Fools grow without watering.
—Thomas Fuller
TWO DAYS LATER, Kate squinted at the computer screen, trying to make sense of what she was reading.
Kate,
So that you don’t think I’m some kind of weirdo, I want you to know that I’ve never done anything like this before, but here goes…. You are a beautiful, fascinating woman, and I’d like to have the chance for us to get to know each other better. Since your business is toys and games, I’m hoping this note will appeal to your sense of romance and adventure. Waiting for your reply…
Fool for You
She glanced at the sender’s address—FoolforYou, with an e-mail extension of letters and numbers that gave no hint of the source. She supposed in case she didn’t reply, the man didn’t want to be identified. If he hadn’t used her first name and referenced the toy company, she might have thought the note was spam.
Doubt and pleasure warred in her chest—whether a woman was thirteen or over thirty, the idea of having a secret admirer probably never lost its appeal. She indulged the fantasy for a few seconds, frowning when the impossibility of the note originating from a certain dark-eyed, dimpled salesman flitted through her mind. Then realization dawned—of course: Neil Powers. The man was a computer whiz and Lesley had told her that he had a crush on her—what better way to break the ice than via e-mail?
She thought of Neil’s sandy-haired, boyish good looks and conceded that his friendly smile held more appeal than her dolls and her cat and her paperwork. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly when it had happened, but lately she had begun to long for…more. Male companionship, yes, but something more intangible—like the loving way Lesley and Hank looked at each other over their children’s heads, or touched hands when they passed in the kitchen. It was as if one picked up where the other one left off, and even though they were both interesting, intellectual individuals in their own right, to think of them apart was almost inconceivable.
That’s what she wanted—unity. Harmony. A strong physical attraction, of course, but also a foundation of caring that would stand when the attraction cooled. When Hank looked at Lesley, there was a certainty in his expression that he would endure torture before he would allow something bad to happen to her, or do something to cause her shame, like have an affair. Kate knew it was that cloak of love that made Lesley in turn devoted to Hank and to her children.
Kate looked back to the computer screen and acknowledged there was something very sweet and ingenuous about a secret admirer. Here was a man who was truly interested in getting to know a woman first, rather than asking a few rote questions in prelude to his conquest, as Eric McDaniels had.
A knock sounded on her office door and she looked up to see the man himself, as if her thoughts had conjured up his presence. He smiled widely, and she was unprepared for her physical reaction to his obvious good cheer. Eric was breathtakingly handsome and seeing him standing there, his shoulders spanning the doorway, charisma emanating from him, it was easy to see why he enjoyed such success as a salesman—men wanted to be him, women wanted to be with him. He was irresistible.
Almost.
She blinked and tried to rein in her wayward thoughts. “Yes?’
He strode casually into her office, taking in the view of the Birmingham skyline with his mouth pursed. “Nice.”
“Thank you,” she said in a neutral tone, noticing that the roomy office seemed to shrink from the sheer volume of him. “Eric, did you need something?”
He walked closer to her desk and she lurched forward to block the message on her computer screen—he’d be the last person she’d want to see the anonymous note. His gaze flicked in the direction of the screen, then back. “I was going to suggest that we get an early start, maybe have lunch before we hit the road, but it looks like you’re busy.”
“Just answering e-mail,” she said with a little wave. “Lunch sounds fine. Give me about ten minutes, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
His gaze wandered back in the direction of her screen and she leaned farther, fighting the impulse to turn around and hit a screen saver button to hide the message. That would look too…guilty, she thought guiltily. “Okay?” Her voice sounded high and brittle.
Eric looked back to her and shrugged. “Okay. See you in ten.”
She remained frozen in her unnatural position until he cleared the doorway, then heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to her screen. She hesitated, then hit the reply button and quickly typed:
Fool,
From your note, I gather that we already know each other. I am intrigued, but you have the advantage—identify yourself and perhaps we can talk.
K
Then before she could change her mind, she clicked the send button, and exhaled. At least she’d put the ball back in his court. She imagined Neil sitting at his computer, waiting for a reply to pop up in his in-box. A smile would play over his serious mouth, and for a few moments, he too would be caught up in the excitement of the anonymous flirting.
