Best of Bosses 2008: In Bed With Her Italian Boss\Taken by Her Greek Boss\Blind Date With the Boss (20 page)

Of course, rushing in with dire words of warning the day after wasn't going to work, so Rose prudently decided to leave the matter alone for a while and then, on one of the rare nights when they were both in and sharing a bowl of pasta without Lily having to rush off or Rose having to work late,
she said, tentatively, ‘Seen anything more of that guy…can't quite remember his name…the one who brought you back after that party a couple of weeks ago…?'

Lily, twirling some spaghetti round her fork, looked at Rose and grinned. ‘You mean Nick, Nick Papaeliou…how on earth could you have forgotten his name, Rosie? I don't think anyone's ever forgotten his name before. I've seen him twice, actually.'

Rose spluttered on a mouthful of pasta and cleared her throat with some water. ‘Twice! That's twice more than I thought you had, considering you never mentioned a word to me.'

‘I meant to tell you, Rosie, but…'

‘But what?' she asked casually, thinking of that dark, cynical face and stabbing an errant mushroom with her fork. She was reading guilt in the way her sister's eyes shifted away from her.

‘I just thought you might give me a hard time. Nick got the impression that you didn't much care for him.'

‘Me?' Rose laughed carelessly. ‘Rubbish—the man's obviously paranoid.'

‘Oh, Nick wouldn't be paranoid about anything, Rosie. I mean…he's got everything anyone could ever want or need. Apparently you thought that he was a two-bit actor.' Lily giggled. ‘Wish I could have been a fly on the wall to have seen his expression when you said that. He looked outraged even when he repeated it to me.'

‘I admit I may have mistaken him for someone in the acting profession,' Rose said carefully. ‘I don't mean to sound the alarm bells unnecessarily, Lily, but he didn't strike me as the most reliable man in town.'

‘What do you mean—“reliable”?'

‘Oh, the steady-as-a-rock kind. I just think that it's so easy to be impressed by someone for all the wrong reasons.
They may be good looking or rich…and in fact they could just be bad news.'

‘And I do have a history of going with the wrong guys,' Lily admitted ruefully, which was Rose's cue to breathe a sigh of relief and nod her head in vigorous agreement. ‘But you're quite mistaken about Nick, Rosie. Honestly, I'm not impressed by how he looks or what he has…he's just a very nice guy.'

Nice? Nice? Were they talking about the same human being?

Then it occurred to her that he probably was a very nice man to Lily. A stunning face and a sexy body probably turned him into a very nice man indeed. On the other hand, he had had no reason to be nice to her and so had shown his true colours. He could give lessons on arrogance if her sister only but knew.

‘If you got to know him a little bit better, then you would agree with me, you really would. In fact…'

‘Um?'

‘Well, I
was
going to actually mention this to you later…but…and this is the sort of guy he is, really cool…he's invited both of us to a bit of a bash next Saturday. Even though you called him a two bit actor…' another mini fit of giggles giving Rose a breather in which to digest this bolt from the blue ‘…he still stressed that he wanted us both to go along. Isn't that sweet? We'll have to go shopping. Apparently he's having something small at a very exclusive club he owns…anybody who's anybody's going to be there. And us! How exciting is that?'

‘Not very,' Rose said, panicked. ‘I mean…I'm not sure at all…I don't think…' Just the thought of something small at a very exclusive club owned by Nick Papaeliou was enough to bring her out in a cold sweat.

‘I won't let you just write him off without a second chance,
Rosie.' Then Lily pulled out the most ancient emotional trump card in the deck. ‘If you really cared about me the way you say you do, then you'll come…'

N
ICK HELPED HIMSELF
to another drink. He felt restless. The party that had been arranged specifically for the benefit of Lily, though that was something she would never know, was in full swing. He had asked all the movers and shakers in the world of theatre, teased their palates by throwing in a few big names in business, the sort of men and women who were interested in promoting the Arts and were willing to put their money where their mouth was, and the supermodels were really the icing on the cake.

Not a single person had declined the invitation, even though it was very much a last-minute affair. Parties thrown by him were few and far between and had enough cachet to attract even the most sought-after celebrities.

Unfortunately, the belle of the ball, so to speak, had still not arrived. Nor had her sister.

Nick's gaze strayed once more to the door and he looked at his watch. It didn't take a genius to work out why they were late. Rose had either decided not to come or else had employed delaying tactics. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if he had not asked her along, but his memory of their last encounter had preyed on his mind and eventually he had worked out that inviting her, letting her see for herself how
little he needed to pursue a woman because of her looks, would even out the score. She had dismissed him and Nick Papaeliou didn't like being dismissed. He particularly didn't like being dismissed for the wrong reasons.

He was still staring at the door when it opened. He saw Lily first, exquisite in a pale blue dress that was very simple, just a short silky shift with a very respectable round collar, saw her look round the room, searching him out, and he found himself trying to stare behind her to see whether Rose had come or not.

