Meredith sat up in her seat and stared at him. “Ash, you’re a genius,” she whispered and then she jumped up, ran around the table and threw her arms around his neck from behind his chair and gave him a big smacking kiss on the cheek.
Asher sat in stunned happiness as she ran back around the table and sat down, laughing like a wild woman. She whipped out her phone and made a few swiping motions.
“Listen, Brogan, Ash and I were talking and he just came up with a great idea for the website. We want there to be four levels of connection. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. If our clients connect on all four levels then they get the soul mate status. What do you think? Is there any way to add that feature to the website?”
Asher sat forward wishing she had it on speaker phone. He watched her expression carefully as it changed from hopeful to ecstatic.
“Yes!” she screamed, loud enough for every head in the restaurant to turn around and stare in curiosity. Asher smiled apologetically at everyone and held up his hands as if he was helpless, which he was.
Two minutes later, she put her phone away and stared at him with a bright grin on her face. “This is going to be huge. I’m not kidding, this is going to be amazing. I’m so glad you and I became friends so we could do this together,” she said with a happy sigh as she reached for a roll.
Asher frowned and pushed the butter plate towards her. “Friends, huh?”
Meredith took a big bite and nodded her head. “We were both brats when we first met, but when I think about people I want to hang out with or talk to or connect with, you’re at the top of my list. I never figured I was the type to have a guy friend, but It turns out I am. I love that we’re friends. And now I love being your business partner,” she said with a wink.
Asher looked away not knowing how to respond to that. Everyone knew that the best of relationships were built on friendship. Could he be satisfied with just a platonic friendship with Meredith?
No. He wanted more.
“I’m glad that you enjoy our relationship,” he finally said as he watched her devour the roll. “But from what I’ve seen of relationships, they’re very fluid, always changing and growing or dying. Some relationships that start out as friendships even grow into something more. Sometimes, friendships can become romantic. What do you think about that?”
Meredith licked her lips and stared at him silently for a moment. “Are you talking hypothetically or are you talking specifically?” she asked quietly, her eyes now serious.
Asher felt his heart speed up and his hands grow damp as he took his time answering. He did not want to mess this up. But at the same time, he was so comfortable with Meredith and they were both so honest with each other, he couldn’t imagine not telling her what he was thinking or what was in his heart.
“Specifically,” he finally said, his face serious and his eyes vulnerable.
Meredith closed her eyes for a moment and he watched her throat as she swallowed. “I’ll admit that you and I have chemistry. We like the same movies and music. We can laugh and have fun and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the few times you’ve kissed me weren’t um, … nice. However, there’s no way that you and I can be in a romantic relationship with one another now that we’re business partners. It would be the dumbest thing in the world to do. Ash, it could ruin everything.”
Asher clenched his hand into a fist under the table and stared moodily at Meredith. “Are you using that as an excuse to keep me at arm’s length or do you truly believe that you and I wouldn’t work as business partners if we loved each other?”
Meredith sighed and rubbed her forehead for a moment before answering. “I don’t know, Ash. All I know is that you and I are both intense, passionate people and that getting along with you is great and fun and amazing, but if you and I ever broke up and decided to hate each other, things would get crazy in a bad way fast. Now add in a business and you and I being forced to work with each other if we hated each other and that’s a recipe for me running you over with my car and getting put on the five o’clock news.”
Asher smiled and laughed a little but shook his head. “You forgot one thing. I could never hate you,” he said quietly.
Meredith smiled sadly at him and reached across the table. Asher blinked in surprise but grasped her hand in his, loving the warm connection.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m very tempted and very flattered but let’s be smart.”
Asher frowned wanting very much to be stupid instead. “Okay, Mer. We’ll be smart.”
For now.
Chapter 9 – Business First
Meredith arrived at Brogan’s house the next day wearing jeans, boots and a gray cashmere sweater. If Steve Jobs could be a genius and dress casual, then she shouldn’t have to overdress to meet Brogan at his house.
