Business Not As Usual, page 21
“Here we are, Ms. Dreamy,” Najee said when he pulled into a circular driveway in front of a skyscraper. “Sit tight and I’ll get the door for you.”
Before she could protest and let herself out, he hurried around the front of the car. Najee opened the door and helped her out of the SUV. “All right, Ms. Dreamy, come with me and I’ll walk you in.”
“Thank you, but can you just call me Dreamy? All of my friends do.”
He chuckled and offered her his arm. “I think I can manage that if you’ll agree to call me if you have any more car trouble.”
Dreamy smiled up at him. “You drive a hard bargain, my friend, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Not the response I was looking for, but I guess it will have to do. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Dreamy,” he said with emphasis when they reached the elevator, and pushed the button. “This will take you directly to Karter’s office. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Just as he started to walk away, the doors slid open, and a woman greeted her with a smile.
“Welcome. I’m glad you made it. I’m Gloria. You must be Dreamy.”
Dreamy couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“Hi, Gloria. It’s nice to finally meet you. Thanks for your help tonight. I really didn’t want to bother you guys.”
“Oh, dear, don’t worry about that. I was glad to help, and Karter was very worried about you.”
Dreamy glanced away as guilt lodged in her throat. So much for being independent. She had the man worried when his focus should’ve been on work.
Why would he want to be with someone who couldn’t even afford to buy a functioning car? Or even someone who couldn’t get an Uber for fear of not having enough money to pay for a ride across town?
Gloria touched her arm, and Dreamy met her eyes.
“I’m not sure what’s going through your head right now, but I know how frustrating car trouble can be.”
“It’s not just about the car. It’s . . .” Dreamy started. She really wasn’t sure how to deal with the various emotions swirling inside of her. She also didn’t know why she felt so weepy as tears filled her eyes. She batted them away, refusing to break down in front of this woman she’d just met.
“Sometimes we do the best we can do to get ahead,” Gloria said quietly. “And just when life seems to be turning in the right direction, a situation, an incident, or even a person comes along and throws everything off.”
Dreamy shook her head, surprised by the words. “It’s like you know me.”
“Life is a funny thing,” Gloria continued, picking some invisible lint from her dark skirt. “Sometimes it’s like a tornado ripping through our world and we have to hold on tight until the dust settles. So whatever has you down and second-guessing everything, try not to worry about it.”
“What makes you think I’m second-guessing anything?”
“I won’t pretend I know you or what’s on your mind, but when I talked to you earlier, I just had a feeling. Like you were at that point where if one more thing went wrong, it would push you over the edge.”
Dreamy gave a little grunt, thinking that this woman was good. In that brief conversation, she’d gotten the gist of what was going on in Dreamy’s head.
“I might be overstepping, but let me tell you about my boss,” Gloria said quietly.
Dreamy braced herself. What if Gloria thought Dreamy wasn’t good enough for Karter? She couldn’t take another hit tonight when there were so many doubts weighing on her already.
“Karter is the kindest, most generous and thoughtful person I know, except for maybe my husband, of course. Karter thrives on helping and making life easier for as many people as possible. He’s a great man, but don’t get me wrong. He’s still a man. So you know he’s going to screw up on occasion, but he has a huge heart.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Dreamy asked, unsure where this conversation was going.
“Because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him happy. You, being you, makes him happy. I’m telling you all of this because I think you should let him show you the type of man he is.”
He already has, Dreamy thought. In the short amount of time they had known each other, Karter had been kinder than any man she’d ever been with.
“Thank you. I needed to hear this tonight.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I got the chance to meet you. Karter says you’re the sunshine for so many people in your life. Keep letting that light shine.”
Dreamy nodded, feeling a little choked up.
Gloria held up an ID card to an electronic reader next to the elevator, and the doors swished open.
“Go on upstairs. Karter is waiting for you.”
Dreamy didn’t know what to say to the woman, so she didn’t say anything. Instead, she hugged her, and was glad when Gloria hugged her back.
“Thank you,” Dreamy whispered.
“You’re welcome, dear. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
As the elevator climbed to the top floor, Dreamy wasn’t sure what to expect. They had originally planned to have a light dinner while working on her business plan, but she wasn’t up for doing homework. Yet it would be inconsiderate after Karter had carved out time for her. Besides, she didn’t have the luxury to wallow in self-pity and not accept his help when it was offered. She only had a few more weeks to get the project done, and there was still a lot to do.
The elevator stopped. Dreamy released a nervous breath and gripped the strap of her backpack tighter as the doors slid open. Then she saw him. Tall, muscular, and sexy, he had shed his suit jacket, leaving him in a light gray dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and no tie. He leaned against the wall in front of the elevator doors, legs crossed at the ankles and holding a single rose in his hand.
“Finally,” he said, and pushed off the wall.
As he approached her, his concerned gaze raked the length of her body. Once he was directly in front of her, he cupped her cheek and stared into her eyes.
