For Nick (3 page)

And now that she could see him in the flesh, she realized he was also completely intimidating. He was definitely not the kind of man to find himself stuck holding a mattress in the middle of a freeway. He probably wouldn’t even find the story amusing, ludicrous maybe. She couldn’t possibly work for him. He was just too…perfect.

Her hands shook slightly from nerves as she observed him surreptitiously through half-closed eyelids. He was tall, at least six-foot-four. He had a full head of dark brown hair, combed back on his head, with a few strays falling onto his forehead giving him a rakish appearance. He was dressed impeccably in a perfectly tailored black suit that fit his lean, muscular frame like a second skin. He obviously spent his mornings in the gym. Black dress shoes caught the light and shone like a mirror…no mud or dirt on those shoes. Andie wondered if he ever wore them outside. He wore a crisp white dress shirt adorned with cuff links at the wrists. The shirt had to be brand new, fresh from the dry cleaners, ironed and starched. He had long, tapered fingers and manicured nails. A black and silver striped tie polished off the look of the perfectly dressed gentleman. He didn’t have one single flaw, not a crease in his pants or a smudge on his shirt, not a hair out of place. You could hardly tell it was the end of a long day and that he must be exhausted.

He probably had an ego the size of Texas…he was definitely not the kind of man she wanted to work for.

Suddenly she realized his brown eyes were on her, studying her with the same scrutiny with which she had given him. Maybe taking the time to purchase a new dress for this interview would’ve been a wise idea.

But the money wasn’t there. It all went to Nick.

Nick
…
Nick
…
I’m doing this for Nick.

“Ms. Andrea Parker?”

“Yes.”

He held out his hand to greet her with a handshake and instead helped her to her feet, holding her hand in his and not letting go. In close proximity, she noticed he smelled good too. She knew he would…probably some ridiculously expensive aftershave.

“I’m Zachary Drake. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Their eyes held each other’s for a fraction of a second too long. At five-foot-seven, she felt short next to him. His eyes narrowed and he seemed to be memorizing every detail of her face.

She found his attention disconcerting. Her long hair was so dark, it almost gave the appearance of jet-black.
Too dark.
It was her eyes that always made people pause when they actually took the time to look upon her. They were ice blue, making them stand out on her face. Her mom always said it was her ‘shock value.’ Personally, she knew she was simply a freak of nature. She sighed.
May as well get this over with quickly.
He’s staring at my eyes. Probably wondering what planet I’m from.

“Please, step this way into my office. I’m sorry to keep you here so late.”

She entered the dreaded cave and found it to be even more stylish than the reception area. The other girls were nowhere to be seen, so she guessed he wasn’t collecting them in here for nefarious purposes. Unless they were all stuffed in a closet, gagged and tied…

She shook her head.
Quit it, Andie
.

His office was classy and suited him to perfection…plush carpet, a dark wood desk that shined from a high-gloss polish, and a view of downtown Portland and the Willamette River from a huge floor to ceiling window.

Andie felt out of place in her best dress, one that she’d bought at
Wal-Mart
several years ago. It was simple, navy blue with little white polka dots, but it fit her slim figure nicely. Her long hair was pulled into twists on either side of her face and then pushed into a topsy-tail at the back. She figured it made her look more efficient, like a personal assistant ought to look. Or maybe she just looked liked a nerdy librarian, she wasn’t sure. Sitting across from Zachary Drake at his massive desk, she suddenly felt much too severe as she questioned the wisdom of her style choices.

Don’t give up, Andie. You need this job. So what if he’s gorgeous and perfect, he probably has a string of women falling at his feet. He won’t even notice you. You can do this job and you
know it. Nick needs you to do this.

The phone rang and she jumped.
Great first impression. Frumpy and skittish. He probably can’t wait to get me the heck out of his office.

“Excuse me a moment.”

