Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 1) (39 page)

Emily’s phone began to ring, and she handed it to Charlie. “Will you get that, Sis?”

“Hello?” said Charlie.

“Hi, this is Steven Gherring,” said a relieved voice. “Is this Emily?”

Charlie smiled. “No, it’s Charlie. Emily’s driving.”

Anne was waving at Charlie, mouthing
I’m not here
!

“I’ve been trying to reach your mom.”

“Oh, you’re in luck. She’s sitting right here.”

Charlie grinned as she handed her mom the phone. Anne gave Charlie the dirtiest look she could muster, while Emily giggled in the driver’s seat. Anne stared at the phone she held in trembling hands. She took a deep quaky breath and held it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi Anne. How’re you doing? I’ve really been worried. You were so shaken up when I put you on the plane. I really wanted to go with you, except for Gram. I told you, but you probably don’t remember. She’s been having chest pains. She wants me to stay in the house with her. She doesn’t want to go to the doctor, but she doesn’t want me to leave her for a moment. And she seems really worried about you. She keeps telling me to call you. I don’t know why she doesn’t just call you herself.” He paused for a breath. “Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m… I’m here.” She took deep breaths, trying to slow her heart rate. She could do this. Steven wouldn’t bring up
the incident
over the phone.

“How’s your dad?”

“He’s okay. He was awake today.” She tried to keep her voice light and even. The girls were listening closely. She didn’t want them to hear her nervousness.

“And Gandalf?”

“Alive, as far as we know. We’re going to see him now.”

“And you? How are you?”

“I’m fine.” She thought her voice sounded odd and squeaky.

His pitch dropped. “I mean, how are you, really? After we… uhmm, I know you’re probably feeling awkward. But Anne, I don’t—”

“Oh, we’re here. I’ve gotta go—I’ll talk to you later. Thanks, Mr. Gherring.”

She handed Emily’s cell phone back without looking up.

“Well that was certainly interesting,” said Emily. “Wasn’t it, Sis?”

“It certainly was… Very interesting.”

“No time to talk.” Anne hopped out of the car, thanking God for the reprieve while hurrying inside to check on Gandalf.

The girls were cheered to find him awake, and even happier when he wagged his tail in greeting, albeit a weak wag. Dr. Stephenson’s report was good, and they made plans to visit the following day.

“Where to now?” asked Emily, as they left the animal clinic.

“Lunch first. Then back to the hospital, I guess,” said Anne.

“Although, I don’t think you should be allowed to eat until you explain that little conversation with Mr. Gherring,” said Charlie.

“I said ‘later’, and this is not ‘later’ enough. And if I’m not allowed to eat, I don’t think I’ll be paying, either.”

“Fine, you can eat. But my curiosity is killing me,” Charlie complained.

“We don’t really need Mom. I could hear everything Mr. Gherring said. What would you like to know?”

“Emily!” Anne’s voice sounded a warning.

“I couldn’t hear what he said after Mom said she was fine,” said Charlie.

“Charlie, that’s enough—” said Anne.

“He asked her how she was
really
doing. And then he said, ‘You must feel awkward’. And then Mom cut him off in mid-sentence,” said Emily.

She squeezed her eyes shut. How was she going to cover her awkward conversation with Steven?

Emily began, “Mom, you can tell us the truth. Are you—”

“No, I’m not sleeping with Mr. Gherring! Why does everyone think that? I wouldn’t do that.”

“What are you talking about? I was going to ask if you were in
love
with him, not if you were
sleeping
with him. Who thinks you’ve been sleeping with Mr. Gherring? Is that what this is about?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. How could she possibly have any tears left?

“Mom, please don’t cry,” said Charlie.

“Yes, you know we’ll both cry too,” said Emily. “And I’m driving.”

She studied her hands for a moment and then snuffled. “People at the office were saying I slept with him. Sam told me Tuesday. It’s silly I care so much, but I can’t help it. They think that’s why I got the promotion.” She swiped angrily at a tear on her cheek.

“How could they think that? That’s awful.” Charlie sniffed a few times. “Does Mr. Gherring know?”

“Yes, and he said he was sorry. But he wasn’t surprised. I, on the other hand, was totally shocked. How can I be forty-five and still be this naïve? Of course that’s what people would think. I just hope…”

“What, Mom?” urged Emily.

“I’m just afraid he… That he gave me the promotion because he
wants
to sleep with me.” Saying the words out loud was even more devastating than simply thinking about the possibility

“Really… I mean, why else would he promote me? I’m just a mother from Weatherford, Texas. I don’t know anything about business or investments or mergers or acquisitions. It’s really the only reason that makes sense. Now do you see why I don’t want to talk to him?”

“Mom, I really think you’re selling yourself short here,” said Charlie.

