Читать книгу The Personal Touch - Lori Borrill - Страница 10

“SHE’S DRIVING ME crazy.”

Clint was stretched out on the couch in the reception area of his Wilshire Boulevard office. For the last twenty minutes, he’d been spilling his problems to his office manager, Carmen Padilla, as though she were his personal shrink. After four years with his firm, it had become one of her unofficial job titles.

“Your mother’s not that bad,” she attempted.

She sat behind her large reception desk, the Bluetooth receiver a permanent fixture to her ear, while she listened to Clint’s woes.

“Do you know how I spent my weekend?”

“From what you’ve told me so far, I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“My mother and I toured health clubs for two days.”

“I thought she just joined one.”

“She did. With her ex-friend Marge. Now she insists on finding a new club so they don’t accidentally run into each other.” He pushed up from the couch and began circling the marble tiled floor. “Forget the fact that I’ve got a gym right in my own house. And the fact that she just paid a year’s membership at Rolling Hills. And the fact that in the end, she’ll go for two weeks, then find some reason to never go back again. I still spent my weekend touring every health club in Hollywood.”

He stopped and looked at Carmen. “Do you know how many health clubs there are around here?”

She shrugged and blinked her eyes innocently, though her smirk admitted evil pleasure in this. Having a large and close family, Carmen held little sympathy for Clint’s situation. “More than three?”

“You don’t care at all, do you?”

“Of course I do,” she insisted, but the grin said she was lying. Carmen’s family was tight-knit. The children stayed close to the nest and relatives were as much friends as family. And to Clint’s credit, he’d had the same relationship with his own family back when his father was his business partner and his brother wrote local stories for the L.A. Times.

But when his dad died suddenly of a heart attack, all that changed. For a while, his brother, Nate, had stayed with their mother, helping her through her grief while Clint dealt with the family’s contracting business. The arrangement got them all through the shock of their father’s death until Nate got the opportunity of a lifetime with an assignment that took him to Afghanistan. It was thrilling for Nate, but terrifying for their mother, who feared losing a son after her husband. And in the end, Clint was left holding all the bags. It was often that Clint thought of the other men in his family as if they’d abandoned him. And days like this, the taste was especially bitter.

Carmen must have seen the look on his face because her playful edge sobered.

“Okay, let’s tackle this like any other business matter,” she said. “Your mother’s bored and you’re all she’s got.” She tapped her pen on the dark cherrywood desk and thought for a while. “You need to find her someone else to play with.”

“I already bought her a dog.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of a new man.”

He turned the idea over in his mind. “I’m listening.”

“Trust me. I know women. If your mom had a lover, she’d be the one complaining that you’re hanging around too much.”

He wondered if his mother was ready for it. It had been almost two years since his father died. She was past her stage of mourning. Had even mentioned on one or two occasions the thought of entering the dating world again—in a fearful kind of way, but Clint knew that meant she’d been thinking about it.

“How about your uncle, Gabe?” he asked.

Carmen frowned. “Gabe doesn’t speak English.”

“I’m not picky.”

“You need to be. The wrong man could make everything worse.”

“I don’t need worse,” he agreed.

“You need Margot.” She jotted a note on a pad and handed it to him.

“Who’s Margot?”

“My friend and only the best dating counselor in West L.A.”

“Oh, no. My mother will never agree to a dating service.” He shook his head with conviction. “Even if I could brighten her opinion of matchmakers, she wouldn’t see one now after the fight she had with Marge. It would be like admitting Marge was right, and Mom’s way too stubborn for that.” He crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it back to Carmen. “Sorry. I need a Plan B.”

She took the note and smoothed it back out. “Talk to her anyway. I’m serious. She’s the one who got Nico and me together without even trying, and she’s got plenty of clients your mother’s age. If you talk to her, I’m sure the two of you will figure something out.”

He scoffed. “My weekend was destroyed thanks to my mother and her opinions about matchmakers.”

