by Sherri Hayes
That brought his mind back to his dream yesterday morning, and the reason he’d decided to go to the club last night.
Matthew caught his reflection in the mirror. He was drenched. Sweat dripped down his face and bare chest, moistening the fabric at the waistband of his jeans.
Wiping his brow, he set the weights back in place and returned to his room.
Quickly discarding his clothes, he went into his adjoining bathroom for a quick shower.
As the hot spray hit his body, he continued to mull things over. Cali Stanton was his boss, his boss’s daughter. The thing was, his body didn’t seem to care about that fact. He wasn’t willing to throw in the towel and give in to the demands of his flesh. A sarcastic chuckle escaped his lips. Here he was trying to talk himself out of crossing a professional barrier when he had no idea how Cali felt about him. Even if he was willing to throw his professionalism aside, who was to say she felt the same way. He couldn’t believe how self-centered his thoughts were; it only proved how unfocused he’d become.
Yet he recalled the electricity in her eyes when their faces had been only inches apart in his office. A part of him wanted to believe she was going through the same struggle he was. It would be so easy to toss aside what was right just to be with her. At this point, Matthew was honest enough with himself to admit he would take the opportunity if it presented itself. He didn’t want anyone else but Cali.
***
Cali spent the rest of the day trying to find a distraction. Last night was a disaster, and no matter how much she tried to push the images away, they kept replaying in her mind. She decided to clean the house, not that it needed it. Jessie took care of everything, and it was always in top shape. The four or so hours it would take to do a general cleaning of the house should provide a decent distraction, she thought.
Jessie was very organized and had everything she needed in a bucket just off the pantry. Finding some gloves, Cali carried the supplies to the kitchen and started in. At first, the distraction worked, but as she became accustomed to the routine in each room, her mind began to wonder.
By the time she reached her bedroom, she was on the verge of tears. For whatever reason, she was attracted to Matthew. Seeing him last night with another woman had caused an ache in her entire body. With the memory so fresh in Cali’s mind, the ache did not decrease as her mind recalled every detail.
There were times when Cali was almost sure Matthew was attracted to her, at least on some level. Sitting down on her bed, she wiped the trailing tears from her cheeks. She had to be honest and admit that, aside from what her dad had said about Matthew, she didn’t know much about him. Alvin Stanton trusted Matthew Andersen with his own, his daughter, and his company’s safety. It was a high endorsement of his ability to do his job, but it didn’t tell her anything about the man.
Too tired to fight it any longer, she let her mind wander. Did Matthew go to clubs often to pick up woman? Did he date a lot?
Cali realized with this question, she didn’t even know if he had a girlfriend. For all she knew, the woman he’d been dancing with was the love of his life. She moaned because the thought of that hurt more than she wanted it to.
And what if he wasn’t seeing anyone? Could they? Should they? If so, would he just want a fling or… Cali couldn’t finish that thought. She didn’t even know where she would be after her father returned.
Africa was always an option but so was staying where she was. Africa and its people held a special place in her heart, but being home again with her father close by was comforting in a way she’d missed over the past two years. Even if whatever it was that was going on between her and Matthew Andersen amounted to nothing more than physical attraction, she had something to stay for.
The phone beside her bed began to ring, pulling her from her thoughts. Taking a deep breath to try to calm the flood of emotions, she reached for the receiver.
“Hello?”
“So what is my girl up to today?” Alvin Stanton’s voice came through, warming that ache in her heart just a little.
“Not much. Just a few things around the house.”
“Do you have any plans for the weekend?”
“Not really.” What a sad commentary on her life.
The excitement in Alvin’s voice came across the line, “Do you think you might want to come up to the house and keep your old man company?”
A small smile played on her face; the first true one she’d had all day. “Sure Dad. Let me get a few things wrapped up here, and I’ll be up in a few hours.”
With a final pause, her voice lowered, and she allowed all the emotions she was feeling to come through. “I can’t wait to see you. I love you.”
***
When Jason left Matthew’s, he drove straight to the gym, needing to work off some aggression after talking with his brother. This thing with Cali Stanton and his brother was frustrating, and the problem was, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Apparently, Matthew was the man with the plan who didn’t have a clue either.
After spending two hours working on almost every machine the gym had to offer, Jason showered and drove in the direction of his apartment. He’d hoped to see Lisa today, but didn’t feel he’d be such good company. Instead, he left a message on her cell saying he’d call her later, turned around, and drove to the office.
He didn’t normally make an appearance on Saturdays, but he wasn’t up to being around people, and he needed a distraction. Figuring the security tape was as good of a distraction as any, he retrieved it from Matthew’s wall safe and retreated to his office.
Settling in his chair, he hit play and began to watch the mystery woman. She was tall, maybe five eight, with dark hair from what he could see. Her figure was thin without any overly visible curves in the outfit she wore. All those things did not add up too much though. He needed something that would tell him her identity.