Dreamy’s heart squeezed at the tenderness of his touch, and those damn tears pricked the back of her eyes again. For a person who rarely cried, she’d spent the last hour or so fighting tears.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. Her heart rate ramped up at his closeness. How had she thought she could walk away from him so easily? Just seeing him and standing near him had her body all revved up.
“Hi,” she finally said.
“Hi yourself.”
He lowered his head, and the moment their lips touched, it was as if a heavy weight had lifted from her shoulders. Or maybe that was her backpack that had slid down her arm and dropped to the floor with a thud.
When the kiss ended, Karter presented her with the single rose. “For you.”
Dreamy accepted the flower and brought it to her nose. The enchanting fragrance helped erase more of the melancholy that had been plaguing her for the last hour.
Just when I thought he couldn’t get any sweeter . . .
“Thank you, Karter . . . for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He lifted her chin with the pad of his finger and then went in for another kiss.
Earlier, Dreamy might’ve had a moment of doubt about the route her life was taking, but a change was coming. She just had to hang on and stay strong.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Karter looped Dreamy’s backpack onto his shoulder and reached for her hand. Before she arrived, he’d had every intention of chewing her out about not calling him when her car wouldn’t start. He had also planned to give her all of the reasons why it wasn’t safe to ride the bus alone at night. He had even intended to lecture her about the importance of having dependable transportation.
But when the elevator doors whooshed open, and he saw the vulnerability on her face, his words vanished. All he’d wanted to do in that moment was hold her, comfort her, and show her how much he cared.
Now he was glad he had taken that route. Within minutes, some of the tension that had clearly been weighing her down had dissipated. She still didn’t seem quite herself, but at least she didn’t look as if she would burst into tears.
“Beautiful office,” she said as they walked hand in hand through the suite. Everyone had left for the day, leaving him to spend uninterrupted time with her.
“Thank you. It took a few years to get it exactly the way we wanted, but it’s a great home away from home.”
As he pointed out more rooms and offices, Karter found it interesting that he wanted to share so much with Dreamy. Whereas he’d almost married a woman, and he couldn’t remember ever giving her a guided tour of the building.
That spoke volumes about how he felt about Dreamy versus Valerie. Or it could be that he was just at a different place in his life mentally and emotionally. Yes, it was a little scary opening himself up to another woman, but when Karter was with Dreamy, he felt more alive than he’d felt in years. He wanted her in his life, and if it meant taking a risk, he was ready.
“That’s Gloria’s office,” he said, pointing to the first door on the right. “I had hoped to introduce you two tonight.”
“I met her downstairs when I first arrived. She seems really cool.”
“She’s great. I didn’t realize she was still in the building.”
Knowing his assistant, Karter wouldn’t be surprised if Gloria had planned that impromptu meeting. She was the most efficient person he knew. No way would she leave until Dreamy arrived safely and according to any instructions that she’d given.
He brought Dreamy’s hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her fingers. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” she said, sparing him a small smile before looking away.
“I’m sure you’re probably hungry, right?”
“Yeah, actually, I am. I didn’t realize it until this moment.”
“Okay, well, let’s eat. This is my office.”
“Oh, Karter.” Dreamy stopped just inside the door. “You didn’t have to go to all of this trouble.”
He’d had Gloria set up the table with a light dinner for them. In the center of the table was a vase with two dozen long-stemmed roses. Well, actually twenty-three roses since Dreamy had number twenty-four in her hand.
She moved to the table. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic. This is lovely.”
Karter didn’t necessarily consider himself a romantic, but he liked doing things for her. In the weeks that they’d been together, he’d made small gestures like having lunch delivered to her job and gourmet chocolates another day. The Saturday before, he had taken Dreamy to Temecula Valley, wine country, for wine tasting and a carriage ride. Sunshine, a nice breeze off the ocean, and walking hand in hand for most of their time together had amounted to Karter having one of the best days he’d had in a long time. And Dreamy’s reactions to his little surprises only made him want to do more. He just felt so bad that he had to work so much.
But right now, she still didn’t seem like her bubbly, talkative self, and Karter was at a loss. He couldn’t help fix whatever was going on if she didn’t let him in. Being a person who preferred to hash things out instead of letting a situation stew, he needed to figure out how to get her talking.
“Your office is huge, almost the size of a studio apartment.”
“Yeah, I spend a lot of time here. Ready to eat?”
She worried her bottom lip and nodded. “I’m sorry I was late. The food is probably cold because of me.”
Karter pulled out a chair for her, then started uncovering the dishes. “Nope, it’s still warm. Gloria arranged for it to be delivered a few minutes before you arrived. It’s fine.”
“This looks delicious,” she said of the side salad, along with burgers and fries from the restaurant in the building.
“Since you like to keep your meals simple, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with burgers . . . and grape Kool-Aid.”
