“Schuyler.” Maddie glanced at the nail techs who were deep in quiet conversation with each other and seemed to not be listening to them. Thank God.
“You have to admit he does have a great ass,” Schuyler said. “I’ve noticed. No disrespect to Carlo, who has a nice ass, too. I want you to have a nice ass of your own, Mads. I mean, a guy of your own with a nice ass.”
Maddie pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. She didn’t want to draw any more attention to them. “Okay. Okay. Okay. I’d love that.”
“So, you’re saying you’ve noticed Zach’s great butt?”
Maddie glanced around the nail salon. It was so late in the day that there was only one other pair of women in the place and they were seated at the other end of the row of pedicure chairs not paying the least bit of attention to the sisters’ conversation.
“You have, haven’t you?” Schuyler wiggled her brows.
“Okay, yes. I’ve noticed. Who wouldn’t notice?”
“Right? A person would have to be dead not to,” Schuyler said. “A few minutes ago, you said you were going to confide in me about something. Dish.”
Of course, Schuyler wouldn’t forget a juicy offer like that. But the most important thing was that despite her sister’s free-spirited ways and her tendency to make jokes about trivial matters—or to use humor to draw Maddie out of her shell—Schuyler was a great confidant. If Maddie asked her not to repeat something, Schuyler was more solid than Fort Knox.
Maddie had learned the hard way that if she didn’t issue a caveat and specifically ask her not to say anything about something, all bets were off. In fact, bets would favor Schuyler repeating exactly what she'd heard—at the most inopportune time.
“So, this is just between us, okay?” Maddie said.
Schuyler leaned in and drew her thumb and forefinger over her lips, indicating that her lips were zipped.
Maddie recounted the events of Friday night at the Thirsty Ox and how she’d kissed Zach.
Actually, it felt good to throw caution to the wind and giggle about her crush with her sister. Schuyler’s eyes were huge and her mouth formed a perfect O. Maddie wasn’t surprised that her admission had rendered her sister momentarily speechless.
Momentarily.
“You kissed Zach?”
Maddie nodded and heat washed over her cheeks.
“And he came over Saturday night,” Schuyler said.
Maddie nodded again.
“He really seemed like he was into you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I do. You have to ask him to the wedding, Mads.”
Maddie shook her head. “No, I can’t. It’s not a good idea. The whole point behind the kiss was to get him out of my system.”
Schuyler winced and shot Maddie an incredulous look.
“Don’t judge me,” Maddie said. “When you look at the facts, it only makes sense. One of us will win this promotion. The other one is leaving. Getting involved wouldn’t work. That’s assuming he’s even interested in getting involved. Zach is a first-class flirt, Sky. So, I’m more inclined to believe that the kiss didn’t mean anything to him. I kissed him because I’ve always had a thing for him and this way, no matter what happens, now I won’t wonder what it would’ve been like. I guess you could say it was my consolation prize.”
“No!” Schuyler shouted. Their techs looked up and the women at the other end of the row darted alarmed glances down their way.
“Sorry,” Schuyler said. “Just trying to talk some sense into my sister. As you were.”
The women gazed at them warily, as if they were looking at a couple of unpredictable animals.
“Schuyler, shhhh,” Maddie admonished.
“There will be no consolation prizes here. You will not just settle for a stolen kiss. You will win the whole thing. You deserve to have everything you want.”
Maddie envied her sister’s Pollyanna spirit, but Maddie knew Sky was the dreamer and she was the realist.
“It is what it is,” Maddie said.
“No, it is what you make it. Why is it so difficult for you to admit that there could be something between the two of you if you’d just open your heart and try? Why don't you try to figure out a way to win the promotion and Zach?”
Maddie’s heart kicked against her rib cage.
Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.
“Why? Because I hate losing,” Maddie said. “And taking a chance on Zach and missing the mark would hurt too much.”
Chapter Eight
Monday morning was off to a bad start. Dave Madison had called while Zach was in the shower and left a message canceling their meeting that morning. Dave said that yesterday he’d been called away on business in Dallas and he wasn’t able to make it back.
Zach wondered if the important piece of business that had detained him was blond or brunette.
Now he was left to do the dirty work: telling Maddie that Dave had canceled. Hearing the news this close to Kenneth’s deadline and the fact that he’d called Zach, not Maddie, was not going to go over well. Especially since Maddie already believed Zach was trying to ingratiate himself to her detriment.
To help smooth things over, he’d stopped on his way in and picked up a couple of bagels and two café mochas. His plan was for the two of them to spend the morning strategizing. Under the guise of wanting to compare schedules with Maddie, he’d waited to call Dave back to reschedule. Maybe that would appease her.
Why was he taking such pains to be nice? It was his instinct to call Dave right back, verbally rough him up for canceling at the last minute and then make him feel as if he owed him. That’s how business was done.
He went straight to Maddie’s office without even stopping by his own. He knew she was there because her white Volvo was parked in its usual spot. Funny how the sight of her car now sparked an instant reaction in him when he saw it.