She cleared her throat, wondering why she felt so nervous when the door was opened. By Taryn. Probably the reason she was so nervous, she thought grimly. She smiled politely and lifted her eyebrows.
“Brogan invited me over. Is he here?” she asked, noting that Taryn was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said, I’m smiling, That alone should scare you.
Truth in advertising.
Taryn’s mouth curled in what could maybe be described as a smile, but was more likely a grimace. “Come on in. He’s waiting for you,” she said and opened the door, gesturing to the hallway behind her.
Meredith flicked her long, blond hair over her shoulder and wandered down the dim hallway that led into a spacious family room surrounded by windows. She smiled at the beautiful star-lit night she could see from inside and sighed a little in jealousy. She had no idea what it would be like to live so completely surrounded by beauty, but she’d sure like to experience it someday.
She glanced around and noticed a hunched over figure sitting by a laptop and hurried over.
“Brogan?”
The figure straightened up and turned in her direction and she smiled as Brogan took off his glasses and stood up, smiling at her.
“I had no idea you wore glasses. You look so smart and sophisticated,” she said as he pulled a chair over next to his.
Brogan laughed and motioned for her to have a seat. “I usually wear contacts but my eyes have been hurting lately. Where’s Asher?”
Meredith shrugged as she slipped her purse off her shoulder and sat down, glancing at the computer screen curiously. “He said he’d meet me here. Looks like you’ve been hard at work,” she said noting the dark circles under his eyes and how disheveled he looked.
Brogan grinned and ran a hand through his silvery, blond hair making it stick up in spikes. “Sometimes when I get excited about a project I can’t sleep until I see it take shape. I think you and Asher will be pleased with what I’ve come up with. I’ve been working non-stop on it ever since the day we met.”
Meredith covered her heart with her hand as she felt her excitement grow bigger with every heartbeat. “I’m sure we’ll be pleased, Brogan. I’m so glad we pulled you into this project. I remember when I thought about it, your name was the first one that popped in my head.”
Brogan grinned and stretched a little. “And I’m very grateful. While we’re waiting for Asher, let me get you something to drink. What would you like?”
Meredith smiled and crossed her legs. “I’ll take a water bottle if you have one?”
Brogan nodded and wandered off, leaving her to stare at the darkened computer screen. If she just grabbed the mouse and moved it a little, the screen would light up and she’d be able to see her website. She clasped her hands together to keep them from being naughty and glanced at her watch again. Where was Asher?”
A few moments later, she heard the distinctive sound of the doorbell and let out a breath she’d been holding. Finally. She did not want to face Taryn without even one ally in the house. Brogan was a sweetheart, but being in Taryn’s home felt like she was in enemy territory.
Asher walked in and smiled wide when he saw her. She pop
ped up out of her chair and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “Thank goodness,” she whispered, letting go of him and pulling another chair over to Brogan’s desk. “I was about to break out into hives.”
Asher smiled and turned her around so she was facing away from him. He began massaging her shoulders lightly as he whispered in her ear. “Relax. I’m here now. I won’t let anyone take a bite out of you.”
Meredith pouted a little as he turned her around to face him. “I wish you’d been here with me when she opened the door. From now on, we stick together,” she said fiercely.
Asher looked at her strangely for a moment before lowering his head to hers, so their noses were close together. “That’s the plan.”
Meredith blinked as she stared up into his blue eyes and felt breathless. All she’d have to do was move a few centimeters and they’d be kissing. She stared at his lips and her stomach did that weird flippy thing it did sometimes when she was around him.
“Here you go, Meredith. Ah, Asher. Good, you’re here. I can’t wait to show you what we’ve got so far,” he said and handed Meredith a water bottle as she stepped away from Asher.
