Page 22 of Players Like Us
Rachel cleared her throat, calculated the amount of money she’d make with a thirty-day stint. Definitely enough for rent, food, a car payment, and then some… A lot more. “What exactly does the renewable option entail?”
“It’s pretty straightforward. He’ll have the chance to renew for another thirty days before anyone else.”
“Is it Simon?” The man was charming, attentive, absolutely complimentary, and he’d dropped more than a few hints that he’d like to get to know her better. But the other night he’d become a bit too insistent, his gaze a bit too intent, and he’d referenced breaking Claudia’s sixty-day post-contract clause as a possibility. Would you be interested in that? His voice had dipped to a husky rumble, his green eyes sparkling. I’m a man of my word, but I’d consider breaking it for you. Of course, Neal Alexander’s warning landed in her brain. Simon Bainbridge is dangerous, especially where a woman’s involved. ... open your eyes before it’s too late. Was that what made her tell Simon she honored contracts and wouldn’t break this one?
“It’s not Simon.” Claudia’s smile held a hint of curiosity. “He did contact me for extended days, but the other offer had already come in and been approved.”
“I see.” Simon was the sort her family would probably approve of—clean-cut, well-mannered, very educated. Not a bad boy, even if a certain someone didn’t agree. She’d had enough of those and it never ended well, even when she insisted it would. There’d been the bartender who’d stolen her credit cards, the motocross driver who talked her into signing a small loan for him and then skipped out. There’d even been the computer geek who’d been charged—but not convicted—with fraud. Simon Bainbridge was solid, and he was a decent guy even if Neal Alexander didn’t think so.
What right did he have to tell her who to see? None, and she’d told him that, which is probably why she hadn’t heard from him in over a week. Good. The man unsettled her, made her edgy and gave her heartburn. Who needed that? Yes, there’d been a few times where she’d seen a different side of him: serious, empathetic, kind. And then it faded and made her question whether she’d seen it at all.
“This client prefers not to reveal his name quite yet.” An uncharacteristic softness crept into Claudia’s voice. “He’s highly sought after, entertaining, and excellent to look at… You won’t be disappointed.”
She’d like to tell Neal Alexander that! But she wouldn’t because it was none of his business and besides, he’d disappeared from her world after their last confrontation. There’d been no mention of him yesterday when Dominic Lombardi called to officially offer her the Matilda project and set up a time to review the contract. I’ll go over the details and the timeframe, but we’d like to get moving on this as soon as possible. She’d wanted to ask him who the other person in the “we” was...but didn’t. There’d been no mention of Neal Alexander or how he might pop in and offer an opinion based on his “expansive” restaurant experience.
No, there’d been nothing at all...
14
Daniel loved his wife and he trusted her, but sometimes she couldn’t see the faults in other people, and if she could, she downplayed or excused those faults.
She can’t help it.
He’s really trying.
It’s not such a big deal.
But look at all of the other qualities he has...
She just needs someone to believe in her.
Yes, she meant well and her kindness toward others was one of the many reasons he loved her. But right now, he needed a more objective viewpoint and that’s why he sat across from Tate in the office of his mini mansion.
“So, you know my sister’s in the same city as your brother.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
No missing the caution or the curiosity in Tate Alexander’s voice. He was nobody’s fool and no doubt he’d guessed the casual drop-in was about more than discussing the bowl Tate had asked him to design for Charlotte. The guy sure did love his wife and had spent hours debating the type of wood Daniel should use, the size of the bowl, the dimensions, even the finish, which he’d said should be mahogany to match the highlights in her hair. The sketch he’d handed Daniel of what he thought the bowl might look like didn’t require much fine-tuning. Daniel hadn’t mentioned the project since he arrived other than to say he liked Tate’s ideas and planned to use most of them. That made the guy smile, definitely made him happy.
“Do you want a drink or something to eat?”
Daniel glanced at his watch. “I’m done with drinking alcohol before noon, and I promised Meredith we’d head to lunch at the Oak Table. She’s still trying to win Jameson over and show him how much she’s changed.” He shook his head, laughed. “We both know she’s learned to keep her thoughts and her schemes in her head, but…they still bounce around in there.”
The lip twitch and the headshake said her brother agreed. “My sister has an intense desire to fix things, but she’s doing much better. You’re good for her.”
“We’re good for each other.” Life with Meredith brought more pleasure than walking through the woods on a fall day.
“Then try to convince her that Jameson doesn’t want any more gifts from her. He may come around in his own time, but when someone almost breaks up a guy’s marriage? That’s not easy to forgive or get over. I think he just wants her to leave him alone, and I’ve tried to tell her that, but...”
“But she can’t let it go.” Daniel rubbed his jaw, recalled Meredith’s sad commentary. I want to make things better. I want him to know how sorry I am. I want...
You want him to forgive you. Maybe he can’t.
I know. I know.
If someone almost destroyed us, do you think I would ever forgive that person?
The tears had started then, turned into shoulder-shaking sobs. No. No.
