“Just go get him.” As Brooke stared through the fitness center’s window, trying to spot Gabe Fuller, her boss’ words echoed in her head. She’d protested and attempted to shrug the task off on her co-worker, Jane. Unfortunately, her boss had persisted. “Jane doesn’t know the area. Besides, you went to high school with him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then you’re the best person for the job. He’s turned down our last two offers, but this time, we’ve sweetened the deal. If you go in person, it’ll be even harder for him to say no.”
I wouldn’t be so sure, Brooke thought.
He must have read the doubt on her face. “Unless there’s some other reason you don’t want to see him.” He narrowed his eyes. “He’s not some old boyfriend, is he?”
Brooke wasn’t in the habit of intertwining her personal life with her professional one. Her past was far from clean, and if Phil started digging…
“No. Definitely not.”
Jane arched an eyebrow in question.
Two months ago, Gabe’s photo had appeared in Architecture Monthly. It hadn’t skipped Phil’s notice that Brooke had grown up in the same town as the rising architecture star. Jane and the rest of the female staff at Miles had noticed how hot Gabe had looked in the feature article. If only they knew the photographer hadn’t come close to doing him justice.
“So what’s the problem?”
Brooke racked her brain, finally coming up with an answer that should suit Phil. “I’m cutting back my hours and working from home for the foreseeable future. With everything I’ll have going on, you shouldn’t be asking me to do this while I’m gone.”
“But that’s what’s so perfect about it. You’re going back to your hometown. Just pop in and get him to sign the papers. Simple.”
“But I’m basically taking a personal leave.” Brooke hated how whiny she was sounding.
Phil’s tone dropped. Clearly, he’d lost patience with her. “You’re telling me you can’t do this one little thing for the company that’s employed you for the past ten years?”
Defeated, Brooke had left her boss’ office and was dreading her trip home even more.
Gabe had every reason to hate her.
Two days after she settled into her mother’s house, she tried calling his office. She assumed he’d refuse to see her.
Her assumption was proven correct when the secretary wouldn’t let her speak to him. So she’d decided to try a different tactic and tracked him to the gym he frequented.
Brooke opened the door to the gym and was instantly hit with the faint smell of sweat and the overpowering aroma of disinfectant. She wasn’t the right person for this job, but Phil would just have to learn that the hard way.
* * *
Gabe spotted her the moment she stepped inside the gym.
The treadmills he and Nick were using faced the front windows, so thankfully, she couldn’t sneak up on him this time.
Without taking his eyes off her, Gabe waved his hand in front of Nick’s machine, demanding his friend’s attention. Nick pulled the headphones out of his ears. “Yeah, yeah, I see her.”
As Brooke showed a membership card to the woman behind the desk and entered the workout area, he observed her every move. He wondered if she was a member of the fitness franchise or if it was just another one of her tricks.
Dressed in jeans and an oversized crochet sweater that hung from her thin frame, she clearly wasn’t here to work out. She wasn’t even carrying a gym bag.
Her gaze swept the room. When she locked onto him, she started in their direction. He choked down old memories, blocking out any chance of panic. They were adults now. He could deal with this. But if that was true, why had he told his secretary not to patch her call through yesterday?
She hadn’t left a message. And now she was showing up at the gym. “Old habits die hard, I guess,” he muttered to Nick.
Nick frowned. “Don’t be an ass.”
Gabe glared at him. “Just back me up if I need you.”
Nick didn’t acknowledge that comment. They both knew he would.
Brooke stopped in the space before their machines and smiled.
“Hey, Brooke,” Nick said, breaking the awkward silence. “Didn’t know you were in town.”
“Yeah, I’m back for a prolonged visit.”
Gabe ground his teeth.
Her stare settled on Gabe. “I called your office yesterday.”
Gabe sped up his machine, hoping to discourage her from staying long. “Sorry, I must have been out.”
He hadn’t been out.
Brooke scrutinized him, trying to determine if he was lying. “Look, I totally get why you’d ignore my calls.”
“I didn’t.” He didn’t like being called a liar—even if it were true.