“Aww, Karter. I can’t believe you remembered that.”
“Of course I remembered. I remember everything you’ve told me.”
Once he was seated, they started eating. Dreamy took a couple of bites of her bacon cheeseburger, and her quietness was a bit unnerving.
“Talk to me,” he said with more force than intended. “You didn’t sound like yourself when I called during your ride here, and I have a feeling it’s not just the car that’s got you down. What happened tonight?”
Seconds ticked by without her responding. Instead, she picked at her fries, and appeared to be deep in thought.
“Thank you for all you did tonight,” she finally said. “I was touched and surprised when Gloria called, insisting that I let Najee bring me here.”
“Are you mad at me?” Karter asked.
Gloria had taken it upon herself to set everything in motion as far as getting to Dreamy, but it’s exactly what Karter would have done. No way would he have his woman riding a bus when she didn’t have to.
My woman.
He liked the sound of that. More than that, though, he wanted to do things for Dreamy. If she’d let him.
She looked at him, and though her eyes weren’t as sad, she still seemed troubled. “I’m not mad.”
“Then what is it? Did something else happen while you were at school or at work?” He had talked to her after she left work, and she seemed fine.
“I ran into Brandon.”
Karter stiffened. Had that asshole done something to her? She had mentioned her ex a few times, and in each instance, the guy sounded like a world-class jerk. Sure, people sometimes talked bad about those they’ve dated, but Karter had a feeling Dreamy hadn’t been exaggerating.
“Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?”
“Only with his words . . . as usual. He reminded me that I wasn’t his equal and not the marrying type since I wasn’t at his level. I—”
“Dreamy, people treat you the way you allow them to treat you. You’ve made it clear that the guy is a jackass. Why would you allow him or his words to affect you? You’re too strong of a woman for that.”
Karter was a little taken aback when she glared at him as if he were the one who had ruined her day. He was only stating a fact. He wasn’t sure what set her off, but if her eyes were weapons, he’d be dead. At least he was getting a reaction out of her, because up until now, he thought that at any minute, she was going to completely fall apart on him.
“Yes, Brandon is a jackass, and right now, you’re being one too,” she snapped. “Karter, it’s not like I intentionally let his words get the better of me. It’s just”—she shrugged—“it’s been a rough day. Maybe you can’t understand that, but there’s been one situation after another since the moment I opened my eyes this morning. Running into Brandon and then dealing with that stupid car has been a little overwhelming, all right?”
He nodded, still sensing there was more to her melancholy mood.
“Haven’t you ever had a day that was so horrible that you wished you could erase it and start it over?”
Karter grunted. “More times than I can count. I’m sorry about what I said a minute ago. I was just surprised that you let him or anyone get under your skin.”
“I try not to, but I’m human. Most days, I can let things slide and just roll with whatever situation comes my way. But tonight, it was just . . .”
Seconds ticked by without her responding, and Karter gently nudged her arm. “It’s just what? I can’t help if you don’t tell me what else is wrong.”
“That’s just it, Karter. I didn’t ask you to help. It’s already intimidating dating someone like you, and you and your people made all the decisions tonight. I felt as if I didn’t have a say.”
“So, you would’ve preferred to camp out in the parking lot with your car or ride the bus? Is that what you’re saying?” He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, but some slipped through. He wanted to understand, but right now it was like pulling teeth to get her to talk to him. “Are you saying that you’re mad at me for trying to help?”
Dreamy huffed out a breath. “I’m not mad at you, Karter. I love that you cared enough to help me. I’ll never be able to thank you for everything, and . . .”
Karter slipped his hand behind her neck and kneaded it. The more she talked, the more agitated she was getting.
“And what, baby?”
“I hate being needy. It just brings home the fact that I’m so out of my league with you. Besides that, I’m not used to depending on anyone. It’s been my experience that when you do, people will let you down.”
Okay, now Karter was starting to understand. “Dreamy, that won’t happen with us. I’m in a position to help. Let me when I can.”
Her eyes met his. “I have nothing to offer you, and the situation tonight . . . and seeing Brandon really hit me. Since we’ve met, you’ve been the giver. Dinner, dress repair, help with my project, you even helped me chase down a damn wig.”
Though she was serious, Karter couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I don’t want to get used to you doing things for me. What if we don’t work out? Then I’m back to being on my own, and it’ll be harder to go back to business as usual.”
“Sweetheart”—he brushed the back of his hand down her cheek, needing to touch her—“I’m in this for the long haul. Why don’t we focus on the here and now? I’m not trying to control you, and I definitely don’t want you to feel like I’m taking away your independence. That’s not the case, but I hope you understand that everyone, even the most independent person, needs a helping hand from time to time. If we’re dating, we should be able to call on each other when we need to, right?”
“I guess . . . but when will you ever need my help with anything? This feels so unbalanced.”
“The only thing I want is you.”
