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He got a mutinous look. For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to respond. Then he visibly deflated. He shoved his fingers through his hair, which fell neatly back into place, just as he had known it would.
“After you left I took out a loan,” he said. “A big one.”
“I see. That explains a lot. I did wonder how you were able to move your business into that sparkling new building and hire your own in-house design team.”
“You know how the real world works,” Theo muttered. “You’ve got to look like a winner if you want to attract the attention ofwinners. I’m good, Pallas. You know that. But reputation is everything in this business. I need the Carson Flint commission to take my firm to the next level. You aren’t in great shape, either, business-wise. I know your last serious client fired you after the Saltwood incident hit the press. This is a chance for both of us to recover before it’s too late.”
Business was business. He was right, there was no money in the podcast—not yet, at any rate—and her career was, at best, in a precarious state. Saltwood had done a great deal of damage. Theo was right about something else as well—she had been distracted since the Lucent Springs experience. The result was that her career was in free fall. If she didn’t take drastic action soon she would be looking for another line of work.
“When do you need an answer?” she said.
Hope flared in Theo’s eyes. “As soon as possible. I can stall the client’s agent for a while but not indefinitely.”
“I need to think,” she said. “And right now I’m too exhausted to do that. I’m going to bed.”
“While you’re thinking try to focus on the future,” Theo said. “Not the past. Don’t let our personal relationship stand in the way. Going forward it will be strictly business between us. You and I will be partners in this venture.”
“Right. Strictly business. Partners.” She started toward the door but hesitated. “Where are you staying?”
“Here.” Theo looked wary. “And, no, I wasn’t stalking you. There aren’t a lot of options in this town.”
“No, there aren’t,” she said.
She went briskly toward the door and did not look back until she was about to turn the corner into the elevator lobby. She caught movement inside the dimly lit bar. The woman who had been sitting alone in a booth was on her feet. A weary business traveler on her way upstairs to bed.
But she did not follow Pallas out into the lobby. She stopped at Theo’s table.
Pallas stepped into the elevator. It looked like Theo would not be spending the rest of the night alone in the bar. She watched the doors close and asked herself how she felt about that.
She realized she did not give a damn. If she did agree to a partnership with Theo it really would be strictly business. That understanding lifted her spirits for all of two seconds. That was how long it took to remember that a business partnership was what she currently had going with Ambrose Drake.
“Right,” she muttered as she swiped herself into her room. “And how’s that working out for you?”
—
Theo looked atthe woman who had just sat down at the table. She was attractive in an austere, professional way. Crisply tailored business suit. Black high heels. A little discreet gold jewelry. A successful business exec, he decided, maybe an academic recruiter or a wealthy alumna in town to give a sizable donation in exchange for having a building named after her.
Under other circumstances he might have been interested in a casual, no-strings-attached hookup, but not tonight. It had been a long drive, and while the conversation with Pallas had left him with a little hope, a satisfactory outcome was still in doubt. His future was riding on her decision—the decision of a woman who was in the process of sacrificing her once-promising career in favor of chasing a wild conspiracy theory. The decision of a woman who had once sent a chill of primal terror through him. He shivered at the memory.
“Let me introduce myself,” the woman on the other side of the table said. “My name is Margaret Moore. It looks like you’ve beenabandoned. I think we have a few things in common. The friend I was supposed to meet here tonight never showed. You’re almost finished with that drink. Can I buy you another one?”
What the fuck. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do tonight.
“Thanks,” he said. “I could use the company. Theo Collier.”
“In town on business?” Margaret asked.
“Yes,” he said. “You?”
“I live here,” Margaret said. “I’m with the college.”
He eyed the tailored suit. “You don’t look like a member of the faculty.”
“I’m on the financial side of things. I oversee the endowment.”
Warily he raised one hand, palm out. “If you’re looking for a donation from me, don’t waste your time. I am not in a charitable mood.”
Margaret’s chuckle was soft and not without sympathy. “I don’t blame you.” She signaled the bartender and turned back to Theo. “I know who Ms.Llewellyn is. By now, I think everyone in town is aware of her. She and some writer named Ambrose Drake are here doing research for a podcast. Are you a member of their crew?”
