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I tsked and batted his finger away. “That’s not what I said. I didn’t want to marry youjustbecause of your money.”
Mr. Cox’s intense forest-green eyes bore into me, scrutinizing me.
Kenny looked from me to my boss, then to me again. A sly grin formed on his face. “Right, I remember now. You argued you weren’t a gold digger, and you wanted to make your own fortune.”
“I’m sure Mr. Cox is busy and doesn’t need to hear all this.”
Kenny put one finger up. “Ah yes, the rejection is coming back to me now. You told me you didn’t want to marry. At all. Not me or anyone else. That there was no room for men in your life. Your career was your life.”
That’s right. I didn’t want any man. Not part of the plan.
But if I had wanted one, Kenny would have been perfect. Almost. He was sweet and gentle and caring and fun. And he really was drop-dead gorgeous. He had a swimmer’s build, sandy-colored wavy hair, and eyes every woman dreamed of. But the important thing was that he wouldn’t have ever abandoned me. As my father had.
I loved Kenny. But not in that way. He was a brother to me. Like a twin. We could be great roommates. We would always be friends. Forever. But never husband and wife. Besides, I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t fully believe in me. Kenny wanted to rescue me. I wanted to make it on my own.
“What do you think, sir?” Kenny asked my boss. “Sounds like a lonely life to me. What about you?”
Without taking his eyes off of me, his expression unreadable, he said, “It’s her life. Her decision. None of my business.” Then he turned and left.
Kenny crept up to me and whispered, “You always had a thing for older guys.”
I smacked my hand over his mouth. “Shut up, Kenny.”
“He’s hot. I approve,” he mumbled behind my palm, then licked it.
“Eww.” I wiped my hand on my pants. It didn’t matter if my boss was hot or if Kenny approved. It would never happen. I wouldn’t risk my career, my goals, my dreams for a man. “Why did you say all that to him?”
“Cause my spidey senses told me it needed to be said.” He grabbed my purse. “Come on, I’m taking you to lunch. I want to hear all about your new job.” He lowered his voice. “And your new man.”
Kenny wanted to have lunch at the Starbucks in the building’s lobby, but I didn’t want any of the employees to overhear our conversation because I knew he would want to talk about Mr. Cox. Instead, I dragged him five blocks away until we found a diner.
Over a plate of burgers and fries, Kenny bombarded me with questions about the job. I told him all about it, the good and the bad. It felt really great talking about it with my best friend. It had only been a couple of weeks since I last saw him, but so much had happened that it felt like months.
“And what’s going on between you and your boss? Your eyes light up whenever you mention his name. Did you sleep with him? How did this happen?”
“Nothing is going on. My eyes light up because…he’s a good boss. And mentor. And he challenges me to push myself in my work, and he recognizes my potential.”
“Bullshit. You’re totally lying. You forget I know your tells. Now tell me the truth. How long has it been going on?”
I sighed. He knew me too well, and I knew he wouldn’t let this go. “OK, I have an itty-bitty crush on him. That’s all. I mean, he’s been my role model for years, and he actually believes in me. It’s to be expected.”
“There is more to it than that. You’re totally into him. I’ve never seen you look at someone that way before.” He lowered his eyes and played with his food. “Gotta admit, I was a bit jealous.”
I threw a fry in his face. “Don’t be a moron. As you said, it’s only been two weeks, I can’t possibly be into him. I just have some overactive hormones right now. It’ll pass…I hope.”
He threw the fry back at me, and it bounced off my forehead. “I hope it doesn’t.”
“What? You can’t mean that? It would be disastrous.”
He shrugged. “There must be something special about him for him to have caught your eye, Laura. I’ve been trying to get you to look at me like that since we were teenagers. And I’ve seen you shatter the ego of every guy who has ever tried to get near you. But maybe this guy could make you happy. And he’s rich. He could give you the type of lifestyle you were accustomed to. You wouldn’t have to wait to make your own—”
“Stop it, Kenny.” I was fed up with having the same conversation with him. Why couldn’t he get it? “How many times do I have to tell you that I won’t be with someone for their money? I want to make my own. And protect it. Keep it as mine so no one can screw me over and take my power away, as my dad did to Mom.”
He reached over and took my hand in his, the familiar comfort soothing me. “That wouldn’t happen because you’re too smart and too fucking stubborn to let any man have that much control over you. Don’t compare other men to your asshole of a father. What’s wrong with a guy spoiling you if he’s rich?
“Fine. Make your own fortune, but you could still be with someone who has wealth and wants to share it with you.”
I slipped my hand out of his. I didn’t want familiar and comfortable. Those were dangerous words to me because that was when you let your guard down. “Are we talking about my boss? Or you?”