Continuing to watch the five minutes of footage, he became frustrated. What were they missing? Jason knew from years of experience that there was always a clue to the mystery.
It took him two hours of watching and re-watching to find it. It was her hands.
Not only her gestures but also a ring he could just barely make out on her right hand.
Going back through the tape several more times, he found the best view of the ring and locked the frame. Moving to his computer, he downloaded the footage and saved the image. Transferring the single frame to a flash drive, he sat back and smiled for the first time that day. “I will figure out who you are.”
Chapter 21
Sunday
A knock on the door let Jason know Lisa had arrived. He’d called her Saturday night and asked if she’d like to come over for dinner at his place. It felt a bit strange not going over to Matthew’s; they hadn’t missed spending a Sunday together since he’d moved back to Chicago five years ago.
Lisa stood in the door with a look of happiness and a hint of concern. He was sure he had the same look on his face as well. She stepped inside and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a hard kiss on his lips.
“Hi,” she whispered.
He returned the kiss with just as much force. “Hi.” Stepping back, he moved out of the way and shut the door. “The food’s almost done.”
“Good, I’m starving,” she said, following him into the kitchen. The smell of tomatoes, garlic, and basil filled the air as he lifted a lid. “It smells delicious.”
He answered with a smile as he stirred the sauce. “I’m not a chef by any means, but I make a mean spaghetti.” Setting the spoon back on its rest, he dumped a box of pasta into a large pot of boiling water.
Lisa leaned back against the counter, content to watch him. She knew he was troubled about what had happened at the club; she was too. He hadn’t said much last night over the phone except that he’d gone over to Matthew’s the next morning. The impression she got was that he didn’t get any more information from Matthew than she did from Cali.
Jaso
n glanced at her occasionally while finishing up over the stove, sending her small smiles each time. He was glad she was there with him. Maybe seeing her yesterday would have been a good thing, but their relationship was still new, and he hadn’t wanted to risk his temper around her.
She helped him bring everything to the small kitchen table. The apartment was nice but fairly small. He lived alone and didn’t need much in the way of extras; that’s the way he liked it.
They made small talk while they ate, neither mentioning the elephant in the room.
Working side by side, they did the dishes and put everything away. Jason had made enough food to feed a family of eight. He wouldn’t have to worry about what to take for lunch until Wednesday at least.
Moving to the living room, they picked out a movie and sat down on the couch. As the feature began, they were together physically but mentally apart.
About thirty minutes into the movie, Lisa broke the silence. “I talked to Cali yesterday.”
Jason’s eyes met hers. He sighed. “And?”
She gave a small sigh of her own in relief that he was willing to discuss this with her, “She says there’s nothing going on.” Lisa shifted her body, creating a few inches of space. “I don’t believe her.”
Jason didn’t like the space she put between them, but he understood. “I don’t believe it either,” he said.
She waited, but he didn’t add anything else. “So what did Matthew say? You did talk to him, right?”
Jason ran a frustrated hand over his face and hair, bringing it down to cup the back of his neck. “He pretty much said the same thing.” He paused. “But he admitted that he’s attracted to her.”
Lisa’s head fell to the side, resting on the back of the couch. “So what was he doing at the club then if…you know…he’s attracted to Cali? I mean why not just ask her out?”
Jason gave her a rueful smile. “I asked him the same question. He says he can’t date his boss. When I pointed out she’d only be his boss for the next few months, he added he couldn’t date his boss’s daughter, either.” Letting his own head fall back and his eyes close, “Friday night…well I think…knowing Matthew, he was trying to find a way to distract himself.”
Lisa’s head snapped up. “Distract himself?” her voice rose, causing Jason’s eyes to open again and focus on her. “What do you mean distract himself!”
Jason sighed and got up off the couch. He needed something to drink; this conversation did not appear to be heading in a good direction.
She followed him and watched as he pulled a beer out of the fridge and took a long pull. “Jason, what do you mean?” When he just looked at her instead of answering, everything fell in place. “You mean—” She couldn’t fathom what was going through her brain, but she had to know, “You mean he went to that club to try and…,” she just couldn’t say it, “because he couldn’t act on what he was feeling for Cali?”
Jason took another drink of his beer and leaned back on the counter. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Lisa was quite for a long time, staring off into space. She didn’t know Matthew that well, but from what she did know, this didn’t sound like him. Why would he do that?
Her eyes met Jason’s again and the question in them was clear. “Don’t judge Matthew. He was…experimenting,” Jason said with a disgusted laugh. He didn’t want Lisa to judge his brother, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t; and in his opinion, his brother’s choice of experimentation was just plain stupid.
Jason’s words caught her off guard. “What do you mean he was experimenting?”
Setting his beer down on the counter behind him, he leaned back, crossed his arms, and began to explain, “Matthew is a very controlled person. He has a set routine for everything, and when that doesn’t work out, he has a contingency plan.”
