by Reeni Austin
Her mouth dropped for a moment. “No…no plans.”
“Would you like to get a quick bite?” Victor shrugged. “Celebrate your first day.”
She looked at Gary, as if seeking his approval. “Um…”
Victor grinned. “Gary got lunch his first day too.” He turned to him. “And you’re invited, by the way.” He had only planned to invite Gary if Cara appeared anxious…which she did.
Gary sighed, dramatically. “I wish I could but it’s my bi-weekly chiropractor visit. And I so need it after the weekend I had.”
“Ah, that’s right.” Victor gave Cara a wry grin. “He hurt his neck a couple months back. Wouldn’t tell me what happened. He just showed up Monday morning in a neck brace, muttering something about taking the bus from Atlantic City—”
Gary held up one finger. “Enough!” Then he put his finger down and straightened his posture. “I mean, quiet, if you please, Mr. Barboza.”
Victor laughed. He had never asked Gary to be so formal with him, and it amused Victor greatly to mess with him on occasion. Today, Victor was even more thankful for Gary’s presence in the office. It was just the tension-breaker he would need in order to calm down enough to subtly woo the new employee.
* * *
Cara tried to do more than stand there, blinking rapidly as if she didn’t have a thought in her head. But her mind had indeed gone blank.
Alone, with Victor? Already? She had prepared herself for the idea of working beside him in the same office. But going to lunch was entirely different. They would enjoy a meal together. Alone. Like a date. And she hadn’t been on a date in a very, very long time.
“So?” Victor asked patiently. “Lunch?”
Cara inhaled a slightly trembling breath, willing herself to say the thing he wanted to hear. “Lunch. Yes. That’d be fine.”
“Great.” Victor grinned, then abruptly turned in the direction of his office. “Meet me at the elevator in fifteen minutes.” And then he disappeared inside and shut the door.
She put her head down and walked straight to her desk. Her short interaction with Victor had temporarily made her forget about what Rhonda had told her in the break room. But now that she remembered, her time was limited. When she reached her desk, she took out her phone to do a search for “Victor Barboza engagement.” In the days since Victor offered her this job, she had searched for him online and found nothing but the company’s official website, or other boring links that told her almost nothing. And she knew better than to use his company’s Internet connection for a search like this.
It took a few minutes, but she finally found the name “Alexis Whitt” listed along with “Victor Barboza.” There appeared to be a wedding website that was no longer functioning, but there was still a wedding gift registry at Michael C. Fina that had not been canceled. Cara’s mouth had just dropped open at the sight of a set of sterling silver napkin rings that cost a thousand dollars when she was startled by a knock at the door.
“Hello?” Victor entered her office. “Need to cancel already?”
“No, not at all.” She glanced at the clock. She should have been at the elevator by now. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”
“You sure? When I saw you with your phone I thought maybe your son was sick. How’s he doing, by the way?”
Cara picked up her purse and slid her phone inside, then stood from her chair to follow Victor out. “He’s doing very well. Thanks for asking. You’d never know he was sick now.”
Victor chuckled. “They recover quickly at that age, yes?”
“Yes.” She followed him to the elevator, her purse slung over her shoulder. “A little too quickly, in fact. He’s still supposed to rest but we can’t get him to sit still.”
Chapter Six
Cara and Victor chatted as they walked, making them both feel more at ease. There was no other subject that got Cara talking more than Isaac, and Victor was quite happy to continue asking questions. Not only was he amused by the precocious young boy, but he loved to hear Cara speak. This was the closest they had had to a real conversation since they first met, and it was just now that Victor began to realize how much he enjoyed Cara’s voice caressing his ears.
Soon they were sitting at the last small table at his favorite deli. With the bustle of people all around them, Victor took the opportunity to scoot his chair closer so they could talk without raising their voices over the noise. Or at least, that’s what he’d have her believe.
There was a question that he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Each time it seemed there was an opportunity to slip it into the conversation, he stopped.
What’s the situation with Isaac’s father?
Hell, it was probably considered a personal question that could get Victor in trouble for violating an employment law. But he was dying to know.
After about a minute of eating in silence, Cara gently dropped her fork to her plate. “With all due respect, Mr. Barboza, I need to ask. Am I a charity case to you?”
Victor wiped his mouth and finished chewing. “Well, that’s quite a subject change.”
“Please, I need to know. I already took the job and I plan to stay. But you could at least tell me the truth now. Did you hire me out of pity?”
Victor shook his head and put his elbows on the table. “Let’s get a few things straight.” He cleared his throat. “First, you don’t need to be so formal with me. I’m only a few years older than you. Please, call me Victor.”
“But Gary doesn’t—”
“I know, and I tried to get him to call me by my first name too but he said it didn’t feel professional, being that he’s my assistant. So, I got used to it. I’d prefer not to get used to it with you.” He smiled. “And second, you’re not a charity case. You’re obviously a strong woman and I most certainly did not hire you out of pity. When I was twelve, my mother moved me and my brothers from Guadalajara to a small town in Texas, outside San Antonio. It was a little ranch town, and we’d been asked to live there if we’d work on his ranch.” He let out a friendly chuckle. “It may have been a legal gray area for the ranch owner to have three kids and their mother living there, working for room and board. But it was a hell of a lot better than what we were used to. That man became like a father to me and my brothers. He paid our way through college. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his act of kindness.”
