Читать книгу A Miami Affair - Sherelle Green - Страница 13

Chapter 4

“Please tell me that you didn’t tell one of the sexiest men in Miami that you had a gag reflex problem?”

Becca looked up from her desk at Leanna Timmons—part-time program manager for The Aunt Penny Foundation. Leanna had been the first employee to join the foundation and had been an asset to Haley and Becca over the years. Leanna also owned her own hair and beauty salon down the street from the office. Today, her blond hair was cut in a chic bob and highlighted with pink and black streaks that matched her black tank and pink skirt. On any other person, the style might have looked crazy, but on Leanna it made her look like a rock star.

“That’s not how the conversation went.”

Leanna crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh really? When I talked to Haley this morning, she said you basically admitted that you suffer from a sensitive gag reflex when something large goes into your mouth.”

Becca sighed. She’d told Haley not to mention what had happened, but apparently her best friend hadn’t listened. She couldn’t even chastise Haley because she was on a business lunch.

“Okay, I may or may not have mentioned something like that to Josh, but I hadn’t cut my apple into small enough pieces and I was talking to him at the same time. You know I have to chew my food slowly and in small portions.”

“Couldn’t you have at least waited until after a few more meetings before you mentioned the word gag to Joshua DeLong?”

Becca had to admit that she’d come across pretty pathetic on the Skype call with Josh. However, he’d seemed amused and his laughter had been contagious. I’m still not even sure why he called me. True, he’d claimed that she’d just been on his mind and he had to call her, but come on. This was Joshua DeLong—the ultimate playboy. Why would he be thinking about Becca at all?

After their meeting on his yacht, she’d researched him a bit more, and in several photos he was pictured beside actresses, models, or women with high cheekbones and perfect figures who had probably never sucked in their stomach a day in their lives. Becca was hardly his type, which was why she had a hard time believing his admission.

“Becca,” Stacy said, knocking on the door. “There’s someone here to see you.”

The fact that Stacy had actually knocked was enough to shake Becca from her thoughts.

“Who is it?”

“Joshua DeLong.” Of course it’s him. That explained why Stacy was on her best behavior. “He wants to take you to lunch.”

Leanna squealed. “This is perfect! You can redeem yourself from your last conversation.”

“I’m not going to lunch with him. I have too much to do.” And I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one week.

“You have to go,” Leanna said as she coaxed Becca out of her chair. “He probably finalized the paperwork and just wants to go over it with you.”

“She’s right,” Stacy said. “He mentioned some kind of paperwork, too.”

Just great. She’d only known Josh for a week and already he was disrupting her predictable lifestyle.

“But look at what I’m wearing.” Becca glanced down at her black slacks and simple black blazer that covered her beige blouse. Her outfit was hardly suitable for having lunch with a man like Joshua DeLong.

“You’re a beautiful woman,” Leanna said. “Here, let’s just make a few changes.” Leanna pulled off her jacket and unbuttoned the first three buttons of her blouse.

“That’s too many,” Becca said as she buttoned up two of the three.

Leanna frowned. “Can we compromise at unbuttoning at least two?”

Becca nodded her head. “I can work with two.”

“Well, I definitely want you to ‘work it,’ but how about we just focus on getting you through the lunch for now. Here, let’s change shoes. I think we wear the same size.” Leanna kicked off her black heels.

Becca glanced down at her beige ballerina shoes. “What’s wrong with my shoes?”

Leanna blinked rapidly. “Sweetie, you can’t dine with a man like Joshua DeLong wearing flats.”

Becca shrugged. “I suppose you have a point.” She easily slipped her feet into the heels. She wasn’t a stranger to high-heeled shoes, and putting on Leanna’s reminded her how much she’d missed them.

Leanna stepped back and admired the wardrobe changes. “Perfect. Now all you have to do is take your hair out of that tight bun.”

Becca swatted Leanna’s hands away. “No way I’m taking down my bun. My hair will not cooperate in this Miami summer heat right now without my products.”

“Hello? I own my own hair and beauty salon.” Leanna lifted the bag on her shoulder. “I always bring hair reinforcements with me.”

“Sorry, hon, but your magic bag of tricks is going to have to make an appearance at another time. I refuse to change my hair for a business lunch.”

Leanna and Stacy shared a look. “Okay, I guess this is good for now,” Leanna said. “Now go out there and redeem yourself from the last conversation.” Leanna slapped her butt for good measure, causing Becca to laugh. Unfortunately, her laughter was short-lived, because she turned the corner and focused her gaze on Josh, who was standing near the reception desk.

You can do this, she thought as she approached. Unlike their first meeting, he was dressed in business casual clothing—maroon slacks with a light blue button-up and his Ray-Bans. His blue suede shoes complemented the entire outfit. When Josh saw her, he removed his Ray-Bans and once again, she was temporarily entranced in his beautiful baby blues.

