Part 12 (1/2)
Brent opened the front pa.s.senger door of a blue-gray BMW and helped her inside before lightly closing the door behind her.
The soft leather seats sighed as she slid in easily with the silky material of her skirt. She stretched out her legs, thankful for the roomy car, and also for the cold blast of air from the AC vent in front of her.
She wasn't overly tall, but her long legs made it tough to get comfortable in a lot of cars and total h.e.l.l on plane flights. So she always appreciated when she had ample legroom.
Brent had driven her home in a different car on Sat.u.r.day night, and she had only just found out that he'd borrowed Master Dex's car that night.
Both cars were nicer than anything she had ever owned, but if given a choice she preferred this one, and not only because it was Master Brent's.
Maybe one of these days she'd get her feet under her and be able to buy one of these cars for herself.
”Did you eat something?” His deep voice held only curiosity and concern, so she forced her shoulder muscles to relax. She had to get past the automatic defensive reactions. They had no place in her new life.
She nodded and then realized Brent's concentration was on the busy freeway in front of them and not on her, so she cleared her throat to make sure she could speak. ”I had a quick English m.u.f.fin an hour or two ago.”
He nodded, giving her a glance before returning his gaze to the road. ”We'll pick up some lunch after your meeting with Gary, unless he wants you to start right away. If you're interested in the job after you two talk, that is.”
She tried not to fidget in her seat as nerves finally set in, but ended up adjusting the sleeves of the dressy b.u.t.ton-down around her arms. She loved the feel of the soft cotton and the way the deep blue material gave her face some actual color after her long night. She smiled at the memory, and her body seemed to wake up at the mere mention of her time with Master Brent Sat.u.r.day night.
She wrenched her mind back to the interview and what lay ahead. She'd known he was taking her to meet someone about a job, but now that he'd said it out loud, it felt like a suffocating cloud had closed in around her.
She blew out a slow breath and mentally shook off the odd sensation. ”So what kind of job is it?”
”I gave Gary a quick rundown of your qualifications, and he told me he'd love to talk to you about a position he'd been trying to fill.” Brent signaled before he changed lanes and sped up to match traffic. ”I'll let you two talk and decide if this is a good fit or not. You're under no obligation to take this unless it feels right to you.”
”Thank you.” She reached out and squeezed his shoulder. She'd needed to touch him, to show how much it meant to have him care for her this way. ”I appreciate you setting this up, and driving me out here.”
”No problem at all.” He sent her a quick smile before he returned his attention to the road, slowing as several people changed lanes to take the next exit. ”I've known Gary for several years,” he continued. ”He owns several successful international businesses and is always looking for good talent.”
”International businesses?” She cringed as she realized that had come out as more of a nervous squeak than her normal voice. She really hoped that didn't happen during the interview. Sandra had always picked up new skills quite easily, but for some reason the thought of an international business loomed larger and more frightening than a fully domestic one.
”Don't sound so nervous.” Brent reached out to brush a comforting hand over her knee. ”Just because it's an international business doesn't mean you can't handle it. You're a smart woman. I'm confident you can easily pick up whatever you need to learn.”
His voice sounded sure and echoed her previous thoughts, so she pulled some of his confidence deep inside herself for strength. ”I will,” she said with determination. ”It just threw me off when you said 'international' for some reason. I've only ever worked for small companies that had fewer than fifty employees.” She thought back to the job she'd left in New York. She had enjoyed the challenge of organizing the office and keeping everything flowing as it should. But a much larger company that dealt with multiple countries would give her a lot to learn on every front. A sliver of excitement flowed through her and she laughed.
”Are you all right?” His voice held amus.e.m.e.nt, and she didn't blame him. She'd been clearly scared a minute ago and now she was laughing. What a d.a.m.ned basket case she was lately.
”Yes, sorry.” She forced a smile onto her face, hoping it looked natural. ”I gave myself an internal pep talk, and now I'm excited about the new prospect and ready to go.”
Brent chuckled, his s.e.xy lips curving. ”I'm glad. You really are a smart woman, Sandra. You always have been...”
His voice cut off suddenly, making Sandra frown. The statement struck her as very odd. He'd only known her for a few days.
She thought about asking about the odd wording but shook the thought away. She was most likely reading too much into his words, and she needed to concentrate on the coming interview.
He took the freeway exit and merged with the busy downtown traffic.
”Let's get you to this interview, and then we can talk over lunch.” He sent her a quick smile as he pulled up to a stoplight, and several pedestrians scurried across the street in front of them.
His smile was genuine, but there was something there that made her pause. A tightness around his eyes that she wasn't used to seeing. It was probably just something she'd imagined. She really needed to get her thoughts under control. She needed all her concentration to go toward getting this job and starting her new life.
