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"You mean like a date?" Susan stuttered and hoped he couldn’t hear the pounding of her heart .
Mike smiled from ear to ear. "Well, I wasn’t going to say it, but, yes, like a date. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not in the habit of dating people I work with and as soon as the project gets off the ground you’ll be dealing with my design team not me, so don’t worry about any potential confusion in how we work together. It’s just that there’s something about you, and I’d really like to get to know you better."
"Mike, I don’t usually, in fact, I never date clients, so I don’t know if this is such a good idea. I just don’t think it’s very professional that’s all. I hope you understand."
Mike pursed his lips and grimaced. "Don’t worry, Susan. I completely understand where you’re coming from and you’re probably right. Please forget I even mentioned it. I shouldn’t have, sorry."
"Don’t worry about it. Let’s just keep it professional, I really enjoy talking to you and I’m very excited about the project so let’s just focus on work for now. After a few more weeks of me you might be glad, very glad, we kept it all strictly professional." Susan laughed even as she wondered why she was walking away from a date with the guy that made her unable to think straight.
"I doubt that very much, Susan. But anyway, I better be getting back to the office and now that we’ve agreed there’ll be no funny business I won’t have to sit here and admit to my dark secret." Mike looked Susan in the eye and wondered how she
would react.
Susan stared back at him and wondered what on earth he was talking about but decided it was best to say nothing and to just let it go. What did she know about Mike as a person, really? He’s a womanizer and he has a dark secret, he’s highly successful and very good looking, he’s open about his business life but his personal life is a mystery, a complete mystery.
Susan knew this was the walk away moment, the time to walk away from a possible romantic future with Mike and never look back. He was a wild card and she had no desire to get burned yet again by a guy with a past he never talks about. The warning signs were there and for the first she was going to heed them and ignore that flutter in her stomach that never went away when she was with Mike.
She looked over at Mike as he paid the bill and wondered if she’d even be attracted to him if he wasn’t a dark horse. Without that danger element would she feel so deliciously confused in his company? Without his bad reputation would she feel compelled to catch him and keep him? She didn’t know, she couldn’t think straight. And her heart was still pounding even though she had tried to calm down.
* * *
Becky took her usual spot on the living room carpet in front of the roaring fire. "Oh my God, Susan. I haven’t seen you in months. How have you been?"
Susan filled their wine glasses and admired Becky’s winter tan, earned during a 3 month career break on the beaches of Morocco. "Oh, I’m doing fine. Everything is rolling along, very busy at work, as usual, and I’m looking forward to taking my own holiday as soon as things quieten down."
"No change there then. But what about that hot guy you mentioned last time I saw you? What was his name again?" Becky nudged her friend.
"Oh, you mean Mike. I haven’t seen him in ages. I deal with one of his managers these days, he’s off setting up his next big project. Oh, I didn’t tell you this. He asked me on a date once." Susan winked and tasted her wine.
Becky raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? This is the first I’ve heard of that. So where did he take you?"
Susan looked down and moved her hands along the carpet while she spoke. "I told him I didn’t think it was such a good idea seeing as how he’s a client. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so uptight about it and gone for it. I don’t know. I felt weak at the knees every time I met him, I don’t know if I could trust myself with a man like that. And, he’s a womanizer, it was all one big disaster just waiting to happen. I wasn’t prepared to take the chance."
Becky shook her head. "I don’t even want to hear this. So, you meet this hot guy and you turn him down. What did you have to lose? Worst case scenario you’d get some well needed male attention, best case scenario maybe the two of you have a bright future together. The way he makes you feel, you won’t get that with just anyone. I say listen to what that feeling is telling you and go for it."
"I suppose you’re right, Becky. Hey, this kind of funny. I went to a few gossip sites yesterday and it’s like he disappeared from the social scene. He used always be on the front page with the hot babe of the moment but now it’s like he disappeared in a puff of smoke. I wonder if he’s ok. Do you think I should call him to find out?"
Becky nodded. "Yeah, call him. Just don’t mention you read the gossip news or he’ll run a mile. Think of a better reason and call him before you change your mind."
"Becky, I’m just worried that I should know better than to be even thinking of dating a womanizer. It’s not exactly a recipe for happiness, you know."
"Maybe you need to stop over thinking this, Susan. Give the man a chance and get to know him better before writing him off. His public reputation may be unfair or even out of date, maybe he’s matured and moved on in his life. If it was me, I’d take a chance and go for it. Very few things in life come from saying "no" as they say."
"There is one other thing, Becky. He told me he has a dark secret, whatever that is."
"Oh my, you sure know how to pick them, don’t you, Susan? Anything else you’re not telling me?"
Susan averted her eyes. "Actually there is. Apparently, Mike is always asking how I am. Quite a few people from his office have told me that, it’s the worst kept secret on the building project team. One girl I know quite well told me he’s never asked about someone so much before."
Becky shook her head. "So, why doesn’t he call you in for a meeting to get to see you?
Susan wiped a tear from her eye. "Maybe it’s because I told him I never mix business with pleasure and I don’t date clients. That probably did it."
"Don’t cry, Susan. Trust me on this, call him and just see how things work out."
Susan sniffled and dried her eyes, "You’re right, nothing ventured nothing gained. I’ll call him tomorrow, I just hope he’s not already dating someone."
* * *
