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Authors: Kate Perry

Project Daddy (17 page)

BOOK: Project Daddy
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I sighed and explained the whole situation to her—from the sperm project to how I’d failed setting up any dates for Lydia to what I had to do to set up the meetings for tomorrow (I winced when I thought of that one).
“You promised all those guys you’d organize their clothes if they got together with your boss?” She slapped her knee and guffawed. Loudly.
“Shh!” I snapped the menu, which I’d let slip down, back in front of my face. “They might hear you. And it seemed like good incentive at the time. Men are bad when it comes to keeping their closets in order.” Luc couldn’t even keep his shoes in neat pairs.
“I bet they can’t wait till you take care of their Jockey shorts. Did they give you any special
handling
instructions?” She roared, rocking with laughter.
“Rainbow,” I hissed. “Shut
up
.”
Fortunately, the waiter arrived with our drinks. He had a pinched expression on his face. I wondered if his feet hurt. I glanced down—those shoes he was wearing looked stiff. I’d probably grimace too if I had to walk in them for any length of time.
“An organic beer.” He set Rainbow’s bottle in front of her along with a chilled glass.
She beamed at him. “Thanks. I didn’t think you had any.”
“We went out and fetched some for you, madam.” He put my Coke in front of me, made sure we didn’t need anything else, and left us alone.
“They went out and
fetched
me my beer. How groovy is that?” Rainbow grinned and tapped her bottle against my glass before taking a swig.
I worried my straw as I shot furtive glances across the room from behind my cover.
“You know, you’ve got to come out from there eventually.”
I frowned at her over the top of the menu. “No, I don’t.”
She shrugged. “So are you going to do it?”
“Do what?” Was he holding her hand now?
“Organize closets for those guys.”
I grimaced. “I don’t have much choice. I told Lydia this date would be the one. She’s going to be really angry that it doesn’t work out. I need to make sure I have alternatives lined up.”
I didn’t mention I wasn’t sure how well those would turn out, but hopefully by then Joseph would be better and able to meet her. (I really did think Joseph was the one.)
Well, Joseph had to meet with her. Otherwise I was out a job and a dream.
Rainbow beat a tribal rhythm on her bottle. “You know, those guys are probably expecting more from you than just folding their laundry. You’ll be in their boudoir. Don’t you think they’ll make a move?”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “No, they know I’m only interested in them meeting my boss.”
“Hmm.”
Something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I lowered the menu a fraction to see what was going on.
Luc stood and pulled Lydia’s chair out so she could rise. Even from the distance I could hear his low, sexy laugh as she said something.
Not a big deal. I mean, he’d held out my chair for me hundreds of times. It was one of those polite things he did unconsciously. It wasn’t anything special.
He held out Lydia’s coat so she could slither into it. She smiled at him over her shoulder.
That look. I squinted at her. That happy look again. Creepy was the only word for it.
Luc’s hands lingered on her shoulders even after she was in the coat. I waited for him to back away.
And I waited.
And waited.
But he didn’t. He slid his hand down her arm until he held hers and walked out with her, their bodies close. Too close.
Luc was touchy-feely, though. That didn’t mean anything. And he always helped me with my coat.
Wrinkling my nose, I tried to recall if his hands lingered on my shoulders. That’d be something I’d remember, right? They’d be warm and engulfing and would make me feel secure.
Yes, I’d definitely remember.
But I didn’t.
I growled.
Rainbow leaned across the table, her eyebrows drawn together. “Are you okay?”
I smacked the menu down. “Wouldn’t you remember if Luc’s hands lingered on you?”
“Hell yeah.” She grinned. “He’s hot.”
“That’s what I thought.” I pouted, trying not to panic that I’d opened Pandora’s box when I made Luc meet Lydia.
I needed to calm down. I took a deep breath and thought about this rationally. Luc knew how important the promotion was to me—he was just doing his part in helping me secure it. He was pretending to be nice to Lydia. For me.
Of course.
But, somehow, that thought wasn’t as reassuring as it should have been.
Chapter Twelve
Armed with a detailed schedule, I marched up to Lydia’s office the next morning bent on saving my career, my future home, and my best friend.
I took no flack from Jessica. Breezing past her, I said, “I need to see Lydia.” I didn’t even wait for her reply. Of course, some of my confidence might have stemmed from the fact that Lydia had set up the meeting the day before.
The first inclination I had that something was wrong was after I knocked on the door and walked in. Instead of barking out orders on the phone or typing manically on her computer, she sat at her desk and stared out at her panoramic view. That in itself wouldn’t have alarmed me overly much—what really panicked me was the dreamy look on her face.
Dreamy? Lydia didn’t do dreamy.
My salutation died on my lips and I stood frozen in the doorway.
She looked up and smiled. “Come in, Katherine.”
Right. I headed right for the chair I usually took and sat down. “Um. Are you okay, Lydia?”
