The Rebound Guy (13 page)

“It has nothing to do with parental love. Mr. Rochester thinks that it would undermine the work they’ve done to position the company as being pro-family values. I agreed with him.”

“What about pinning it on someone else?” Lance suggested. “It’s not evident from the videos that Noah was the ring leader. Maybe we can convince one of his friends to take the fall?”

Asia’s stomach twisted at the thought, but she knew Lance’s suggestion had merit. Normally, she adored her job, but there were certain aspects of it that she absolutely detested.

She dealt with powerful men, most of who were at the helm of powerful global entities. Asia had been forced to orchestrate more underhanded deals than she cared to remember. It never sat well with her, but when the goal was protecting the reputation of a company and preventing PR catastrophes that would affect hundreds, if not thousands, of employees, collateral damage was to be expected.

“I’m putting that on the table,” she said. “It won’t be our first option, but it’s something to consider.” She wrote down ‘scapegoat’ then went over to her laptop to look at the short, forty-two second video again. “My next suggestion to the elder Mr. Rochester will be that they face this problem head on. I think, if we coach him, he can save face better by putting Noah the Second in rehab. He can take the ‘all families are not perfect’ angle. It would humanize him, which is something he desperately needs, in my opinion.”

“I’m not sure he can pull off being human. I’m pretty sure I saw a microchip behind his ear,” Lance said, earning a laugh from Helena.

“I do believe that’s a hearing aid,” Asia replied. “I’m requesting a meeting with Noah Rochester, the father, for tomorrow morning.”

“You think he’ll meet on a Saturday?”

“He has no choice. We can’t allow this story to fester the entire weekend. We’ll sit tight tonight and hope that it doesn’t rack up too many views on YouTube. I’ll meet with Rochester early. If I can convince him to take the rehab approach, we answer all media inquiries with ‘no comment’ until Monday, when Rochester will make the rehab announcement—which I’ll start writing tonight.”

“And if he says no to rehab?” Lance asked.

Asia looked him dead on. “Then you start combing through the video and don’t stop until you find the perfect scapegoat.”

***

Asia lounged in a comfortable chair in one of her favorite spots in New York, the basement of the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library. She could count on her fingers the number of people who had joined her and Dexter in the bowels of the historic architectural marvel that had once been a courthouse. She appreciated the peace and quiet.

She surreptitiously studied Dexter as he jotted notes from a book on marketing that he’d pulled from the stacks, his intense concentration focused on the pages.

They’d moved to this cozy corner of the basement floor after spending much of the afternoon strolling about the library’s exquisitely maintained community garden, learning more about each other. As they’d wandered beneath the gracefully drooping branches of the weeping birch trees, Dexter had talked about his love for outside sports. It had come as no surprise. It was evident by his sleek build and well-defined muscles that he regularly engaged in physical activity.

What
did
come as a surprise was when Dexter had revealed that he had a garden.

“Not just a few fresh herbs growing in paper cups on my window sill,” he’d said with a grin that made her stomach flutter.

Asia’s lips had trembled with barely concealed amusement as he’d animatedly described the cluster of clay pots on his fire escape, in which he grew peppers, tomatoes, and his favorite culinary herbs. But then he’d melted her heart by sharing memories of helping his grandmother tend her garden when he was a little boy in Georgia. She could just imagine a young Dexter trailing behind his grandmother, carrying a watering can that was nearly as big as he was.

Asia prided herself on being unflappable, but several of Dexter’s revelations had shocked her. He was such a contradiction. Who would have thought the suave, sexy man who’d charmed her co-workers last night spent his spare time growing fresh vegetables and spoiling a Pomeranian?

What had shocked Asia even more was how much
she
had shared about herself.

When she’d first started dating Cortland, he’d teased her about having a closed-book policy. Yet, she’d spent hours this afternoon recounting stories of her childhood in Camden. Dexter had had to take a seat on a bench after laughing too hard at the story of how she had nearly blown up the kitchen while working on her ninth-grade science experiment.

