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Chapter One
“I’m sorry, Victoria. I know it’s short notice.”
It was, in fact, a matter of hours. But it wasn’t that.
After all, it wasn’t that surprising that a man as busy as Davis King would call to cancel their date at the last minute. Especially considering he was on the other side of the country in San Francisco.
She’d known from the outset that cultivating a romantic relationship with a workaholic who lived three thousand miles away wasn’t going to be easy. But Davis’s commitment to his family’s entertainment empire had been one of his biggest appeals.
The steadfast work ethic was something they had in common. And when they had collaborated on a charity project involving one of the King theme parks last year, they had hit it off. Not to mention, Davis ticked nearly all the boxes on Vicky’s list. (Yes, she had a list. The best way to get what you want is to be methodical.) Given all that, the distance had seemed like a mere inconvenience. But today not so much. Because today was the Pink Heart Ball, New York’s premier Valentine’s fundraiser, benefiting women’s heart health.
“I’m disappointed, of course, but I understand,” she said diplomatically.
“Are you sure? I feel terrible. I know how much the night means to you.”
He wasn’t wrong. In addition to supporting an important cause and always being an amazing evening, the event drew the elite of the elite. Anyone who wanted to be a power player in the city, whether for profit or, as in her case, for philanthropic purposes, had to be there and at their networking best.
Not to mention, this would be Vicky’s first Pink Heart Ball alone. Alone as in unattached, since Noah Prince, her business partner, had ceased to also be her romantic partner. And now, it seemed, alone as in without even a date.
It wasn’t that she minded the breakup with Noah. Not anymore anyway. After a year, the wounds were healed, and it was clear to her that they had always been better suited as friends and colleagues. But she was used to having someone at her side at these things. And the media . . . Well, they would notice that she showed up alone. It would be the headline.
Meanwhile, “Prince Charming” (the media’s nickname for Noah) wasn’t even going to be at the Pink Heart Ball this year. He was off on some mysterious getaway with his girlfriend, which left Vicky to represent the Prince Foundation on her own. No pressure.
She knew she was capable. She didn’t need a successful businessman on her arm to prove herself. Was it so wrong that she felt more secure if she had one, though? And she was eager to strengthen her relationship with Davis. She wanted a man in her life. Business and society were infinitely easier that way, and truthfully, she was lonely.
Enough. Nothing she could do about the situation now.
“Yes, I’m sure, Davis. Really. I’ll see you at the World Media Equality Conference in Madrid next month.”
He let out a sigh on the other end of the line. “I had to cancel Madrid. Too much at stake with the new film premier. I need to be on-site in LA. I’m sending a representative, of course, but I won’t be there in person.”
“Oh. Well, all right. Then at the Children’s Literacy Summit in April.”
He sucked in air. “Actually, I’ll be in Tokyo going over the character design for the new video game that week,” he said apologetically.
Vicky shook her head, laughing. She had liked him because he was so committed to his work, she reminded herself. “Well then, perhaps we should just have your assistant text my assistant to keep me apprised of your whereabouts on the globe. I can’t keep up.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea!”
“Oh now, Davis, I was kidding. I hardly think we need to involve our employees in our relationship.” She cringed as soon as the word was out of her mouth. Was it a relationship? Did he think of it that way? The last thing she wanted was to push him away by being too presumptuous.
“No, no. Not that. But what if . . . That is, if you don’t think it’s too much . . . Well, how would you feel about sharing locations?”
Relief washed over her, followed by confusion. It took her a moment. But she thought she saw where he was going.
She cautiously asked, “You mean as in with our phones?”
“Yes, I mean, if you want to. I don’t know. Is that silly?” He sounded adorably embarrassed. “I just thought—never mind.”
“No! No, I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
It was sweet really. Him wanting to let her know what he was up to at any given time. The sort of thing you only did with those who were more important to you.
They each tapped the necessary settings into their phones. She looked down at the little map on the screen, which now showed her Davis’s location in the King Tower in downtown San Francisco. She smiled to herself. It did make her feel more connected to him somehow.
“I see you,” she announced.
“I see you too,” he said back, his voice low and gentle in her ear.
