Risky Negotiations (14 page)

“
How long have you been here?”

“
Almost three days.”

Sal stuck his hands back into his pockets and shook his head. “Thank you. I’m not used to people taking care of me.”

Laci was touched by his vulnerability. She stood up, forgetting about the fact that she was only wearing one of his shirts. The hem came down to her knees but the opening at the neck was low since the buttons were so far apart. Holding the shirt closed with one hand she smiled shyly, “It’s a little strange for you, isn’t it?” At his nod, she continued, “Hasn’t anyone ever taken care of you?”

“
Not in a long time,” he said. He walked over to stand directly in front of her and stared down at her. She was standing only a foot away from him now. “Will you do it again?” His voice was deep and strong.

“
I think that would be very dangerous,” was all she could think of to say.

“
You’re probably right.”

“
I’m going to get dressed and make you some breakfast. Then I’ll be out of your hair so you can have your house to yourself again.” Laci didn’t wait for a reply. She quickly walked to the room’s private bathroom and closed the door. She turned on the shower and tried to calm her nerves. The hot water instantly started flowing and she wondered how that was possible. Her entire apartment building could probably fit inside this bedroom with room to spare and it took several minutes for the hot water to reach her tap. But it was instantly available here. The rich were definitely different, she thought as she stepped into the steaming jets.

A half hour later, she was dressed in her business suit again with her hair pinned neatly at the nape of her neck. She didn’t have any make up with her but she was too busy making eggs and toast to worry about that. She cut up some fruit and was pouring the orange juice when Sal walked in, reading the newspaper. She handed him a cup of coffee and he handed her a section of the paper.

They read in companionable silence for a few minutes, then he dug into his food. Laci watched him, admiring the elegance of his movements. “How have the negotiations been going over the last few days?”

“
They haven’t” she said, grimacing. “We won’t accept the paltry offerings Jimmy is handing us and he won’t concede on any issues. We’re basically at a stand still.”

Sal nodded. “Are you going to see Victoria this weekend?” changing the subject.

“
I’m supposed to see her tomorrow night at a charity ball. But I’m not sure if I’m going to go.”

“
Is it the Children’s Auction Ball?” he asked.

“
Yes. Are you going?”

“
ATI buys tickets each year but we don’t always go.”

“
That’s a pity,” she laughed. “I can’t believe they didn’t ask you to be one of the men being auctioned off. You’d go for a lot of money,” she teased.

“
Actually, they did,” he replied with a scowl.

“
And you obviously said no, correct?” Laci laughed again.

“
I don’t believe I gave a reply.”

She eyed him closely. “Hmm.. That’s too bad. I’ll bet the organizers were drooling over the money you’d bring in.”

Sal rolled his eyes and shook his head at the idea. “Why is it that only the men are auctioned off?”

“
Because any man who buys a woman would probably request favors for the sale. Whereas women are only asking for a small amount of attention from their acquisitions.”

“
Ah. You’re probably right.”

Laci pretended outrage. “Are you saying you would be among those men expecting favors?”

Without missing a beat, he asked, “Would you be auctioned off?”

“
No!” she said, laughing at the idea.

“
Hmm. Pity,” he repeated her words.

Laci laughed again. “You’re incorrigible. I’d better be getting to work. I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she said and picked up the phone.

“
Who are you calling?” he asked.

“
I’m calling a cab. I drove your car over here, not knowing if I’d be able to get into the house.”

“
Take my car again.”

“
I can’t do that,” she said and quickly dialed the number to a cab company.

Sal came around and pressed the disconnect button. “Let me drive you home, then.”

Laci shook her head.

“
We’re not going through that again, are we?” he asked and put a hand in the small of her back.

“
Sal, you need to rest and I can get a cab home,” she protested.

“
I’m fine and you aren’t taking a cab.”

In the end, he won again. He asked her questions about the negotiations the whole way home which at least eased her mind about what he was thinking about. Back in her apartment and away from his incredibly sexy body, she quickly changed clothes and got back into her own car, arriving to her office only a few minutes after her usual arrival time.

Since there were no negotiation meetings scheduled with ATI today, the hours seemed to drag by. She missed the excitement of wondering when Sal would walk into the room and question them team. Instead, she researched several issues and formed several more arguments that she thought would be well received on Monday when she faced Matt again. She and Jim had a strategy session and there was a general staff meeting. By the middle of the afternoon, she was sick of being cooped up in the office even though she’d only been there for a few days this week.

Looking out her window, she acknowledged what she was feeling. She wanted to see Sal again. She felt more alive when she was around him than at any other time. She didn’t understand her reaction to him and was tired of trying to figure it out. She was attracted to him for some odd reason. She continued to tell herself that he was too dangerous. And he wasn’t her normal type. Those things didn’t seem to alter her need to see him though.

Sighing, she turned back to her desk and tried to focus on her work again. Maybe she just needed to get back into circulation, she thought as she pulled up another article on the internet but her eyes wouldn’t focus on the words. Her mind was still concentrating on her dilemma with Sal. She hadn’t been out with anyone in months. Could it be that her mind only needed male companionship? Maybe that was all there was to this thing she was feeling for Sal. Perhaps another man could fill something inside her that Sal had been feeding. Maybe it was time to start looking at other men again. She needed to date and find someone in order to get Sal out of her mind.