Asia had glanced at him and, after a moment’s hesitation, quietly revealed, “You’re the first person I’ve told that story to in about fifteen years.”

His brows had arched in surprise. “Not even Cortland?”

Asia had shaken her head and turned her attention to the bobbing flowers on the towering hollyhocks.

“Why?” he’d asked, his voice hushed, curious.

With a shrug, she’d admitted, “I just don’t talk much about my past, I guess.”

Why she had opened up so quickly—so thoroughly—to Dexter was still a mystery to her. Was it because he was only in her life temporarily? Maybe it was just as he’d proposed last night: There was a freedom in knowing there was no expectation that their time together would lead to anything more permanent. She could enjoy just being herself without the pressure of wondering whether she would say or do something to mess things up.

Studying his profile as he poured over the marketing textbook, Asia couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him. Lately, she had been in a constant battle with that little devil on her shoulder who was relentlessly pushing her to take advantage of
all
of her rebound guy’s services. But she’d decided that she must adhere to at least a semblance of a moral code. She drew the line at paying for sex, so there would be none with Dexter.

Unless she figured out a way to justify it..
.

“Earth to Asia.”

She snapped to attention, finding Dexter waving a hand in front of her face.

“Oh, goodness. I’m sorry for blanking out,” she said, praying her previous train of thought didn’t have her face beet red. “What were you saying?”

He pointed to a spot in the book. “I wanted to know what you thought about some of these strategies for rebranding an existing business.”

Shaking her head to clear it, she straightened in her chair. “Before we talk strategy, let’s cover the basics. What I gathered from our conversation last night is that the problem you’re having stems from your business being somewhat...umm...unconventional?”

“You can say that,” he said.

“And you want to make it more conventional?”

“More...palatable,” he said. “I want to distance myself from the stud-for-hire reputation that I can’t seem to shake.”

Asia positioned herself more comfortably in the chair and pulled in a fortifying breath before continuing. “Dexter, there’s just something I have to ask.” She held her hands up. “Now, don’t take this the wrong way—”

“Uh, oh,” he said. “When people start a sentence with, ‘don’t take this the wrong way,’ it means that it’s something I’m likely to take the wrong way.”

“You’re right,” she said, a self-deprecating grin edging up the corners of her lips. “But I still have to ask...how can you be okay with all of this?”

“With what?”

“Being paid to be with a woman. Isn’t it demeaning?”

Dexter released a heavy sigh and set the book on the table. He turned and leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on his thighs.

“I may not have a degree, nor do I have any type of official certification, but I believe in the service I provide to my clients, Asia. What I do makes a difference. I’ve seen it.”

She started to interrupt, but he stopped her.

“I understand how people can look at me and think that I’m a playboy, some guy just here to show a woman a good time and get her mind off her problems. That is one element, but it’s only a small piece. I don’t see myself as a Band-Aid. I don’t want to just cover up the wound for a little while. With my typical clients—the ones who actually allow me to help them work through their past relationship—the work I do has helped them move forward with their lives.”

Asia was taken aback by his impassioned speech. The easy-going, carefree guy he’d come across as thus far had been replaced with a man who undeniably believed in what he was doing.

“That you want to rebrand yourself tells me that you get a fair share of clients whose interests go beyond simply wanting to explore their past relationship. What about those women who approach you wanting only a particular service? And, by that, I mean sex,” she said.

“Of course I’ve had women who have wanted just sex. I refused to take them on as clients. I’m not an escort, Asia. I don’t want to be paid for sex.”

“But you admitted that you have sex with some of your clients.”

He pitched his head back and in a strained voice said, “That’s not
all
we do.”