“Margot’s not just a matchmaker. She’s a counselor for singles. Your mom doesn’t even need to know you’ve spoken with her. Just seek her out for the advice.” She handed the note back to Clint. “Aren’t you the one who always said if you want a job done right, hire a professional?”

“I was referring to construction.”

“It’s true for everything. Your mom needs a new man in her life. Margot can tell you how to make that happen.”

Clint stared at the wrinkled page. Though a year ago he would have felt otherwise, the thought of his mother remarried to a nice guy now seemed like a dream come true. He’d love to have things back the way they used to be, her busy with her own life and him enjoying his. But Carmen was right. His mother had already been through enough. He didn’t want to see her hurt all over again by a dating game that could often be cruel and dangerous. Heck, the last time the woman was single, Jimmy Carter was president. Things had changed.

“Trust me,” Carmen said. “You won’t be sorry.”

“Famous last words.” But he tucked the note in his pocket anyway. He had to do something to fix this situation before his relationship with his mother was ruined forever. And the way things were going, that’s exactly where this would end.

“SHE MADE this funny noise when we had sex.”

Margot Roth stared at her client, not sure she wanted him to elaborate on that comment. The woman he was talking about had been Margot’s hairstylist for years and this conversation bordered on TMI—too much information. Not that Margot hadn’t had discussions like this before. To be successful as a dating counselor, she’d often had to peel back the layers of a client’s most intimate issues. She only wondered if she could sit for two hours every eight weeks having her highlights retouched knowing these kinds of details about her stylist, Gail.

Curiosity got the best of her.

“What kind of funny noise?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Sort of a…whistle in her nose…kind of a growling thing…” He checked his perfectly manicured fingernails. “Maybe a clicking kind of thing.”

She stared at him blankly. “Well, what is it, David? A whistle, growl or a click?”

He sucked in a big breath and let it out. “Maybe all three, maybe none. I don’t know.” He tossed his head to the side to whip the dark bangs from his eyes, and when Margot fell silent and waited for a more solid answer, he rose to his feet and began pacing.

David was clearly anxious and frustrated. This was the third woman Margot had paired him with, each one more perfect for him than the last, yet something kept holding him back. And after six weeks of getting to know him, digging deeper and deeper into his psyche, Margot was almost certain she knew what it was. She just didn’t know if he was ready to hear it.

“David,” she said. “How do you feel about Gail on a personal level?”

He stopped his pacing and smiled brightly. “Oh, she’s great. Every time we’re together we talk all night. You’re totally right about her. In fact, I scored some tickets to the Indie Film Festival next month and I’ve asked her to go with me. We’ll have a blast.”

“It’s only on an intimate level that you aren’t quite connecting.”

He seemed relieved that she understood. “Exactly. I just don’t feel that way about her, and I don’t know how to tell her.”

“You have to be honest with her. And don’t waste time doing it. If you truly value her friendship and want it to continue, you’ve got to be kind but frank about this. Leading her on will only make things worse when the truth does come out.”

It was advice Margot often doled out. She was a stickler about open communication when it came to relationships, and she wasn’t above canceling a contract with a client who couldn’t be honest with his or her partner.

“I don’t want to lead her on. But I was kind of hoping maybe you could talk to—”

Margot shook her head before he could finish the sentence. “She needs to hear it from you.” Then she gave him a reassuring smile. “Besides, I know you can do it. You’re a kind, gentle man, David. You’ll find the right way to talk to her about this and everything will be fine.”

That is, everything will be fine between David and Gail. Getting to the bottom of David’s intimacy issues in general would be a little touchier.

Though Margot had a bachelor’s degree in counseling and psychology, she wasn’t trained to handle the deeper emotional issues she sometimes ran into in her line of work. Usually, once she suspected there was more going on with a client than the need to learn some social skills or find the right companion, she referred them to one of the many trained professionals she had on file.

And after this date with Gale, Margot debated whether David was one of those candidates.