“I’m perfect.” She smiled. “You were absolutely right.”
“I was?” I relaxed. Being right was a good thing.
“Yes. And I can’t thank you enough.”
“Um. Great.” I smiled a confident, professional smile even though I felt anything but at the moment. Mostly I just wondered what I was right about.
“I knew my faith in your judgment wasn’t misplaced.” She tipped her head and looked at me consideringly. “Have you thought about how you’d like to decorate your new office?”
Yes!
My heart jumped into my throat. I knew Lydia would realize I’d set things right, even though Luc didn’t work out. I barely stopped myself from falling to my knees and kissing the pointy tips of her Jimmy Choos.
Instead I cleared my throat. “I’m sure however it’s decorated is fine.” I wanted to ask if I got my own bathroom, but I thought that might be pushing it. Better to wait for tomorrow.
Because I knew she must have been waiting for it, I pulled out the schedule and handed it to her. “You’ll need this.”
“What is it?” Her forehead wrinkled as she looked at the schedule.
“Your schedule for tonight. I set up them up at hour increments.”
She shook her head and handed it back to me. “I won’t need this.”
“You won’t?”
“No.” She smiled gently.
That should have been my first clue something was amiss. Lydia typically wasn’t gentle about anything.
“Katherine, I think you misunderstood me. The assignment is complete.”
“Oh.” Oh. What a relief. She’d realized this idea was insane and she’d decided to drop the sperm search. I practically collapsed, I was so thankful.
“You did a great job. And you were right. To tell you the truth I had doubts, but I should have trusted you. Like I said before, you’re impeccable in your research.”
“Thank you.” I didn’t preen. I was just happy Lydia had come to her senses and realized this search for the perfect sperm was an asinine notion. And it didn’t cost me my promotion.
Lydia leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “Luc is absolutely the perfect choice to father my baby.”
I choked.
Lydia stood up partly. “Are you okay, Katherine?”
I managed a strangled “fine” in between the coughing. When I could breathe again, I asked, “You picked Luc?”
“Of course.” She gazed at me through narrowed eyes. “Maybe you should take a couple days off. You’ve obviously been working hard.”
“No. No—I’m fine.” A month off wouldn’t have been enough to recover from the shock. All I heard in my head was
Luc
and
the father of my baby
.
She smiled a most un-Lydia-like smile. “You far surpassed my expectations, Katherine. Luc is different than the men I usually meet. So different that I might have to reconsider my initial plan.”
“Reconsider?” The dreaminess of her expression made panic spike through my system.
“Yes. Luc just might restore my faith in the opposite sex.” She flashed a wry smile.
I rubbed my eyes behind my lenses. I had to be seeing things. I was calling my optometrist for a checkup as soon as I returned to my office.
“I’ll let you know how it goes. Luc and I have a date tomorrow night.” She lifted her eyebrow suggestively and turned around to stare out the window again.
A
date
?
Stunned, I had to sit there for a few seconds before I trusted myself to get up without passing out.
I’m not sure how I did it, but I managed to get myself to my office, where I collapsed into my chair. Luc and
Lydia
?
Okay, Lydia was his type. He had a history of going out with tall blondes. But in spirit they were completely at odds. I mean, Lydia was a ruthless business tycoon while Luc was a massage therapist. He was sensitive and she was a heartless bitch (in the best possible way, of course).
It was just that when I thought of Luc settling down, I never imagined he’d do it with someone like Lydia. Actually, if I really thought about it, I never imagined who he would settle down with. I mean, I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn’t ready for it.
I leaned my head back, squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to picture hanging out for the holidays—me, Luc, and Lydia.
The Christmas tree and Luc were finally firmly in my mind and I was working on making Lydia materialize when I heard a knock on my door.
“Are you busy, Katherine?”
I opened my eyes to find Drake standing in the doorway.
Now, I could picture Drake and Lydia next to a Christmas tree without an effort. Lydia held her baby in her arms and she was smiling one of those freaky, happy smiles I’d never seen on her face before today.
“Katherine?”
I pushed my glasses up and focused on Drake. “Yes. I mean, no, I’m not busy. Come in.”
He looked at me oddly but came in, closing the door behind him. “I noticed that you had another meeting with Lydia this morning.”
“Yes.” Unfortunately. It was one meeting I wish I’d never gone to.
“You have a lot of meetings with her.”
I shrugged. “I work for her.”
“You seem to know her well.”
“I don’t know.” But if she and Luc hooked up, we’d practically be family.
Wait a minute.
A horrible thought popped into my head. Would I really be able to hang out with Luc if he and Lydia got together? I doubt she’d like that. She’d probably tell him he couldn’t see me anymore.
I’d lose my best friend.
“Katherine?”
“Hm?” I frowned at Drake.
He frowned right back at me. “Are you okay?”
Why was everyone asking me that today? I smiled and hoped it wasn’t as pale as it felt. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t look convinced but he dropped it. “So, how well do you know Lydia? Personally?”
