скачать книгу бесплатно
‘Just hear me out,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a proposition for you.’
‘What kind of proposition?’
The upset tone had slipped from her voice. He could almost hear the ticking over of her mind, her attention raised because he’d given his question a detached work-style tone.
‘I’m exactly what you need,’ he said. ‘To help you get back out there.’
TWO
There was a snap as the lock twisted back on the cubicle door and then Alice was in front of him. The tears had dried and her face was no longer purple. She looked pale and tired, her eyes red-rimmed from all the crying. Her hair, still partially twisted into its chignon, stuck out at odd angles. She took a deliberate side-step around him and moved across to the sink, putting a good space between them. Harry saw her grimace at her own reflection before she turned her gaze back on him.
As her eyes narrowed a spark of sudden heat zipped up his spine. Obviously because Alice Ford didn’t do vulnerable, he decided, that was all. She did polished and professional. He was bound to react to such a change in her.
‘What do you mean, you’re exactly what I need?’
Her arms were crossed defensively, her face totally suffused with suspicion and he knew that convincing her he was genuine was going to be tough. Then again, tough had never caused him a problem before.
‘What if I were to offer you my services?’ he said.
She was looking at him as if she thought he might be crazy.
‘Your services? As what exactly?’
He shrugged, leaned back against the wall and looked her in the eye.
‘As someone who dates a lot. Someone who’s out there.’
He ignored the cynical expression on her face and forged ahead.
‘Instead of going to bars or restaurants on your own, come out with me. You said yourself just now, you’re rusty. And starting from scratch at anything is pretty daunting—right? Just think of the alternatives.’ He shrugged. ‘There’s internet dating, where you never know if the person showing up is a serial killer.’
‘As opposed to a serial dater,’ she said, eyebrows raised.
‘Hey, that’s an advantage! I’ve probably been on more first dates than anyone else you know. I’m used to the social scene. I know all the best places to go to meet new people. I’m perfect for the job. Whatever your reason is for staying out of the field these last three years, whatever moron has stitched you up or treated you badly in the past—’
‘How do you know that’s the reason?’ she snapped, his interest sharpening at her sudden defensiveness. ‘I’ve been putting work first, that’s all. Focusing on my career. It’s as simple as that. I don’t need your help.’
‘OK, OK.’ He held his hands up. ‘You’ve still been out of the field for a while. Out of the social scene, out of the habit of getting to know people.’
‘I get to know people!’ she protested.
He deliberately fixed his gaze on hers.
‘Professionally maybe. But what about getting to know someone for pleasure?’
He saw a soft blush touch the porcelain skin of her cheekbones. He had her on edge. He liked having that effect on her.
‘Just think about it for a minute. A few no-strings dates with me and you’ll have checked out a few nice bars, maybe a restaurant or two, you will have broken the ice, started talking to people about something other than work for a change.’ He winked at her. ‘You’ll be back out there. Problem solved.’ He paused, then added an extra touch of encouragement. ‘And no one needs to know we ever had this conversation.’
Momentary relief in her eyes as she picked up on that last sentence. And then a sceptical smile touched the corner of her mouth, drawing his attention there.
‘And assuming I were to go along with this, what happens once I am “back out there”?’
He shrugged.
‘Then, when it runs its course, we part company and you make your own way forward, back in full control.’ He held his hands up in what he hoped was a you-can-trust-me gesture. ‘Totally risk-free.’
She gave him an amused look from beneath her dark eyelashes and his pulse rate began to climb unexpectedly. When you bothered to look beyond the starchy business persona she really was a knockout. She just needed to loosen up a bit.
‘Come on,’ he persuaded. ‘What have you got to lose?’
Her gaze narrowed suddenly.
‘And what exactly is in it for you? Why the hell would you want to take me out when you have the pick of the office, not to mention the city? I’m sure HR are recruiting at the moment—there should be a whole new intake of candidates for you to hit on if you wait a week or two. You’ve never seemed to have a problem finding someone before. And judging by the trail of devastation you leave around the office they all seem to be a bit more into you than I am.’
