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Turning to look, he saw Chris Marks, his business partner heading toward him with a greasy brown paper bag. He held the door for a minute and said, “Lunch?”
Nodding, Chris said, “Yeah. The taco truck is down the street. So good.”
“Smells great,” he said.
“Better than that brown rice and vegetable shit you’ve been eating lately,” Chris said, smirking.
“Tried to get Elle to go out to lunch with me, but she was busy. So, brown rice and vegetables it is,” Jim said with a sigh.
“Oh, I didn’t realize she was here. I would have stopped in. Sara too?” he asked.
“Nah, just her and Tom,” he said. “I’m not sure what I can do, short of skywriting it at this point. I’ve asked her out a couple of times now. I flirt with her. I don’t get it.”
Shaking his head, Chris said, “I dunno. I think she may not realize you’re serious. She’s doing prep for tomorrow, right?”
At Jim’s nod, Chris went on, “So, why don’t you bring her food. Not for lunch, since you already asked about that. Just show up with food. She’s going to be late tonight probably since it’s just her and Tom.”
“Good idea. I was going to be late tonight, anyway. I’m working on the RFP for Blue Mountain Studios. I think I’ll call down and ask when I’m going to order though. That way if Tom is still there I don’t get enough for just us. That would be kind of a douche-bag move.”
When the elevator reached the thirtieth floor, they both exited. Chris headed back toward his office. Jim paused at Heather, the receptionist’s desk and said, “Can you order in subs from that deli down the street? Check with Deacon and see if he’s interested. Get something for yourself, too. I’m buying. Can’t do vegetables and brown rice again.”
Grinning, Heather responded. “Free lunch is my favorite kind of lunch. Do you want your usual?”
“Please,” he said, smiling. “Lemme know when they get here? I’m starved.”
“Will do, Jim,” she said, fingers poised over the phone.
Taking a sip of his coffee, he headed back to his office to work on the presentation. Blue Mountain was a fledgling film company. They were currently working on some high-definition extreme-sports movies and didn’t have the contacts to market them.
JDC was a PR firm that mostly worked with athletes. Over the years they’d made some great connections in the business, so it made sense that Blue Mountain would seek that out. JDC was looking to break into other markets too, so he’d take any in that he could find.
They had started JDC right after he had turned twenty. They’d moved out to Los Angeles after Jim had convinced both Deacon and Chris that a PR firm was the way to go. There had been a couple of lean years during the renovation of the buildings his grandmother had left him.
Now that they were renting the majority of the buildings out as office space, they’d been able to pay off the loans they’d needed to take for the overhaul. Turning a hotel into office space was an expensive process. Over the last few years, he’d been able to recoup all of his personal expenses and funnel the money back into the business.
Between his inheritance, which had provided him with hotels, and all of the hard work over the last few years, he was set for life. He probably didn’t need to work, but he loved it. He loved the fact he got to mix and mingle with so many different types of people, and that he was able to be a part of so much.
He didn’t kid himself at all, though. He knew thousands of people, but he didn’t consider many of them friends. He mostly kept everyone who he didn’t know before he was James Conroy, CEO at arm’s length. That was what was so fascinating about Elle. She didn’t seem particularly moved by the money or the prestige behind his position.
He had the distinct impression that she’d look at him the same way no matter what he did. He was a pretty good judge of character. He was essentially a sales person, and you didn’t do that well without being able to read people. She was refreshingly different than anyone else he’d ever pursued. That’s what he liked so much about her.
Plus, she was hot. That definitely didn’t hurt things. He grinned now, thinking of her shiny blond hair and big brown eyes. She was all soft curves.
She was literally driving him insane. He really had to do something about this. He’d been subtle for long enough. He decided he’d be a bit more direct next time he saw her.
With a decisive nod, he settled back into his desk chair and worked on the presentation until Heather came knocking a few minutes later.
“Jim,” she said, “the delivery man needs a signature.”
Scooting his chair back, he walked out to the lobby. Signing the slip, he gave the delivery man a cash tip and took the box from him. Seemingly able to smell the food, Deacon slipped out of his office and said, “Ooh. Food.”
Reaching into the box, Deacon grabbed the roast beef and cheddar sub and a bag of salt-and-pepper chips.
“Thanks for lunch. Have time to sit down or are you busy?” Deacon asked.
“I’ve got time. Just working on the RFP for Blue Mountain. I can take a few. I’m going to be here late, anyway,” Jim said, walking back toward his office.
Deacon followed and said, “Have you been downstairs to check in on Elle?”