“Why did he do that?”
“Believe it or not, it was because of my little brother, Armando. The man, Henry Platt, said my brother was nice to him when he’d gotten lost one day, doing some kind of business deal in the town where we lived. He never forgot about it, even after he went home. So, he came back several years later, tracked him down and offered him a job. Pretty soon, we all moved there.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that before. So that’s what you’re doing with me? Paying the good deed forward?”
Victor’s eyes locked on Cara’s. How was he to answer this question? And why did she always have to be so direct? He chose to let his actions speak for a second, holding her gaze a bit longer than necessary until he thought he saw her expression change from suspicious to curious. Then, for the briefest of moments, he let his eyes fall down to the expanse of skin at her neck, her collarbone, then a little further down to the top of her ample cleavage. When his eyes snapped back up to meet hers again, he gave her a half-cocked smile and said, “I told you before—you ask too many questions.”
Cara’s cheeks immediately flushed a light shade of pink. She looked away at nothing and reached for her drink.
Amused, Victor leaned forward in his chair and watched with intent as her sumptuous lips curved perfectly around her straw.
Perhaps this is enough for today, he thought. He merely wanted to pique her interest and give her a scant clue about his true intentions. And he knew he was treading a fine line. A stubborn woman like Cara would certainly be the type to file a sexual harassment complaint against him. It wasn’t as if that sort of accusation could ru
in his career, but it could ruin his reputation with Cara. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off by being too bold, or make her think he wanted some kind of sexual repayment for the good deed he’d performed. He just wanted to get to know her, and be near her. It wasn’t his fault she was in a bad situation when he found her. It was only too easy for him to fix it, and no matter what happened between them in the future, he would never regret giving her a job.
For now, he simply had to observe her responses and plan his next move.
* * *
Alexis Whitt couldn’t believe her eyes.
When she saw Victor cross the street with the full-figured blonde, she had assumed it was a business meeting. Victor was a creature of habit, frequenting the same three restaurants at lunchtime. His penchant for routine was something she both loved and loathed about him.
But when she entered the deli and saw Victor cozying up to the stranger at the small round table, looking at her like there was no one else in the room, Alexis almost shrieked.
She missed that look. And she’d do anything for him to gaze at her that way again.
She ran back out of the deli and hid across the street where she could watch them leave and keep an eye on the lobby entrance at Victor’s company.
Lunchtime came and went, and Alexis was still standing there behind a stone column, waiting for Victor to exit the deli. But when she saw Gary, she had an even better idea. She waited several minutes, hopefully giving him enough time to take the elevator to his floor and get situated at his desk.
And then she called.
“Good afternoon, Monarch Enterprises. How may I assist you?” Gary’s voice was chipper as usual.
“Hello, Gary. I’d like to speak with Victor Barboza, please.”
“Oh.” He let out a disgusted sigh. Under his breath, but loud enough for her to hear, he said, “I obviously should’ve looked at the number first.” His voice got louder. “To what is this pertaining, Ms. Whitt? Do you have an appointment?”
“I don’t need a meeting. I just need to speak with him. We have some important business to discuss.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Give me the details and I’ll be sure to give him the message.”
“Can you put me through to his voicemail?”
“No, I cannot.”
She wanted to scream at him but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of getting her riled up. In a deliberately calm voice, she said, “Well, I have some information he’ll need. It’s about a woman I saw him with at lunch. I’ve known her for years and she’s trouble. He needs to know.”
Gary chuckled sarcastically. “Really? You’re already trying to get her fired again?”
“What do you mean, again?”
He sighed loudly. “Have a lovely afternoon, Ms. Whitt.” And then he hung up.
Fired…again? Confused, Alexis put her phone in her purse and looked at the deli. Seconds later, she saw them exit, both of them smiling, but Victor doing most of the talking.
She shrank back, watching, studying the portly blonde who only seemed vaguely familiar. As if Alexis was meant to hear it, a hint of the strange woman’s voice floated her way, just loud enough to bring back a recent memory.
No, it couldn’t be her—the girl from the catering company?
She took her phone from her purse and held it up to take a few pictures. She said to herself, quietly, “Oh Victor, have you really stooped to this level? Or maybe you’re just hard up.” She groaned. “No, it must be more than that.”
She was instantly flooded with theories. Maybe he’d known her all along. Maybe that’s why there was such a familiarity that night when they were joking at the table.
Alexis felt her blood pressure rising. Had she been played that night? Was this his pathetic way of trying to pay her back for cheating on him while they were engaged?
It didn’t matter. Alexis had enough information to pass along to a private investigator who could get this straightened out. No, Victor couldn’t possibly be interested in this cow who looked like she’d given up on herself long ago. She would get this woman out of his life just as easily as swatting a fly.