After a few more harrowing turns onto one-way streets, which reminded Sandra why she hated to drive in downtown Phoenix, Brent turned into a parking garage and then slid into a spot with a ”Reserved for Trask Industries” sign posted in front of it.
Sandra gave in to a quick bout of vanity and checked her hair and face in the small mirror on the visor. She made sure her cover-up makeup hid all the evidence of her long, restless, s.e.xually frustrated night spent missing Brent. She couldn't believe after the amazing o.r.g.a.s.ms she'd had Sat.u.r.day night that her body craved even more, but crave it did.
Right now she needed to get her mind off her s.e.x life. She pushed up the visor, turned to him, and smiled. ”All right. Let's do this.”
- Brent stood as Sandra and Gary came out of a conference room down the hall. Two hours in the waiting room chairs hadn't been comfortable, even interspersed with pacing.
As Sandra turned and their gazes met, he sucked in a breath. For the first time since he'd seen her on the monitors at Club Desire, she looked happy. The dark shadows that always lurked in her eyes had been vanquished, and on Sandra, true happiness made her breathtaking. Literally, in this case.
”Brent.” Gary walked forward and held out his hand. ”I'd like you to meet my newest employee.”
Brent shook Gary's hand. ”Congratulations, Gary.”
”Hey!” Sandra was looking at him with a mock frown. ”What about me? Don't you think I deserve some congratulations?”
Brent shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. ”I was just congratulating Gary on stealing another great prospective employee from me.”
Sandra laughed and waved him away. ”You couldn't handle me as an employee anyway.”
Brent found he really enjoyed this new, bantering side of Sandra, and hoped to see more of it. ”Oh, really? Why do you say that?”
She shared a conspiratorial look with Gary before turning back to Brent. ”After some discussion, Gary and I have agreed you couldn't handle me.”
That startled a laugh out of Brent and he wondered what they had talked about. Gary knew about Club Desire, but as far as he knew tended toward vanilla, so it couldn't be in that arena.
Gary slapped Brent on the shoulder surprisingly hard, especially as the older man was a good four inches shorter than Brent and a great deal less solid. ”Well, my boy, you brought me a firecracker here. She's smart, and from everything I can tell she knows how to run an office. We need to train her up a bit on the international aspect, but it sounds like she can wrangle the toughest office into shape.”
He cast Sandra an expression of pride and antic.i.p.ation. ”I even took her out to the cube farm and let her try out her skills on the programmers and support staff. After several minutes of their trying to frustrate her with misinformation and double talk, she sweetly and swiftly put them in their places and got them to not only get back to work, but promise to have the office straightened up and organized, and even have their equipment fully inventoried and doc.u.mented for her by the time she comes in tomorrow.” Gary cast Sandra another gaze of glowing approval. ”And that was even before I offered her the job.”
Brent laughed. ”Congratulations, Sandra. I think.” He sent her a quick smile. ”Although I'm not sure I did you any favors subjecting you to this crotchety old man every weekday.”
”Hey now. Who are you calling old?” Gary shook his finger at Brent as if he were scolding a naughty pupil. ”I'll accept the crotchety, but just because I'm older than you doesn't make me old. Speaking of old, have you heard from Valerie lately?” His tone was light, but Brent knew how much pain lurked beneath that subject.
”We lost touch,” Gary added simply, his expression giving away nothing to anyone who hadn't known him for several years.
Brent remembered when he'd first met Gary. The London branch of Gary's business was failing, which caused him to spend most of his nights and weekends in the office or on conference calls. He and Valerie had been dating for several years at that point, and she'd finally gotten fed up and left him.
Brent had gotten Valerie a consulting job with another local firm doing the same thing she'd been doing when she'd first met Gary. But then he'd lost touch with her too until a few years ago, when she'd shown up at Club Desire to pet.i.tion for members.h.i.+p.
Brent motioned for Gary to step off to the side of the lobby with him. ”Sandra, excuse us for a moment. I'll be right back.”
When they had stepped out of earshot of Sandra, Brent smiled at his old friend. ”I have heard from Valerie.”
Gary's head snapped up, and unmistakable hope and longing filled his gaze. He was obviously still madly in love with Valerie, and she with him if Brent was any judge.
”She's doing well. Been promoted several times over, and looking fantastic, as usual.” Before Gary could interrupt to ask how to find her, or if Brent had her current number, he pressed on. ”I would suggest you come by Club Desire this Sat.u.r.day night. About seven thirty or so.” He let silence fall for a long moment while Gary fidgeted. ”I'll give you a tour of the place, and...introduce you to some of the regulars.”
Gary stood looking stunned for a long moment until he finally cleared his throat. ”The Club. Okay.” He met Brent's gaze squarely. ”What should I wear for this tour?”