“Yeah, Mom,” said Emily. “And Mr. Gherring, too. He just doesn’t seem like that type to me. I know what the magazines say about him. But after spending time with him, I don’t believe it.”

“And let’s face it. If Steven Gherring wanted sex, he’d never have to go to this much trouble to get it.”

“I don’t know.” Of course, her girls weren’t aware of that kiss in the apartment. The one that made her doubt her own self-control. “But for now, can we
please
change the subject?”

Anne felt guilty about returning to New York on Sunday, leaving Emily with so much responsibility.

“Okay, so Ms. Minnie and Mr. Greenly are going to keep Gandalf until Grandpa is better,” Anne told Emily. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle having Grandpa here at the apartment for a week or two?”

“We’ll be fine. He’s just planning to park on the couch so he can watch TV. The hardest thing is going to be keeping him from moving around too much. Especially while I’m at work and I can’t keep an eye on him.”

“Yeah, the doctor said he needs to be pretty still for at least another week and a half while his lung is healing,” Anne agreed. “The real problem may start when he goes back to the house by himself. He’s not supposed to do anything strenuous for six weeks.”

“Right—good luck with that,” said Charlie.

“He can be almost as stubborn as Mom.”

“Yes, Mom. Explain to me how you managed to avoid talking to Mr. Gherring again during the entire holiday?” asked Charlie.

“I talked to him.”

“You texted him. That’s not the same,” said Emily.

“We were usually at the hospital, and I didn’t want to be on the phone. I haven’t talked to Henri since Wednesday either.”

“Mom, I have to tell you something,” said Emily. “Don’t be mad, okay? Mr. Gherring called me again just to check on you. So I covered for you this time. I told him you’d stayed up late and you were sleeping. But… I think he’s really worried you aren’t talking to him. Are you planning to resign or something? You can’t let silly rumors about you and Mr. Gherring ruin your life.”

“No… No I’m not going to resign. Although I have to admit, when I came back here and I was with Dad and both of you, I was tempted to stay. I’ve missed y’all so much, and it would be so easy just to go back to my old life. But I don’t want to be a coward and run away.”

“That’s more like it. I’ve always thought my mom was exceptionally brave,” Charlie said. “And besides, don’t you want to check on Gram? Didn’t Mr. Gherring say she’s been having heart problems?”

“Oh no, that was just Gram trying to keep Mr. Gherring distracted so he wouldn’t end up with Michelle.”

“Are you kidding me?” asked Charlie. “Gram’s just pretending to have chest pains?”

“It wasn’t my idea. That was
all
Gram’s doing. She’s a little frightening sometimes. But she really loves Steven, and she wants him to have a good wife. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Well no danger you’re gonna end up like Gram someday,” Emily said. “Because you can’t lie worth a flip.”

“Yes, that’s been a bit of a problem for me. I could learn a lot from my eldest daughter, it seems.”

“Emily’s not that great at lying either. I can always tell when she’s fibbing… Well, almost always. I didn’t know about the Spencer thing.”

“There’s nothing to know about Spencer. But you’re the one who’s really talented at telling white lies.”

“Yeah, I’m so good you don’t even know I’ve ever done it.”

Anne lifted one eyebrow. “I’ll be on alert from now on.”

“Are you ready to go to the airport? We need to leave now so we can drop Charlie off, too.”

Anne looked grim. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

Anne felt extremely guilty at being the sole occupant of the luxurious jet. She wished vainly Steven had managed to put her on a commercial flight.

She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, but she refused to go back and lay down in the master bedroom. She was determined to avoid the thoughts that would surely invade her mind if she were to lie down in Steven's bed. She planned to grab a taxi and go straight home to sleep. She was too fatigued to even eat dinner. Maybe she’d take just one Benadryl to make sure she could sleep tonight. If she didn’t get some rest, she’d never make it through the hectic week ahead. The plane landed smoothly, and she waited for it to taxi to a stop. She already had her suitcases in hand when the pilot came back to open the door. He exited down the ladder in front of her carrying her large bag and she followed behind. When she reached the ground, someone took her carry-on from her hand.

“I’ve got the car warmed up, waiting for us,” said Steven.

Anne felt a rock lodged somewhere in her chest. She’d hoped to avoid being alone with Steven Gherring before going to work on Monday morning. Now she had no choice but to follow him to the waiting limousine. Still, she was grateful for the expedited trip back to the apartment. Perhaps she could keep the topic of conversation on safe ground. Work… she had to talk about work.

She crawled into the car and sat down in the middle of the shorter side seat. He took a seat on the opposite side, per her plan. She decided to be proactive in guiding the dialogue.

“I’ll bet we’ve had some calls from Bern during the Thanksgiving holidays. I plan to start on that first thing in the morning. I’ll be at work early.”

