The Relationship Coach (26 page)

A part of her knew she should encourage him to leave, but she didn’t want him to go. She wanted to spend time with him. Just the two of them.

“Is there enough for two?”

Reed turned around, and his eager smile sent warm vibrations dancing through her body. For heaven’s sake, it was just a smile. But it packed a punch.

“I hoped you’d ask me to stay.”

“It has to be quick. I need to finish these reports before my first session this afternoon,” she said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

Reed began to pull everything out of the basket. “Ham and cheese for me.” He reached in and grabbed the other sandwich. “Chicken salad for you. Some cups of fruit. Napkins and iced tea.”

“You thought of everything,” she said and reached for her sandwich. The man could give lessons to other men on how to make a woman feel special.

He sat across from her on the desk, unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. After he’d finished chewing, he asked, “What did you think of the clips I showed you the other night?”

“They were good. It was a little embarrassing to see me in so much film, but overall you did a great job,” she said. And she wasn’t lying. The clips he’d shown her were excellent. She hoped the rest of the film would be just as good. But she felt uneasy talking about the film. Her career was riding on this project and the television show she so desperately wanted, which he knew nothing about. Eventually, she would tell him, but not until it was for certain.

“Thanks.”

“What’s next?” Lacey asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“We have a couple more individual sessions to film, and then we go off to the studio and start working on putting it all together.”

“What sessions are you filming?”

“That couple…the one where he didn’t want to marry the girl, and she was pressuring him.”

Lacey didn’t have a good feeling about that couple. She feared they were not going to make it.

“Oh dear, I see them later this week. We could witness a break-up scene with them.”

“I don’t understand why she can’t let things keep going the way they are currently,” he admitted.

Lacey paused for a moment, thinking of how she could explain to him how a woman still needed to know she was the only person in a man’s life. How a woman wanted to love one person for a lifetime, who gave her children and grew old with her. How could she explain this to Reed, so he understood from a woman’s perspective?

“Reed, you’ve told me your parents have been married for many years. Have you ever asked your mother about their marriage? Have there been times they almost split up? Have you ever asked her about living with your dad? Would she have moved in with him?”

“Oh God, no. My mom is pretty opened minded, but she’s said more than once, she would never have moved in with my dad because she’d still be waiting for that ring.”

Lacey couldn’t help but wonder if some of Reed’s resistance to marriage he’d learned from his father.

“Hmm…I wonder why that is. My dad didn’t want to get married, either. The story my mother tells is that she gave him an ultimatum. Marry me or get on down the road. He decided to marry her,” Lacey said, taking a sip of iced tea, curious about Reed’s family. “Does your father have any regrets?”

“Only when the Visa bill comes in.”

Lacey laughed. “Your dad didn’t want to get married?”

“That’s what he said. When I was young, he told me I’d be crazy to marry anyone before I reached thirty,” Reed said, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Why would he say such a thing?” Lacey asked. “Was he thirty when he married your mother?”

“No. Dad kept telling me to sample as many women as I could before I stuck with one. And I’ve done my best,” Reed admitted.

“Men think women are like flowers-pollinate as many as you can,” she said, wondering about Reed’s father. Sounded like he’d resisted marriage as much as his son.

“And women think men are like ATM machines.
Cha-ching
.”

“What do pollination and money have in common?” she asked.

He started to laugh, not answering her question.

“Did your dad tell you women think men are like ATM machines? After your comment about your mother and the Visa bill, I wondered. Some women make more than their husbands. When my sister becomes a doctor, she’ll make more than her fiancé.”

“True, but if women aren’t dependent on a man for money, then why do they need us?”

To her, this was so easy she smiled. “Because we are created to procreate, and our bodies send secret signals to our brains, telling us to find a man and get pollinated. We are the gatherers, the people who keep the clan together, and help keep the testosterone at a level, so all hell doesn’t break loose in society. We’re the peacemakers, the keepers of the next generation. Without us, the tribe doesn’t continue.”

He nodded. “And there are always a few hunters in the clan who don’t want to go with the normal rituals. They want to strike out on their own.”

They had the most interesting conversations, and she was starting to learn more about Reed Hunter’s background. It sounded so close to the type of family she’d dreamed of growing up in, but then he would reveal secrets about his father and mother, and she’d realize they were just like everyone else.

“True. They were either the bravest of the warriors, or they were killed and eaten by the animals.” She gazed at him. “Which are you, Reed? A brave warrior or a schmuck who will be lunch for some animal in the jungle?”

He started packing up the basket and throwing away their dirty utensils. “Only time will tell, but regardless, I will go out in a blaze of glory.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks for lunch. I appreciate it. I would have gone hungry, until I got home tonight.”

“Any time.” Reed leaned over the desk and kissed her, his lips brushing against hers in a way that left her hungry for more. Abruptly, he broke off and smiled at her, knowing he’d teased her, left her wanting. “See you in the jungle.”

And then he was gone. Leaving her office lonely, silent, and her sexually aroused. Reed baited her, stirring her desires and making her want him. And damn it, his tactics were working.

She couldn’t help but smile. He’d brought her lunch and made sure she ate on one of her busiest days. The man knew how to seduce a woman. He knew how to worm his way into her heart and her pants and then leave her wanting more.

***

Amanda followed Jason into the bar where his coworkers were gathered for a company hour she’d committed to weeks ago, before the doubts had begun to pervade her.

Tonight, he’d kissed her hard on the lips when he’d picked her up and told her, ‘I’m going to have the best looking girl at the party and be the envy of every man there.”

Sweet words, but were they enough to quell the doubts assailing her?

Jason took her by the arm, and they stepped into the bar. For a moment, the darkness made it impossible to see, after coming in from the blinding sun. Finally, her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit sports bar.

