Friends
Written by Amazonia V
Chapter 12:
Hal had never seen a woman blush like Fanci…and he loved it.
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide behind her glasses.
“You,” he said again, trying hard to keep from smiling. She looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“You’re out of your mind,” she said.
“Come on, Fanci,” he said softly, lifting a hand to her face and touching her cheek. She had really soft skin. “How much is it worth for me to behave?”
“You’re insane,” she said, stepping back so fast she almost fell off the edge of the sidewalk. “You can joke around all you want, but in about thirty seconds, Mr. Hannigan is going to walk out of that conference room—if he hasn’t already—and something tells me that if that happens, then you can expect a summons from his attorneys shortly thereafter.”
“I’m not kidding,” Hal said, although he really was, but he was also curious about what she’d say next.
“Of course, you are. That’s what you do.” She rolled her eyes. “You say whatever outrageous thing that comes to mind. It doesn’t matter if you actually believe it or not, just as long as you shock the people you’re talking to. I’ve watched your media clips, the ones you sent Julian when you asked him to rep you. If an interview isn’t going your way, or if a reporter has pissed you off, then you always say something outrageous. It catches them off guard, maybe stirs the media pot. I was shocked at how many times something you’ve said made front-page news. I almost think that’s why you do it. One way to get your sponsors some attention.”
How the hell did she know that?
“You did that the first time you drove for JHE, too. You went into the driver’s meeting and insulted everyone in the room. That stirred up a hornet’s nest. I couldn’t believe the number of bloggers who posted something about it. Your friends in the media were pretty vocal about it, too. Except for one reporter – Clark Kent – from The Daily Planet, who did that article about you some time ago.”
“Yeah, so?”
“But it’s not just a way of getting attention. It’s a defense mechanism, too. Whenever you don’t like what someone’s done to you, or said to you, you lash out.” Suddenly her face softened. She even slid off her black frames, her green eyes an incredible shade when they weren’t shielded by glass. “You’re going to ruin your career.”
“You think so?”
She nodded again. “Look, Hal. Back at the office I saw something you should know about. A legal brief, one written by SMWW’s attorneys. Apparently Julian asked them to look into the possibility of filing a civil suit against you should you breach your contract with JHE.”
“What?” he asked, shock making him forget for a moment that she really did look adorable.
“It’s actually a clever idea,” she said. “Leave it to my boss to think it through. The legal department thought it a good idea, too. They told him that based on the contract you signed with SMWW, specifically the indemnity clause you agreed to, they felt it might be possible to bring suit against you for the unearned money you would have brought SMWW if you hadn’t breached the contract. Granted, SMWW would have to file a lawsuit and then actually win the case, but if they were successful, you’d end up owing our firm a potential million dollars or so, and you’d probably set a precedence for other athletes who blow it and indirectly screw their agents. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before.”
“You’re kidding,” he asked again, feeling sweat trickle down the back of his neck, and not because it was warm outside.
“Unfortunately, I’m not. Anyone can file a civil suit, I just don’t think a sports agent has ever sued a client before. It’s unheard of, but not impossible.”
“Why that no good, money-hungry, piece of…”
“Wait, Hal,” she said, clutching his hand. “Don’t let it get that far. Listen to what I’m saying. Toe the line. You won’t regret it if you do.”
She held his gaze with an intensity that made it impossible to look way. Beneath the shade of the tree they stood underneath, she looked worried. And concerned. She still held his hand, too, her fingers clutching his own now. Hell, it almost appeared as if she actually cared.
Yeah. She cares…she wants the money you’ll earn her if she keeps you in line—just like her boss.
“Why do you work for such a jackass?” he asked.
She leaned away, dropped her hand and he was sorry for that, he admitted. He liked her touch.
“Because it’s my job,” she said, her left hand fidgeting with the glasses she held. “Working for Julian pays the rent. I’ll find another job with a different sports agency once I gain more experience.” She frowned. “I probably shouldn’t be admitting that to you, either.”
But he was glad she did. Not many people were that honest with him. In fact, he could hardly think of a single person.
Sad, Jordan. Really sad.
“All right,” he said, turning away.
“Wait,” she said, rushing to get in step with him, heels clattering on the concrete. “Are you saying you’ll behave?”
He stopped, looking down at her. She hadn’t replaced her glasses and out from beneath the shade of the oak tree, he noticed that her eyes were a true green—not muddied by brown or blue—but an intensely flawless emerald color that was striking.
“Oh, I’ll behave,” he found himself saying. “Some of the time.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see,” he said, his mood suddenly improving. “You’ll see.”
You’ll see. The words worried Fanci.
But what worried Fanci more was the message that she had received. If Hal was going to fight her at every opportunity, she was going to have to resort to other tactics. Maybe it was time to call for additional help. She mentally worded the message that she would send, thinking of the reactions the message would generate within the receiver. And she still had to resolve the immediate issue of Hal’s tangled deal in the next few hours.
Fanci’s fears about Hal’s behaviour were put to rest once they continued with the meeting. Hal did a credible job of apologizing to his owner, James Hannigan, who introduced Hal’s new Executive Assistant, Indira Dhody, a third generation Indian. The almond-eyed brunette’s addition to their meeting was a surprise.