“That sounds like a good plan, if you feel up to it. You’re probably exhausted. Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work tomorrow?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m not tired at all.” She stifled a yawn. “That, uh… That was just the power of suggestion. We’ve got the Christmas party this Saturday night. Oh? I forgot to ask if I’m supposed to contact the publicist about an escort for that party.”

“No, I usually don’t take a date to the company Christmas party… unless I’m actually dating someone. Are you planning to take someone to the party?”

“Maybe. But I’m not sure. Henri may be coming to New York next weekend.”

His brows creased. “Henri? I thought he… Did he tell you he was coming next weekend?”

“He said he wanted to come when I talked to him on Wednesday. But with Anna-Laure’s chemo, who knows.”

“Wednesday? Have you talked to him since then?”

“No, but I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Why are you asking?”

“Uhmm, I need to talk to him about a business matter, and I wondered if he was back at work. It’s nothing. I’ll email him tomorrow.”

She struggled to get her heavy coat off. “It’s warm in here. Ow—my hair’s caught on something.”

He sprang across the car to help her. “Wait, it’s caught on this button. There I’ve got it.”

He pulled the coat from her shoulders and, to Anne’s alarm, remained sitting next to her. She wracked her brain, trying to think of a safe topic.

“Oh! How’s Gram?”

“She’s absolutely fine. I finally insisted she see a doctor and get checked out. They didn’t find anything wrong with her. And by Thursday, she said she was ‘hunky-dory.’”

“That’s great. Uhmm…”

“Anne, I think we should talk about last Tuesday.”

“Oh, you mean the office rumor about us sleeping together? I’ve come to terms with that. I mean I can certainly see why everyone would think that.”

“No, I meant… Wait—what do you mean, you see why they would think that?”

“Well, you’re you, and I’m me. I got a promotion. Why else would you promote me, right? Only you and I know that would
never
happen.”

“Because you wouldn’t sleep with a man unless you were married, right?”

Anne was relieved. Maybe he actually got it now. “Right. So if you decide you don’t want to promote me after all, I’ll understand.”

“What do you mean? Why would I decide—” The muscles in Steven's jaw began to flex and she could see him breathing hard. When he finally spoke again, his voice was full of hurt. “Are you implying I actually promoted you so you would sleep with me? Is that what you think of me? After all this time together, you actually think that little of me?”

“Well… no… I—”

“I can’t believe it, Anne. Why would you think that?”

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to think. After you… you know… And I was embarrassed because I was so… you know…”

“So you put two and two together and came up with thirteen?”

“Well—”

“There are other logical conclusions you could have made.”

“Logic has never been my strong point.”

“No kidding! And I sent you on my jet to Fort Worth because?”

“I don’t know. I feel really bad about that. I wish you’d gotten me a regular ticket. I’ll find some way to pay you back.”

“I don’t
want
you to pay me back.”

Now tears began to fill up Anne’s eyes. “But I owe you so much. I’m a proud person—I don’t like to feel indebted. You just don’t know how that feels.”

“Did it ever occur to you I
like
doing things for you?”

“I know. You really are a good person—a generous person. You really are
sweet
.” She sniffed a little.

“You’ve got to be the most infuriating woman on the planet!” He ran his fingers through his hair until it he appeared to have been in a hurricane. Then he looked at her, piercing her with his cold steel blue eyes. She was caught like a deer in headlights—she couldn’t look away. He reached out slowly with one hand and brushed away a tear from her cheek. Then his hand dropped down, slowly trailing along her chin, falling down to her neck. She held her breath, afraid to move. Her skin was scalded where his fingers brushed her skin. He moved his hand slowly, gently around the side of her neck until his fingers splayed on the back of her head.

His face was close. She could feel him breathing. She had to stop him now. Just a word and she knew he would retreat. His eyes searched hers. Searched for a sign. Then she felt his fingers twist in her hair, and he pulled her face toward his until their foreheads pressed together, their lips almost touching. Her breath was coming faster, almost panting. She trembled from head to toe. Still he waited, holding back, teasing.

She lifted her hand and tentatively touched his neck. What was she doing? This was a bad idea. He was her boss. If she couldn’t stop him from kissing her, how would she stop him when he wanted more? Yet she moved her mouth toward him, like parched lips seeking water. Her lips parted as she touched them to his—shy, timid, seeking.

He spoke to her in a stilted groan, breathing the words into her mouth. “
I… am… not… sweet
!” His hand tightened behind her neck and he pressed his lips firmly into hers. His tongue invaded her mouth. He kissed her hard. He kissed her thoroughly. Then he released her, pulled away with an expletive, and sat back against the seat, his chest rising and falling with heavy rapid breaths. She felt bereft—empty—with the departure of his lips. A pain as if a bandage had been torn away from a wound.

He turned to capture her gaze again. “And this time,
you
kissed
me
.”

