Mixed up in March (Spring River Valley Book 3) (4 page)

She’d dozed on and off with those strange thoughts in her head and nearly jumped out of her skin when the bedside alarm went off. She sat up, glancing at the tumble of blankets where he’d been not long ago. The bed was empty, and the shower was running. The squawk of the alarm hurt her head.

“Okay, okay!” Vaulting out of the creaky cot, she slithered over the bed and managed to grab the alarm clock. Just as she silenced the brain-piercing noise, the bathroom door opened and Jared appeared, thankfully dressed this time.

“Was that the alarm? Sorry, I forgot to turn it off when I got up.” He grinned at her, one corner of his mouth rising. “You look really cute lying there tangled up in my blankets.”

Emmy stared. Oh God. She was, in fact, lying in his bed. Thank God he was dressed. Who knows what would have happened if he’d been naked again. “I…uh…thanks.”

“If you want some privacy, I’m just about ready, so I can go down and get us a table for breakfast. That is, if you don’t have any other appointments.”

“No…no. I’m…DenMar was actually my first appointment this morning, and then I have a couple of hours free before a lunch presentation.”

“My team is supposed to meet with you also later, so it’s up to you if you want to see the presentation first, like a trial run, or wait for the group.”

Emerson scrabbled around in the blankets, trying to sit up nonchalantly. “Maybe we should wait. That way I’ll be surprised.”

“Works for me.” He grabbed his wallet from the dresser drawer and waved as he headed for the door. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

“Yeah…give me twenty minutes.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and left. Emerson spent at least five of those twenty minutes staring after him
,
wondering why she hadn’t jumped on him and begged him to join her in the bed, and then wondering why she was so utterly horny for a guy she’d just met. Was it that, in addition to being her type, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy? Or was it just that she hadn’t been on a date since breaking up with Leo at the end of
last
summer?

She finally climbed out of the bed, crawled over the cot, retrieved her luggage and ferreted out a decent professional outfit for the day. That had to be it. She’d been focusing on her job almost exclusively for half a year, and she’d forgotten how much fun it could be to flirt. There was no reason not to enjoy hanging out with a cute guy, as long as she remembered business came first and she didn’t lose her head over him.

She showered in record time, moussed her hair to keep it in a controlled ponytail and dashed on some mascara. No primping, no kissable lipstick, no smoky eye shadow right now. It was his job to impress her today, but tonight the rules might just be a little different.

* * * *

Jared realized he was nervously tapping a spoon against his coffee cup while waiting for Emerson to appear. His mood had nothing to do with her being the person he had to pitch his biggest, most important presentation to, and everything to do with her being the girl who’d spent the night in his room.

She’d looked incredible this morning, her
dark brown
ringlets in disarray, freckles standing out on her pale skin, and that adorable expression of shock on her face when he’d caught her in his bed. Of course she was only there to reach the alarm clock, so why had she looked so guilty?

He’d had to get out of the room as fast as possible to avoid the urge to jump on the bed with her and get tangled in the blankets himself.

Now he was nervous, like he was waiting for a date or something. It didn’t really make sense. He’d been totally cool with this girl, not going all drooling puppy on her. He’d even managed to compliment her in what he thought was a pretty suave way. He’d never be as smooth as his roommate, though. Max had a knack for making women insane with his perfect mix of intensity and indifference. He’d taught Jared to keep his emotions in check around women and let them do some guessing when it came to what he wanted or how he was feeling. Jared didn’t like the idea of keeping someone off balance, but it had certainly worked for Max this time around. His new girlfriend, Audrey, seemed to be as madly in love with him as he was with her. Why was he thinking about love? This was already getting out of hand. Tap, tap, tap, tap.

He put the spoon down and covered it with his napkin.

She appeared at the entrance to the dining room, dressed in a severe navy suit, her gorgeous hair pulled back in a tight, sleek style that made her look intimidating. He smiled. It was too late for that approach. He’d seen her just waking up, eyes heavy lidded and lips soft. She couldn’t scare him in the conference room, but back in the bedroom…he had to wonder if he was even in her league.

She waved when she saw him and hurried over, long-legged strides carrying her across the dining room with a mixture of grace and determination. He watched her legs, shapely in chunky heels. The power suit made her look so much taller than the soft yoga pants and T-shirt
she’d slept in
.

“Hey, sorry I took so long,” she said and slid into the booth across from him. “I tripped over the cot a couple of times.”

“Long? I think you set a record for getting ready. I have two sisters, and it was drummed into me from birth that beauty takes time. Now I know that’s a myth.”

She eyed him sidelong, as though she wasn’t sure it was a compliment at first. Then her cheeks pinked up. “You’re a relentless flirt, aren’t you?”

“So I’ve been told. I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

She sipped her ice water before answering. “Not at all. Flirt away.”

His next attempt at shameless flattery was interrupted by the waiter. They ordered breakfast and talked about everything except advertising for the next hour. Jared discovered Emerson preferred to be called Emmy, she’d moved up the ranks in TCL’s customer service division to the corporate image department after starting there as a summer job when she was sixteen. She did, in fact, love hockey, horses, and jazz. She spoke conversational Italian, and yes, she had been named for Ralph Waldo because her mother was an English lit teacher.

He found himself confessing his love of parasailing and all things medieval, and how, thanks to his sisters, he knew all the words to every song from the musical
Beauty and the Beast
. “I don’t normally tell people that,” he said.

“So you’re a romantic at heart?”

“Shh, not so loud. I do have a reputation to uphold.”

“What’s your reputation?”