“Hey, buddy, glad you could make it,” an older guy came up and shook Jason’s hand. “And you must be Amanda.”

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

He took Jason by the arm. “We’ve got a table here in the back. You guys get something from the bar. A group of us are playing pool.”

In her three-inch heels, Amanda hurried to keep up with them. She followed Jason to the back, the two men talking the entire way, completely forgetting her as she trailed behind them.

They sat down at the table with a group of people. Introductions were made, and Jason got up and went to the bar. Amanda sat there making small talk, feeling completely out of her element.

When Jason brought back their drinks, he said, “Honey, I’m going to go play pool. I’ll be back in a few.”

Amanda frowned at him. “Sure, but don’t be gone too long.”

She chit-chatted with some of the women at the table, but their main topic was work, so she didn’t have much to contribute. After an hour, she walked across the bar to the pool table.

“Jason, how much longer are you going to play?” she asked, working hard to keep the irritation from her voice.

“We’re almost done. At the end of this game, I’ll come back.”

Amanda went to the bar and ordered herself another drink. She glanced around at the men who sat drinking beer and watching the televised baseball game. Strolling around, she checked out the different games they offered. At every table, people crowded around, playing their game of choice.

Finally, assuming he’d be done playing pool, she wandered back over to the table. No Jason. She sat back down, sipped the wine, and glanced at her watch.

Thirty minutes later, she walked back over to the pool table, where Jason now played a different guy. She waited until he’d finished the shot.

She stared her displeasure at him, turned around, and walked toward the door. At first, she didn’t know where she was going. Her feet seemed to lead her in the direction her mind refused to acknowledge.

When she stepped outside, the sun had disappeared over the horizon. A valet stand with two guys parking cars sat on the sidewalk. Her feet carried her to the stand.

“Hail me a cab,” she said.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her brain seemed to reengage. In less than a minute, a yellow cab pulled up to the stand. She entered the car, gave him her address, and sat back against the cushions.

After pulling out her phone, she typed a text. “It’s over. Goodbye.”

Hitting the send button, she leaned back against the cushion of the cab and released a deep sigh of relief. Damn, that felt good. Sometimes the mind was slower to accept what the subconscious knew. And her subconscious had been telling her for weeks this relationship was at the end.

Finally, her brain had caught on, and with relief, she let Jason go.

***

Lacey waited in the receptionist area of Chimney Rock Productions. This morning, Stan had called and asked her to come in; he had news for her.

Unlike before, she barely noticed all the pictures on the wall of the television shows he’d helped create and produce. This morning’s call had her emotions springing from hope to despair. One moment, giddiness overwhelmed her and then the next despair, as she feared he’d tell her they were done. What if he’d called her to tell her they were no longer interested? What if he was dropping her and no longer pursuing a television show? What if he called her to tell her he’d found a network interested in her show?

“Ms. Morgan, Mr. Whittaker is ready for you,” his secretary said.

Lacey stood, her knees quaking, as she followed his secretary into his office.

Stan rose from behind the desk and greeted her with a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m great,” she lied, her stomach doing flip flops like it jumped on a trampoline.

He sat behind his desk, as she sank into the leather chair across from him.

“I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you to come down here this morning, but I wanted to talk to you in person about what’s going on.”

“No problem,” she said, wondering about the urgency.

“Good.” He took a deep breath, his gaze serious. “There’s been a development I think you need to know about. One of the producers I’ve been talking to happened to be in Corpus Christi the same time you were doing a seminar there. She managed to get a ticket.”

Lacey’s hands begin to sweat. Corpus Christi’s audience had been excellent and was one of their best seminars. “What did she think of the Twelve Steps of Dating?” she asked, her stomach tensing, her heart racing with anticipation.

He smiled. “She called me that afternoon and said she thinks we’re onto something. She asked for copies of your proposal. I over-nighted them to her, along with some of the tapes you’d produced.”

“Oh, God! Has she looked at them yet?” Lacey said, still not certain this was good news he was about to give her.

Stan leaned back in his chair and smiled. “She likes your idea. She wants to see the documentary as soon as it’s finished,” he said, pausing. “And if the documentary has a good showing, she’ll want you to come to Los Angeles and do a pilot.”

Lacey couldn’t restrain the thrill that filled her, letting it spill from her lips. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Excitement overwhelmed her, and she tried to subdue her enthusiasm. Her own television show! Everything she’d dreamed of and worked so hard to obtain could soon be within her grasp.

Stan smiled at her. “There are still a lot of things that could go wrong, but I’m getting positive feedback from her. I think once she sees the documentary, we’ll be filming a pilot.”

“That’s fantastic. Thank you, thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Let’s wait until after this documentary comes out. That’s still the key to everything. A good documentary means we’re one step closer to getting you that television talk show.”

Lacey took a deep breath and released it, trying to calm herself and think rationally. “Okay, I’m trying not to get too excited, but this is great news.”

“Now the hard part,” he said quietly. “She wants us to keep this under wraps for as long as possible. Which means, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Ohhhhh! The most exciting news of my career and you want me to keep it secret?”

“At least for now. That’s why I called you in.”

She wanted to tell Reed; she wanted to shout out the news to everyone she knew. Lacey sighed and shook her head. “Why?”

“Because we don’t want the other networks to create a show similar to yours. If one relationship coach program is already on television, why would they need another one?”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But you let me know the minute I can start talking about this.”

He laughed. “I will.”

But she had to tell Amanda. That woman could keep a secret better than any spy being tortured. She’d keep the news their secret.

Chapter Sixteen

L
acey stepped out of her office on her way to the interview room for her last session of the day, David and Jennifer, the couple dealing with commitment issues. This was also the last session Reed would film with Lacey. The documentary was almost done.