Page 42 of Flirting with Trouble

“You googled him?” she asks with surprise. “Why?”

“I wanted to see the man who owns a piece of your heart. I didn’t snoop or look for anything about the two of you. I just wanted to see his face. I admit wanting to snoop, but I figured you’d tell me what you wanted me to know, and I don’t need to know the rest.”

Her brows knit. “That wasn’t weird for you?”

“Not at all. It was weird knowing you’d lost someone you loved and not being able to picture him. I’m sorry if I offended you or crossed a line.”

“You didn’t. I’m just surprised. That’s nice…I think.”

“I promise I wasn’t being creepy, and if you don’t want to share the rest of your story, I get it. I can put two and two together. You met, you were attracted to each other, and you hit it off.”

“It didn’t exactly happen that way. He was forty-two when we met, and I admit I was attracted to him, but that alone is not enough to make me want to be with a guy.”

“Good to know.”

She smiles. “To be honest, I thought he was going to be full of hot air. He had this presence that commanded attention. The type of guy who walks into a room, and everyone stands up a little straighter. Kind of like your father.”

“That is just like my father, but I can’t picture you with a guy like that.”

“That’s because you didn’t know Harvey. He was a brilliant businessman, but he never acted better than anyone. If he saw people reacting to him that way, he’d go shake their hands and sit down to get to know them. The truth is, I made a complete ass out of myself that night.”

“I doubt that.”

“I did. Once we started talking and I realized we were both scouting the band, I got competitive and acted like I was a way bigger deal than I really was.” She laughs. “I think at one point I told him he should stop wasting his time and just leave because there was no way the band would choose him instead of me.”

“You are a trip. What did he say?”

“He egged me on, asking why I thought I’d win them over, and I rattled off everything good about myself that I could think of. We talked for almost two hours and found out we both worked in the same way and had similar values about helping others and giving back. It wasn’t about the money for either of us, and that’s rare in our industry. It’s easy to get jaded.”

“It sounds like you hit it off after all.”

“We did. But then he told me that if he talked to the band, it wouldn’t matter how good I was. They’d sign with him because he had the backing, resources, and reputation to take them farther. I said I was up for the challenge, and I’d show him that he was wrong.”

“That does not surprise me.”

“I wasn’t about to let him one-up me.” She tucks another wayward strand behind her ear, turning into the breeze. “But then he said he’d walk away and let me have the band if I’d come work for him. He promised he wouldn’t micromanage me, and he offered to mentor me, which was a huge deal and the biggest compliment someone in my shoes could ask for. He knew my downfalls, and he was still willing to not only take a chance on me but to teach me everything he knew. He said if I had his resources and connections behind me, I’d be unstoppable.”

“Sounds like a smart man. You shine brighter than anyone I’ve ever met, and he obviously saw that, too.” I look out at the water and take a deep breath.

“Am I boring you? Do you want to get off?”

“No. I just love the smell of the ocean.” I cock a grin. “I have no interest in ending our call, but I do enjoy getting off with you.”

She smiles and shakes her head. “I keep forgetting I need to watch what I say to you.”

“What fun would that be?” That earns a beautiful, slightly bashful smile as I walk beside the dunes. “So you took the job and started dating your boss?”

“No. I took the job and did not start dating my boss. I wanted to, but Harvey fought our attraction. He mentored me just like he promised he would, and we worked closely, staying late every night and working weekends. He taught me about business and negotiating and schooled me in the parts of professional etiquette I needed to hone in order to succeed. I was all guts and glory and not enough finesse, working on a shoestring budget and practically living in Keds unless I had to impress someone. He taught me more than I ever imagined possible, and we made an amazing team. We scouted talent together, and I worked my ass off. With his guidance, I didn’t just soar. I took off like a freaking rocket, and I loved every minute of it.”

She takes a deep breath, and her tone softens. “But I fell in love with him during those long nights and weekends, and even though he wasn’t flirtatious, I knew he had feelings for me. So I did what any woman in my shoes would do. I tried to get him to give in to the heat between us without compromising my professionalism, which was hard, because we had crazy chemistry.” She pauses, her gaze moving to the water and back, before she adds, “Like you and I do.”

Man, I love hearing her admit that, but I’m also glad to hear that Harvey and I weren’t very similar. It’s no wonder she struggles with our connection. She says she’s not scared, but with the strength of our connection, how can she not be? The last man she gave her all to, the one she thought she’d have forever with, was stolen away too soon.

“He must’ve had a will of steel,” I say.

She smiles. “He did, and it was infuriating.”

“Almost as infuriating as trying to get you to dance with me over the holidays? Or at the wedding,” I tease.