Entangled Love (8 page)

Two weeks later….

“Michael, the investors want to move the meeting up to tomorrow. How close are you to having the entire package ready to go?”

Michael sat back in his chair, “David, that’s three days early. Why the rush?” Michael moved the phone to his other ear and he started looking for his to-do list.

“One of the main investors is leaving the country to
attend his daughter’s wedding. The other investor’s won’t act without his input, and he leaves the day after tomorrow. It’s tomorrow, or we’ll have to wait another month at the earliest. You and I both know that a month-long wait can kill a project.”

“Damn. Another month out for completion and we risk defaulting on our agreements with the tenants to provide commercial space by the end of August.”

“I’m aware of that, that’s why I’m calling. Is it possible to get the package ready for presentation by tomorrow?”

Michael found his list and quickly started putting time to actions, in order to finish by tomorrow he and several others would have to work thru the night. “David, all I can do it try. There’s still a lot to put together and you’re asking me to get these people to pull an all-nighter. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ll do everything I can on this side. Worst-case scenario is we have to let the investors know that we’re still working out some of the details. Hopefully what we have together will be enough to convince them to jump on board.”

“Let’s hope you and DFJ’s people can pull it all together before morning.  I’ll talk to you first thing tomorrow. Good luck!”

Disconnecting the call, Michael muttered, “Yeah, I’m gonna need it.”

“What are you gonna need?” asked Victor as he entered the conference room which had been turned into project central and Michael’s office.

Putting his phone down, he looked at Victor and gave him the bad new, “That was David. The investor’s have moved the meeting up to tomorrow.”

“What?! That’s impossible, we’re not ready.”

“I know. But David said that the main investor is leaving the country the day after tomorrow for his daughter’s wedding and it’s either now, or we’ll be out another month.”

Victor sat down as the news sank in.
Another month? The project couldn’t handle a month-long delay.
Looking back at Michael, “So, what do we do?”

“It looks like we pull an all-nighter an get as much done as we can. Hopefully it’ll be enough. Do you want to tell your people the good news?”

Victor shook his head, “Sure, leave me to do the dirty work. Yeah, let me get everyone in here. Have you told Evelyn yet?”

“No, I just got off the phone with David. You’re the first person I’ve seen to tell.”

“Why don’t you go tell her, and I’ll spread the news to the others?” Victor watched as a look of horror crossed Michael’s face at the thought of having to talk to Evelyn by himself. Laughing out loud, he let him off the hook, “Wipe that look off your face. She’s not going to pull a gun on you and shoot the messenger. I’ll stop by her office on my way downstairs.  Why don’t you put together a list of what stills needs to be done and we’ll assign tasks. Meet me downstairs in 10?”

Michael was so relieved, he immediately agreed, “10 minutes it is.”

Victor headed towards Evelyn’s office, stopping by Mandy’s reception desk on his way. “Hey Mandy, there’s been a new development and it looks like we’re going to be pulling an all-nighter. Would you run over to the deli across the street and have them put together a lunch scenario. Everyone’s eating in today, and have them deliver it in about an hour. Lots of chips and drinks.  I’ll figure out what we’re doing for dinner in a bit, but at least lunch will be handled.”

Mandy grabbed her jacket, “Sure Victor.  Why don’t you let me handle dinner when I get back? My cousin is the manager over at Il Bistro, the new Italian place. They deliver and if I called them this morning, I bet they could put together some sort of buffet scenario.”

Victor gave Mandy a one armed hug as he told her, “That sounds perfect.” Looking down into her face, he saw the spark enter her eyes and just barely resisted the urge to find out if her lips felt as soft as they looked. Seeing his attraction mirrored on her face, he told her, “Once these bumps in this project are smoothed out, I want to take you out.”

“Like, on a real date?” Mandy licked her suddenly dry lips, and watched his eyes rack her movements. She had been attracted to Victor from the moment she had walked into the office, but had patiently been waiting on him to make the first move. They had bantered back and forth, and lately he had taken to touching her whenever possible. She didn’t mind, and was coming to crave his little touches. They made her feel special. Now he had finally asked her out, but she wanted to make sure it was for pleasure, and not just another business meeting.

“Yes, on a real date. You. Me. No phones. No taking notes. No business. Just you and I getting to know one another. What do you say?” Victor watched her lick her lips again and felt his body start to respond. Stepping away from her, he started walking backwards while he waited for her response. The more distance he could put between himself and her right now, the safer things would be.

Mandy watched him walk away, and shyly nodded, “I’d like that, a lot.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He gave her a grin, accompanied by a wink, and then was gone around the corner.

Mandy took a moment to let her racing heart settle and then headed for the elevator. The deli was her first order of business, then arranging dinner, and then maybe she could find a few minutes to daydream and enjoy what had just happened.

*****

“Guys, I don’t know about you all, but I’m done for the night. I’ve already sent the rest of the team home, and Mandy is doing some light cleanup from what’s left of dinner. The restaurant people picked up their service item over an hour ago.”

Evelyn glanced at the clock on the wall, shocked to see it was almost midnight. Looking at Victor, she could see how tired he was, “Vic, go. I’m almost finished here myself and I just want to check each part of the package over one last time to make sure we didn’t miss anything and then I’m heading home as well.”

