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“Do you want to see the pocket?”
He holds up his hand. “I checked my own jacket while you were changing. I have the same one. I had no idea. I guess it was something we tried and I forgot. Savannah, my assistant, handles the cards. Always has—at least, since I hired her.” Then he laughs, deep from his belly. He presses a button on his desk phone. “Savi, do you have a minute to come in?”
Seconds later, a knock accompanies the door as it opens. The woman from the desk outside his office walks toward us. I stand to greet her.
“I thought I recognized your hair!” she says. “You’re the woman Will made me give my elastic to at the Vancouver event.”
“Virginia,” I say, extending my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. I was kind of …”
“Blinded by the assholery of this man’s behavior toward you? It’s all good. I hope he’s apologized.” She glares at her boss.
“I have apologized, thank you very much. But I didn’t call you in to berate me in front of one of our Power Broker Program participants.”
Savannah doesn’t hide her surprise.
“Do you remember which event you lost the Gold Business Card at?”
“You mean my first seminar? The one where nobody actually gave me the card? You all just assumed I had it? Of course, it was New York City.”
“Well, Ms. Beach found the card.” He nods at me. “Show her.”
I tell Savannah the jacket pocket story. Aside from the one time she glances at the spot I point to on my dress, Savannah glares at Will Power for the entire minute I speak.
“Well, this is a day we’re going to mark in the corporate history books. The day Mr. Perfect apologized—twice.”
“Savannah, I am sorry I’ve ever doubted your efficiency and ingenuity.”
Savannah reaches for my hand and shakes it with great enthusiasm. “If you ever need anything—anything at all—just ask. I will move heaven and earth to help you. Thank you for finally clearing this up and proving that the almighty Will Power has made a mistake in his life.”
“Enough bonding. You can go now, Savi.”
“Ha! Wait until I tell Reshma!”
“Savi, wait.” Will Power stands. Savannah stops dead in her tracks. “You cannot tell a soul about this. If you do, John Liu will be humiliated, and he’ll be forced to remove Ms. Beach from the program. You have to keep this to yourself.”
The joy on Savannah’s face melts away. “Of course. Not a word.”
“I’m sorry you don’t get to gloat. I’ll make it up to you.”
I sit again and try to make sense of what he’s just said. It sounds like he isn’t going to sue me or have me removed from the program.
After Savannah leaves, I release all the questions tumbling around in my head in one word: “Why?”
“I don’t know.” He meets my eye and then says, “Actually, I do know. But I’m not yet convinced that my logic is right, so for now, let’s just say that John has confidence you’ll reflect well on the Will Power & Bros. brand, and that’s reason enough not to mess with what he’s working with you to create.”
I’m disappointed by his answer and I know exactly why. For the first time in longer than I care to consider, I am reminded that, like all the plants I care for, my own body also needs loving attention. Something in the way Will Power looks at me tells me he’s a man who brings his workaholic perfectionism to bed.
And I want a taste of that.
I want him to tell me the reason he’s not kicking me out is because he wants to see me again. I don’t want to have to choose between cake and cookies. I want both—successandsex with this man who makes my skin tingle when he touches me.
“When are you meeting with Mr. Liu again?” he asks.
“A week from today.”
“Will my shrubberies survive another week without your expert attention?”
I smile. “Your shrubberies will survive. They won’t thrive, but …” I do my best fake British accent, “They’re not dead yet.”