They didn’t speak the rest of the way home. He seemed as lost in his own thoughts as she was in hers. Her emotions were in turmoil. What did this mean? He’d as much as told her he wasn’t trying to sleep with her. Yet, his kiss said something entirely different. And the way her body reacted to him, she knew she was standing on a slippery slope. Hadn’t she warned her own girls not to put themselves in a position where they had to make important decisions in the heat of passion? No one was that strong. And she certainly wasn’t that strong after denying herself for fifteen years.

Only one thing was certain, Steven Gherring wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship with her. If he were, he would have told her. He’d had plenty of opportunities, but he’d never said anything. Even now, in the car, he sat in brooding silence next to her. He seemed to be physically attracted to her. He couldn’t fake his reaction any more than she could. But that’s where it ended. He cared for her, and he was concerned for her, but no more. And more than anything else, she still wanted him to find happiness and love.

She needed security. She needed someone she could trust. Her encounters with Steven had left her floundering in confusion. She wished he would say what he was thinking. Did he kiss her simply to toy with her emotions? To show her she wasn’t in control of her own body? To prevent her from falling in love with Henri?

Regrettably, she realized all these things had been accomplished, even if they weren’t his ultimate goals. But even if Steven was just teasing her with these physical episodes, she still wanted him to be happy. She still wanted to find a match for him. She wanted him to find true love, even if she could never find the same for herself.

The car stopped in front of the apartment, and she climbed out. He followed her, carrying both bags. On the elevator, they stared silently at the numbers above the door until they arrived at the tenth floor. She started to take her bags, but he deftly scooped them up and led the way toward her apartment. She had no choice but to follow him and unlock her door. She turned to take her luggage from him, but he pushed his way through the door and deposited her bags on the living room floor. Then he walked back to where she stood just inside the door, watching him with wary eyes.

“I see from your expression you still don’t trust me. What did you think? That I would come in here and kiss you again?” He leaned in close and his voice became coarse. “And then did you think I would wait until you were limp with desire and take you to your bed?”

Shocked by his words, she couldn’t respond. She couldn’t even think.

“Maybe you’re right not to trust me. Because believe me, I thought about it.” His breathing became shallow, his voice strained. “It would be so easy, so good… I would kiss your lips.” His hand caressed her face and his thumb slid lightly back and forth, tracing her lips. “And then I would kiss your neck right here under your jaw.” His fingers trailed down, following the path of his words. “And then I would shower kisses here on your shoulder.” Now his hand seared a path down her neck and edged under her collar to explore the hidden hollow on her shoulder.

She was breathing rapidly through her mouth, her eyes closed. She should stop him now, but instead she stood frozen in place—waiting, anticipating. Abruptly, he withdrew his hand. A small cry escaped her lips, and her eyes flew open. His face was inches from hers.

“And afterward, you would look at me with regret and disappointment. I’d become the man you accused me of being earlier tonight. So—” He pressed his lips in a gentle caress to her forehead. “I’ll earn your trust, instead.” He slipped to the door and waited to catch her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Anne dreamed about Steven Gherring. She was
incensed
. He wasn’t satisfied with ramping up her desires and dousing them with cold water, or speaking in cryptic words that left her head spinning. Now the man was invading her sleep. She couldn’t remember exactly what she’d dreamed, but she knew he was there, and she knew she was exhausted.

For the first time in weeks, Anne tripped when exiting the elevator at Gherring Inc., almost spilling the contents of her arms. She caught her balance and laughed it off to the spectators. But she was secretly frustrated she appeared to have lost the poise she’d worked so hard to attain since she’d arrived in New York. Perhaps it was due to her acute awareness of the curiosity of several of the elevator occupants. Were all of them wondering if she’d slept with Steven Gherring? It would almost be more bearable if the rumor were true, since everyone appeared to believe it anyway. Then at least she’d have some satisfaction to go with her embarrassment. Instead she had only humiliation, confusion, and a healthy dose of frustration.

Although she arrived at seven fifteen, Steven still managed to beat her to the office. She texted Ellen to confirm their lunch plans. Perhaps she’d get really lucky and he would hit it off with Ellen. Then he’d stop making advances in her direction. Anne was thoroughly convinced she possessed the willpower of a cornflake in the presence of Steven Gherring.

She worked with him all morning. He appeared to be totally unaffected by their physical encounters, addressing her as
Ms. Best
and keeping a healthy distance throughout the entire morning. As lunchtime approached, she casually asked him if he’d like to join her for lunch at Papa’s Place. His entire face brightened. His eyes sparkled and his dimples danced as he accepted her offer.

“I’d love to eat lunch with you, Anne.”

“I, uhmm, I need to go down a few minutes early and talk to May about something. Would you mind meeting me down there? May will give us a table in the private room.”

“Sure. What time?”

“Oh, if you came down about twelve fifteen, that’d be perfect.” She flashed him a nervous smile.