She looked at her calendar and thought about the Children’s Ball. Surely there would be other eligible men there who might pique her interest. Sal couldn’t be the only man who was charming, attractive, intelligent and interesting. There had to be some other male that could peak her interest just as much as Sal did.

Looking at the clock, she realized it was almost five o’clock. Despite the fact that she’d been out of the office for the past three days, she decided to leave early and head out. She wanted to find something new to wear to the Children’s Ball, something that would entice a handsome, eligible bachelor who could get her mind off of Sal.

She reached the mall in record time since it was earlier than usual and most of the traffic was heading out of the city instead of towards it. She searched through the various stores, trying on several dresses but none really catching her fancy.

She was just about to give up when she walked into a small boutique and saw the perfect dress. It was red, with a plunging V neckline, a halter top and a straight skirt, all made of sensuous, red silk. Laci fingered the beautiful material as if it were gold instead of just lustrous silk. Holding it in front of her, she examined her reflection in the full length mirrors of the store. Laci knew the color was perfect for her skin tone and hair coloring. The red made her skin look softly glowing and her hair darker somehow. She immediately brought it to the dressing room. When she tried it on, she knew it was exactly what she was looking for. It was sexy, confident and daring. And every time she moved, the silk clung to her curves, flattering her figure in ways she didn’t know were possible.

She immediately bought the dress and found some shoes to go with it. They were strappy red sandals that cried out for dancing.

Saturday dawned cloudy and generally miserable. Laci went to the gym for her Saturday basketball drills but the girls weren’t really into their practice. It seemed as if they were all looking over their shoulders for something. Laci knew they were wondering where the boys from Sal’s team were but she had checked earlier in the week to make sure that they had been scheduled for another court across town. Joanne had assured her that it wouldn’t happen again, even throwing in the possibility of an extra practice to apologize for the mix-up.

Laci watched her girls dribble and pass and after thirty minutes of practice, she had to admit, the girls were a little lackluster in their efforts this week. Whereas last week, they had pushed themselves to their limits, trying new offenses and demanding more from each other as team mates than she’d ever seen before.

After only forty five minutes of practice, Laci called a halt to their efforts and gathered them all over to the bleachers. Looking at their glum expressions, she tucked the basket ball against her hip and asked the most pertinent question. “What’s bugging all of you guys?”

Melanie spoke up first which was odd since she rarely ever spoke. “It’s just a little boring playing against ourselves this week. We were hoping the guys would be here and we could play against them again.”

Laci shook her head, knowing exactly how they felt since she’d been going through the same emotions, missing Sal’s electrifying presence. “I went through a great deal of trouble to make sure they weren’t here this week. Last week, I saw a lot of things that each of you need to work on. Now, we can get some real training done. But if you guys want to go back out onto the court with the same weaknesses and face those boys…”

“
They weren’t boys. They were men!” Jessica interrupted. She smiled and wriggled her eyebrows as she spoke.

Laci refrained from laughing. “My point is, we played against them last week. They know our weaknesses. You can be sure they’ll use them against us if we ever play them again,” she explained.

“
We’re not interested in weaknesses. We just want to play them again. They’re cute!” Alison interjected.

Laci stared at the girls. They were all nodding their heads and nudging each other, more interested in seeing the boys again than anything else.

Laci let out a deep sigh. If only life were that simple. Her whole career was focused on the opposition’s weaknesses. She was trained to figure them out and use them against the opponent. And she was very good at it. The flip side though, was that she was very aware of her own weaknesses, as well as how they can be used against her. For instance, her attraction to Sal, and how he could use that attraction against her and she could lose important benefits for the union workers, benefits their families were depending upon for the next five years to make ends meet within their households. She couldn’t let them down. That meant she had to stay as far away from Salvatore Attracelli as possible.

“
Ms. Laci?” Jessica was asking.

Laci snapped out of her own thoughts and came back to the present. Thirteen girls were sitting on the bleachers, knowing smiles on their faces. “You were thinking about the guys’ coach, weren’t you?” Melanie asked softly.

After a soft blush, Laci admitted the truth. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I was.”

“
Are you going to see him tonight?”

“
No. But I have a very fancy affair I’m attending,” she said and sashayed along the bleachers, batting her eyes and swaying her hips as if she were in a fancy ball gown. “And there will be many other gorgeous men there and I plan on snagging many of them to dance with me.”

“
You go girl!” Tanya said, leaning back against the higher bleacher behind her and crossing her legs. “And you take notes. We want to hear all about it next week,” she said, nodding her head for emphasis.

Laci laughed as she shook her head. “I never kiss and tell,” she said and winked at Melanie who immediately started blushing.

They teased each other for the last few minutes of practice and then they all disbanded, eager to find out more next week about her big, fancy night at a ball.

Laci wasn’t really as excited about the evening as she had led on to the girls. She knew she should be anticipating it. She had a beautiful new gown to wear and she knew she could meet several eligible bachelors. But she also knew Sal wouldn’t be there. Despite her best efforts to discourage that attitude in herself, the thought that Sal wouldn’t be there so see her, dance with her took all the sparkle out of the night.