curves had that effect on men. Sure, maybe that kind of attention became tedious after awhile, but Reese wouldn’t mind a taste of it.
“He’s cute, don’t you think?”
Reese snorted. “Sure. If you like those clean-cut, athletic types with good jobs and amazing smiles.”
Masey grinned. “Maybe I’m the one who should be enrolling in Halie’s program. She’s all about ditching the losers and finding good men. Maybe I could find a guy who doesn’t want me just because he thinks I’m easy.”
“Oh, Mase.”
Mason may have had more than her share of male attention, but she had a pretty bad track record of ending up with guys who wanted nothing from her but sex.
“You know, maybe you should go out with Ben,” Reese said. “You’re totally his type, and you know he’s no loser.”
Masey sipped her tea and avoided Reese’s eyes.
“What?”
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” She waved away the subject. “Maybe we could do the program together. What do you think?”
“You go right ahead. I’ll just watch.”
“Yeah, it’s probably not all it’s chalked up to be.”
“You’re already a goddess,” Reese said. “You just need to believe you deserve better.”
A barista changed the station of the radio overhead.
“You’re listening to WJRK, The Jerk!”
Masey grinned. “Maybe Sex Goddess 101 would give you the courage to go after Chicago’s most eligible bachelor.”
Reese looked at the ceiling where the intro to Mark Hawk’s nationally syndicated shock jock radio show played. “I doubt Halie McCormack, founder of All Things Feminine Power, would approve of The Hawk.”
“So I was at a friend’s bar last night,” Mark was saying to his co-host, “and you wouldn’t have believed all the great pieces of ass gathered in there—just waiting to be plucked.”
“Ah, yes, the end of fall brings the young ones back to college, and back to our bars. Sweet, nubile young things. Insecure and desperate for approval.”
“God bless them, every one,” Mark said.
Masey cringed and Reese shrugged. She’d known Mark long enough to know that The Hawk, his radio show persona, was different than the real man. She’d learned to appreciate his politically incorrect mouth.
“I should get going.” Reese took another sip of her latte while Mark waxed poetic about barely-legals in tight designer jeans. “I have a meeting with some of the bigwigs at the station this afternoon, and I have a long list of things I need to get done before then.”
“A meeting? Think it’s about a promotion?”
Reese bit back a smile. “I’m hoping, you know? I have been there for six years now, and my events are always strong. Besides, my current salary doesn’t exactly lend itself to easy living.”
Wincing, Masey said, “I feel guilty for letting you buy that condo. I just never thought you and Lance would split.”
Me either. “Don’t give it another thought. I’m a big girl, and I take responsibility for my own decisions.”
“Well, let me know if you want to sell. I don’t think you’d make much, but the market is recovering and you could get what you paid at least.”
Reese shook her head. She liked her condo. Liked that it was hers. Liked that it was in the same complex as her sister and niece. “Let’s just wait and see what this meeting holds.”
They gathered their things and shimmied their way to the exit through the under-caffeinated masses. The second the door opened, the heat and humidity smacked her in the face, wrapping its damp fingers around her skin and seeping into her clothes. Summer was hanging on for dear life, and autumn couldn’t come soon enough.
“Have a good one,” Reese said to Masey,
hefting her briefcase on her shoulder.
“Chin up, soldier,” Masey said. “I bet it’s a promotion.”
***
Every woman should get the chance to look her ex in the eye after her heart has mended. Every woman should get the chance to meet his gaze knowing her life was better without him, knowing she’d survived his heartbreaking, world-spinning asshattery and come out on top. In said scenario, the girl should be wearing a sexy little black number and have a gorgeous man on her arm.
Reese Regan had envisioned such a moment many times, and as she found herself living it, every essential element was missing. Even the weather was working against her.
“Reese? Is that you?”
Seeing no way out of it, she slowly turned and shielded her eyes from the rain. “Hi, Lance.”
