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But then my eyes pop open because of course, at that very moment, Malcolm Neuwirth strolls into the coffee shop. What’s even worse is that his sees me too, and the overstuffed mouthful of food I’ve suddenly forgotten how to swallow. OMG, how can this be happening? I probably have chipmunk cheeks, bulging to the utmost as I try furiously to chew.
But the gorgeous CEO doesn’t seem to mind. Recognition flares in his blue eyes as he casually strolls over. Damn, the man is so handsome that I almost forget my own name. His hair is as black as charcoal, and his skin is shaded with a deep bronze tan. Even in his slacks and button-down shirt, I can tell that this is a man who works out. His chest is broad and solid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a six pack underneath that white fabric. Long legs eat up the distance between us, and my mind starts going haywire.
Shit, shit, what do I do? Grabbing my latte, I take a huge gulp, forcing myself to swallow the bite of sandwich in my mouth. Then I look down at myself and frantically start beating away the crumbs covering my chest. Of course, it doesn’t help because the crumbs seem to jump up and land right where they were. Even worse, I’m still in my travel-stained top and loose jeans, and no doubt my hair looks like a rat’s nest. Ugh. How could my timing be worse?
Still, I force myself to smile as he walks up to my table.
“Hi Leslie, is it? I’m Malcolm Neuwirth. I think we both work at Ligne in NYC.” He motions towards the small open chair at my table. “May I join you?”
I nod a little too fast. Does he recognize me from my nude photos or from my photo in the company directory? Unfortunately, I’m too shy to ask and manage to stammer, “Um, yes. Yeah, of course.”
My palms are sweating as the handsome man takes a seat across from me. OMG, even sitting he’s still so huge! His broad shoulders seem to block out the rest of the café, and those blue eyes are dazzlingly intense. I literally feel faint being in such close proximity to the alpha male.
“So, how’s the trip been for you so far?” Malcolm asks in a low voice. “You’re on the fifth floor at Ligne, right? I hope your hotel room is nice.”
I begin babbling like an idiot, praying he doesn’t notice the two sandwiches I have in front of me.
“Yes, I sit in a cubicle in the middle of the fifth floor, and the Wilshire’s great, thanks. My room’s amazing. I have the most beautiful view of the beach, and it’s honestly going to be hard to leave the comfort of my bed to attend this conference.” As soon as I say the words, I want to clap my hands over my mouth. Malcolm’s the CEO of the company that’s sponsoring my conference seat, and he probably thinks I’m a slacker now. “I mean, it’s really nice but I’ll be at every talk for sure. I wouldn’t miss a session! That’s why we’re here, ha ha.”
Malcolm chuckles too, and I swear that the little laugh lines by his eyes make him seem more handsome than before.
“It’ll be an informative conference, but it’s fine if you don’t go to every session, sweetheart. You’ve got to pick and choose with these things because some of the panels are just bullshit. I mean, did you see the one called, “Color Theory as Applied to One-Click Purchasing?” I’m not saying it’s total bullshit, but I really don’t want to listen to how Amazon is a genius for having yellow buy buttons.”
I giggle.
“You’re right, some of the panels did seem a little doubtful, but who knows? Maybe we can learn from the industry giant.”
“Maybe,” says Malcolm with a grin. “Anyways, life should be about more than just work all the time. That’s all I’m saying.”
I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. “Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t be much of a life if we never had any fun,” I add softly. But then I tilt my head and ask curiously, “Mr. Neuwirth, do you come to all industry conferences? I know Ligne has some employees here, but I thought it was mostly just low-level staff like myself.”
Malcolm throws his head back and laughs, showing off a bright white smile.
“That’s a good question because no, actually I wasn’t supposed to attend this one, but I had a break in my schedule so I decided to make the trip. My secretary said I should do it, seeing that I’ve been working so hard.” Then, he pauses and those blue eyes twinkle. Oh god, I just know he recognizes me from my nude snaps. I’m going to die from embarrassment. But he merely smiles and stands then, towering over my small frame. “Well, I’m glad to finally meet you, Leslie. I’ve heard of you at Ligne.”