He looked to make sure she was still with him. She nodded, so he continued. “Keep in mind I’m speculating here a bit but…Well, I think Cali threw a wrench in the works so to speak.” A brief smile appeared. “I don’t think Matthew has ever been this attracted to anyone before, and well…he didn’t know what to do, so he began experimenting.”
“So the first thing he does is go try to get another woman to jump into bed with him?”
The loathing in her voice made Jason feel the needed to defend his brother. “No,” he stated firmly. “That was not the first thing he decided to try.” Lisa crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall clearly waiting.
Jason brought both hands up and rubbed them roughly across his face. “First,” he paused before he continued, “he tried to act like everything was normal; ignore it. That obviously didn’t work so then he tried to ignore her.” He fixed her with a pointed look. “That would be the reason I showed up for the security briefing instead of Matthew.”
Realization dawned. “Oh,” she said, looking a little sheepish.
Jason sighed, “Well, that didn’t work either. Friday night was his next…experiment.”
Lisa’s back stiffened as she remembered Cali’s face when she’d found her at the bar. “Does he have any idea what he did to Cali?”
Jason shook his head. “No, I don’t think he does. I’m not sure he wants to know.”
“How could he not want to know? I mean she obviously feels something too.” Lisa turned and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “This is so stupid. Why would they let their work situation stand in the way of something that obviously means so much to both of them?”
Jason laughed. “You really don’t know Matthew, do you?”
It was a rhetorical question, but she answered it anyway. “No,” she said, “but you do.”
He saw something behind her eyes he wasn’t sure he liked. “Yes I do.” Jason watched her closely. “What are you thinking?”
“I think,” she said, “we have some planning to do.”
Chapter 22
Cali was very glad she’d spent the rest of her weekend with her father; he’d provided a much-needed distraction for her. They didn’t do anything exciting, just talked. Cali shared stories from her time overseas, and Alvin Stanton, in turn, gave her the extended version of how he came to be water skiing with Henry.
Managing to not think about Matthew Andersen for a period of twenty-four hours was quite an accomplishment, and something she’d desperately needed. Given the length of Cali’s commute the next morning, she stayed at her father’s house longer than she should have. Instead of leaving Sunday, she chose to get up early Monday morning and drive back. Cali knew she’d be an emotional mess again if she had to spend any extended time alone.
Arriving at the office just after eight, she found Lisa sitting in her usual spot behind her desk. “Good morning, Cali.”
She put on her best smile and replied, “Good morning.” Cali walked straight to her door and opened it. She paused at the door feeling she needed to say something but didn’t know what.
Before she could formulate words, Lisa spoke, “Everything should be on your desk,” she hesitated, then added, “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
The last part was spoken a bit quieter, and Cali knew her meaning. Lisa was trying to be her friend, and she appreciated it. But seeing as how she didn’t know what to do about her situation with Matthew, there really wasn’t anything to say. It was that thought that stopped her in her tracks. Today was Monday; the same day that held the weekly security briefing.
Cali managed to get herself to her chair and open the notes Lisa had left on her desk. Sure enough right there in bold black letters just as the week before, were the words “Security Briefing.” Closing the folder, she concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even. It wasn’t working. All the progress she’d made over the last two days to forget about Friday night and Matthew came flooding back with full force, almost taunting her for keeping them at bay.
Tears threatened to fall once again as she remembered him on the dance floor.
How was she going to fac
e him today? It would be too much to hope Jason would show up two weeks in a row.
It took her a while to shake off the emotions the knowledge of seeing Matthew again was causing, but she did. Forcing herself to concentrate on work, she managed to get through her e-mail, as well as the small stack of urgent paperwork Lisa had laid on her desk this morning.
At ten, she’d taken a break and used the small bathroom attached to her office to wash her face and reapply her makeup. The last thing she wanted was for Lisa to come in and find clear evidence of her distress.
Cali ate lunch alone, and although the tears she’d felt earlier stayed hidden, an increasing anxiety took its place and was gaining ground the closer it came to three-thirty. Lisa peeked in at three-fifteen and asked if she needed anything before the meeting. Knowing that her friend was just trying to check up on her, she smiled and said, “No. Thanks.”
At three-thirty on the dot, the intercom buzzed. It was Lisa letting her know her appointment had arrived. She braced herself as best she could as the door opened.
Cali watched him walk into her office and realized she wasn’t prepared, at all. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her palms were slick with sweat. Then he looked up.
Her breath caught in her throat from the intensity of his stare. His blue eyes held her brown ones almost daring her to look away. Their depths held emotion, but with what emotion she couldn’t be sure.
Before she could explore it further though, he broke the trance, “Would you like to do this here or at the conference table?”
It took her a second to regain her thought processes. She looked down and saw the folder in his hand and contemplated his question. Her desk allowed her to keep physical space between them, but obviously, he had something to show her.
They could spread things out on the conference table. Telling herself to grow a backbone, she brought her eyes back up to meet his, “I think the conference table would be better.”