“Hello, Becca,” he said as she approached. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Josh.” Try not to stare so hard at his pearly whites. “What brings you by our office?”

“I was hoping that we could have lunch and go over the final paperwork.” He briefly glanced over her shoulder at something behind her. Becca figured it was Leanna and Stacy, who were ready to jump in if she declined his lunch offer.

“Sure, I’m available for lunch.”

“Great, I’m parked right outside. If it’s okay with you, I’ll drive us to the restaurant and drop you back off after.”

“That’s fine.” She briefly waved at Leanna and Stacy as she followed Josh outside. The minute she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she froze.

“Oh my God,” she said, walking toward the gorgeous vehicle parked in front of her office. “Does this breathtaking beauty belong to you?”

“Um, yes,” Josh said with a laugh. “This is one of my vehicles.”

One of? Becca had a few guilty pleasures, and luxury cars had to be in her top five. “May I?” she asked, itching to run her fingers across the smooth steel.

“Sure.” Josh didn’t look phased by her request, which only increased her boldness. She felt like her hand moved in slow motion as she touched the exterior of the car.

“I take it you like luxury vehicles?” Josh asked. “It’s a—”

“French blue Bugatti Chiron. It goes as fast as two hundred and sixty miles per hour and is one of the most powerful luxury vehicles in the world.” Becca hadn’t meant to cut him off, but she was salivating over the car. She walked around the entire Bugatti and admired the detail.

“I wish the vehicle was see-through,” Becca said, more to herself than Josh. “If it was, I imagine I’d see a sixteen-cylinder engine with double-powered turbochargers and a frame so sexy it would make me want to cry happy tears and thank the inventors for creating such a beautiful piece of art.”

After a few more minutes admiring the vehicle, Becca finally looked at Josh. He was standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

“Sorry,” she said. “I guess you can say I have a bit of a car fetish.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” He walked over and opened the door for her. “If I was the type of man to get jealous, I’d have stopped you from admiring my car minutes ago. Instead, you just made me more curious about how you developed your love of cars.”

Becca smiled as she got into the car, and Josh followed. Neither of them spoke for the first couple minutes of the drive.

“So are you going to make me beg?”

Becca turned to Josh. “Make you beg for what?”

“Are you going to tell me how you know so much about cars, or are you going to make me beg for the details?”

Becca’s laughter echoed throughout the car. “Something tells me that a man like you has never had to beg for anything a day in his life.”

As the car stopped at a light, Josh met her eyes. “Something tells me that you’re the type of woman who would make me beg.” His look was intense and one that she hadn’t yet seen. “And something tells me that I wouldn’t mind begging.”

Is he flirting with me? There’s no way Joshua DeLong is flirting with me. Yet the minute his lips curled into a side smile, she disregarded her previous thought. For whatever reason, he was flirting with her, and for an even more insane reason, she was liking it.

* * *

“Is French okay with you?” Josh asked as they were taken to one of the best seats in the upscale restaurant. Even in the daytime, the dim lighting in the restaurant provided an intimate ambiance.

“French is fine, but I wasn’t aware that this was going to be such an extravagant lunch.”

Josh glanced around. “This restaurant has the best French food in Miami. The head chef just won another prestigious award.”

“I’ve heard great things about this place,” Becca said as she opened her menu.

“I meant to tell you,” Josh said, opening his menu, as well. “You look really nice today.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. He noticed that her black-rimmed glasses seemed smaller than the ones he’d seen her wear in her online picture. He actually liked these glasses a lot. They fit her.

He couldn’t quite place what was different about her today, but she looked less restricted than he’d seen her look before. He’d meant to comment on it when they were leaving her office, but her enthusiasm over his car had caused him to forget.

If he hadn’t needed to discuss the paperwork, he would have been content with watching her admire his Bugatti all day. The excitement he’d seen on her face was enough to keep him entertained for hours. He still wanted to see just how deep her knowledge of cars went, but she’d grown quiet in the car after he’d asked her, so he would wait to bring it up again.

After they placed their order, he took out the paperwork. “Here’s the agreement with your suggestions incorporated in the document.”

Becca accepted the packet of information and began scrolling through the pages. “Everything looks good.” She took out the single sheet of paper. “What’s this?”

Josh took out the same sheet from the paperwork sitting in front of him. “Since you and I weren’t seeing eye to eye on the gala being widely publicized, I composed a list of celebrities that are not only heavily involved in charity work, but that truly believe in the mission of the organizations they support.”

Josh waited patiently as Becca read through the details. She lifted her head from the sheet when she was finished. “This is pretty impressive.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Josh hadn’t known how much he wanted her approval until he’d received it. “I was also thinking that—with your approval—we could reach out to a couple friends I have in the media to get some good publicity for The Aunt Penny Foundation before the gala. When I researched the foundation, it looked like you haven’t had any media coverage in at least a year. It would be great practice and help spread the word about all the good you and Haley do.”