Zachary Drake answered his phone and she listened to the one-sided conversation. His voice was velvety smooth as he paced his office, efficiently wrapping up the business arrangements with the unknown speaker at the other end of the line. She continued to observe him. He was a handsome man, polite to a fault, and known for his humanitarian efforts. She’d been surprised to see all the charities he not only donated money to, but gave of his time also. She had to admit, she was impressed with him. But now, sitting in his office, she felt utterly intimidated by his mere presence, and just a little tongue-tied.

After finishing his phone call, Mr. Drake sat down and continued to study her resume. Then he sat back in his chair and observed her quietly for a moment.

“You have an impressive resume, Ms. Parker. You are more than qualified for this job. May I call you Andrea?”

“Andie, please.”

“Andie,” he repeated, letting her name roll off his tongue. He studied her intently and she resisted the urge to fidget, smooth her hair, check her make-up, and so on. He made her feel like a specimen under a microscope. “I have just one question for you. Please forgive me for being blunt, but I think it’s time to get right to the point. You’ve been waiting patiently for far too long.”

“All right,” she replied, pleased that her voice didn’t squeak.

His eyes were intense as he deliberately looked her up and down as if he was visually undressing her. The message was blatant. “Do you like my couch? It’s brand new, almost as big as a bed and quite comfortable. Two people can fit on it quite nicely.” His eyes dwelled on the couch for a moment before coming back to her. “How much do you want this job?” His hand stroked his chin as his eyes stared into hers.

Stunned, Andie swallowed. Hard. She felt her face flush red from the heat of a blush. No wonder his interviews took so long. Was he serious?

“You’re the last interview, we can take our time.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

Apparently, he was serious. All of her initial impressions of him flew out the window. He was nothing but a jerk and a pervert dressed in fancy clothes. Nice packaging with only rotten goods on the inside. She was surprised at how disappointed she felt to discover this fact. She reached into her purse and grabbed for her security device. She’d never had to use it and she didn’t want to now. Only the desk was between them as she sat in his office, alone and vulnerable, with the door firmly shut. Had his receptionist already left for the day? Would anyone hear her scream? Her heart started to race as she stood, wondering if she would have to fight him and ruin his perfect suit. Hoping she was hiding the fear she felt in her gut she said, “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Drake.”

-3-

Mr. Drake shot to his feet seemingly intent on stopping her from leaving. Andie brandished her pepper spray, her finger on the spray nozzle. She backed up slowly, moving towards the door. “Don’t move or so help me, I won’t hesitate to use this.” Mr. Drake held up his arms, a look of surprise on his face. Maybe she really was a frumpy librarian at heart. So what? She wasn’t about to roll in the gutter with him for a stupid job. She would do anything for Nick, but that wasn’t one of them.

She’d just made it to the door and had it halfway open, when Mr. Drake pleaded with her, “Wait, hear me out, please.”

“What more is there to say, Mr. Drake? You’re a low-life piece of scum and I don’t want to swim in your pond.”

To her surprise, he threw his head back and laughed at her wordplay.

“I’m glad you find this amusing. Have a nice life.”
Creep
. Andie started to leave.

“Wait, Andie. Please allow me to explain.”

She wasn’t sure why, but she stopped. Something in his voice sounded so sincere, but she kept her pepper spray pointed in his direction. “I’m listening.” This was going to be good. She was dying to hear his explanation for being a dirty old man.
Slimy little weasel. Squirm your way out of this one, go ahead
.

“Please, I can explain. All I ask is that you hear me out.”

“You have two minutes. I’m staying right here and I suggest you keep your massive desk between us unless you like the idea of becoming blind.” She closed the door to his office, but stood with one hand on her pepper spray and the other on the doorknob.

His demeanor changed. He ran his hand through his hair seemingly in frustration. With his hair disheveled, he looked even more charming.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“One minute and counting,” she reminded him.

“You’re the twentieth girl I’ve interviewed today and the only one who has turned me down.” A long pause ensued. “You’re the one I want.”

“What?” Is he actually saying he’s been with nineteen women today and he wants her because of the thrill of the chase?