He straightened in his chair and massaged the back of his neck. Releasing a heavy sigh, he said, “Sometimes, sex is just sex. Other times, sex is a way to make a woman feel special, to remind her that she’s beautiful and worthy and just as desirable as the woman her ex left her for. When I have sex with a client, it’s done with a purpose. It’s not just about getting laid.”

“But you
do
get laid,” she insisted. “What about the legal ramifications in all of this? Essentially, you are getting paid to have sex, which is only legal in the state of Nevada. So, unless you plan to take your special brand of “relationship consulting” to Vegas, you will have to rethink these services you provide.”

“Maybe not,” he said. “Sex surrogacy is legal in New York. I’m not officially trained as one, but maybe I can look into it.”

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

He grinned, but then his expression became more serious.

“Look, Asia, I understand the legal concerns that may arise. So far it hasn’t been an issue, because as I said before, I am upfront with the clients who I do become intimate with from the very beginning. I cannot stress enough just how little the sexual act has to do with the services I provide.”

A mixture of lingering disapproval and desire fluttered within her chest. Asia tilted her head to the side, studying him for a second before admitting, “You continue to surprise me.”

“Because I’m not in this career to find bed partners?”

“Because of several things. I still see much gray area in what you’re doing, but it’s obvious that you believe in it. There’s definitely more to you than I first assumed.”

“I can say the same thing about you,” he returned.

“Really? What did you first think of me?”

A slight smile drew across his face. “I’m not sure I should answer that.”

“I promise not to hold anything you say against you. Come on,” Asia said, playfully shoving his leg. “Tell me. Consider it practice for the dinner party tomorrow night. People will want to know certain things about us, such as what first attracted us to one another.”

“That’s an easy one,” he said. “Your legs.”

She thought a minute, then frowned. “I was wearing pants the day you came to my office.”

“Yes, but you wore them well. And the following week, when you showed up at the coffee shop in that skirt?” He let out an uneasy breath. “I discovered that my imagination had nothing on reality.”

A surge of arousal flooded her bloodstream, heating her body to unprecedented levels. Asia fought the urge to squirm in her chair.

“Your turn,” Dexter said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What first attracted you to me?”

This conversation was becoming more revealing than she’d anticipated.

“What makes you think I find you attractive?” she asked, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.

One mischievous brow arched a fraction, causing her nipples to tighten. Damn, he was good.

“Fine,” she said. “It was your eyes.”

“Really?” His dubious frown wrung a laugh from her.

“What’s wrong with my being attracted to your eyes? The pale brown catches the light, especially when you smile.” Which he did at that very moment, and, predictably, her heart rate escalated.

She exhaled a tired, resigned breath. “Okay, so I’m starting to see where your other services may come in handy. It’s been a long time since I flirted.”

“It’s fun, isn’t it?”

She nodded and laughed. “But enough with the flirting.” She set her shoulders back and folded her hands in her lap. “We’re supposed to be working here. Let’s get back to discussing your business.”

“Forward Momentum,” he said. “That’s the name I came up with.”

“What made you decide on Forward Momentum?”

“It’s what best describes my vision. I want the business to be about helping women move forward with their lives and not dwelling on the past months or years they’ve wasted with their exes.”

“But isn’t delving into past relationships going to be a big part of the business?”

“Yes, but only because it’s necessary to explore the past to move forward.” He folded his hands together, letting them hang between his spread-out knees. “My approach is to dig deep, bring up all the old hurts, and just get everything on the table. Once it’s all out there, we work through it and then let it all go. It opens up the door for the client to move onto bigger and better things.”

Despite her best effort to staunch it, a bemused smirk crept across Asia’s lips. “You know, for someone who isn’t professionally trained in all of this, you sure know a lot about it.”

“My collection of psychology manuals and relationship self-help books can rival what you’d find in this library.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“No, I just think that you’re...unconventional,” she said. Asia held her hands up. “I’ll admit that at first I thought it was a load of bunk, but the more you talk about it, the more I can see how a lot of women can benefit from what you offer.”