by Noelle Adams
But West Magnolia was the next intersection, so she flipped on her right blinker and made the turn. Her little blue car started to sputter and jerk, but a quick foot to both the brake and gas revved the engine enough to keep it running.
“How far down on Magnolia?” she asked Natasha.
“Five or six blocks. You can’t miss the sign; it’s identical to their logo on the commercials.”
That reminder she didn’t need.
When her stomach rolled again, she rationalized it wasn’t like Zach would be there to recognize her. He was an actor, just like her. Correction, just like Gemma. He’d been hired to do a job, and was in no way connected to the company other than the commercial, so there was no danger anyone at MovieMail would know her from yesterday.
“Sadie?”
She snapped her focus back to her irritated boss. “Yes?”
“Don’t blow this.”
With that stern warning, Natasha hung up. And just like she’d said, the MovieMail logo was impossible to miss.
Whew, and five min—the clock changed to nine fifty-six—make that four minutes to spare.
Sadie parked in the first spot she found, grabbed her stuff, and jogged across the sweltering blacktop. The moment she pushed open the door to the front lobby, her phone chimed for an incoming email.
Thank God. With her nervous system already wired, she wasn’t sure what she’d do if she had to wing this thing one hundred percent. Using up precious seconds, she breathed in a lungful of cooled air and took a moment to scan through the stats document attached to the email.
Name: John Z. Robinson, Jr.
Age: 28
Job Title: Owner/CEO
She tucked a curl that’d escaped her ponytail behind her ear. Mr. Robinson was young to own and run such a large, successful company, but that wasn’t entirely uncommon in the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Status: single A smiley-face emoticon grinned at her next to the word.
Ah, the ever-trolling Paige, killing two birds with one stone. Sadie rolled her eyes and continued scanning to get an overview of the interview questions. There was also a jpeg attachment, presumably the man’s picture, but she didn’t have an extra second to spare as she reached the receptionist’s desk.
A cute redhead with freckles looked up from her computer monitor and flashed a bright, friendly smile. Her desk nameplate read Tiffany Johnson.
“Hi,” Tiffany chirped, her gaze moving down and back up again. “Does your mom or dad work here?”
Should’ve left the darn backpack in the car. Sadie took a breath and urged her tight lips upward while extending her press credentials.
“Sadie Barton, Life’s a Beach and Then Sun Times. We have a ten o’clock interview scheduled with Mr. Robinson.” Exactly one minute from now.
“Oh.” Surprise made the woman’s eyebrows disappear behind her wispy bangs. “I’m sorry…let me just check the list.”
Auburn eyebrows reappeared, now in a straight line below the creases in her forehead.
Sadie quickly explained, “It says Paige Kinney, I know, but she’s stuck in the Beckham traffic on 134, and I got called in at the last minute.” Hopefully the explanation covered her overly casual attire, too.
“Oh, no,” Tiffany exclaimed, startling Sadie. “I hope it’s not too bad. My sister took her kids to that—they just love Beckham.” She paused with a wry grin. “Well, so does my sister Carol, but for completely different reasons.”
Resisting the urge to give her watch a pointed glance, Sadie forced out a laugh. “Who doesn’t like the guy, right?”
The redhead leaned over her desk with a dreamy smile. “I know, right? He’s so hot.”
Before the conversation flamed out of control, Sadie allowed her gaze to shift to a clock she’d spotted on Tiffany’s desk. She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do I have a moment to review my notes? I wouldn’t want to keep Mr. Robinson waiting, but…”
“Yes, of course, have a seat.” Businesslike once more—thank God, Tiffany motioned to some chairs behind Sadie. “His nine-thirty finished early, so he stepped out for a quick birthday celebration in customer service. He should be back any minute now.”
“Thank you.”
Sadie took a seat and began jotting down Paige’s questions in a notebook she pulled from her backpack. With any luck, John Z. Robinson, Jr. would take his time chatting with his birthday employee and she’d be ready to knock his socks off when he returned.