Asher touched her lower back before he sat down and she glanced at him quickly from beneath her eyelashes. Was it just her or did she and Asher just have an intense moment there? She watched him for a moment but he was smiling and talking with Brogan as easily as if they’d been alone.
And then he reached over and took her hand in his and squeezed it before looking over at her and smiling. It wasn’t his usual smile though. It was sweet and open. Oh crud, she was in trouble.
Meredith closed her eyes for a second and had a stern talk with herself. Get it together! Stop mooning over a man you just told last night you couldn’t be with. You’re wasting time. Focus. Focus!
She sighed and nodded her head. She could do this. She let go of Asher’s hand and turned toward Brogan. “Okay, Partner. Show us what you’ve got.”
Meredith stared in awe as Brogan walked them through the site.
Brogan pointed to the screen at the icon of a heart within a world next to the four level of matches. “See this? If you match on all four levels then you can click this to get their email and Facebook contact information along with a more personal and in depth profile with more pictures. It will also give you fifty percent off of your first social event. You mentioned ice skating? Our clients who find themselves in this situation would then have the opportunity and the incentive to meet up in person. I’ve heard from so many people that they can talk to someone online forever and never feel the need to meet them. We’re here to take all those roadblocks away.”
Meredith nodded. “I think you’re onto something. The more incentives we give them to actually get out and meet each other in person, the better. Everyone knows that technology gets in the way of making real life connections. We can do multiple incentives. Let’s say that if they meet up at one of our social events, they’ll be given a voucher for fifteen percent off of dinner for two at The Iron Skillet or Tai’s Diner,” she said, staring up at the ceiling as all of the possibilities started flowing through her mind.
Asher laughed. “We’ll have to get Rob’s approval on that.”
Meredith grinned happily. “No need. He already gave me the go ahead.”
“Actually, I’m the one that makes decisions on discounts.”
Brogan, Meredith and Asher all turned around to see Taryn standing right behind them, staring at the screen with a faint frown on her face. “But instead of offering them fifteen percent off dinner for two, why don’t you do a big grand opening deal so that you get more people to sign up? You can do radio spots and we can put posters up in the entry. Something like, the first couple to reach a four level match get a free dinner for two at The Iron Skillet? People don’t get excited about fifteen percent off, although we can do that for all the other future matches. You have to generate buzz and you have to go big to get people’s attention. Talk to Belinda’s Bakery and Garrett’s nursery too. Free flowers for a date? Free chocolate covered strawberries? You could do so much with this if you’d just think bigger,” she said, tilting her head.
Meredith turned and stared at Asher with eyes big with surprise as Brogan jumped up and pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her rather passionately for being in front of company.
“Baby, have I ever told you I adore you?” Brogan said in a low voice that had Meredith clearing her throat in embarrassment.
“Every day,” Taryn said with a grin as she glanced at Meredith and Asher who were still staring at her in awe. “What?”
Meredith bit her lip. “Nothing, it’s just, that was a brilliant and very generous suggestion. Wow.”
Asher nodded his head in agreement. “I see why Rob puts you in charge. You have a mind for business and you don’t let anything limit you. I’m impressed.”
Taryn grinned and lifted a shoulder modestly. “I do what I can. Anything else I can help with?” she asked, looking almost as if she wanted to be included.
Brogan sat down and pulled her down so she was sitting on his lap. “You’re not going anywhere. Let me walk you through it and you can tell me if you have any other suggestions.”
They spent the next hour tweaking every aspect of Brogan’s website and at the end; Meredith couldn’t believe how amazing it truly was. Asher stood up and shook Brogan and Taryn’s hands.
“This is going far better than even I imagined it. Brogan, you’re a genius and Taryn, you’re right there with him. Now I have all the paperwork ready to be signed to make our business official. Think up a few suggestions for a company name and we’ll finalize everything tomorrow. I think Meredith’s suggestion for our name though should be given heavier consideration though since this is her brainchild. Sound good?”