Kate smiled herself, absurdly grateful for the distraction before going on the road with Eric. Still, her heart thudded in her ears now that the moment of departure was near. She tabbed through the rest of her messages, deleting a few, forwarding a couple to Patsy for administrative follow-up, and saving most to file for future reference. Then she packed up her laptop, retrieved her weighty briefcase, and wheeled her suitcase through the doorway of her office, closing the door behind her.
Eric sat on the corner of Patsy’s desk, trying to coax a smile from the older woman, who, from her body language, was having none of it. Kate bit back a smile because her assistant was the only woman she’d ever seen who was immune to the man’s considerable appeal.
“And kindly remove yourself from the corner of my desk,” Patsy was saying sternly, and Kate felt sure if the woman had had a ruler, she would have rapped his big knuckles.
Eric unfolded himself lazily, then looked at Kate and grinned. “She loves me.”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t think the McDaniels charm works around here.”
He raked his gaze over her pale blue pantsuit, then made a clicking noise with his cheek. “Yet.”
A warm thrill skittered over her shoulders, though she outwardly ignored him.
Patsy huffed and turned to Kate. “You’re leaving early?”
Kate nodded, then extended a sheet of paper. “Here’s our itinerary. If everything goes as planned, we’ll be driving to Atlanta today, then on to Jacksonville, Florida, tomorrow for an electronics show on the weekend, then to Pensacola Monday to meet with Lexan Tuesday, and make our way back to Birmingham Wednesday.”
Patsy glanced at the sheet. “Are your hotels listed?” she asked suspiciously, as if she might call and make sure that Eric had secured separate rooms.
“Yes,” Kate said evenly, her defenses rising, although she knew her secretary meant well. What Patsy couldn’t know was that her anxiety about their road trip was pushing Kate’s anxiety higher as well. She just wanted to get going—the sooner they got on the road, the sooner they’d return, on firmer ground she hoped. “Patsy, I appreciate you holding down the fort while I’m gone. Call me on my cell phone if you need to. Oh, and I’ll be checking e-mail often.”
Patsy looked up. “Since when?”
Heat suffused Kate’s cheeks guiltily when she thought about her secret admirer. Would he reply? “Since now,” she said lightly. “Goodbye.”
Patsy glanced at Eric, then back, and gave a curt nod. “Good luck.”
Kate had the feeling Patsy wasn’t referring to the Lexan Electronics account.
“I’ll take your suitcase,” Eric said, reaching for the handle.
“No, thank you,” Kate said, stepping past him and walking down the hallway. On this trip she would have to seize every opportunity to exert her authority. “Let’s get going.”
Eric watched her walk away from him, the flare of her hips accentuated perfectly by the pale-colored slacks that fit snugly in the rear, then gave way to full, draping trouser legs. Nice.
He smiled to himself, wondering if Kate’s earlier preoccupation with her e-mail had anything to do with the note Winston was supposed to send today. She had certainly seemed jumpy when he was in her office, as if she was trying to prevent him from seeing something on her computer screen. Had she succumbed so quickly to the idea of having a secret admirer? It would seem so, else wouldn’t she simply have deleted the message and been done with it? And even her secretary had found it odd that she would be checking her e-mail often. Was Kate hoping for another note from her mystery man? He and Winston hadn’t discussed the frequency of notes, just that he would respond as often as she did, using the basic wording that Eric had written on a cocktail napkin.
Eric’s smile deepened. This trip might prove to be more interesting than he’d anticipated. He was going to enjoy watching Kate squirm while she decided whether or not she wanted to strike up a virtual romance with a virtual stranger.
When she stopped and bent over to adjust a strap on her suitcase, causing the fabric of her slacks to tighten across her rear, his groin tightened involuntarily. Ah, hell, who was he kidding? He was going to enjoy watching Kate, period.
At the sound of a deliberate throat-clearing, he turned his head to find Kate’s secretary staring at him pointedly. He grinned and saluted, then strode after his fiery, unflappable boss.
Well…unflappable for now, anyway.