In the Blind (4 page)

Her
expectations kept changing without her approval. He’d made her feel special. It
wasn’t crazy that she’d want to experience it again. She’d need to keep talking
to Anne. She’d keep her on track.

“Since
I was right about you enjoying Club Blind, I think you should start seriously
considering Club Voyage, or at least sit down and talk with Mistress Charlie
about the training program.”

“Maybe.
I’ll keep thinking
about it.” Jane wondered what was next for her mystery man.

“I’ll
take that as a step in the right direction. Change of subject. Keller has a job
for you.”

“Okay.”
It was the exact news she needed, but her heart couldn’t change gears that
fast.

“Jane,
I’m coming over after work. We’ll go out for drinks and talk everything
through.”

“Are
the guys who frequent Club Blind usually in transition, too?”

“Nice
try, Jane.”

“Right,
sorry. It slipped out, honest.” She pounded her fist on her thigh. “My emotions
are kind of a mess this morning. I seriously need another cup of coffee.”

“Hey,
what are friends for? I’ll watch out for you, promise.”

“I’d
be lost without you, Anne.” She took a deep breath. “Keller really has a job
for me?”

“Yes.
In fact, he’s waiting for me to transfer you. Are you ready?”

“Yes,
I’m ready.” Regardless of how much sense Anne made, Jane couldn’t stop thinking
of her mystery man. She pinched her arm to stop herself from going back down
the dead end. She’d be black and blue before the day ended.

Work
was where she needed to focus. If Keller was giving her another shot at
recruiting to fill one of his open positions, she couldn’t afford to waste it.

“Jane, hi.
Thanks for
helping me again. I need another app developer, same experience you found for
me last year.”

Maybe
her luck wasn’t spent after all, that or fate was playing a nasty trick.
“Excellent. I think I know of a match for you. He wasn’t fully committed to
looking a couple months ago, but things change.”

"Do
you think you could talk him into coming by tomorrow if he's interested? Time
is critical."

“I’ll
contact him now and confirm with Anne later today.”

“Thanks,
Jane.” The phone disconnected.

Keller, always the efficient one.

She
opened her notes from the convention and searched for the contact information.
Excitement danced through her, two birds with one stone. She finally had an
excuse to call Rob and this opportunity could advance her career, and maybe help
her to pay rent at the same time. The importance of the moment turned her
excitement to nervous jitters, but she tried not to think about what was about to
happen.

She
needed to keep her business face on. He might still not be over his ex-wife.
Besides, she needed to keep to her motto: Work first and then play. The quote
was one of her grandpa’s favorites. His rule would get her through the day.

She
didn’t usually have the opportunity to try to fill Keller’s job openings. He had
a good eye for people and often filled his positions without needing
assistance.

“There
you are, Rob.” She reviewed her notes quickly. He may still prefer setting his
own hours, but Keller offered the kinds of opportunities that were hard to pass
up. Besides, Rob deserved a fresh start. She’d hoped to have an excuse to call
him and get to know him. Maybe put her face in his mind for when he was ready
to move on. She reviewed her notes of countless searches for the right job, but
she hadn’t found the right opening, until now.

She
grabbed her phone and entered his digits.

“Hello.”

“Rob?”

“You
got him.”

“Hi,
it’s Jane Shavers. We met a few months ago at the tech convention. Something
came in that I think you’d be perfect for.”

“I
was hoping you’d call.”

“Thank
you.” With that one sweet line, she remembered why she liked him so much. “I
had planned on calling you before now, but I wanted to make sure I had the
perfect position first.”

“You
think you’ve found something to tempt me?”

“Absolutely.
I just emailed
you the job description. Meet me tomorrow for coffee and we can talk about this
amazing company. I promise you won’t regret it. This is an opportunity worth
taking the time to consider.”

“I
bet you say that to everyone.”

“Sure,
but I mean it this time.” She held her breath as she waited for his response.

He
chuckled.
“Right.”

The
silence on the phone grew deafening as her heart thumped in her chest. “Come
on. I’ll buy you a great cup of coffee.” She’d never get another chance to help
Keller if she didn’t find him the right candidate. She also wanted to find out
if Rob had taken off his ring.

“Okay,
tomorrow, eleven o’clock at the place on Clark, just south of
Diversey
, lake side.”

“Sounds
perfect, but make it nine and wear a suit.”

“Jane?”

“What?
If you’re interested, I’ll take you to their offices. It’s not far from there
anyway.” They’d need to take a cab ride to the edge of the city, but she’d tell
him that part later, after she sold him on the company.

“Fine,
but I think you’re going to owe me.”

“Deal.
You have my
number now in your phone?”

“I
do.”

“Perfect.
I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up before he could change his mind.

Chapter Three

Rob’s
day was turning around, a date with a pretty girl and possibly a new job, not
bad for a Monday. No, it wasn’t a date, more like a business meeting. It didn’t
mean he wasn’t going to enjoy the company.

His
luck must still be running on high from the first fantastic weekend he’d had in
months. After all the dates Mistress Charlie had sent him on, the only gal who’d
stayed on his mind was the one he hadn’t even dated.

After
meeting Jane at the convention, he’d decided to finally take off his wedding
ring. It was about time his deprivation ended. His relationship with Gina was
over a long time before they’d even filed. Giving up on what he swore would be
a lifetime commitment bothered him, and continuing to wear the ring had felt like
his punishment.