“It’ll be Ms. Dhody’s duty to assist you at the racetrack,” Mr. Hannigan said. “She’ll be your liaison with members of the press.” He glanced at Hal, narrowed his eyes and said, “You know the drill.”
Hal apparently did because he nodded. But Fanci had to wonder, were all Executive Assistants this attractive? Indira Dhody looked to be in her late twenties and had to be spending four hours in the gym each day. She had long black hair that was tied back and up into a French knot, clear skin and sparkling, black, don’t-mess-with-me eyes. Those eyes had been trained on Hal from the moment the two met.
“Nice to meet you,” Hal said, reaching across the table and shaking her hand.
That’s the ticket, Hal, Fanci thought, nodding her approval. Then her eyes narrowed as she caught a glimpse of the bracelet Indira Dhody was wearing. Unusual design, she thought, much like the one she had in her closet back home. The rare metal had only just been discovered and was favored for its tensile strength.
Fanci felt a burst of adrenalin surge through her body, but used all her training not to let her emotions show. She forced herself to focus on the conversation, remaining alert to any changes that may spring up.
“I suppose we’ll see if it’ll be a pleasure to work with you,” Ms. Dhody volleyed back and Fanci was tempted to let the woman borrow her glasses. That frown she gave Hal would have been much more effective had she been peering over a pair of spectacles.
“Well, I suppose so,” Hal echoed. He gave the woman a smile that Fanci felt certain was meant to charm the lady, but it didn’t.
This, Fanci decided, might turn out to be interesting.
“I’ve never had an Executive Assistant that looked…” It was obvious Hal searched for words that would flatter the woman. Equally obvious was that he couldn’t seem to locate any. Fanci almost laughed.
“Smart,” Ms. Dhody finished with a tight smile.
“I was going to say sexifficient,” Hal said with another grin, intending to say sexy and settling for efficient, but sounding much worse. Fanci groaned inwardly.
Two seconds later, the meeting drew to a close. Hal was given his schedule for the next week and Fanci noticed he was due to race that weekend.
“Well,” Hal said after they’d left the room, casually linking his fingers through Fanci’s fingers. “That went well, don’t you think?”
“Um, yeah,” Fanci muttered, pulling free of his hand. “After you settled down.” He had really warm skin. It made her fingers tingle.
“Can you believe the uptight woman they gave me as Executive Assistant? Why do I need one?” Hal asked with a glance back at the conference room.
“Something tells me that ‘uptight woman’ will be good for you.”
“Yeah, but she sure doesn’t look like any Executive Assistant I’ve ever seen before.” He shivered theatrically.
Yeah, well, here was further proof that Fanci was on the right track. Distracted by another thought, she wondered if Hal had a reputation for trying to seduce the women he worked with. That would explain his “sexy voice” remark to her earlier and his “I want you” comment. Obviously, it was impossible for the man to look at a woman—any woman—and not think of sex.
“Look, Hal,” she said. “I’d really like to go over some things before the race this weekend. And we should probably finish reviewing your entire contract, since it appears as if you didn’t read it. Also, I’d like to go over how you want our relationship to work.”
They’d crossed the courtyard and reached Hal’s fancy car, the red paint nearly blinding her it was so bright outside. “I’ll be moving down here temporarily,” she added. “And so I’d like to know what you expect of me. In turn, I’d like to give you a list of what I expect of you.”
“I told you what I expect of you,” he said, his car chirping as he pressed the unlock button.
“And what was that?”
“You in my bed.”
“Very funny,” she said. It was really strange because for a second or two she’d actually felt a little bit hurt that he was back to teasing her again.
“I’m not trying to be funny. I’m serious.”
“And that’s first on my list of things I expect from you. I’m not going to tolerate being the butt of your jokes anymore, so stop playing with me.”
He crossed around the front of his car. “Honey,” he drawled, “when I’m playing with you, you’ll know it.”
How did he do it? How did he make her cheeks erupt like barbecue coals? She might vow to stop lusting after him, but lord help her, it was damn hard when she came face-to-face with his potent male charms. She’d been warned about him, but you had to experience the sexual charisma to know exactly what was being spoken about.
“Quit,” she said, turning back to his car. Hal was the last person she should allow under her skin. He was the type of man who’d take what he wanted and then leave. And she’d had enough of that in her life already, thank you very much. “I’d like to get back to the hotel, if you don’t mind. I have a couple of apartments I’m supposed to look at this afternoon.”
“Fanci,” he said, somehow inserting himself between her and the vehicle. “Look at me.”
She told herself not to. She really did. Nothing good could come from looking up at him. Already her cheeks were radiating like the roof of the car. Only that heat had started to spread to other areas, too. It was a crying shame—not to mention vastly unfair—that she was so attracted to the man.
“Honestly, Fanci,” he said softly. “You’re selling yourself short if you think I’m not interested in you.”
Her gaze shot to his. When their eyes met, Fanci felt as if she’d jumped off a horse at full gallop.
“Besides,” he murmured, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek. “You don’t need to find an apartment.”
“No?” she asked, heart pounding. “Why not?”
“Because,” he said with a smile that should grace the cover of a magazine, “you’re moving in with me.”