She caught a glance of her burgundy painted toenails showing through her flip-flops and faced reality. About the best she could hope for was to attempt to conduct the interview with some degree of professionalism.
She was scrolling down to the final question when voices carried toward her along the carpeted corridor. First a female voice, then a male voice.
A low, familiar-sounding male voice.
Words began to register. Sadie’s fingers clenched on her pencil as a strange buzzing noise started in her head. Tilting her chin sideways the tiniest bit, she peeked past the rebellious curl hanging next to her face.
Zach? Wearing a sharp, charcoal gray business suit with a white dress shirt. And walking beside him, his assistant, Kris.
Oh God. What was he doing here? Heat suffused Sadie’s entire body, and like yesterday, she wished she could disappear.
Each of them carried pieces of cake in both hands and when they paused in front of Tiffany’s desk for Kris to hand her a plate, Sadie experienced a series of stomach-sinking, illuminating flashes.
A commercial actor with an assistant.
Birthday cake in their hands.
His bossiness over her part in the commercial.
Familiarity with the director yesterday; business suit today.
She quickly thumbed the jpeg attachment on Paige’s email. Air froze in her lungs when the picture popped up. Just great.
Zach—as in John Zach Robinson, Jr.
Fricken’ Beckham and his soccer camp.
Idiot Paige who couldn’t check the Eye in the Sky before getting on the 134.
Damn ducks on the damn freeway!
No more than she wondered if she could escape out the door without anyone seeing her, Tiffany piped up. “Zach, your ten o’clock is here.”
In the moment time slowed during his turn from the desk, Sadie drew on the only thing she had left—professionalism. She managed to rise to her feet and stuff memories of ‘sucking face’ with the millionaire executive she was about to interview behind a calm, polite smile.
Six
Zach gave a reflexive jerk and had to clench his fingers on the paper plates in his hands to keep them from flipping to the floor. The backpack-wielding kid he’d barely glanced at sitting in the waiting chairs wasn’t a kid at all.
“Sadie?”
Beside him, Kris murmured, “Ooh, I’d love to sit in on this interview.”
He ignored his assistant and stepped toward the woman who’d refused to vacate his dreams last night. Erotic dreams involving more than kisses.
Sadie’s smile remained firmly in place as her gaze met his and she extended her right hand. “Good morning, Mr. Robinson.”
The cool professionalism in her tone didn’t fit with the tank top, shorts and distracting expanse of tanned legs. He forced his attention up and thrust a piece of cake into her hand.
Slim fingers clutched the edge of the plate so it didn’t flop over onto the carpet. “Um…o-kay, thanks?”
“I brought an extra piece for my ten o’clock,” he explained, still recovering from her unexpected appearance. “Apparently, that’s you.”
She gave an efficient nod and held her chin at a confident level. “Yes, it is.”
First cute, then beautiful yesterday, today it was clear her makeup had been applied with a much lighter hand than the professionals. He found he preferred this result that let her natural appeal shine. Her sky blue tank top deepened the color of her eyes, which were framed by dark, full lashes. Blond curls that
’d escaped the band of her ponytail framed her face, accenting high cheekbones and a glossy pair of full, kissable lips.
Lips he’d thoroughly enjoyed kissing yesterday. Lips he’d dreamt about last night.
When the expanding silence dawned on him, and he realized even Tiffany’s usual non-stop chatter was absent, Zach said the first thing that came to mind. “So, what are you doing here?”
Sadie’s eyebrows arched upward. “I believe we’ve already established that.”
God, he was doing it again, succumbing to nerves. Wasn’t he the one dressed in a business suit here? Be professional.
He gave a crisp nod to match her earlier one. “Right. Let’s get down to business then, shall we? My office is this way.” He motioned with his free hand for her to precede him down the hall into the executive wing.