Josh wasn’t sure if Becca really grasped how much he wanted to help The Aunt Penny Foundation in any way he could, but he hoped she had a better idea today than she had before.

“So what do you think?” he asked since he couldn’t read her expression. This woman probably excels at poker.

“I must say that after our first meeting, I wasn’t quite sure that you even knew the definition of ‘treading lightly’ when it came to the media. But after reading everything you’ve presented in this paperwork, I’m confident that your ideas are what’s best for the foundation right now.”

Josh did a mental fist pump. “I’m happy to hear that. I only see brightness in the future of The Aunt Penny Foundation.”

They put the paperwork aside just as their food arrived. As usual, lunch was fantastic, and judging by the appreciative sounds coming from Becca, she was enjoying the food just as much as he was.

“Are you really going to make me beg?” Josh asked between bites.

“Are we back on my car fetish?”

“Can you blame me for asking again? It’s not every day that someone knows almost as much about my car as I do.”

“That’s because the Bugatti Chiron is not just any car.” Becca took a sip of water. “Any luxury vehicle enthusiast should be able to name one in the top ten just based off a five-second glance.”

“Only five seconds? What about a solid twenty?”

“Nope,” Becca said, shaking her head. “Would your mother have to stare at you for twenty seconds before identifying you as her child?”

Josh contemplated his answer. “My mother wouldn’t need twenty seconds, but some circumstances may be different.”

“People who love luxury vehicles love them as if they were their children. They shouldn’t need twenty seconds to identify their child.”

Josh took another bite of his food before continuing. “It’s not always black-and-white. For example, what if a child was kidnapped at birth, but reunited with their family as a teenager? The parents would need more than twenty seconds to identify that child.”

Becca shook her head. “Come on, you know very well what I mean.”

“Another example,” Josh said snapping his fingers. “A child given up for adoption and reunited with their birth parents after twenty years.”

“Not a good one,” Becca said. “One of my close friends was given up for adoption and when she reunited with her birth mother at twenty-five, her mother knew who she was immediately.”

“So based off what you’re saying, if it would have taken you twenty seconds to identify a luxury car, you could have had your title of luxury vehicle enthusiast revoked?”

Becca leaned forward. “It never takes me twenty seconds to identify a luxury car. Ten seconds tops, and even then it’s probably because the car was passing by too fast for me to get a good look.”

Josh smiled at her confidence. He’d always been a fan of a good debate and it was refreshing to meet a woman who could keep up with him. He glanced out the window of the restaurant at the parking lot. There were numerous vehicles in the lot that he could ask Becca to identify to test her theory. The prestigious restaurant was crawling with money, and with money came expensive cars.

“If you’re going to ask me to identify one of the luxury cars in the parking lot, don’t bother,” Becca said as she took a sip of water.

“Why not, Ms. Wright? Afraid you’ll misidentify a vehicle and prove your theory false?”

Becca leaned back in her chair. “Quite the contrary, Mr. DeLong. The reason I told you not to bother is because I already identified all the luxury cars in the parking lot in the thirty seconds it took for us to exit your vehicle and enter the restaurant.”

Josh shook his head. “Yeah, right. I’ll believe it when I hear it.”

The smirk that crossed Becca’s lips gave him fair warning that he should prepare to be wowed. “I’ll skip your French blue baby and start with mentioning the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the far right corner of the lot. Then there’s a Mercedes-Benz E-Class two cars down from it. Two BMW 4 Series—one gray and the other white. A brilliant yellow Lamborghini Aventador parked next to the white BMW. A Lexus ES parked in the left corner two spaces away from a classic 1966 Jaguar. And although I’m sure, just like you, most of the owners of the vehicles used valet parking, the smartest owner is the one who probably paid the valet extra to park his or her sexy red 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider in the only semi-discreet spot in the parking lot. That spot also happens to be the closest to the valet desk. You don’t leave classics like the Ferrari unattended for long. The Jaguar owner should probably take notes from the Ferrari owner.”

Josh tried his best to keep a straight face. Who in the world is this woman? He was rarely speechless, but Becca had completely stolen the words from his mouth. There was something about her that challenged him, and finding a woman who truly challenged him had been so difficult, he’d often thought that such a woman didn’t exist. At least, she hadn’t existed until Becca Wright.

“In case you haven’t done the math, it should have taken me forty-five seconds to name all nine luxury cars in the lot, but you and I both know it didn’t take that long to walk into the restaurant.” Becca took another sip of her water. “And there’s no need to tell me that you’re impressed because I can read it in your eyes.”

Her satisfied smile was wide and it caused him to smile right back. Everything she’d said was right. He was impressed. More than he had been in a very long time.