He grinned.
‘Maybe I like a challenge.’
She only looked at him levelly. How come he hadn’t realised before how softly pretty she was? Her wide brown eyes were fringed with thick dark lashes contrasting richly with her creamy skin. The way she pulled her dark hair severely back from her face combined with the sharply tailored business suits she favoured made the overall impression coldly keep-your-distance professional, not pretty or sexy. Which, he realised, was probably the point.
‘What about Angela? Or is it Emily?’ She flung an exasperated hand up. ‘That temp from Accounts.’
‘I think you must mean Ellie,’ he said. ‘It’s been over for a while. I’ve actually been out of the field myself this past month.’
He didn’t count yesterday’s one-night stand. Extra-short-term flings were the new thing.
She gave an amused sniff.
‘Am I supposed to feel an affinity with that? A month is hardly an abstention, is it? It’s more of a...breather.’
‘OK, so it doesn’t come close to your three-year cold spell,’ he said, ‘but it’s still been a deliberate step back.’
He took a breath, the hassle of the last few weeks zipping spectacularly through his mind in a haze of all-night repetitive phone calls and shredded clothes. Thankfully it seemed to be over now and he’d learned from his mistakes. From now on, clear caveats up front and no letting it run on too long. More than a month seemed to be code for women that moving in together was a realistic next step.
He shrugged. ‘Is it so unbelievable to you that I might want to take you out?’
* * *
Alice stared at him.
Actually, yes. Forgive me for being cautious but I have just discovered I’m the office joke.
‘How come you haven’t asked me out before, then?’ she asked. ‘Why now?’
‘You do have a bit of a...well, a reputation.’ He ran a hand through his dark hair, ruffling it, obviously struggling to put it tactfully.
She tensed. If he dared use the term ‘Ice-Queen’, murder might be on the cards.
‘Oh, really?’ she said.
‘As being a bit aloof. But you must have been asked out before, surely?’
‘A couple of times,’ she said. ‘A firm “no” has always been enough before.’
He grinned.
‘I don’t give up that easily. When I see something I want, I make sure I get it.’
She jumped a little at the muffled ping of the lift outside followed by a flurry of voices and footsteps. Her colleagues, pouring back into the office. She needed to regain her composure if she was going to go back out there. And if she wanted him to keep quiet about her little meltdown just now, it might pay to keep him onside.
Risk-free, he’d said. There was a small part of her that zoomed in on those two words.
Three years and she hadn’t so much as been out for a coffee with a man. She had anticipated the day she agreed to a date again would be some kind of milestone. Broken heart fully healed. Pain resigned to the distant past along with sewer-rat Simon and his photographs. But now it seemed the last three years of swearing off the opposite sex had been totally pointless. She was in exactly the same place now as she had been then—the butt of amused gossip. This time because she didn’t date instead of because she did.
Deep down her stomach twisted into agonising knots at the thought of putting herself back out there again. What the hell was wrong with staying in? She never got behind on any TV shows and it saved her a fortune in clothes.
The thought of going out with someone as dangerous as Harry Stephens was akin to playing with fire. But risk-free, he said.
In the face of the day she’d had, knowing how she was viewed by the entire office, she could see that a date with him might have its merits. She had to do something. Even a stupid ego-boosting date with the office lothario was something if it was done on her terms. And since what she wanted was to prove a point, wasn’t he the perfect choice? High profile in the circles she moved in. Gorgeous. And indiscreet—he wasn’t above dumping his conquests in full view of the office, seeming to revel in his reputation as a player. He’d be bound to tell half the office that he’d been out for a drink with the Ice-Queen. That would throw a spanner in the works of their sad little sweepstake. And she could always back out later if she changed her mind.
She had a choice: end this day as Ice-Queen Ford or accept the offer of a drink and at least be able to tell herself she had a date, no matter that it was with the most unsuitable man in the universe.
‘OK,’ she said impulsively.