He finished his drink and headed towards them and as he neared them he saw her, half ducking behind the door.

‘You're here.' A warm smile for Lily and then he stepped around her to where Rose was nervously hovering just out of sight of the crowd. ‘And so are you. I'm surprised. I thought you might decide that this wasn't the sort of thing you were interested in attending.'

How right he was. Over four days, Rose had made several futile attempts to wriggle out of her sister's rash promise that they would both be overjoyed to attend whatever posh party Nick had arranged. She had valiantly plugged the Nothing To Wear excuse, which had been overruled before it had even had time to gain the necessary momentum, then had come a pious, self-sacrificing But I Wouldn't Want To Get In Your Way, and when that had fallen on deaf ears she had resorted to the truth, which was that she was totally uninterested in those sorts of things, big parties full of people talking at one another and peering around to see if somebody more interesting happened to be lurking on the horizon.

The truth was that she didn't want to see Nick. She disapproved of his involvement with her sister and she bitterly resented his arrogant, insulting response to her perfectly reasonable request that he take his attentions elsewhere.

Now, as she looked at him, she felt all that resentment gathering pace, like a snowball turning into an avalanche.

He looked magnificent. White shirt, black trousers, but instead of looking conventional he looked darkly, broodingly, raffishly sexy. Something about the way he had rolled the sleeves to his elbows. Or maybe it was his colouring that did it.

Rose shuffled away from the comforting wall that separated her from the rest of the crowd inside and tried not to scowl.

‘It isn't,' she said shortly.

‘Well, don't hide away out here, you two. Come inside and meet all the beautiful people.' Okay, he knew that that would probably send her nervous system into furious overdrive, but he couldn't help himself.

Lily, of course, responded with predictable enthusiasm, happily taking the arm he offered, while her sister looked at his other arm, also being proffered, and ignored it.

She felt awkward enough in her outfit without having to suffer the indignity of everyone looking at them, puzzling out who the short, dumpy woman in the black dress was. Lily might hang off his arm and look as though that was her rightful place. Rose, on the other hand, knew that were she to hang off his other arm the effect would be just the opposite. So she walked a little distance apart, grateful that Lily was keeping up the conversation with her bubbly chatter.

‘I'll get you two a drink, shall I?'

‘Ooh. A glass of champagne would be great, Nick.' Lily's eyes were everywhere, like a kid in a toy shop.

‘And for you?'

Rose met his amused eyes steadily. ‘I'm fine just at the moment.'

‘No, you're not. I'll get you a glass of wine. It'll help you to relax.'

‘I'm perfectly relaxed,' Rose lied, and he grinned broadly at her.

‘In that case, you're giving an excellent imitation of someone who would rather be anywhere else in the world but here.'

He disappeared, feeling suddenly invigorated. He had never prided himself on his altruism. Sure, he gave massive donations of money to charity, but all of that he left to his financial department. In the case of Lily, he was doing a good deed for which he would get nothing in return. Except her gratitude, most probably, although gratitude was something he never requested from anyone and rarely appreciated. Yes, indeed, being Mr Good Guy was proving to be a very enjoyable novelty.

Of course, he mused, a little gratitude from her sister might be pretty satisfying.

He caught himself scanning the room, making sure that Rose was where he had left her and, sure enough, she was, although Lily was beginning to look a little edgy. By the time he made it back to Rose, it was to find her standing on her own.

‘Lily's disappeared,' she greeted him.

‘So I see.'

‘She recognised some people from her last stint in the theatre.'

‘Rude of her not to introduce you to them.'

‘I…I told her to go ahead.' Rose looked at him defiantly. ‘It's important that she tries to make a few connections. Apparently, that's how it works in the acting business. You can't come to a do like this and huddle on the sidelines.' She accepted her glass of wine while he deposited the unwanted champagne on one of the many handy chest-height tables that dotted the room. Tall bar stools were positioned by some of the tables, but most of these were unused. Rose supposed that sitting down wasn't conducive enough to mingling.

‘No. It's all about networking,' Nick agreed.

‘And I really don't want to keep you from that.'

‘I have no need to network.' He shrugged. ‘There's nothing I need from anyone here. They are my guests and a good time will be had by all because they offer each other opportunities. The people in the acting profession will be networking with the businessmen who make their world tick financially, the businessmen will be lusting after the models, the models will be intrigued by the celebrities—'

‘And you will observe them all.'

Nick returned his gaze to her face, which was cool and assessing. He frowned.

‘What's wrong with that?'

‘You're like a scientist looking at the rest of the world through a microscope, examining interesting little bugs.'

‘You know,' he drawled, ‘maybe I shouldn't let you loose in the room, not with that knack you have of rubbing people up the wrong way.'

Rose flushed. ‘I didn't realise that I was rubbing you up the wrong way. I was just making an observation.'