“Personally?” I pursed my lips. I knew she was planning on putting moves on my best friend.
I gasped mentally. What if Luc didn’t know she was planning on making a move? That must be it. I mean, Luc was kind of clueless sometimes. He was probably just being nice to her on my account (I
did
tell him my promotion rested on how well the meeting went). He probably had no idea what was going on.
I had to call to warn him.
“Katherine?”
The sharpness in Drake’s voice made me snap to attention. “Yes, sir!”
He studied me, tapping a finger against his chin. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I gritted my teeth to make sure my smile didn’t slip. “Of course.”
He blinked but before I could assure him I really was okay, he said, “Tell me about Lydia.”
She wants to be pregnant by next week and wants to steal my best friend away from me.
But out loud I said, “She’s a fair employer.”
“What can you tell me about her personal life?”
“She—” I scowled. “Why do you want to know about her personal life?”
He gazed at me steadily. “I wanted to get a feel for her.”
“Why?” I wasn’t sure why, but I was suddenly very suspicious.
“It’s good to know who you’re doing business with.”
Of course. That’s why he was around so much. Still. “You should ask her for a curriculum vitae.”
He smiled and his one dimple winked at me. As intimidating as he looked—he was very imposing—he really was attractive when he smiled. Attractive in a gruff, manly kind of way. “I was hoping you’d be able to tell me something about her.”
I shrugged. “She’s very dedicated.”
“Do you like your job?”
I blinked at the abrupt change in subject. “Yes,” I answered cautiously.
He nodded. “What kind of projects are you working on?”
I gave him a brief rundown, minus Lydia’s secret assignment (which, in reality, was taking up the bulk of my time).
Drake listened to me so attentively I really got into describing my work. Finding facts and doing research is a fine art. Not everyone is good at it, and certainly not everyone does it as thoroughly as it needs to be done. It’s hard work, scouring the darkest corners of the Internet for obscure tidbits. You have to know how to finesse the information out of the ether, and not everyone can do that.
Usually when I talk about my work, something always interrupts the conversation. Like a pressing car detailing appointment.
The great thing about Drake was not only did he avidly listen but he asked questions. Intelligent questions. He got me so wrapped up in talking about my work that when he suggested we continue over a mocha and a bagel at the coffee bar on the corner I happily went along.
I didn’t get back to work for an hour. At one time I would have really freaked out about that, but I felt too good to worry about it. I liked him. A lot. Drake got my mind off Lydia and Luc (shudder).
For a little while at least. I might have felt great when I got back to work, but within half an hour I was fretting again. Every time Luc came to mind (and Lydia, by default) my muscles clenched so tightly I felt like I was bound in a knot. I knew I had to call Luc to warn him, but I put it off for as long as I could.
Late in the afternoon, I decided I had to stop applying my Scarlett O’Hara philosophy to the Lydia situation and call Luc to caution him against her plans. He needed to know, and my promotion was out of danger, so there was no need for him to continue the charade.
He answered on the third ring. “Hello.”
“Hi, Luc.”
There was a long pause before he said anything. “Hey. How’s it going?”
He sounded distant. Maybe he was in the middle of updating his schedule (he hated typing). “Pretty good.”
“Good.”
I frowned. Maybe he was bent out of shape because he had to spend so much time with Lydia last night. God knows, I’d be touchy. “I wanted to thank you for last night.”
Silence.
Clearing my throat, I continued. “Right. Uh, it means a lot to me that you went, but I thought you should know—” How did I say this? That Lydia was like a black widow and she’d sighted him in her web and was going in for the kill?
But before I could finish my thought, Luc said, “I had a good time.”
Blink. “You did?”
“Yes. Is that so hard to believe? You yourself said that your boss was attractive and intelligent. Why wouldn’t I enjoy her company?”
“Uh—” Because she’s a heinous bitch? “Good point,” I replied weakly.
“I had such a good time I asked her to go out again tomorrow night.”
“
You
asked her out again?” I almost toppled out of my chair.
“You were the one who wanted me to meet her.”
Yeah, but I didn’t want you to be interested in her.
“Luc, I should tell you I think Lydia has ulterior motives.”
“Like?”
I pushed my glasses up, gulped, and said, “I think she wants you to be her sperm donor.”
Silence.
I knew it—I’d stunned him into speechlessness. I hoped he hadn’t passed out from shock. “Luc? Are you still there?”
“Yeah. I’m waiting for you to tell me Lydia’s ulterior motives.”
I frowned. “I just did.”
He snorted. “I knew what she was after when I went into this. Remember? You told me yourself what she was after.”
“But—”
“What’s the problem, Katherine? I’m doing what you wanted. You’re going to get a promotion out of this, right?”
Luc sounded so unlike himself—so bitter—the only thing I could say was “yes.”
BOOK: Project Daddy
5.57Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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