Michael came back into the conference room, catching the end of the conversation. “Man, go, and take that little receptionist home as well. She’s dead on her feet and not moving real fast,” he said chuckling.  In truth, she had been almost asleep, leaning her head on her hands folded over her desk and hadn’t heard him re-enter the office. He had startled her and she had barely managed to contain her scream.

Victor turned to Evelyn and could see that she still had some energy left. He hated leaving her to work alone in the building after hours. “Evelyn, why don’t you come too? I’ll take you home and we can both come back in first thing in the morning and check things over.”

Evelyn shook her head; she needed to finish this now. Tomorrow would be too late if something was missing. “Vic, I’m fine. It will only take me another thirty minutes or so to check everything over and then I’ll leave. Let security know I’m still up here on your way out, will ya?” Turning to Michael, she said, “Don’t worry about the package being ready. I’ll leave it on your desk and you can look it over in the morning.”

Michael got the distinct feeling that he was being dismissed and didn’t like it one bit. This was his project too and he would never sleep tonight if he wasn’t sure it was ready for the investors. “I’ll just stay if you don’t mind. I won’t sleep until I know the package is ready to go.” Turning to Victor, he nodded at the door once again, “Get out of here. I’ll make sure she leaves in the next half hour.”

Victor looked at both Evelyn and Michael, trying to decide if it was safe to leave them alone in the office. Michael’s treatment of Evelyn had continued to be cold and impersonal, and he had yet to provide Evelyn an opportunity to apologize. Maybe they were both so tired; they would let their guards down enough and get things out in the open. He could hope.

“Fine. I’ll see you both in the morning. Evelyn, thirty minutes and no longer. Got it?”

Evelyn gave Victor a mock salute, “Yes, Sir.” She promptly went back to looking through the various pages in the project portfolio and didn’t even look up when Victor popped his head back in and said “Goodnight.”

Thirty minutes later, Evelyn laid the portfolio down and stretched her arms above her head. Suddenly, she was more tired than ever. The package was perfectly put together and Mandy would have plenty of time to make the appropriate number of copies in the morning. Scribbling a note on a sticky pad, she attached the number of copies needed to the top page of the portfolio and placed it on Mandy’s desk.

Stretching one more time, she started turning off lights as she headed to retrieve her jacket and purse. When she got to the conference room, she saw Michael still working on his computer. “I’m finished and heading home for the night. Shall I tell security what time you’ll be leaving?”

Michael glanced up and immediately saw the effect the long day had taken on Evelyn. She looked dead on her feet and more beautiful than ever. A desire to hold her and ease the tiredness from her took hold of him, and his voice was gentle and caring when he asked her, “Are you going to be okay to drive home tonight?”

It was the first time Michael had spoken to her without the distant coldness in his voice, and it immediately brought back memories of other times, before he had left, when he had spoken to her. She had loved hearing his voice and had often closed her eyes when Victor and he were discussing things, just to hear him speak. The tenor of his voice did something to her insides, and hearing it again, after being starved for the sound for so long, brought tears to her eyes.

Blinking rapidly, she turned and headed down the hallway, “I’ll be fine. It’s only a fifteen minute drive.” Retrieving her things, she was surprised to see him waiting for her in the hallway, the remaining lights in the office already turned off, or down. Gesturing for her to precede him to the elevator, she walked in front of him, ready for this day to end.

Michael allowed her to enter the elevator first, and was silent, watching her from beneath his lashes as the lift began it’s descent. Inside the confines of the small space, the scent of her shampoo and perfume was impossible to escape and brought back memories of before. Before he could stop himself, he found his hand reaching for her hair and smoothing it back behind her ear.

At Michael’s touch, Evelyn froze. His touch was so familiar, yet so foreign. The urge to rub her head into his hand was strong. Too tired to fight her body’s responses, she gave into the impulse and leaned her head into his touch.

At Evelyn’s compliance, Michael reached for her, turning her around and into his arms. Running his eyes over her face, he smoothed the hair back from the other side of her head and lowered his head. The moment their lips touched, it was like adding a spark to dry kindling.

Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. She was immediately transported back to the night of her graduation party and their one and only kiss. This was way better than she remembered. He tasted of coffee and butterscotch and his lips were driving her crazy.

Michael kissed her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, ending up with his mouth roving the curve of her jaw, headed towards the sensitive spot where her head and neck met. Not wanting to break the mood, but realizing that the elevator ride was about to end, he whispered in her ear, “Come back to the hotel with me?”

Evelyn was so caught up in the feelings he was arousing in her, she didn’t even try to think, she just moaned her agreement and brought his lips back to her own. When the elevator door opened, Michael released her and wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close in case she changed her mind.

The security officer had seen the elevator begin its descent and called a cab. As Michael and Evelyn exited the building, they found a taxi waiting for them. Michael quickly ushered her into the cab and then turned her towards him and hugged her close. Giving the driver the name of the hotel, he then proceeded to find the sweet spot behind her ear that drew another moan from her.

Whether it was the late hour, or just the weeks of being near her and yet not being able to touch her, Michael completely forgot his reasons for keeping her at arm’s length, and allowed his inner demons to run free.