Click - A Novella (4 page)

It had been a mistake.

Retirement hadn’t helped the old man. He hadn’t known what to do with himself. Like many men his age, he’d defined himself by his work. Golf wasn’t his thing, nor was fishing. He’d helped out with Habitat for Humanity and taken up woodworking, but it always seemed to Robert that the old man had been somewhat diminished after the day he’d walked out through the company gates for the last time. It had been even worse after Robert’s mother had died, the heart attack she hadn’t known she was having killing her in her sleep. The old man had been lost without her. There had been nothing to keep him going. They had been happy together for a lot of years.

He’d once asked his father how he’d known that his mother had been the right one.

Smiling at the memory, the old man had said, “I just knew. There was this click, and I knew.”

Even now Robert missed him.

“I’m sorry,” Emily said, laying her hand on his arm.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Robert said, patting her hand. “What about you?”

“Eastern Pennsylvania,” she said. “My parents still live there. Still worried about their little girl all alone in the big city…”

“Do you miss it?” he asked. He didn’t. And he did.

“Sometimes,” she said.

They talked about growing up in small towns, something Robert rarely got the chance to do in the circles he usually traveled in. Everyone knew where he’d come from, but few of those around him with their upper class backgrounds and Ivy League degrees really understood him or what that meant. The town where he’d grown up had been an old steel town full of shuttered businesses, the auto parts shop where his father had worked had been the last industry in town. The last thing keeping the town alive.

Eliot stepped through the doorway, a signal that time was growing short. They had to leave.

Seeing the driver, Emily knew she couldn’t wait any longer to ask the question that was eating at her.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

Robert’s blue eyes lifted, fixed on hers evenly.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this,” Robert said. “But it’s because Dan’s a schmuck, a loser, and you’re too nice a person for anyone to treat the way he treated you. And because I can. I’m tired of people screwing up other people’s lives. Don’t get the wrong impression. I don’t want to change you. I’m not Dan. I like you just the way you are, but I’m doing this because I want him to see what it was he missed. What he could have had with just a little effort.”

Then he grinned roguishly. “And admit it Emily, don’t you want to see his face when he sees you like this?”

As always, that unexpectedly wicked smile changed his expression from severe to mischievous.

To be honest, she did. Emily grinned in return, as much in answer to the devilry in his eyes as the satisfaction of seeing Dan unsettled, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to take advantage of Robert either.

“Robert…,” she began.

He took her hand.

“Just let me enjoy the company of a lovely woman,” Robert said, and he wasn’t just saying that. He let it show so she would see it. “And you are.”

He wouldn’t be the least bit uncomfortable being with her tonight, although the society columns would go bananas at the sight of confirmed bachelor Robert Halloran with an unknown woman.
That
he wouldn’t mind that at all.

It was now or never Emily knew. As she knew that if she asked, Robert would take her home, and only home, despite all the money he’d spent on her and never mind that he’d spent it.

He was right, though, as childish as it was, she did want to see Dan’s face. She hated the idea that he was getting satisfaction out of the idea that she was back in her apartment pining for him, crying her eyes out as even she had thought she would.

She was also enjoying Robert’s company enormously. A part of her wished that the handsome man sitting across from her was a real date…

Standing, Robert offered Emily his hand. “Ready?”

Nodding, she took the offered hand.

Chapter Four

The theater was crowded and noisy as people filled the lobby, while others showed their tickets to those at the interior doors for instructions on where to sit. This show was the hottest ticket in town and people chatted excitedly as some sought their seats and others talked about the show to come. Robert, already had tickets – originally purchased as a perk for his clients. He also had the advantage of height over Emily, and so he spotted Dan and his date sooner than Emily did.

Dan Collier was exactly as Robert remembered – a good-looking man with thick, perfect hair and a nearly expressionless face. He reminded Robert of a second string news reporter.

The woman with Collier was everything Robert disliked about some women in the city – a Sex and the City wannabe with her skin-tight dress and high heels. Nothing against that show, but some women had taken it to heart, trading substance for style, complaining about how difficult it was to find a good man while talking about nothing but shoes and the latest designer.

At least the woman had the figure for the dress, either genetically thin or half-starving herself to get into it. Her hair was perfectly cut and her face was a façade of makeup. That was what he’d wanted to avoid with Emily, he wanted to see the dusting of freckles across her nose. He also liked her curves. She was what his father had called a ‘healthy’ woman.

Skillfully Robert guided Emily in that direction, without warning her of what was to come, knowing she’d resist.

He knew the moment when Emily saw Dan, as she stiffened beneath Robert’s hand.

“You look wonderful,” Robert reminded her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

Emily heard his words even as Dan caught sight of her and his eyes widened, first with alarm, then confusion and a little shock.

As Robert had said, it was satisfying to see Dan’s expression as he took in the changes.

It was still painful to see him, though. She took a breath and made herself smile.

“What are you doing here?” Dan demanded, his voice low.

