Doubt crept deeper in her mind as she got on the elevator and it started its descent. What had changed since that morning? He’d seemed so sure that he wanted nothing to do with her. Maybe he wasn’t even there for her. He could just have another appointment in the building.
Or she could’ve seen wrong. Her wishful thinking had convinced her that the handsome redhead below her was exactly the redhead she’d wanted to see.
But as soon as the doors opened, there was no mistaking Simon West talking in a hushed voice with the security guard who stood next to the receptionist.
“Mr. West,” she called, making sure the guard knew he was an acceptable guest.
He turned; his dark eyes found hers, and Grace took a deep gulp. She had the distinct impression that he could’ve talked his way past the guard if given enough time. Quite a feat considering hundreds had tried to get past in the last few days.
“Ms. Bell,” said the guard. “I’m sorry for any misunderstanding.”
She tore her gaze from Simon as she approached the desk. “It’s not your fault at all, Jared. I didn’t realize Mr. West was stopping by today, or else I would’ve told you.” She focused on Simon once again, but, if anything, his scrutiny had only intensified. “Um,” she muttered. “I’m sure you understand that things have been a bit…hectic recently. Jared has been instrumental in keeping the vultures out of my office.”
“I completely understand. It’s great that you’re going through such lengths to help out Grace,” he said as he moved in closer to her.
The use of her first name seemed somehow off…too intimate. But she let it slide as she shot Jared one last smile. “Thanks again.”
Before she could lead Simon to the elevators, he was already ahead of her, as though he’d been there plenty of times before. She quickened her pace to catch up with him as he hit the up arrow. “I’m so happy you reconsidered.”
The doors opened and he held a hand out to signal her to get on first. He followed her in and the elevator climbed. “I did a bit of research on your case, and I think there might be more to this story than meets the eye.”
She let out a sigh of relief. Finally! Someone who believed she wasn’t a home-wrecking trollop and would help her convince the world. “Did you get a good look at those atrocious photos? I thought it was pretty obvious that nothing was going on between us.”
His brows drew together. “He was holding you in his arms.”
Grace deflated a bit. If the pictures hadn’t convinced him, what had? “I admit the position was a bit compromising, but there was absolutely no chemistry in those photos.”
“I didn’t realize that it was possible to keep the ‘spark’ when being mobbed by the press.”
The doors opened, and this time, Simon let her take the lead as she maneuvered through the drab hallway to her office. “One of the services I offer is photo coaching.”
He halted and frowned down at her. “Really?”
“It’s unofficial, but the clients love it. People who’ve never taken a good photo in their life suddenly can look at any camera with the right head tilt and smile. The events I work on only last a night, but if there are photos taken, those are what will stay with the client. So it’s win-win if they happen to look fantastic in the photos. Trust me, I can take a look at a panoramic shot of a crowded room and probably point out who’s doing it, who’s getting divorced, and, lately, I’ve even developed a rather impressive gaydar.”
He nodded, and his thick red brows drew together again.
“You think I’m crazy now,” she muttered. Darn it. She should’ve played her cards closer. Kept her more outlandish business tricks and secrets to herself. Now he was probably sure she was some vain floozy who’d been caught red-handed with the senator.
“I don’t think you’re crazy,” he assured her. “I just had to reassess your intelligence.” She opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about, but he answered before she spoke. “I mean you’re smarter than I thought.”
She brought her fingers to her temple as the stress headache she was becoming all too used to came back. “Better than the other direction, I suppose.” She crossed the last few feet to her office and punched in the code in the keypad to open the door.
He followed her in. “How many people have the code?”
She frowned. That didn’t really seem like pertinent information for what she was hiring him for. “Um, just me and Andre, my assistant.”
“You called?” said Andre from his desk.
“Andre, this is Simon West. Simon, meet Andre Sullivan.” She let the men shake hands as she pushed the door shut and gave her office a quick once-over. Andre had made sure there was no sign of her clumsiness, and they always strived to keep the office in tip-top shape. Even though she could do a decent amount of work from her apartment, the calm, earthy color palette of greens and browns was a great atmosphere for bringing in new clients. The ability to get potential new clients away from unpredictable restaurant meetings and stress triggers from meeting them in their own home or office more than paid the exorbitant amount for city office space.
Well, it had before she’d lost five clients in one fell swoop. Now her beautiful little sanctuary was one more expensive noose around her neck.
“You can take off for the day,” she told Andre as she pulled out a chair for Simon.
“Call me if you need anything.” He grabbed a leather jacket much too heavy for the June weather. But she noticed the glinting sliver spikes detailing the shoulders and remembered him telling her how “big” spikes were at the moment. Anything for fashion, she supposed.
“Will do. Thanks again.” As the door closed, she pulled the other chair out from the front of the desk and sat across from Simon, pulling a yellow legal pad and a pen from the desk to take notes with.
“Do you always sit on the same side of the desk as your clients?” His dark eyes roamed over her.
Suddenly self-conscious, Grace sat straighter and crossed her legs as an extra layer of armor. “I think it adds a sense of informality to everything,” she said. “I tend to sit behind the desk for the initial meeting, but once I’m booked, I like to make sure they know their event is a collaboration that they can be as involved in, or as removed from, as they want. I suppose I was hoping we could have the same type of working relationship.”
“Hmm.” His face didn’t give away anything.
Grace fiddled with the pen in her hands and fought the urge to doodle on the paper. Why wouldn’t he just say something already?
Eventually, he seemed to agree with her suggestion of informality, as he shrugged off his suit jacket and twisted to neatly set it on the back of his chair. Grace took a deep gulp as he turned back. What was it about a handsome man in a white dress shirt? She was used to dealing with the workaholics who drank one too many beers and ate delivery food too often. Simon’s toned, powerful physique was not what she expected.
“One thing you’ll come to know about me is that I’m blunt. I say what I mean as soon as I think it, and I expect my advice to be taken.”
She blinked a few times and pushed out all her mental images of unbuttoning his shirt button by button. “I can respect that,” she said.