Part 11 (1/2)
Christ, why were they talking to each other like strangers? He knew what kind of panties she wore and how she made this soft little mewling sound right before she came.
Don't think about that, don't think about that, don't think about- ”Listen, Holly. You know that Kleinberger presentation I told you about?”
”Of course.”
”The timeline just changed, and so did my role in it.”
”How do you mean?”
”Instead of just preparing the presentation, I now have to give it. As in public speaking. Not my favorite thing.”
”Ah,” she said, her voice warm and soothing. ”Did you know that for most people, a fear of public speaking ranks above fear of death, spiders, heights, and confined s.p.a.ces?”
”So you're saying most people would rather be trapped in a casket full of spiders and hoisted onto a rooftop than give this presentation I just got asked to deliver?”
Holly laughed, and Ben pictured the soft dimple in her right cheek, the one that only appeared when she smiled really wide. He loved that d.a.m.n dimple.
”So tell me about this presentation,” she said, clearing her throat. ”What's the topic?”
”Razzle-dazzle, apparently. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to throw glitter or juggle sparklers.”
”Let's save those for the end of the presentation. Is there a topic?”
”The main focus is on some new products we manufacture that would be perfect for this client.”
”You have data to back that up?”
”Of course. It's not the material I'm hung up on. It's the pizazz. The schmooze. The pa.s.sionate delivery. None of that is my forte.”
”Oh, I don't know about that. I think you've got pa.s.sionate delivery nailed.”
Ben blinked, surprised by her boldness. Apparently, Holly was surprised, too, since the next words out of her mouth were a stammered jumble of syllables.
”I, uh-I didn't-I mean, that came out wrong. I meant the other night.”
”Right,” Ben said as he felt a slow smile creep across his face.
”At the event,” she said, rus.h.i.+ng her words together. ”I heard you talking with the VP of human resources about your proposal to donate a portion of the company's proceeds to the American Cancer Society, and you sounded very pa.s.sionate about that. And about Langley's bioengineering division. And about bad sci-fi movies. You were very pa.s.sionate about all that.”
Ben pictured her sitting at her desk with her dark hair pinned on top of her head and her odd lavender-gray eyes darting around as she tried to regain her professional composure. He should probably throw her a rope, but listening to her fumble was almost as endearing as knowing d.a.m.n well she'd been thinking about the other night as much as he had.
”I'm pa.s.sionate about some things,” Ben said. ”The things that matter. The things that give me a good reason to perfect my technique.”
”Right. Um, when did you want to meet? I have an opening next Monday around three.”
”Yeah, see, that's the problem. They moved up the timeline.”
”How soon?”
”The presentation is Friday.”
”Wow. Okay-um, how much public speaking have you done?”
”Do you want to count the acceptance speech I gave when I won the national chess tournament at age eight?”
”Sure.”
”Then once.”
”Oh.” She was quiet a moment, and Ben wondered if she was consulting her schedule or pondering the magnitude of his geekery. Maybe both.
She cleared her throat. ”Okay, if I reschedule my four o'clock and skip out on tonight's team dinner-”
”I don't want you to miss a team dinner on account of me.”
”No, it's fine. Miriam-that's my business partner-she and I take turns running them each month. This one is hers anyway.”
”Okay then. Do you want to come to my place?”
”No!” She couldn't have sounded more alarmed if he'd asked her to go nude skydiving as an exercise in a.s.sertiveness. She must have recognized it, too, because she softened her voice. ”I mean-I think it would be more professional if we meet at one of our offices.”
”You've seen mine. How about you show me yours?”
”Um-”
”Office, Holly. Show me your office.”
”Of course,” she said, sounding fl.u.s.tered. ”I knew what you meant.”
Okay, so he was teasing her on purpose now. Dammit, it felt good. Testing the waters, owning the moment, being a.s.sertive-weren't those all things a good CEO did naturally? It might not feel natural to him yet in the boardroom, but when it came to flirting with Holly, he was starting to get the hang of it.
He heard a tapping sound, and pictured her drumming a pen on her desk in a nervous rhythm. ”Let's do my place. The office will be deserted after four thirty, since we're bussing the whole staff out to a big resort for the dinner. Might be the first time in history no one at First Impressions is working late.”
”Except for you.”
”Except for me.”
”Well, Holly, I'm glad to be your exception. See you this evening.”
Ben hung up, wis.h.i.+ng like h.e.l.l he could be her exception in every way possible.
Holly spent the last two hours of her workday fluctuating between two extremes. On one hand, she felt panicky about nailing this job with Ben and paying off the bank. She was used to handling pressure in her career, but unaccustomed to having a ticking clock dangling over her head, a perpetual reminder of what she stood to lose if she didn't succeed in her rebranding efforts with Ben.
On the other hand, she couldn't stop thinking about Ben. Not just about what his business could mean for the financial future of her company, but about his hands and lips and a lot of other body parts she couldn't stop picturing in her mind.
So when he walked through the door at four thirty-five wearing one of his new s.h.i.+rts and a well-cut pair of trousers, it was annoying to find herself staring slack-jawed at the man whose thumb prints were still on her thighs.
She closed her mouth and took a step forward, extending her hand. ”Ben-so good to see you again. Welcome to First Impressions Public Relations and Branding.”
He gave her an odd look, but he took her hand anyway. He shook it a few times but didn't let go as he surveyed the lobby and reception area. ”Wow, this place is beautiful. Very hip. I love the galvanized steel wall.”