Standing under an oversized umbrella, he sported gym shorts and tennis shoes, probably having emerged from the fitness center several yards away. He gave her a once-over, something like triumph gleaming in his eyes.
“Lose your umbrella?”
Jerk. She smiled sweetly. “No, Lance. I was trying to save on my water bill by showering in the rain.”
He blinked.
“The rain took me by surprise,” she explained, sparing them both her cliché country song of a day.
But seriously. Worst. Day. Ever.
He looked her over again. “Well, even so, you look really—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head. “You know what? I’m not going to disrespect you by lying just to spare your feelings.”
She clapped her hands and gave a saccharine smile. “Aw, it’ll be just like old times. Go ahead, Lance, disrespect the hell out of me.”
“Still so sarcastic. You look terrible.” He sighed as if the fact offended him personally. “And it’s not just the rain.” He took a step closer and tilted his head. “You’ve put on some weight since we split, haven’t you?”
Dear God, I know I once hoped to carry this man’s babies in my womb, but I was young and dumb, and I’d be okay with you smiting him now.
Really, right this instant would be just fine. It’s already storming and with a carefully directed bolt of lightning, no one would know…
No? Nothing?
She sneered at the sky.
Lance took another step closer, sheltering her under the brim of his umbrella. “Are you stress-eating again?”
She took a breath. Why couldn’t he have been like this when they first met? The condescension, the insults, the emotional abuse—she never would have fallen for him. “I have a meeting, Lance.” Now to pretend she was going anywhere but—
“Oh. Shit.” He turned and eyed the business fronts— “You’re going to Sex Goddess, Inc.” A pained look crossed his features. “You know that’s not going to change the way I feel about you, right? We’re done, Reese. It’s been six months. I’ve found someone who doesn’t freeze the sheets, if you know what I mean.”
Kiss my ten-pounds-fatter ass, you self-centered— “It’s for work.”
He held up his hands, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Hey, I’m not judging. I think it’s about time you—”
“The station’s doing a promotion.” Her words were clipped. And to think, an hour ago she hadn’t believed her day could get any worse.
“You’re still working there? I’d heard they were going to have to—” He shook his head. “Nah, I’m sure it was just a rumor.”
Reese clenched her teeth. It wasn’t just a rumor, it was the first verse to her personal country song. “Take care, Lance.”
Darting though the rain, she headed to the double doors of Sex Goddess, Inc., hair and business suit sopping wet, mascara streaming down her face.
Looking like a drowned rat in an establishment that specialized in duck-to-swan makeovers was her boldest feminist act of defiance since picketing the no-girls-allowed youth football league in middle school. Or it was a pathetic cry for help.
A shiver wriggled up her spine as the air conditioning hit her wet skin.
Do the next right thing, she told herself, commanding her feet to move to the receptionist’s desk. “I’m here to see Halie McCormick,” she informed the raven-haired beauty.
The woman didn’t blink at Reese’s appearance, didn’t look her over or turn up her nose. She gave a nod and said, “The Goddess will be with you shortly.”
The Goddess.
Jiminy Cricket, she’d rather be anywhere but here. The bottom of a bottle of Merlot, for example. “Thanks.”
She wrapped her arms around herself and paced the small waiting area, trying desperately not to think. She just had to keep shoving everything down until she got through this meeting.
The knot in her stomach grew, ached, and threatened to unravel and take her calm façade with it.
“Reese? Look at you! You poor thing! Come into my office!” Halie wrapped an arm around Reese’s wet shoulders and guided her out of the lobby. “That downpour came out of nowhere, didn’t it?” she said, closing the door behind them.
Reese put a hand to her damp hair. “I apologize for my appearance.” She omitted the part about her broken down car and her walk in the rain.
Seriously, if she’d had a dog, she’d be worried.
Halie slipped behind her desk, motioning for Reese to take a seat. “Don’t give it another thought.”
Reese was suddenly glad she’d kept the appointment. Despite Halie’s attempts to turn Reese into one of her “goddesses,” Reese liked her.