He looked momentarily surprised and she realised he hadn’t really expected her to say yes. The idea that she was acting out of character spurred her on even more, offering a stab of what felt like excitement. Except it couldn’t be, because she didn’t do excitement.
Hah! Didn’t expect that, did he? Didn’t expect a yes from Ice-Queen Ford!
To his credit, he collected himself quickly.
‘Great,’ he said. ‘After work?’
The sudden scary reality of what she was doing kicked in and she scrabbled for thinking time.
‘Tonight’s difficult,’ she said. ‘I’m cooking for my flatmate.’ Never mind the fact that slave-to-the-ready-meal Tilly wouldn’t give a damn if she changed her plans.
A muffled laugh from outside the room made her tense. Was this how it was going to be? Thinking every chuckle in the office, every whispered conversation was about her? Enough was enough.
‘I’ll check my diary and let you know,’ she said.
* * *
‘If it bothers you that much—which it must do because it’s all you’ve talked about since you got home—give me one good reason why you aren’t just taking it to the top and getting the whole damn lot of them fired or reprimanded, or whatever it is you do in an office environment?’
Besides sharing a childhood and now a flat with Alice, Tilly sold ethnic jewellery at various markets, dabbled in various other off-the-wall jobs and had an ongoing role as Alice’s voice of reason. Now she pushed her chilli-pepper-red hair out of her eyes and leaned back against the kitchen counter while Alice put dinner together.
‘Because then I’d have to hand this piece of paper over to my boss.’ Alice brandished the betting pool under Tilly’s nose.
Tilly pulled a face.
‘Blimey, he’s not on the list, is he?’
She shook her head. ‘Not as far as I know. Thank goodness. At least there’s one man in the building who isn’t a chauvinist. But it would lead to a big investigation—I’d have to discuss it all in detail. I just can’t face the embarrassment of it all.’
The thought of slipping this piece of paper in front of the CEO filled her with dark horror at the way it portrayed her. Not just the Ice-Queen comment, but the very fact her colleagues were betting on her behaviour. All her hard work to build the perfect corporate image obviously hadn’t cut the mustard with her subordinates. All this time she’d been priding herself on the way her colleagues regarded her. But it was clear from this situation that she didn’t command the slightest bit of respect and revealing that to her boss would only diminish her standing even further. It was like school all over again, picking your way through the years, trying to keep your head below the parapet so you didn’t attract any unwanted attention.
Tilly pursed her lips, considering.
‘You have a point. Plus you don’t want the hideous creeps to think they’ve got to you.’
‘Which they haven’t.’ Alice pointed the wooden spoon emphatically at Tilly, then went back to stirring the chilli con carne.
‘’Course they haven’t, honey. So instead you handle this the only way you can.’
‘Which is?’
‘You have to see it as a sign, use it to your own advantage.’ She waved her fingers in the air in an all-encompassing gesture.
Alice tried not to roll her eyes in exasperation. Did she have to put a mystic slant on everything?
‘For Pete’s sake, Tilly, don’t ask me to see this as some kind of karma, some fatalistic indication from the gods.’
‘Everything happens for a reason,’ Tilly countered.
Alice sighed.
‘OK, then, a sign of what?’
‘That you need to actually do that thing you’re always talking about but never do.’
‘Which is?’
Tilly leaned forward. ‘Get back out there. This whole bet is based on the fact you never so much as go for a drink with a guy. Ever. They see you as some power-suited, uptight workaholic. That’s what they’ve latched on to—that’s the stick they’re beating you with. Well, you’ve licked your wounds long enough. Get back on that dating horse, Ice-Queen, and prove that moronic bunch wrong. Stop procrastinating and go out with this guy from work.’
She folded her arms triumphantly. There were times when Alice wondered how on earth she and Tilly could be such good friends.
‘I’m not ready,’ she protested.
‘You never are. But that’s OK, there is one other option.’
Alice brightened immediately.
‘What’s that?’
‘You could become a nun.’
‘Very funny.’
