Business Not As Usual, page 26
“Mom,” Dreamy said, and strolled into the room.
Tarrah’s head shot up, and then she stood. She started toward Dreamy, but stopped and looked more uncomfortable than Dreamy felt.
“This is a beautiful place, and your boyfriend is gorgeous. Clearly, he’s loaded. I always said, it’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is a poor one. Dad told me Karter’s father is that famous movie star. Have you met him?”
“I have.” Dreamy walked farther into the room, but kept her distance. “Is that why you showed up, so you could check out my boyfriend?”
Tarrah huffed out a breath and ran her fingers through her long, wavy hair. The woman didn’t seem to age a bit. There’d been a time when people said that the two of them could pass for twins, and now Dreamy had to agree. They looked so much alike, it was almost scary.
Of course, there were differences. Tarrah favored muted colors for her attire. Her wardrobe was basically black, white, and gray. The few times that Dreamy had seen her, she couldn’t remember her mother ever wearing any bold colors. Tarrah also never left the house unless she was dressed to impress, like now. According to her, you never knew who you might meet on the street. Might as well make a good impression. Her mother also hated wigs.
“Listen, I’m sorry about just showing up. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Why are you here, Tarrah?” Dreamy knew her mother hated it when she called her by her first name.
Tarrah pursed her lips, then ambled over to the humongous window behind the desk. She stared out of it for a few minutes before speaking. “I’ve missed you guys, and I’ve been thinking about coming back to LA,” she said, and turned to face Dreamy. “I’d also like for you and me to try and rebuild our relationship.”
Dreamy stared at her mother for a moment, then released a humorless laugh. “You’re kidding, right? I start dating a rich man and win the lottery. Now you suddenly want to get to know me and play the part of a loving mother? I don’t think so. Why are you really here? The obvious guess is money.”
“When did you get so disrespectful? That’s not how I raised—”
“See, here’s the thing, you didn’t raise me. Unless you’re counting the first twelve years of my life, and even then, you barely gave me the time of day.”
“That’s not true,” she snapped.
“It is true. So don’t stand there pretending that you all of sudden care about me.”
A heavy silence fell between them. Dreamy would never know if her mother was on the up-and-up, and that was okay. They could be mother and daughter from a distance, but nothing more.
“I forgive you, Mom,” she said just above a whisper, and by her shocked expression, Tarrah heard her. “You can’t stay here with us, but we’ll be happy to put you up in a hotel for a couple of days while you’re in town. Oh, and Gramps will have some money for you soon. Be sure to see him before you leave.”
“You’re kicking me out? But I’m your mother.”
“That may be, but I think we should stick with our usual arrangement of living on opposite sides of the country and talking on the phone on occasion.”
“But you said you forgave me,” her mother said in a small voice, and Dreamy’s heart melted a little.
“I do, Mom. I really do, but I’m not ready to have a relationship with you. Not the type that you’re claiming to want.”
Tarrah nodded and walked back to the sofa where she’d left her purse and suitcase. “I understand. Hopefully in time, you’ll change your mind and reach out to me. Until then, I’ll respect your wishes.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
This was the most cordial they’d been in years. Maybe . . . just maybe one day they could at least be friends. Especially since Dreamy already knew that anything was possible.
Chapter Thirty
Karter glanced up from the documents in front of him just as Gloria entered his office wearing a familiar scowl. He sighed, and dropped his pen onto the desk, knowing that look on her face well. The look of disappointment.
After Delton died of a heart attack, she had told Karter that he was next if he didn’t make changes. He tried. He lasted for a few months, thanks to Dreamy coming into his life. But lately, he had fallen back into old habits.
“Do you want me to order dinner before I leave?” Gloria asked, stopping a few feet from the desk.
A quick peek at the time in the right-hand corner of his laptop revealed that it was seven o’clock. Shit. He hadn’t called Dreamy as promised.
Where had the time gone? He arrived at work at five that morning with back-to-back meetings that had started at nine. Karter couldn’t believe how fast his days went, but it didn’t matter at the moment, because he was pretty sure Dreamy was pissed and wouldn’t accept any more excuses.
He huffed out a breath and wiped his hands down his face. “Yeah. Dinner would be good since I can’t leave until I finish going through this report.”
“You can leave whenever you want. You’re the boss, Karter. That report isn’t going anywhere, and I don’t know why you insist on putting this type of pressure on yourself. You control what goes on around here.”
Karter rubbed his tired eyes. The last thing he needed was a lecture. “Gloria, please don’t start. I know, but—”
“But nothing! You’re doing it again. Acting like you’re the only person who can do this work. You have a staff. A very capable staff, I might add. Yet you’re operating like you used to when you first started the business.