He slid his sunglasses over his eyes. “I’m the cool guy.”

“Sing me something from
Beauty and the Beast
.”

“Never. Hey look, it’s time to go to the Expo, how about that!” Laughing, he grabbed the check just as she did. She finally won the tug of war.

“It’s the least I can do since you shared your room with me. And I intend to split the bill with you. You can take chivalry only so far.”

He held up his hands. “I won’t argue with a lady, but I’ll pay for the cab. And dinner tonight, if you’re available.”

“Oh, I’m very available.”

A jolt of electricity raced through Jared’s body as she brushed her hand over his before standing up from the table. He didn’t have to wonder if there was something between them; he only had to hope he could keep his desire for her under control until tonight.

Emerson sat back in the plush leather booth at Le Jardin and closed her eyes. The morning had been hectic, noisy, and mostly unproductive. The only bright spot had been Jared’s presentation for DenMar’s TCL ad campaign. She had to admit, he’d done a fantastic job capturing the company’s spirit and the message they wanted to convey to their customers. Their new goal to compete with the country’s top delivery services and branch out nationally meant a huge growth spurt that had to be accompanied by exemplary customer service and a pristine corporate image.

Jared’s campaign seemed to be everything Emmy thought her division was looking for, but she couldn’t stop the search after seeing just one presentation, so she now had to sit through lunch with a rival company and two more presentations before the day was over and then report back to her boss on Monday with recommendations.

She was practically dozing
off
when a perfect red rose appeared in front of her on the table. A waiter had placed it there along with a fluted glass of champagne. “The gentleman will be along shortly, ma’am. He apologizes for the delay.”

“Oh…okay. Sure.” Emerson grinned and let the rose tickle her lips as she inhaled the lovely scent. She thought of Jared. Was he here? She’d told him where her lunch meeting was being held, but she hadn’t expected him to show up. She scanned the restaurant for a sign of him but didn’t see him anywhere.

“Emerson Bartoli?” A man appeared at her table. He was handsome in a slick, deliberate way as though he worked very hard to look that good.

“Yes?”

“I’m Dan Archer, from Metro Ads. I’m sorry I’m a little late.”

Emmy shook his hand and tried to hide her disappointment that she hadn’t found Jared. “Is this from you?” She held up the rose.

He smiled, revealing dazzling teeth. “Yes, guilty as charged. I have to confess, until ten minutes ago I thought I was meeting with a man.”

“I get that a lot.”
Thanks again, Mom.

Archer took the seat across from her. “When I saw you, I went back out to the lobby flower shop and bought that. It’s sort of an apology.”

“For what?”

“For false assumptions. I know you wouldn’t have known unless I told you, but I still felt bad. I should have done better research.”

“Thank you. To be honest, most people are just annoyed when they find out their assumptions were wrong, as though I’m trying to deceive them in some way.”

“I’m appalled on your behalf. Now, how about we order some lunch and get the business out of the way so we can enjoy the ambiance of this place?”

“Fine with me, I’m starving.”

Archer played his part well. He was attentive, charming, and very knowledgeable about TCL and its advertising needs. By the end of the meeting, Emmy had to admit his presentation ran a close second to Jared’s, and she wondered if her preference for DenMar’s campaign had more to do with her preference for Jared than with it being just a little bit better than Metro’s.

“I know this is a little bit inappropriate,” Archer said as he reached for the check at the end of the meal, “And I hope you won’t hold it against Metro, but I have to ask.”

Emmy glanced at her watch. The lunch meeting had already run over, and she had other appointments. “Ask what?”

“If you’re free for dinner. I’ve had a fantastic afternoon, and I’d like to spend more time with you, Emmy. Understand, I’m not trying to influence your decision on the campaign
.
W
e can put all that aside for tonight and just have some fun, if you’ll allow me to take you out?”

Emmy glanced sidelong at Dan. He was definitely good-looking, and they’d had a nice time talking throughout lunch, but he had a smooth quality to his words and his tone that made her just a little suspicious. He was almost too perfect. His dark hair looked as though he’d just come from a salon. His tan was likely sprayed on, and his mannerisms seemed measured and precise as if he were thinking about everything he said and did rather than acting in a genuine way.

Even if she hadn’t been hoping to spend the evening with Jared, she would have said no. “I’m sorry, Dan. I really shouldn’t. Thank you for the offer, though.”

“I understand, and you’re right. We shouldn’t do anything that could be seen as inappropriate, at least until TCL makes its decision. I hope after that, regardless of which company TCL chooses, you might reconsider?”

She gave half a smile and shrugged. It would be rude to say no outright, and he was charming, but she really didn’t think they had much of a connection. “I’ll keep your invitation in mind.”

Emmy took the rose with her and left the restaurant, her mind whirling about everything Dan had said. His presentation, as good as it had been, faded into the background, though, and she focused on what he’d said about impropriety.

The fact that she’d shared a room with Jared would certainly seem improper if anyone at TCL found out, especially since she planned to recommend DenMar’s presentation for the ad campaign. She had to make sure no one thought she was picking favorites.

A dangerous thought occurred to her when she returned to the crowded Expo floor. Dan had been laying the charm on very thick. Maybe his flattery had more to do with him hoping she
would
play favorites. What if Jared’s interest stemmed from the same thing? Obviously he couldn’t have orchestrated the room mix-up, but she’d told him fairly quickly who she was.  Maybe he thought hospitality would get him a better standing in the competition for TCL’s business.

That thought bowed her spirits a bit. Was that really how the ad men operated? Did they think flattery would get them a contract just because she was a woman?

* * * *