When he got to her office, her head was bowed as she read something on her desk. It dawned on him that her hair, which she normally wore in a ponytail, was down and covered her profile. Her hair looked shiny and a little bit shorter and fuller. His mouth went dry at the vision of her in bed with him—naked and on top—leaning toward him as he ran his hands through those wild, silky locks, pulling her closer as they rode the wave together—
He cleared his throat and knocked on the door frame with the hand that held the small bag of bagels.
She looked up and smiled at him.
Damn.
She looked...different. Somehow.
The woman who sat in her chair was gorgeous. What was different about her? Her hair, for one. But could a haircut really change a person that much? She looked different to the point that he almost couldn’t believe she was the same woman.
“Good morning.” He managed to spit the words out. “You changed your hair.”
She leaned her face on her chin and flirted with her eyes. “You noticed.”
“Yeah. Looks great.”
She was in such a good mood, he hated to spoil it with the news that Madison had begged off on their meeting.
“Whatcha got there?” she asked, gesturing to the bag and tray of cups he was carrying.
“Breakfast. Are you hungry?”
“You know me, I can always eat.”
She was definitely the same Maddie. But he’d never seen her like this. How had he never noticed how gorgeous she was? It wasn’t just the hair.
Or was it?
“You should wear your hair down more often. It looks great.”
“Thanks.” She reached up and toyed with a piece of her hair.
He’d read in one of the body language books he studied that when a woman played with her hair, it was a tell suggesting she was attracted to the person she was talking to.
The feeling’s mutual.
Was it a workplace taboo to comment so much on her appearance? He couldn’t help it, and she didn’t seem to be taking offense. She'd kissed him...
“What’s not to love. Thanks, but don’t you think we’d better take this on the road with us so we’re not late for the meeting?”
He slid into the chair across from her desk as she wheeled her chair back and stood up. He noticed the dress she was wearing—the very hot, very pink dress—yes, very hot. It had a flirty little skirt that hit well above her knee and moved when she did. The top of her dress fit her like a glove and even though the neckline wasn’t plunging or revealing, it showcased her breasts in a way that had him shifting in his seat.
He took a sip of scalding coffee, burning his mouth and bringing his mind back to the task at hand. There had always been something about her. Something beautifully untouchable that made her feel out of his league and caused him to hang back rather than swoop in as he did with the other women he dated. He’d be smart to stick to business.
“Bad news,” he said. “Dave Madison canceled the meeting this morning.”
“Very funny.” She hitched her handbag up on her arm.
“I’m serious.”
The smile that initially suggested she would play along with his prank fell. “You’re not kidding?”
Zach shook his head.
Maddie dropped her purse and sank into her office chair. “Why? And when did you find out?”
“This morning,” Zach said. “Madison left a message.”
She pulled her phone out of her purse and looked at it, then skimmed it onto her desk. “He didn’t leave me a message.”
“He probably figured I’d let you know.”
Maddie harrumphed. “Because the two of you are such good buddies. It would’ve been nice if he could’ve given me the courtesy of a phone call. Does he want to reschedule?”
“He didn’t say.” Zach had predicted Maddie wouldn’t receive the news well. “All he said was he was called out of town yesterday and wouldn’t make it back by our meeting. Why don’t you call him and reschedule for us? If you want to. I’m not asking you to schedule my appointments.”
“I get it.” Her face softened. “And I appreciate it. I’ve been calling him, but I haven’t made contact with him. He seems more comfortable communicating through you. I was looking forward to this face-to-face so I could meet him and we could establish a business relationship. He’s a hard guy to pin down.”
Zach nodded. “That’s how he operates. He’s good at what he does, builds a solid product, but he marches to his own tune. Be prepared for that.”
Maddie picked up her coffee and sipped it. He could see the wheels turning in her head.
“What does your week look like?” she asked.
“Just schedule the meeting as soon as you can and I’ll make it work.”
“Thanks, Zach. It’s a tight week for me because Schuyler’s wedding is on Saturday. I’d planned on going to Austin on Wednesday. I hope he’ll be back tomorrow.”
Since Schuyler didn’t work for Fortunado Real Estate, she’d only invited the people she knew well. At the barbecue where her father had made his big announcement, she’d apologized to Zach for not inviting him and explained that she and Carlo were trying to keep the wedding intimate with just their family and closest friends.
He understood.
Maddie looked down and toyed with the top of her coffee cup. “I owe you an apology,” she said. “Since we’re coming down to the wire before Kenneth makes his decision on who he’s promoting, for a moment, I was thinking ugly thoughts of you. I wondered if the meeting being canceled was some kind of a dirty deal or a double cross to put yourself in better position for the promotion.”
She looked up. “Now I know I was wrong. I think I’ve been wrong about you all along.”
He smiled. “I don’t operate like that, Maddie. I know this challenge your father has issued has put us in an uncomfortable position, but I don’t believe in stepping on people to better myself. Or bettering myself to the detriment of other people.”
“I believe you. You operate that way because of what your brother did to you, right?”
Zach shrugged. He didn’t like to talk about his past, but for some strange reason, he wasn’t annoyed by Maddie bringing it up. It meant she understood him.
“Probably. But it’s in the past.”
