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“You’re smart.”
“And I’m going to kick your ass as soon as this migraine and dizziness are completely gone.”
“I look forward to you trying.”
She looks away. “I can’t leave them hanging though. These women are counting on me to show up. Angie, the director, helped me out a lot when I first moved to Williamsport. She’s a friend of Ms. Edith’s.”
“I’ll go,” I say before even thinking.
She swerves her head around to look at me and then grimaces in pain. It’s a good thing she’s sitting in bed because her entire upper body sways from the dizziness.
“H-How are you going to go?”
“It’s a speech about business, right? You think they wouldn’t want me?” I stand there with a smirk on my face, feeling confident.
“Kyle, you’re Townsend’s COO. Organizations would pay five figures for you to give a speech.”
“Six figures,” I reply. “Which is why I know those women won’t be disappointed to see me coming through the door instead of you. What’s the topic of your speech?”
She hesitates.
“Let’s go, Riley. It starts at nine.” I hold up my phone, showing her it’s ten after eight. “I already had one of my assistants drop off a change of clothes for me yesterday.”
“Mike was here?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I keep him for high-level stuff. I have a personal assistant for this type of thing. Speech topic,” I divert her back to my question.
“Right. Uh …” she pauses, “it’s on the importance of networking and finding mentors. I can email you what I have written.”
“Do so. I’m going to take a shower.”
“You really don’t need to do this. I’m fine to go.”
“Move one inch from that bed and I’ll have my team of lawyers draw up paperwork and deliver it by this afternoon. You’ll be sued not only for what we’ve paid so far but also for any and all possible financial damages that my lawyers can tack on.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she gripes.
I grin and turn toward the bathroom, even as she chucks a pillow at my head. It hits the back of my shoulder. When I turn to face her, she’s glaring at me with her arms folded. I let my gaze drop to those perfect lips of hers. She’s still wearing the button-up top that she wore to the office.
For a beat, I regret not helping her change into something else. But that would’ve been too much of a perverted move on my part, considering how much pain she was in yesterday.
“Nice aim.” I laugh as I close the door only to hear a thud against it when she throws a second pillow.
CHAPTER17
Kyle
Hours after waking up that morning, I step off of the small stage in a conference room of a local hotel.
“Mr. Townsend, thank you so much,” Angie, the director of the Girls on the Move organization, thanks me not for the first time today. “Your speech was wonderful. I think our girls got a lot out of it. And you were so gracious to stay to answer questions.”
I nod as we shake hands. “Not a problem at all. I know Riley would’ve stayed.” I’m confident of that. Considering the woman has texted me three times and called once to ask how it was going.
“Riley is wonderful. We missed her today.” A look of panic passes over Angie’s face. “Not that you weren’t spectacular. Because you were, it’s just that many of these young women look up to Riley. Her assistant, Charlotte, is a member of our group. That’s how she met Riley. When Riley needed to hire an assistant, she didn’t hesitate to give Charlotte a chance, even though she had a criminal record.”
Angie’s lips pinch, as if she knows she probably said too much.
“I’m sorry. I tend to gush a lot when we find someone special, who takes the time to work with our young women. Even when some of them can be a little rough around the edges.”