Brooke pressed on as though he hadn’t spoken. “Believe it or not, I’m not in town to harass you. I’m here to spend some time with my mom, but my boss insisted I come to see you about a business deal while I’m around. They’ve tried to reach you a few times with no luck.”
“So you’re the reinforcements?” Nick grinned.
“Yep.” She didn’t even bother sparing a glance Nick’s way. “Look, I’m about as thrilled as you are with this whole situation, so if you could do me a favor and get off your high horse, that’d be great.”
Gabe gawked. What was she blaming him for?
Beside him, Nick choked on a chuckle. Brooke, like always, just barreled ahead. “Let me take you to lunch tomorrow, and I’ll go over my company’s offer with you.”
“No.”
Brooke frowned. “Trust me, there won’t be anything personal. Just business.”
Gabe laughed so hard that the clip attached to his shirt flew off the machine. To avoid falling, he had to brace his feet on the sides of the treadmill until the belt rolled to a stop.
Through clenched teeth, Brooke muttered, “I’ll be expensing the lunch.”
That started a whole new laughing fit.
“Hey.” Nick sent him a warning glance that told him he should get his shit together. Then he nodded toward Brooke.
“Look,” she continued, “I’m not some dumb fifteen-year-old anymore. And I’m not asking for you to give me a chance. I swear this is on the up and up. Business only.”
Gabe looked at Nick to see if he had a different read on the situation. Silently, Nick studied Brooke before giving up with a shrug.
“The up and up?” Gabe leaned over the top of his machine.
With her finger, Brooke made an ‘X’ over her heart. “I want to spend as little time in your company as possible.”
Frowning, Gabe took a moment to examine Brooke more closely.
They’d had many run-ins throughout their high school years. In their senior year, she’d dated his buddy Kevin, and sometimes they still hooked up, which meant Gabe would occasionally have to suffer her company.
Nick had encouraged him to get to know her better a few times, insisting that she’d changed. But Nick just didn’t get it. She hadn’t dogged his heels for damn near four years.
As far as he could tell, she looked the same. She was thin, bordering on the unhealthy. The bone structure in her face was pointed and well-defined, enhancing her slim body. Her clothing style had changed, and she’d dialed back the make-up. She’d cut her hair, chopping off the long locks that had normally swayed just over her hips. Now, she sported a cute little bob that ended at her chin. Today, she’d given it a wavy look.
Her oversized sweater ended three-quarters down her arms, and the gold bangles surrounding her wrists enhanced how frail and delicate her bones looked. Brooke had an abrasive and domineering personality. Nothing could break her, but one passionate kiss would probably snap that skinny frame. She was so not his type.
“Not lunch. Call and set up an appointment with my receptionist, Sophie. Tomorrow afternoon is pretty open, I think. That should work.” Gabe said, ensuring she understood who was in charge this time.
“You’ll make sure she books the appointment? Am I going to call and get rejected again?”
“She’ll make the appointment.”
Brooke inspected him, gauging his honesty before finally relaxing. “Alright.” She slid her hand into her back pocket and produced a slightly bent business card. “My boss’ number is on the back.”
Reluctantly, Gabe reached forward and accepted the card. It was slightly warm from living in her pocket. Gabe set it on the treadmill screen. He scrutinized the name and logo. “I’ve talked to this company before.”
“Yeah, but now I’m here to convince you.” She flashed him a smile full of confidence, making Gabe wonder what he’d gone and agreed to. Before he could retort, she sashayed away, leaving the gym as quickly as she’d come.
They still had some weight training, but Gabe would call and give Sophie a heads-up once they’d showered. He debated telling her to nix the idea for a second, but if Brooke had repeatedly proved one thing, it was her tenacity.
She’d keep showing up wherever he was until he either gave her what she wanted or he called the cops. Better to let her speak her piece and get on with it. And hopefully, it was just as she’d insisted, business only.
He certainly didn’t want to call the cops on her. Again.
* * *
The next afternoon, Brooke parked outside Gabe’s office building. Looking in the rear-view mirror, she pinched her cheeks, trying to bring some life into them. After spending half the night at the hospital and a good chunk of the morning sorting through more of her mother’s possessions, Brooke was ready to call it a day.