“You’re right,” he said. “I can talk to her. And I will. But…” he bit his lip. “Where does that leave us? I mean, I’m really looking for a soul mate, and Gail isn’t it.”

Nor was any other woman, if Margot’s suspicions were correct. And they usually were. With David, it had taken her a couple dates to figure out that he might be struggling with his sexuality. And now, after his date with Gail, she was sure of it. She only hesitated wondering whether or not he was ready to face the truth.

She pursed her lips and studied him, looking for some kind of sign that might tell her how he’d react to the suggestion he might be gay. There was such an innocence about him, an almost boyish sweetness that had her caring more for his feelings than for their business relationship. She didn’t want to throw reality in his face if he wasn’t prepared to consider it.

“You know, actually,” he finally said, “some guys I know are going down to Cabo for a long weekend. They’ve asked me to go along.”

“What kind of guys?” The question slipped from her lips before she could consider the insinuation in it.

“A guy I know from work and a few of his friends.”

She waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn’t, she simply said, “Sounds like fun.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it will be. And I was thinking maybe we’d put off any more dates until after I get back from this trip.”

A sense of relief eased the tension in Margot’s shoulders. Maybe David was ready to explore the truth.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

He looked as though he was about to say something else, but then he rose to his feet instead. “I’ll call Gail tonight.”

Margot stood with him. “I know you two will be fine,” she assured him. In truth, she’d already spoken with Gail and the two women had come to the same conclusion. He’d make a great friend, but when it came to life partners, he was probably drafting from the wrong team.

She followed him out to the reception area of the office she shared with her partner, Alan Immendorf. She and Alan together owned Intimates, a full-service relationship counseling center for men and women who’ve had trouble finding that special person. Most of the time, their clients were people who, because of their careers or other obligations, didn’t have the time to go searching the usual places for a date. Many didn’t know where to go or how to approach the opposite sex. And then others needed deeper help in understanding themselves and getting real about the type of person they were looking for—David being an extreme example.

And though it was the latter group she usually had the most trouble with, they could also be the most rewarding. The ones she truly felt would have spent the bulk of their lives frustrated and confused if it weren’t for the help she provided.

Margot had been a romantic her whole life. Couple that with a keen instinct when it came to people and she’d found quick success in her choice of profession. And when she paired up with Alan, her gay business partner who handled many of their clients with alternative lifestyles, the two had come together to create what was becoming one of the more notable firms in their field.

“So you’ll call me when you get back from Cabo,” she said as she led David through the reception area toward the front door. “I think the trip will be good for you. I’m looking forward to hearing how it went.”

He smiled. “I will.” And when he walked out onto the street, she knew for certain the man who came back would be changed.

“When are you going to hand him over?”

She jumped at Alan’s voice behind her. “What were you doing, lurking behind the palms? You scared the daylights out of me.”

“I heard your voices and came to see how it went. Were you and Gail right?”

“I’m guessing if he returns as a client, it will be as one of yours instead of mine.”

She told Alan about her meeting with David and his upcoming trip to Cabo San Lucas, and when she was done, Alan regarded her with a cocky grin. “I told you he wasn’t just metrosexual.”

“Oh, stop acting like you’ve got a sixth sense. Your gaydar didn’t go off any sooner than mine did.”

“No, but I’ll be happy to steal your client if he still needs our services.”

“I’m thinking he won’t, but if I’m wrong, he’s all yours.”

Alan laughed and handed her a note. “This call came into the main line during your appointment. Some guy named Clint Hilton. Carmen referred him to you.”

“That’s her boss. Did he say what he wanted?”

“Your services, apparently.”

Margot stared at the paper in her hand. Though she’d never met Carmen’s boss, she’d heard plenty about him and found it highly implausible he’d need a dating counselor. From what she understood, the man had no problem finding women.

“I can’t see why. He doesn’t fit the profile.”

“Well, you’re about to find out. He’ll be here any minute.”

“What?”