‘The only way to succeed in life is to develop the ability to read other people.' He looked at her carefully and realised that he was intrigued by her personality, proving yet again to himself that he needed a little novelty in his life. First Lily and now her sister. Making money was predictable. Closing deals brought an adrenaline rush, yes, but it was something that was over quickly. And women…hardly any surprises there. Until now. He decided that he would spend a few more minutes with her, sparing her the trauma of mixing, in other words doing her a good deed.

‘Oh, yes?' she enquired politely and he frowned at her, unimpressed with that hint of mild boredom in her voice.

‘Take yourself, for example.' Oh, yes, that did the trick. He could almost see her begin to bristle. ‘Here you are, hating every minute of this party, dragged along by Lily who, in her own sweet way, is as stubborn as a mule—'

‘I'm not sure where you're going with this. I've already told you that this isn't my sort of thing—'

‘And you would love to put yourself firmly above everyone here, but I'll just bet you feel awkward and gauche. Am I right?' Since when did a woman find his company boring? It was inconceivable.

‘No. No, I don't…' She should never have worn this black, shapeless dress. Tall, skinny people could pull off shapeless because everyone would know that, underneath, they had rangy, slender bodies. And, yes, she did feel awkward and gauche, but there was no need to have the fact pointed out to her. ‘Anyway, why did you ask me along if you knew that I wasn't going to enjoy myself? If you're such a brilliant reader of people, you must have known that I wouldn't fit in with this crowd.'

‘It's always good to face your fears.'

‘Oh, so you are doing me a favour, in other words.'

‘And I notice you aren't suitably grateful.'

Rose downed the remainder of her wine and snorted in an appropriately unfeminine way. She picked up the champagne that he had left on the table and swallowed a mouthful, drawing in her breath as the bubbles went down. The little glittery black bag that she had borrowed from Lily, and which she was clutching in her left hand, seemed a ridiculous accessory. Her skin crawled at the thought that he was laughing at her, finding her awkward and gauche. The champagne seemed to be finished and she seriously contemplated another drink.

‘I'm going to have to circulate now.'

‘Don't let me stand in your way.'

‘Oh, but you are,' Nick drawled smoothly. Two glasses on the trot had brought a pink flush to her cheeks. ‘I'm running this show and it's my duty to make sure that no one is left standing next to the wall on their own, quietly drinking themselves into a stupor.'

Rose felt the colour crawl into her face as her role loomed before her in all its unmistakable hideousness. She was Lily's chaperone and her host's burden. He would fob her off on one of his guests or else deliver her back to her sister because he thought that if he didn't, she would end up making a fool of herself. Mortification replaced the light headed sensation induced by the wine and champagne and brought her crashing back down to the reality crowding around her.

‘I'm not going to drink myself into a stupor,' she snapped. ‘You needn't worry that I'm going to embarrass you in front of your glittering guests.'

‘Embarrass me?'

‘By drinking too much and falling into a heap on the floor.'

‘Why would I be embarrassed if you make a spectacle of yourself?' He sighed impatiently and led her to one of the bar stools at the table closest to them. The woman was difficult and tactless and of course he shouldn't concern himself with her, but he felt an irrational need to take her under his wing. Because, he told himself, she was Lily's sister and while
he
might not be embarrassed if Rose got drunk and made a fool of herself, her sister almost certainly would. So, gentleman that he was, he would forgo his duty to circulate and spend a little time with her instead. No hardship. The crowd seemed to be doing splendidly without his input. The wonders of limitless alcohol, he thought. And of course the seduction of preening and strutting in front of people who counted. He had
been keeping a watchful eye on Lily. Next to some of the more seasoned networkers, she was holding her own and drinking, he noticed, remarkably little. A wise head on young shoulders.

‘I thought you were going to mingle with your guests,' Rose said, then, as if giving things a second thought, she sighed into the glass of orange juice that had mysteriously appeared in front of her. ‘I'm not being a particularly nice person, am I?'

Nick shook his head, relaxing and slinging one arm over the slatted back of his bar stool.

‘Well, nor are you!'

He smiled and raised his eyebrows. ‘That's the worst apology I've ever heard.'

‘It wasn't meant to be an apology.'

‘Oh. You mean you were just making an observation about yourself.'

Rose decided to change the subject altogether. When he looked at her she felt simultaneously incredibly self-conscious, which was maddening, and resentful of him for making her feel that way.

‘It's a very nice place you have here.'

‘Oh, don't tell me you're going to go all polite on me now.' This happening party of his seemed to be a long way away.

‘How on earth did you make so much money?'

‘Ah. That's more like it. Crashing through those flimsy barriers called tact and really speaking your mind without bothering to gift-wrap anything.'

‘You
did
tell me not to be polite.' Rose, who was not accustomed to flirting, was uneasily aware of a certain undercurrent between them that was thrilling and frightening at the same time. As were those amazing eyes of his, resting thoughtfully on her face. She knew that she was just being
stupid but her heart was thudding inside her like a hammer and everything, all her senses, seemed heightened, stretched taut like a piece of elastic.