“You have to know by now that there’s more to life than work. You’re like a son to me, and I hate what you’re doing to yourself. And don’t get me started on how you’ve been treating Dreamy. If you keep this up, you’re going to lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
He already felt guilty about canceling on Dreamy two times this week. The last couple of months, actually. He’d just gotten so busy with work and had fires to put out daily. She told him that she understood, especially since she had work to do too. Still, he knew last night she had been disappointed about having to go to the theater with her friend Mariana instead of him.
“After I close this deal, I’ll take a couple of days off.”
Gloria rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sure you will,” she said, her voice flat. “What would you like for dinner?”
“Surprise me.”
She turned on her heel. “Oh, I’ll surprise you all right,” he heard her mumble as she walked out the door.
* * *
• • •
Dreamy was happy when Gloria called to see if she had time to bring dinner to Karter. It was just the opportunity she needed. They both had been so busy lately, but Karter was the one who kept canceling their dates.
Now that Dreamy had found a large office suite to house the nonprofit, most of her time was spent there. She and Mariana, who had quit her job to work with Dreamy, were there daily getting the place in order. They made a great team and were getting a lot of prep work done.
It would be a while before they officially opened the doors to the nonprofit, but she had finally submitted the paperwork for her 501(c)(3). It would take months to get approved, but it was a major step in the right direction.
She strolled into Karter’s office building and checked in with security. Had she not had help from Gloria and Najee tonight, she wouldn’t have been able to pull off this little surprise. The two had been a godsend.
As Dreamy took the elevator to the top floor, she glanced at her appearance in the mirrored wall to her left. She’d come a long way from her shabby-chic style, but hadn’t given up on her unique taste altogether. The orange multicolor boho maxi dress that fastened on the left side of her waist had a deep split that showcased her left leg with each step she took. It was bold and daring, and Karter wouldn’t be able to resist her. She gave him a pass for canceling a couple of dates, but not tonight. Tonight, he was going to take time to have dinner with her whether he liked it or not.
A wicked smile spread across her lips as the steel doors of the elevator whooshed open. It was time she showed her man what he was missing each time he canceled on her.
Dreamy stepped out into the quiet hallway. Now that she was no longer working at Mathison’s, she stopped by KR Ventures often, except for the last couple of weeks. Karter was putting in extra hours because the company had taken on more clients and one of his managers was still out. That was forcing him, in his opinion, to pick up the slack.
“You made it,” Gloria said when Dreamy stepped into the suite.
“Yes, thanks to you and Najee. I appreciate you giving me the heads-up about dinner. I should be able to take it from here.”
“Great. Good luck with him. He can be so stubborn at times.”
Dreamy laughed. “Yeah, I know. I also know how serious he is about work. Hopefully, he won’t be mad at the intrusion.”
“He could never be mad at you, dear. He’s been working nonstop, and I think you showing up tonight will be the perfect excuse for him to take a break. You’re probably the only person he’ll listen to.”
“I don’t know about that. He canceled on me twice this week.”
Of course, he promised to make it up to her, but Dreamy was concerned that he was falling back into old habits. He had told her that, before she came along, he easily put in sixteen-hour days. That wasn’t healthy for anyone.
“Trust me, he’s crazy about you. He’s just been distracted lately, but I’m glad he has you to shift that distraction.” The older woman grabbed her handbag from the desk. “I’m heading out. I’ll lock this door and you can go on in.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, dear. Have a good evening.”
“You too.”
Dreamy watched her leave, hoping that the woman was right about Karter being okay with her just showing up. She inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly.
Here goes nothing.
When she reached the door to his office, she knocked, and then a muffled voice told her to come in.
“I know it’s late, Scott, but I need those numbers run . . .”
His voice trailed off and his eyebrows shot up when he saw Dreamy. His gaze did a slow glide down her body and back up again before lingering on her breasts, which were barely contained inside the colorful dress. A slow smile spread across his tempting mouth.
For the first time since planning this surprise, Dreamy relaxed. He appeared genuinely happy to see her, and relief spread through her body. She strolled in, closing the door behind her. She moved to the opposite side of the room, where the table was located.
“Scott, let me call you back. Actually, I’ll give you a call in the morning.” He hung up the phone and stood. “Hey, sweetheart. This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Hi yourself. I heard that you might be hungry.”
As he rounded the desk and strolled toward her, Dreamy eyed him, giving him a once-over similar to the one he had given her, noting that he had shed his suit jacket and tie. That left him in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and navy-blue pants. He looked comfortable, but the lines at the corners of his eyes showed he was tired.
“I’m hungry all right, but suddenly it’s not for food.” He reached for her hand before lifting her arm as if he were going to spin her. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
Dreamy grinned, and when he released her hand, she stepped into his open arms. Without another word, his mouth met hers. She’d missed him, and if the kiss was any indication, he’d missed her too.