“Have you ever thought of sitting down and talking to him? How long has it been now?”
Zach shrugged again.
“That would be...” His words trailed off. He couldn’t recall off the top of his head, because he’d put Rich out of his mind. “I wouldn’t know what to say to him. I don’t even know how he would receive me if I looked him up.”
Despite all his success, all the money he’d earned and saved and invested, family was the one thing money couldn’t buy. It was a rare and precious commodity. He was moved by Maddie’s commitment to family. She could’ve easily let this challenge come between her father and her. It could’ve caused a big rift right before Schuyler’s wedding. But Maddie had her head on straight enough to keep that from happening.
Needing to change the subject, he shot her his most mischievous smile. “What other misconceptions have you had about me?”
She returned an equally suggestive—almost naughty—smile. It pierced him in the most delicious way.
“That doesn’t matter now,” she said. “But I think I still owe you a few one things.”
“As a matter of fact, you do.”
“Even though I really shouldn’t have to pay up from the Ping-Pong match because we never finished. But I do have one thing for you now.”
He smiled. He could’ve resorted to the safety of their usual banter, insisting that she’d forfeited the game so he had won fair and square. But who won and who forfeited wasn’t important right now. “Do tell.”
“One thing you don’t know about me is...” Her voice sounded shaky, and she looked uncertain, like she might back out of telling him what she'd planned on saying. But then she took a deep breath. “What you don’t know is, I’d love for you to be my plus-one to Schuyler and Carlo’s wedding. Will you go with me?”
* * *
After Maddie realized she wanted Zach to be her date to the wedding, she’d promptly overthought it and prepared herself for the possibility that he might not want to go.
If that was the case, she’d been prepared to tell him that it was important to Schuyler for her to bring a date, but bringing someone she didn’t know well, someone who didn’t know her family, might make a statement she didn’t want to make. At the very worst it might take some of the attention off Schuyler because her nosy family would be so curious about who she’d brought. Was it a serious relationship? Was Maddie the next bride-to-be? What a headache. So, she’d decided Zach would be the best bet. Plus, she strategized, after working on this project together, if they went to the wedding together they would present a united front to Kenneth, proving that no matter who won the promotion, they could work together for the sake of Fortunado Real Estate. Never mind how they’d both declared they would leave Fortunado if they didn’t get the job.
As it turned out, she hadn’t needed all the reasons and strategies she’d prepared. Zach had answered her with a simple, “Thanks. I’d love to be your date.”
Date.
He’d actually said he would be her date.
Maddie had been so breathless and giddy, it had been almost impossible to contain it. So, she’d shooed him from the office saying she had work to do. At the top of her list? The call to Dave Madison.
Her giddiness had been brought back down to earth with a resounding thud when she’d gotten his voice mail. She’d left a message imploring him to meet them the following day—Tuesday. She disconnected with the sinking feeling that her message had just disappeared into the big, black hole that seemed to have swallowed any interest Madison had in partnering with Fortunado.
The next call she’d placed had been to Richard McCarter, Zach’s brother. Since Zach was going to be i
n Austin for the wedding and Rich lived in Austin, Maddie decided it couldn’t hurt to let Rich know that Zach would be in the area over the weekend.
Maddie had gotten through to Rich on the first call. She was certain it had been a good sign.
“Hello, Rich, my name is Madeleine Fortunado. Your brother, Zach, is a good friend of mine and I was hoping you had a moment to talk.”
She’d been heartened when he’d sounded eager to hear about his brother. Without sharing any details, Maddie had simply relayed that Zach didn’t know she was calling, but she was certain he would be willing to talk to him. She gave him Zach’s cell number and hung up hoping for the best.
However, when Tuesday had passed and Friday arrived without a call from Dave Madison, Maddie was afraid that Fortunado’s opportunity might be slipping through her fingertips.
“Have you heard from Dave Madison?” she asked Zach on Friday morning when he arrived in Austin for the wedding. Maddie had been there since Wednesday playing handmaiden to Schuyler.
“I haven’t heard a word from him. I was hoping you had. The guy can be such a flake sometimes. He’s creative and busy and he has the attention span of a gnat. I told you he operates on his own schedule. I’m sure he’ll get back to us when he’s ready.”
“I know, but time is ticking,” Maddie said. “Do you think he’s jacking us around? Maybe he’s contracted with someone else? I wish I knew one way or the other so that we can make a plan B for my father. I’ve been in touch with Blue Circle Portfolio. They’re the ones looking at developing that land in the theater district and if we can nail that down, maybe my dad will forgive us for not landing the Paisley.”
“Yeah, that’s great,” Zach said, as he stared at his cell phone.
“Well, it wouldn’t really be great,” Maddie said. “But at least we won't go to my dad empty handed. Maybe he will give us more time to woo Dave. What are you looking at? I get the feeling that you’re not all here this morning.”
Zach laughed and scrubbed his face with his palms. “Sorry. I’m not really all here. The strangest thing happened.” He laughed again. This time Maddie detected an air of disbelief in the sound.
Maddie Fortune's Perfect Man Page 14