“I ran into Robert in the lobby…,” she began, but Robert interjected before she said what she’d been about to say…that Robert had taken pity on her.

“Once she told me about her promotion and landing the new account it seemed a shame that she couldn’t celebrate them. I had tickets to the show, but no date, so I asked her to join me,” Robert said, slipping an arm around Emily’s waist.

Let Collier make of that what he would
, Robert thought.

Knowing the way the man’s mind probably worked, it was likely he was now wondering if Emily hadn’t also been in the process of moving on. People tended to believe that others behaved the same way they did – even when others proved them wrong. Now, despite knowing Emily, Collier would wonder. That would rattle the man’s cage.

Startled, Emily glanced up at him.

He smiled at her before turning back to Collier and his date.

“It was nice to see you again,” he said, “but we have to get to our seats. Have a nice evening.”

Robert firmly steered Emily away. He had no doubt that once Collier or his date found their seats they would be unobtrusively searching the theater for him and Emily. He didn’t buy anything less than the best seats for his clients.

“Now that that’s over with,” he said, “we can enjoy the play.”

“You did that deliberately,” Emily said, eyeing him.

“I did,” he said complacently. “I didn’t want the thought of him hanging over half our evening, and I wanted you to be able to enjoy yourself.”

Robert didn’t mention that he’d already seen the play on opening night. It would only make Emily uncomfortable. Besides, the show was worth seeing again, the performances were great. And he’d have a bit of side entertainment, knowing that Collier and his date would be looking to see where he and Emily would be sitting…and chagrined to find it was in better seats than their own.

He was also aware that the writer for the society column of the most notorious rag in the city had seen him.

Not that he minded. He’d set the fox in the henhouse there, too. He found their fascination with his love life a little too intrusive.

Emily was aware of eyes on her. On them, actually, but particularly on Robert. He was a handsome man, and some of those eyes narrowed speculatively at her. She knew the gossip columns frequently speculated about him.

How did Robert live with that every day?
she wondered.

Once the lights went down, though, she was transfixed by the play.

All in all, for Emily it was a wonderful evening. Far better than she’d anticipated and over far too soon.

She settled into the leather seat of the limousine and sighed with pleasure.
What would it be like to live like this all the time?

It was still raining, but it made the warmth inside the car all the more sheltering. She almost wished she didn’t have to go home. But she did.

They pulled up outside of her apartment building and Robert slid out of the car, offering her a hand out as Eliot held an enormous umbrella to keep the rain off them.

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Emily said and laughed lightly. “I felt like Cinderella for a night.”

“You’re welcome,” Robert said, taking the umbrella from Eliot to walk her to her door. It was good to see her laugh again. “I enjoyed it.”

He had. In fact, he was sorry it was over so soon, he’d enjoyed the evening far more than he’d expected. He was also far too aware that Emily was still on the rebound, still hurting from the rejection. He wouldn’t take advantage of that or her, however much he liked her company.

“What about this?” Emily said, gesturing at the dress.

“Keep it,” he said. “You’ll find another occasion to wear it.”

He hoped she’d think of him when she did…and smile.

“Good night, Emily,” he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead while wishing for more.

Once he was sure she was safely inside, he walked back to the limo.

*****

Hidden by the concealment of the sheer curtains on her windows, her cat Gizmo in her arms, Emily watched him glance back once before sliding into the limousine. Eliot closed the door before taking the driver’s seat. The long black car pulled smoothly away from the curb.

She sighed.

Looking at her reflection in the window, Emily was still a little surprised at what she saw there. Herself, but better.

Now she knew how Cinderella must have felt after that night at the ball. Except that this time the prince – and Emily smiled, knowing Robert would have been amused at the comparison – wouldn’t come looking for her. After all, with his looks and money he had his pick of women.

It was too soon and she knew it…but she could wish.

Chapter Five

Pacing across his spacious living room, Robert fought restlessness. Sundays were difficult. The markets weren’t open in much of the world, and many of his contacts were enjoying their weekends. It wasn’t just that he was bored, although he was. Something – someone – else had gotten under his skin.

Time had gotten away from him. There hadn’t been much left over for a personal life. He’d been busy. In the early days for every dollar he earned he tried to earn back a hundred, or at least ten. Hundreds had turned into thousands, thousands into hundreds of thousands. Expensive suits, expensive shoes, had become his uniform. He’d bought the cars, then one house and another, and then it became easier to have the limo so he could work on his way to his office rather than drive.

He’d dated. Many of them had been beautiful women, models, actresses, wealthy women as caught up in their careers as he was. Nothing had clicked. He’d always been honest about that, had never led anyone on or played games. Sometimes the relationships had just faded, both too busy to maintain it. If he were honest he didn’t want a Robert Halloran clone in heels. Once or twice there had been tears and recriminations, the woman had become too attached – more to his money and lifestyle as to him to judge by some of what they said – and then it had gotten painful.