* * *
Cara’s new outfit now felt too heavy for such a warm day, especially outside in the hot sun with a sexy man by her side.
She tried to resist it, but how could she not be attracted to Victor? He was tall, dark and gorgeous, and unless she was hallucinating, she swore he was giving her signals that he was interested in her, too.
Maybe Marcy was right, she thought. Maybe he really was checking me out in the interview last week.
And she knew darn well he was checking her out today.
At least she was starting to feel more comfortable around him. The conversation flowed easily, and Cara was surprised by how humble and tender he portrayed himself.
But she’d been fooled in the past. She wasn’t so naive. There absolutely had to be another reason for his kindness.
Cara and Victor chatted as they entered the building and took the private elevator to their floor. Thankfully, the elevator moved fast and she didn’t have more than a minute to fantasize about him pinning her to the corner. She took a few slow, calming breaths and went on with their friendly banter. When they exited the elevator he gave her one last smile before opening his office door.
Clutching her purse to have something else to focus on, she rushed to her own office. Her immediate plan was to resume her Internet stalking.
She had just shoved her purse in a drawer when Gary appeared in front of her desk.
“Hey.” He looked over his shoulder then shut the door behind him. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
Gary took a seat in a chair against the wall, his elbows on his knees. He leaned forward as he pushed a button on his headset and shoved the mouthpiece away. “Watch your back around here.”
Cara’s stomach knotted. “Is this about my talk with Rhonda?”
“Oh God.” He winced a little. “Rhonda in acquisitions?”
“Yeah. But she said you’re friends. Did I say too much?”
Gary winced in pain for only a split second. “What’d you tell her?”
“That I worked here for Mr. Barboza. Nothing else, really. She told me I needed to lie to people and say I’m a consultant or everyone in the office will start talking because he has a new employee.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes, I swear.”
“Hmm.” Gary clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “It’s gotta be something else then. And by the way, Rhonda and I are friends, in a way, but I never tell her anything about work.”
Cara laughed. “Yeah, I could tell she’s a gossip. Believe me, I don’t wanna do anything to risk losing this job. I’ll keep my distance.”
Gary shrugged. “Just don’t tell her about anything going on here, at work, with Mr. Barboza. She’s cool about everything else.”
“What’d you mean a second ago when you said it’s gotta be something else? Why’d you come in here and tell me to watch my back?”
He breathed deeply and glanced at the door as if someone were listening. “You and I need to have this talk. I was gonna wait till tomorrow since he’ll be out of the office. But oh well.” He squared his shoulders, eyes perking up. “Since we’ll be working together, we need to get a few things straight. My first priority is taking care of Mr. Barboza. I have the best job in the city and I know it. I get paid well. I have a cool boss who’s not around most of the time.” He smiled. “And also, I want a job like his someday. He’s given me much more responsibility lately along with extra training. He’s amazing.” He sighed. “So anyway, I will not jeopardize any of it by running my mouth with the hens over there in acquisitions.”
She giggled at his hen comment. “I understand. You think he’d fire you for that?”
“Not necessarily, but I know he hates that sort of thing. If he had reason to believe I was leaking any kind of information from his clients he’d probably have
me transferred down to the mail room. That’s like dying and going to hell around here.” He groaned. “But anyway, back to the reason I came in here. I received a disturbing phone call a few minutes ago. It was from his ex-fiancee.” His mouth formed a distinct frown. “She’s bad news.”
“What’s her name?”
“Alexis Whitt. Of the Whitt Foundation.”
“Whitt Foundation? The same people who hosted the dinner where I got fired?” Cara’s jaw dropped. She already knew Alexis’s name but hadn’t made the connection until now. “Was she the woman he was sitting with?”
Gary raised a brow. “They were sitting together?”
“Yeah. Beautiful woman with red hair. Really snooty.”
Gary nodded. “That’s her.”
“That witch got me fired.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. Apparently, she saw you two at lunch together. She called while you were gone, acting like she had inside information on the person he was with. You.”
Cara brought her hand to her chest. “Is she trying to get me fired? Again? What the heck did I ever do to her?”
Gary shook his head. “Don’t worry. She’s jealous. Grasping at straws.”
“She’s rich and she has everything! Why would someone like that try to ruin my life?”
“Oh, honey.” Gary smirked. “Rich people don’t have everything. Trust me. I deal with hundreds of them, daily. Seems like the more money you have, the crazier you are.”
“Is Victor crazy?”
“Maybe. But not in a bad way.” He laughed.
Cara let out a sad sigh. “So, he really did hire me as a charity case. He felt bad because his fiancee got me fired.”
“Ex-fiancee.” Just then, the phone rang and Gary stood up. He walked over to Cara and gave her shoulder a friendly pat. “And I think your hiring involved a little more than that.” Gary moved the mouthpiece down to his lips and hurried to the door. “Good afternoon, Monarch Enterprises…” He left her office and walked to his desk as he spoke to a client.