“Let me re-word that. I don’t want any romantic entanglements. It’s vital to a…working relationship. Let’s just say that was a sort of test to observe your reaction. You passed. The others failed. I’m sorry to have hurt your tender sensibilities. Can we please talk about this without pepper spray pointed at me? It’s making me nervous.”

“Let me get this straight. I’m making you nervous?”

Mr. Drake laughed again. She had to admit, that laugh threw her for a loop. Just a few minutes ago he’d seemed so intimidating, so untouchable, the perfect man in his perfect office. Now he seemed a little more human and he obviously had a quirky sense of humor.

“Please, come sit down and let me explain. I promise to keep my massive desk between us.” He smiled a downright disarming smile.

Andie tucked the pepper spray into her purse, but kept her fingers wrapped firmly around it. She didn’t trust him for anything. She pulled her chair closer to the door and sat on the edge of her seat.

The high-powered businessman kicked in again. The man had split personalities, she’d swear by it.

“Thank you for bearing with me. Now, I have just a few questions…”

He went on to ask her several questions about her resume, as if he hadn’t just propositioned her. He wasn’t kidding. He’d really been testing her reaction. He was professional, to the point, and exact in his queries. Gone were the innuendos and laughter.

“I see that you’re widowed. You’re awfully young to face such a fate.”

“Yes,” she replied without elaborating. She knew from an internet article that he was also a widower. The story of his wife’s death was poignant and tragic. He’d evidently taken it quite hard.

“And…am I right in assuming that you’re unencumbered, Andie?”

She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant and she didn’t want to ask.
Don’t ask, don’t tell.
Therefore she said simply, “I’m free to take care of my responsibilities concerning this job without interference.”

“Excellent.” He leaned back in his chair and observed her, his eyes becoming intense again and she felt her hackles rise. Now what?

“I have a proposition for you.”

“Mr. Drake, we’ve already been through this.”

He smiled, but went on in all seriousness. “A very different proposition. Please don’t answer me today. I’d like you to think about it overnight. You can give me your answer tomorrow, after you’ve had a night to sleep on it.”

“So, you’re offering me the job?”

“I’m offering you
a
job.”

“I don’t understand.” She was wary of him, with good reason. He was being deliberately vague. And she still wasn’t positive his earlier proposition wasn’t real. Maybe he was just covering his tracks. After all, he didn’t get where he was by being stupid.

He pressed a button on his phone and asked a man named Robert, his attorney, to come to his office. He entered from a door that was across from the dreaded couch and hidden by the layout of the room. So…there was another exit. The other girls were safe. She was embarrassed to have thought otherwise.

Robert was a short, middle-aged man with a spare tire around his mid-section and a very thin hairline. He looked her up and down with a speculative stare that made her shiver. He took his seat while pulling papers out of his briefcase.

“Ms. Parker, before we go any further we must ask you to sign this paper. It is a second non-disclosure agreement. It states, simply, that the words we are about to exchange will be considered to be of the utmost confidentiality. If you were to divulge any of the information we are about to discuss you will be liable for prosecution…and be assured, we will prosecute. The media must never know of the nature of this discussion. It would be damaging to Mr. Drake’s reputation.”

Mr. Drake made a funny face at her behind Robert the attorney’s back.
Definitely quirky
. She liked quirky.

“Do you agree to keep this conversation confidential? Or would you prefer to decline and go on your way at this time? Agreeing to hear what Mr. Drake has to say will in no way obligate you to accept his proposal, we simply want to maintain Mr. Drake’s privacy.”

Andie felt stunned once again. Could this interview become any stranger than it already had been? What did they want from her? A secret handshake? Her signature in blood? Her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to know what Mr. Drake had to say. She was willing to go along with their cloak and dagger game, but she had no intention of working with him.

“Hush, hush, top secret, stick a thousand needles in my eye, and all that,” she added as she signed the paper, wondering if she was going to regret it. Mr. Drake laughed aloud at her words, but Robert the attorney gave her a withering look.

“Please, do not mock, Ms. Parker.”

Mr. Drake sat back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. When he saw that the necessary paperwork was complete, he leaned forward and spoke softly, his words only for her.