After she slung her worn backpack over her shoulder, she strode ahead with her chin high and shoulders squared. Her steady gaze met his when he reached around to get the door for her.
“Thank you.”
He managed another nod. Damn. She appeared completely unaffected while his heart lodged in his throat from her fresh scent and the desire to kiss her again. Right there in the hall.
As she took a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk, he closed his office door on Kris’ smirk. He took his time gathering his composure, adding a stern reminder that Sadie had lied to him and everyone else yesterday.
On the way around to his high-backed leather executive chair, he noted her prim perch on the large black leather guest chair. She sat with her back straight, notepad, phone and voice recorder ready on her lap.
Her untouched cake plate rested on the edge of his desk and Zach plopped his down on his desk calendar. When he didn’t sit right away, Sadie reached up a hand and tucked the loose curls lying against her cheeks behind her ears. The second time she smoothed them back, he paused before pulling out his chair. The pencil clutched between her fingers began a rapid tap-tap-tap.
Not as cool, calm and collected as she’d have him believe.
Oddly enough, her agitation eased his nervous tension. Zach noted she caught herself after about ten taps, and he hid a smile by turning his attention to a printed sheet sitting on his desktop.
No reporter listed by the name of Sadie. No Gemma, either.
“Which paper are you with?”
“Life’s a Beach and Then Sun Times.”
“That’s a mouthful.”
“It is,” she agreed. Tap, tap.
He pulled out his chair and took a seat. Only then did she visibly relaxed and glance down at her notebook.
“You’re probably on a tight schedule this morning, so I’ll just get star—”
“I’m sorry,” Zach interrupted, holding up a hand. “But, first I’m curious, is it Sadie? Or—” he glanced down at the list again “—Paige?”
Her pencil tapped furiously. When he met her gaze again, anxiety shimmered in those blue eyes.
“Or maybe it’s Gemma, the name listed on yesterday’s call sheet?”
All color drained from her face as the tapping stopped. “I know what it looks like,” she began.
He leaned back, folded his hands over his stomach, and casually said, “Looks like I spent half the day kissing you, but still don’t have a clue what your name is.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red. “It’s Sadie,” she insisted. “Sadie Barton.”
“Which makes Gemma Barton your…?”
“Sister. She was sick, really sick, like puking all night sick, and honestly couldn’t make it. Since she was just supposed to sit in the desk as a nurse, we didn’t think it would be a big deal if I took her place.”
He acknowledged the agitated explanation with a solemn nod. “And Paige? Is she sick too?”
From between Sadie’s shiny lips came a laugh he translated as isn’t this just my luck?
“Paige is the undoubtedly well-dressed reporter who was supposed to interview you, but she got stuck in traffic and my ducks got screwed.”
The smile he’d managed to contain so far broke free. “Excuse me?”
One hand clapped over her mouth, but didn’t cover her embarrassed laugh. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
Zach waited. This was kinda fun. Definitely better than the first two interviews and sure to set the bar pretty darn high for the rest of them.
“Oh, what the hell.” She leaned forward for her piece of cake, pushed back into the chair, and curled her legs up under her as if settling in for a comfortable chat. “I skipped breakfast and I’ve got about a duck’s chance on the highway of pulling off professionalism at this point, anyway.”
He pulled his own piece of cake front and center. “What’s with the ducks?”
“I’m not a real reporter.”
“Do you at least play one on TV?” he teased as chagrin filled her expression.
“That came out wrong,” she declared with a wave of her plastic fork and a grin. “I mean, I am a reporter, but for now I’m paying my dues with human interest stories that barely interest anyone. I was supposed to interview the guy who saved the baby ducks on Interstate 5 after the mother duck was hit by a car. A couple pictures of the fuzzy little guys and then I planned to spend the rest of my day off at the zoo. Hence the casual attire.”
“Ah-ha. I thought maybe you all took the Life’s a Beach name literally.”
She flashed a wry grin and checked her watch. “So, moving on from the ducks, I’ve got a few questions for you that Paige sent over and time’s wasting.”