Meredith smiled and touched Asher’s arm. “Sounds perfect. We have each other’s emails or we can text back and forth too. I think we all work better when we collaborate with each other.”
Brogan nodded his head in agreement. “The synergy is real, people. Okay, let’s plan on meeting up tomorrow to sign the paperwork. How’s lunch sound?”
Meredith nodded and picked up her purse. “I never turn down good food. The Skillet?”
Asher nodded. “Yes, and I’d still like to get Rob’s go ahead along with yours Taryn.”
Taryn nodded. “Rob will go for anything that gets the name of his restaurant out there. This will be incredible advertising for him and he’ll jump on it. Trust me.”
Asher grinned. “I believe you. I’m already imagining our first company party next year. We’ll be sitting on a beach in Hawaii.”
Taryn frowned. “Absolutely not. We’ll be surfing. Who wants to sit when you can be ruling the waves.”
Meredith grinned, surprised that she was actually enjoying Taryn. And they said miracles never happened anymore.
Taryn and Brogan walked them to the door and waved them off, both of them smiling easily. Asher waved and then put an arm around her shoulders as they walked to their cars.
“See there? Taryn is not only human, she has a brilliant mind for which I’m heartily grateful right now. She very kindly offered us some truly excellent ideas that could help make this bigger than even I dreamed.”
Meredith smiled and leaned her head against Asher’s shoulder for a moment as a burst of happiness filled her whole body. “Can life get any better?” she asked wonderingly.
Asher pulled her to a stop and tilted her chin up with his hand as he looked deeply down into her eyes. Meredith felt her heart jump in her chest as he leaned down closer.
“It can get a lot better if you want it to,” he said softly and then leaned down, kissing her softly at first and then more deeply as if he was unsure of his welcome.
Meredith wasn’t sure why she wasn’t pushing him away. Maybe it was because it was so different than any of his other kisses. This kiss was deep, dark and soft, immense in feeling as if it was pulling at her. Asher tilted his head
to deepen the kiss further and Meredith found her arms around his waist as she softened against his hard chest.
Asher finally pulled back a few moments later and she kept her eyes closed, too shattered by the kiss to open them and see what was in Asher’s eyes. She felt a soft kiss on her temple and then on her cheek as she focused on breathing in and out and then he was kissing her again, but this time, it wasn’t soft. This time, it was as if Asher was letting all of his feelings out in the kiss. When he pulled back the second time, they were both breathing heavy and she was staring at him in wonder.
“What was that?” she whispered, touching her lips.
Asher stared at her, his eyes dark and troubled for a moment before answering. “I’ve kissed you before.”
Meredith shook her head. “Oh, no. Not like this you haven’t. This was. . . mind blowing. What’s going on?” she asked, realizing that she was still standing right up next to him. She stepped back and Asher reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back as he secured her with an arm around her waist.
“What’s going on is that I have feelings for you and you have feelings for me, business or not. Ignoring them or sweeping them under the rug isn’t going to work. Not when what I feel for you is so powerful. After a night like tonight when we’re on top of the world and we’re feeling like celebrating, how can I not pull you into my arms and kiss you?” he asked, shaking his head.
Meredith sighed and looked down at the button on his shirt because looking in his eyes was just too intense. “I admit that I was caught up in the moment too. I’m not saying that we don’t have feelings for each other. We do and all of them are good and wonderful. But some of them, like that last one, we need to set aside.”
Asher’s hand stilled on her back as his entire body stiffened. “I’m standing here in front of you telling you that I have feelings for you and you’re asking me to set them aside?” he asked, his voice completely expressionless.
When Meredith pulled back this time, he let her go. She straightened her shirt and stuck her hands into her pockets, looking anywhere but at him. “Is this going to make things awkward now, Ash? Can we work together? Because this was what I was worried about … things not working out between us and not only ruining our working relationship but our friendship.”
My One and Only: Book 1 in the Love and Weddings Trilogy Page 7