“He had another appointment in the neighborhood and wanted to drop by afterward. I told him you were in but I couldn’t guarantee you’d be available.” When Alan noted the quizzical look in her eye, he added, “You can hide out in your office if you want me to get rid of him.”

“No, I don’t mind talking with him. I’m just caught a little off guard, is all. I would have liked to have talked with Carmen first to see what this is about.”

“So go call her. If he shows up, I’ll have him wait. My next appointment isn’t for a while.”

“Maybe I will.”

But before she could duck into her office, she heard the front door open.

Margot had never seen Clint Hilton before, but based on the stories she’d heard from Carmen, she knew with all certainty the tall, drop-dead sexy man approaching them was him.

He strolled in with the casual ease of a man accustomed to dominating the space around him. Relaxed and calm, as though he could find common ground with a mechanic or a millionaire banker alike. His shoulders were broad and his hands worn. He wasn’t simply the paper-pushing end of the contracting business he owned, and the sun-kissed highlights in his dirty blond hair didn’t come from a bottle.

He was the genuine article. A West L.A. version of the Marlboro Man, if such a thing existed.

A dark pair of Armanis covered his eyes and his brown leather Oxfords were unmistakably Santoni. Along with the stainless steel Rolex, business-casual slacks and tailored dress shirt, she guessed he was wearing a fortune worth more than her car. Yet there was nothing stuffy or presumptuous about his appearance. He wore the ensemble as though he’d thrown it on the same way the rest of the world slipped into a pair of sweats and sneakers.

As the door closed behind him he smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. His grin pressed dimples into the strong hollows of his cheeks and set off a chain reaction she felt straight to her toes. And when he pulled off his shades, the gaze from his deep blue eyes seemed to slip straight under her skin, sending a shiver through her veins that stole her speech and garbled her thoughts.

She stood there gaping while Alan held out a hand in her rescue. “You must be Clint Hilton. We spoke on the phone.”

Clint turned the lethal smile away, allowing her to momentarily catch her breath and recollect some basic facts—like her name.

What was wrong with her? Rich and handsome men walked into their offices all the time, yet today she stood there like an awed, giddy groupie. She lied and told herself it was resonant fluster from her meeting with David. Or maybe her blood sugar was low, the blueberry muffin she’d had for breakfast coming back to haunt her.

That had to explain the light-headed dizziness that had just come over her because either of those things was better than admitting an instant crush on her best friend’s boss.

“Yes, I’m Clint.” He shook Alan’s hand with vigor. “Alan, good to meet you.”

Tucking his sunglasses into his shirt pocket, he turned the hand to Margot. “Margot Roth?” When she nodded, he added, “Carmen regards you very highly.”

She accepted the handshake while mentally pulling herself together. If Clint had come seeking her professional services, now wasn’t the time to act like a babbling idiot.

“If this is a bad time, I can make an appointment,” he offered. “I’m renovating a building over on 6th and happened to be in the area.”

“The old Fuller building. I’m familiar with it,” she managed to utter.

He quirked a smile that said he was impressed and she marveled over why that excited her so.

He’s just a man. An incredibly sexy man. And in case you’ve forgotten, you’ve already found Mr. Wonderful.

The memory of Rob, the man she’d started dating a month ago, brought her feet back down to earth. Now, Rob was the man she should be getting silly over. Perfect for her in every way.

And as a woman in the business of forming lasting relationships, she should know.

So she did her best to set her lust aside and get to work. “I’ve got time. If you’d like, we could meet now.”

He slapped his big hands together. “Great. I’m anxious to see what you can do for me.”

His choice of words sparked a number of inappropriate responses, but she held them all in check, insistent on shaking off this strange reaction of hers.

Rob, think of Rob, she thought. And money. Lots of money. A new client always made for a good day, and with a heavy mortgage on a brand-new condo, she could use all the business she could get.

So with those thoughts firmly fixed in her mind, she set off down the hall to find out exactly what she could do for the sexy Clint Hilton.