Zach paused with a forkful of marble cake and butter cream frosting raised halfway to his mouth. “Let me guess: How did you come up with the idea for MovieMail? What do you like to do in your free time? Where do you see yourself and/or the company in five years?” He ate the bite of cake while she shifted her plate aside and scanned the notebook resting on her thigh. “Am I close?” he asked around the dessert in his mouth.
Mouth twitching, she tucked the notebook next to her leg. “Close enough.” She lifted her voice recorder for permission. “Do you mind?”
Zach shrugged. “Go ahead.”
A mechanical click sounded in the room and she leaned forward to set the device on the edge of his desk. Then she lifted her phone. “My editor will kill me if I don’t get a picture here in your office.”
He smiled only long enough for her to snap the photo and put the phone back in a side pocket of her bag.
“Thanks. Now I can have my cake and eat it, too.”
Demonstrating she wasn’t just being cute, she lifted a small piece of dessert on her fork, asked, “How long has MovieMail been in financial trouble?” and closed her lips around the plastic utensil.
Her mouth distracted him, especially when her tongue came out to lick off a smear of white frosting from her bottom lip. He knew she tasted delicious without the frosting. With it, she’d be Heaven to his sweet tooth.
Then her question registered and he frowned. They were in the middle of a very touchy negotiation for their video streaming line of business to solidify and expand their foothold in the online market. Without it, things could get rough. But what would she know of the Truner acquisition?
“Where’d you get the idea MovieMail is in trouble?”
“You secretly acted in your own commercial,” she pointed out. “Why else if not to save money?”
So, forget their current negotiations, this was about an inside scoop that would allow her to spin a new angle on the interview. Suspicion snaked through his gut. Was that why she’d taken her sister’s place yesterday? Had she found out he was going to be in the commercial and been looking for some sort of exclusive?
His immediate response to that question was no, because only Russ and Kris had known the consequences of that stupid bet, and he’d started out as a zombie, for God’s sake.
Doubt strengthened, however, when he thought how Sadie hadn’t seemed overly surprised to see him today in the lobby.
Common sense c
ountered with the rationalization she’d have seen a picture; there were a few of him floating around on the internet. Plus, if she’d known who he was, and planned this interview all along, why disappear yesterday after they’d wrapped the commercial? Why not press home her advantage then? Clearly, after those kisses, she’d held the advantage.
He ran his tongue along his lips to catch any cake crumbs and noticed her gaze drop to his mouth. Hmm. Maybe his kisses had thrown her off, considering she’d expected to play a nurse for the day?
Wishful thinking, that question, especially since her attention barely paused before continuing down to her own plate. Zach decided whether she’d known his identity yesterday or not, what he really needed to know was did she intend to exploit and twist the information she was privy to, or was she only guessing, trying to get under his skin with the unexpected line of questioning?
He finished off the last of his cake and again reclined in his chair. “What makes you think it was a secret?”
She shook her fork at him. “Because high school is a hotbed for gossip and I never once heard your full name whispered in awe between the desks yesterday.”
“The school was simply a setting for the commercial. We’re all more mature these days.” Yeah, right.
As if she’d heard his mocking inner voice, Sadie scoffed. “If anyone had known who you were, they’d have treated you completely different.”
“Would you have?”
She took another small bite of cake, used her finger to wipe frosting off the plate and stuck it in her mouth. Zach’s muscles tensed in the silence as he waited for her answer to confirm if she’d known who he was.
She swallowed, and a shrewd smile curved her lips as she lowered her hand and lifted her gaze to his once more. “Are you avoiding my questions because there’s truth to them?”
He smiled back. “Have I avoided them?”
“Quite skillfully.”
He sat forward and linked his fingers together over the top of his desk calendar. “Do you really think saving the miniscule salary of one actor in a commercial I’ll pay millions of dollars to air nationally would help MovieMail’s bottom line?”