He
may not have wrecked their marriage, but he did need to find a way to move past
the rubble. His weekend adventure reminded him he still had a life of his own
to rebuild.

After
meeting Jane, he’d wanted the ring off. He’d wanted to move on. He’d wanted to
talk to her again, see her deep brown eyes again. He’d given her his contact
information that day, but he’d never gotten hers and she hadn’t called. Sure,
he could have found her, but at the time he had taken it as a sign. That was then,
because now, after the weekend he’d had, he knew he was ready.

He
picked up his phone and called his buddy. “Marcus, she called.”

“Who
is this?”

“Stop
it. You know what I’m talking about.”

“You
think? You’ve only managed to squeeze Jane into almost every conversation since
the convention.”

“No,
I have not.”

“Do
you want a recap?”

“Okay,
fine. I’m meeting her tomorrow for coffee.” He opened his closet and searched
for the right suit.

“Sounds sexy.”

“She
thinks she’s found a job for me. I played the conversation perfect, had her
begging.” He shifted his still hard cock to a better position.

“I’ve
found the right job for you, although I understand why you won’t consider.”

“Gina
and I get along
fine,
not sure working with her would
be a good idea though. I honestly don’t know how you’re doing it. I didn’t
think you two got along.” The trio had practically grown up together, although
Marcus and Gina never quite got along. It wasn’t until recently that Rob had
started to understand why.

“It’s
only been a couple months, but working for Keller is my dream job and I hardly
ever see her.”

“Maybe
Jane will have my dream job and—”

“You
think she’ll take you, too, huh? At least now you’re no longer wearing that
stupid ring. That thing was woman repellent.”

“I
was married. I’d made a commitment.” Rob tore the dry cleaner bag off his
charcoal suit.

“Apparently
you were the only one. I still can’t believe she cheated on you.”

“Don’t
remind me, but you know that’s not why our marriage fell apart.” He balled up
the thin plastic and tossed it in the direction of his trash can.

“I
know why your marriage fell apart, but not to worry, I won’t say I told you
so.”

“Someday
we’ll talk about it. I don’t think you’re ready yet.” He walked over to where
the plastic had landed, picked it up, and shoved it into the trash.

“Whatever.
Speaking of ready, when are you going to check out Club Voyage? I thought Mistress
Charlie had you complete the paperwork.”

“She
did, but I haven’t turned it in yet.”

“You’ve
denied yourself long enough. It’s time to start taking care of your needs.”

“I
know. I’ll turn it in this week. After my weekend, I don’t think anything is standing
in my way.”

“You
can thank me anytime you want.”

“Thank
you, you were right. That was what I needed. Man, it was hot, and now I’ve got
a hot date.”

“You’ve
got a business meeting. Don’t mess it up.”

Rob
ended the call and picked up his basketball. Rolling the ball around in his
hands, he paced the room. Concern took over his excitement. There had to be a
way to tell the woman you wanted about the woman you no longer loved.

He’d
hoped to have a first date with Jane before he had to tell her anything more about
his ex-wife. He would mess everything up if he didn’t tell her about Gina. Lack
of honesty had been the ultimate dagger in his marriage. He could blame plenty
on Gina, but they’d both ignored plenty. It would be a mistake he’d never make
again.

“Shit,
I am going to mess this up.” He grabbed his shoes and went down to the corner
court. Maybe he’d think of something while he shot some baskets.

****

Jane
wrapped her fingers around her warm cup and lifted it to inhale the strong
aromatics. The coffee shop was quiet the morning she waited for Rob. She blew
out a blissful sigh as she daydreamed about her unknown lover. Jane’s thoughts
were far from her goal for the day. She waited for one man while remembering
another, and, in her thoughts, she was mixing the two together for the perfect
hot cocktail.

She
pulled up her remembered image of Rob, handsome with kind, striking blue eyes
and strong hands. Her pulse picked up its pace. She remembered daydreaming
about holding onto his neck while she tugged him down for a kiss. Good thing
she was just fantasizing though. Rob was probably still hung up on his ex-wife.

Jane
blacked out her thoughts, closed her eyes, and remembered how she’d felt
Saturday night. She didn’t need to see anything to feel his hand stroking her
thigh or relive his warm mouth sucking her clit. Just like yesterday, she let
her thoughts wander to that night.

Would
she ever get a night like that again? Would she ever meet a man like him?

“Jane,
it’s good to see you.”

“Oh,”
she said shaking herself clear of her naughty memories, but took a second to
admire how damn sexy he looked in his dark suit. “Hi, Rob. What can I get you
to drink?”

“I’ve
got my coffee.” He held up his cup. “What were you thinking of? You seemed
perfectly content. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“I
have no idea.” Heat flared through her cheeks. She reprimanded herself and put
her mind back on track. She stood and held out her hand. “Sorry, thanks for
meeting me.”

He
shook her hand with the strength she remembered from the convention. Her lover
from Saturday night had held her with firmness as well. It was one of the reasons
she felt free that night. His strength and confidence opened her to the
experience; she’d held nothing back.

She
needed his strength today to close this deal and maybe have Keller take her
talents seriously. A job well done was the best way to open doors for her
business. She lowered her gaze and slipped back into her seat. The doors Keller
could open would make a world of difference.

“I
have the job description here. Did you have any questions?” She slid her tablet
across the table and noticed he no longer wore a wedding ring. Her fingers
tapped a dance on the edge of the table. She was proud of him; it was a big
step. “I think it’s perfect for you. It matches with your education, your
experience.”