“What’s wrong?” I asked. “If you’re worried about the business stuff, don’t be. I met another perspective client tonight. His name is Ford. He’s got this amazing charity that gives teens somewhere to put all their angst. We’re already planning to take them camping.”
“Despite your impulsiveness, I know you always intend to put OTB first,” he said.
“You’re not saying something.”
“I’m not worried about the business, man. Not really. I’m worried about you,” he said. “Don’t you think we should talk about things? If this is just a big distraction from—”
“No,” I said, firmly. “It’s not a distraction.”
For a split second, I wanted to tell him everything. I felt like I could crack my chest open and share with him all my worries. I could share about Dad and Roxy’s rejection and my fears about business and how I just kept managing to fuck things up when I only want to be the best …
I waited a beat too long.
“You know, I was planning on going out there anyway. I’d been looking at flights,’’ Skip said. I could practically hear him reaching for his laptop and logging on.
“What? No, mate, you know I’m fine,” I said with an easy laugh. I was the easygoing one. I wouldn’t burden him with my shit. He had his own worries.
“You’re sure?”
“Of course. I always am. I’ll clear this up. And I will nail this account. Getting more business by the day. All good things.”
I closed my eyes again. My hand rubbed circles on my chest. I reached for the half-empty bottle of antacids.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. My eyelids felt heavy. Sleep was finally taking over.
“Okay, Sanders. Just be careful.”
Chapter 10
Sanders
Itook Skip’s advice to heart. I spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday completely focused on OTB and hardly thought of Roxy at all. I went into town and schmoozed with local business owners, including a nice lunch at a place called Daisy’s Nuthouse with Ford and Jack. I avoided areas where I thought Roxy might be, which was easy enough given the size of the sprawling Donner Lodge. I wandered through the winding footpaths, and mostly did my best to focus on work and respecting her space.
Well, that wasn’t to say that I wasn’t constantly thinking of Roxy but I wasn’tdoinganything about those thoughts, which was serious progress. Forty-eight whole hours of not actively pursuing her challenged me. Hard as I was trying, the inaction had taken its toll and by Monday morning I was a carbonated drink that had spent the weekend on a paint shaker.
It wasn’t my fault that the very first person I saw upon leaving my room that morning was Roxy. How could I not think the universe was rewarding my patience? I’d come down to the main lobby and found her bent over, struggling to pick up a box half her height. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and professional gray trousers clung tightly to legs I had memorized by now.
I looked to the ceiling and threw out a silent cry,Come on. You’re killing me.
The box was slightly larger than her arm span and she couldn’t get enough of a grip to leverage the size. The lobby was deserted at the early hour, so I spent twenty seconds enjoying the view. It was wrong of me. I would never let anybody else ogle her like that. But other people hadn’t known her body intimately while dancing. Hadn’t held her hand for hours. Eventually, I did move to help her. I stepped quietly until I was right behind her.
“Can I help?” I bent forward to ask in her ear.
She shot up immediately and I stepped back just in time to avoid a bloody nose.
“Sanders.” Her gaze roamed over my face, pupils dilating. For a flash she almost looked as though she were happy to see me. But then her focus flicked to check the room around us. “Hello. Good morning. Ah, no. Nope. I’m fine.” She patted the box.
“Are you sure?” I smiled and leaned in. She smelled amazing. Her scent was different each time I’d been with her, the base the same but with different accents, like a series of wines made from the same grapes but with slightly different tones. Today her underlying scent was accented by flowery notes of … gardenias?
She leaned back. “How has your stay been so far? Your accommodations are good, er satisfactory?”
“The beds are fantastic.” I smiled.
Her eyes widened a fraction and flicked around the lobby. “Good.” She nodded.
Color rose to her cheeks and I felt myself preen. But then I realized what I was doing. I was doing the literal exact opposite of what Skip told me to do. My normal, albeit overwhelming charm, would not be wise. A wave of guilt had me straightening and taking two steps back.
She smoothed her cream-colored silk blouse. I was slightly disappointed to note that I couldn’t see any of the art decorating her body that had been visible the night we met. I would love to spend hours memorizing each once. Tracing my fingers over the patterns … seeing where they led.