Returning the woman’s smile, she settled into a chair. “Ms. McCormack, I need to begin this meeting by informing you that I no longer officially represent WJRK, though I would like to firm up your partnership with the company for the upcoming charity ball.”
Halie pulled back a bit. The air in the room chilled. “What do you mean, you no longer represent the station?”
Reese swallowed hard. It hurt to say the words. “I was laid off.” To Halie’s quirked brow, she added, “Thirty minutes ago.”
Halie crossed her arms and surveyed Reese, eyes narrow. “In that case, what are you doing here?”
Reese dived in. “I no longer represent the station, but the charity event we—they—have coming up is the most important event of the year. I wanted to make sure you would still be signing the final papers.” She took a breath and forced herself to stop talking.
“You got fired.”
“Laid off,” she corrected softly.
“Severance package?”
Reese winced. “One week’s pay.”
Halie nodded as if pieces of a puzzle were falling into place. “You kept this meeting with me to advocate for the company that just threw you out on your ass?”
“It’s an important event.” Or at least the cause was important. If Almost Home weren’t counting on the money they’d receive from the ball, Reese wouldn’t be here.
“Reese, have you given any more thought to my suggestion that you enter my Sex Goddess 101 program?”
Reese gaped. Seriously? After the day she’d had, this was what the woman thought was important? “I can’t afford your program.” Both a convenient excuse and the truth.
“Money isn’t an issue. This one is on me, as well as a per diem for clothes, salon visits, and…other necessities.”
She blinked. Even the wealthiest Chicago women blanched at the price of the program, and Halie wanted to give it to Reese for free? “That’s very generous of you, but I’m only here to solidify your commitment to—”
“Stop, please.” Halie dropped her hands to the desk and clicked her nails. “You have such loyalty. Do they even know what they’re doing, letting you go?”
Tears surged up, thickening in her throat, and Reese swallowed hard to push them back down. She hadn’t yet processed the bomb her boss had dropped on her. She hadn’t let herself because there were more important things at stake than her job.
“You know, I’ve been interviewing for a promotions director, but I haven’t found that perfect fit yet.
Would you be interested?”
Reese leaned forward. She must have rain water in her ears. “I’m sorry?”
“Would you be the Sex Goddess, Inc. promotions director?”
“Um.” Wow. She was pretty sure this didn’t happen in real life. Her ears roared as she tried to process the possibility. Halie was saying something about opportunity and adjustment, something about how change could be good for Reese. “That would be amazing. I—”
“The job is yours.” Halie gave a sharp nod. “I’m good at reading people, and you’re something special, Reese. I’ve always liked you.”
“I— You— It’s—” Words. Words would be good here. But what was she supposed to say? She’d walked into the office unemployed, making a pathetic last ditch effort to save an event she believed in, and suddenly she was being offered a job that hadn’t even been on her radar.
“However, I can’t have a woman who doesn’t believe in herself representing my company.”
She flinched as the proverbial other shoe knocked her upside the head. “I believe in myself.”
“Should we recap?” Halie stood and placed her hands on her hips.
I’d rather not.
“Today, you lost your job, but instead of going to a bar with your friends and cursing your employer—”
“It’s a bad economy.” Reese cringed, but it was easier to parrot the party line than let herself be angry. “They really didn’t have a choice.”
“And you’re sitting in a meeting advocating to me on their behalf.” Halie looked Reese over—from the damp ponytail at the base of her head to her saturated suit jacket to her beige pumps. “You dress like you hate yourself.”
Ouch.
“You do so much for others, and they do nothing for you in return. Even in the bedroom.”
Reese’s breath left her in a whoosh. “Excuse me?”
“Your sister told me about your little problem.”
Yep. Worst. Day. Ever. “Could we not talk about—”
“I want to help you, and I want you to work for me. But first you have to help yourself.” Halie placed her hands on Reese’s shoulders. “Sex Goddess 101 will open doors you never even imagined, and I want that for you.”