Exhaustion pulled at her. Dan, her stepfather, had suggested she curl up on the couch for a cat nap before her meeting, but Brooke had pushed on.
Dan and her mom had split up a few years back, but when her mother had been diagnosed with cancer, he had come back to help Brooke with the transition. He was the only father figure she’d known, and she was grateful for his help.
She would probably find herself back at the hospital tonight. The doctors seemed to feel that her mother was improving with the chemo treatments and would be able to return home soon. At this point, the colon cancer had metastasized. At best, the treatment was a stall. Brooke wanted to spend as much time as she could with her mother. So, until she returned home, Brooke would continue spending long hours occupying the lumpy chair in the corner of her mother’s hospital room.
Get this over with so you can focus on what’s really important, Brooke told herself as she scrambled out of the car. Mixed emotions battled within her. Simultaneously, she found herself choking down her excitement at seeing Gabe and trying to get a handle on her irritation over Phil, forcing her to do this.
Today, she’d taken extra care in choosing her clothing. She wanted business-professional with a dash of femininity. Picking a high-waist black pencil skirt, she’d paired it with a cap-sleeve red blouse with a square neckline. It was a simple ensemble that accented her long legs. The whole thing was pulled together with a slim silver belt. After grabbing her briefcase from the back seat, Brooke brushed the hair out of her eyes and strutted toward the building.
Squinting against the change from natural to dim fluorescent lights, Brooke stepped into the small office. Sophie, the receptionist, was speaking angrily into her cellphone. She motioned for Brooke to take a seat. Picking up a magazine from the waiting room, she thumbed through it, attempting to block out Sophie’s conversation, but it was damn near impossible. “No, you can’t...I bought that before…Owen needs that for school…no….no…yes...okay.”
With a huff, she disconnected the phone and chucked it onto her desk. Brooke tossed down the magazine. Distracted, it took Sophie a moment before she remembered Brooke was there. “I’m so sorry about that. What can I help you with today?”
Gripping the handle of her bag, she stood and approached the counter. “I’m here for an appointment with Mr. Fuller at two p.m. I realize I’m a little early…” She trailed off at the receptionist’s look of horror. Brooke’s stomach churned. “What?”
Sophie shook her head. “I’m so sorry—I completely forgot to call you. Mr. Fuller had to cancel your appointment today.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “Did he, now?”
“He wasn’t feeling well and opted to work from home for the afternoon.”
Brooke closed her eyes and resisted the impulse to cuss. Three calming breaths later, she said through gritted teeth, “That’s too bad.”
“I’m about to head home soon. It’s lucky I’m still here to catch you. I just had to finish up a few things, and I would have been out the door, too.”
“Yeah, real lucky,” Brooke mumbled.
The receptionist didn’t grasp her sarcasm. Sophie started riffling through the appointment book on her desk. “We can reschedule. He’s booked solid tomorrow, and he’s on-site Thursday. Would Friday afternoon be okay, or would you prefer Monday?”
I’d prefer he kept his damned word! Brooke debated it. “Friday afternoon, I think, would be best.”
“Perfect!” Sophie scribbled it onto the paper. “Again, I’m so sorry. Letting you know just slipped my mind.”
The woman was obviously stressed by whatever was happening in her personal life. It had left her frazzled and unable to focus on her job, but Brooke was glad she’d kept it to herself. She was a professional woman, and Brooke appreciated her honesty. Gabe, on the other hand, needed to grow a pair!
“Oh well. Hopefully, I’ll see you Friday. Same time?”
Sophie nodded. “Yep.”
As she headed back to her car, Brooke punched a number into her phone. She needed a contingency plan in case he flaked on her again. There was more than one way to catch a rabbit.
“Hey, Kevin, how are you?” She listened to her ex’s response, biding her time. “Look, I’m in town for a bit. I wondered if you wanted to get together. How’s Saturday night?”
“Oh, no good, huh?” Brooke’s smile widened. “Well, if you’re getting together with the guys for a beer, would it be alright if I tagged along?”