It didn’t matter how often they kissed, whenever their lips touched it felt like Christmas morning with a ton of gifts under the tree.
The man’s masterful lips and tongue never failed, and Dreamy was glad that she got to reap the benefits of his skills.
She didn’t want to think about how he’d mastered his abilities.
He slowly lifted his head, and a smile spread across his face.
“God, I’m glad to see you.”
She eased out of his hold and started removing items from the picnic basket. “You could see me every day if work wasn’t more important.”
He pulled out a chair for her. “Work is definitely not more important than you. It’s just that several deals are happening at the same time, and we fell behind.”
Dreamy nodded. She didn’t bother reminding him that he was the boss and that he should be able to better balance his work and personal life by delegating. That conversation would be a waste of hot air and time. Besides, she didn’t want to come across as nagging.
Karter sat in the chair closest to her. “Whatever you brought smells amazing.”
“I wasn’t sure what you had a taste for, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with carne asada and fish tacos.”
“Yum. My favorite, and I’m starving. I missed lunch.”
The words were barely out of Karter’s mouth before he took a huge bite of one of the fish tacos. He moaned with pleasure, and again, Dreamy was glad she’d agreed to stop by.
“They’re good, as usual,” he said, wiping his mouth and going in for another bite.
Small talk flowed easily between them as they discussed their day. He told her about a couple of deals he’d made in that week alone; it was no wonder he was busy. Dreamy wasn’t sure what drove him. He had already amassed more money than he could spend in a lifetime, and that didn’t even include his trust fund. She had no idea why he continued to push himself.
“Next week probably won’t be much better,” he said after polishing off three tacos. “I have a couple of board meetings to attend, and one of those companies is in the process of rebranding. The other one, I need to work with my team on coming up with a new marketing strategy.”
“Why?” Dreamy asked, and sat back in her seat. “Why do you have to do it, Karter? You’ve said yourself that you have some of the best people working for you. So I don’t understand why you have to have your hands in everything.”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sighed loudly. “For the same reason you’ve worked tirelessly to get the nonprofit up and running. I want these companies to be a success.”
“And the only way they can be a success is if you’re a part of every aspect of the business? Then why do you need the teams that you’ve put in place? Aren’t you able to trust the people you’ve employed?”
Except for the sound of a helicopter in the distance, the office was silent. He toyed with the napkin in his hand as he studied her for the longest time. Dreamy had no idea what he would say, and though she hoped she hadn’t overstepped, she really did want an answer.
He rubbed the back of his neck before he finally peered in her direction. Worry lines creased his forehead, and he looked more tired than he had when she first arrived.
“You’re working yourself to death,” she said quietly. “Help me to understand why.”
He gave a slight shrug. “Work is what I know. In addition to making money, I love the challenge. I enjoy taking a struggling business under my wing and turning it into a company that turns a profit within a year. You know that about me.”
Dreamy listened as he rattled off reasons why he worked so much. She understood them, and could even relate on some levels, but . . .
“What about me?” she said. “What about us? If you’re working yourself to death, we’ll never have the type of relationship you told me you wanted. The type of relationship I want. I love that you love your job and your company, but will you always work long hours and cancel on me every week? I enjoyed attending the theater with Mariana, and she loved the outing, but I wanted to go to the theater with you that night. Not her.”
Dreamy stood and slowly started clearing the table. On her way back from his trash can, he stood and reached out and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her close, he stared down in her eyes.
“I love you,” he said with such passion.
“I love you too.” Dreamy slid her arms around his waist.
Karter cupped her cheek, and her eyes drifted closed as she leaned into his gentle touch. Though Dreamy talked to him every day except today, she hadn’t seen him in four days. She missed him. Missed being in his arms.
“I’m sorry I bailed on you. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Okay,” she said, but knew they would probably have to revisit this conversation. Letting down the people you claim to love sometimes came with running a business, but at least he’d think twice before canceling.
His office phone rang, and he groaned. Touching his forehead to hers, she could see the battle brewing inside of him. To answer the phone, or not to answer. It was almost comical. Almost.
She pulled back a little and smiled. “Go. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”
He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Okay, I’ll make it quick.”
As Dreamy listened to Karter talk numbers, an idea brewed inside her head. She was glad he had taken time to have dinner with her, but her body craved more.
She headed to the door, and turned when Karter called out her name in a low voice.
“Don’t leave,” he whispered, his hand over the receiver. “Don’t leave yet.”
She smiled, gave him a thumbs-up, and locked the door. His eyebrows lifted as if he could read her mind.
Dreamy had never had office sex, and since she’d shared so many firsts with Karter, she might as well add to the list.
He was still standing behind his desk, the telephone plastered to his ear as he watched her every move. How he was able to listen to whatever the caller was saying, and yet focus on her, was a mystery. But Dreamy took full advantage, thinking she might as well give him something to look at.
