Читать книгу Still Loving You - Sheryl Lister - Страница 16

Chapter 4

Several minutes later, Lauren still stood in the middle of her office, body pulsing, heart racing and mind reeling from Malcolm’s kiss. Why hadn’t she stopped him? And why had she kissed him back?

Memories of their relationship sprang up with such clarity she closed her eyes to block out the images. It didn’t help. Lauren recalled every moment of the two years they had dated. But she couldn’t let herself get caught up. She startled at the knock on her door. She glanced down at her watch. It was time for her next client. As she crossed the office to open the door, Lauren told herself she had a job to do, and that was the only thing she planned to focus on. She beckoned her next client in and, putting Malcolm out of her mind, sat and focused her attention where it needed to be—on her work.

Lauren didn’t leave her office until after seven that evening and was back in the office at six Friday morning. She had her rookie training session at nine and wanted to make sure she had everything ready. At eight thirty, she met one of the office staff members in the room she’d be using, which happened to be a smaller version of the auditorium she had been in the first day. The woman gave Lauren instructions on how to work the video and audio equipment and departed. Lauren had just finished laying out the materials she wanted each player to take on his way out and making sure her presentation was on the correct page when the players started drifting in. At precisely nine, she began with an overview of nutrition and how it impacted performance.

“How many of you eat vegetables at least three times a day? No one? How about twice?” Lauren glanced around the room. Only two of the ten men in the room raised their hands. “Once?” Another three hands went up. She had her work cut out for her.

“I’m a defensive lineman and need these pounds. I can’t tackle anybody if I’m all skinny and half-starved,” a young man she hadn’t met with called out.

“What’s your name?”

“Brent Carroll.”

“Well, Brent, you won’t be able to tackle anyone if you’re winded after five minutes or you can’t move around fluidly and catch your opponent because your body is weighed down by all the useless high-fat calories you’ve consumed.”

Low murmuring and deep chuckles sounded in the room.

“The goal here is to still meet your caloric needs, but with foods that will truly make you a beast on the field.” A deafening roar went up, and she laughed. “Okay, so I guess that means you’re ready to—” Lauren froze at the sight of Malcolm standing in the door. She promptly lost her train of thought. She turned to gather herself and, when she looked up, he was gone. Silently cursing herself for letting him rattle her, she turned her attention back to the waiting group and continued with her presentation. She heard a few grumbles and then gradually saw some nods. “Nigel and I have come up with some menus that incorporate more whole grains, vegetables and fresh fruits earlier in the day, along with the proteins to fuel your workouts. I’m going to add pre-and postworkout snacks, as well. For dinner, the emphasis will be on proteins and vegetables and lighter on the carbs, since you won’t need them while you sleep. Any questions?” She acknowledged a blond-haired young man who looked to be barely out of high school.

“At first, I thought you were going to be putting us on a diet, but you’re not, huh?”

Lauren smiled. “Well, not in the way you’re thinking. No. The team and your fans are counting on you to get the job done on the field. I’m going to make sure you get it done off the field. And even when you’re done playing football, you’ll still be healthy.” She took a few more questions, passed out the materials and scheduled each of those she hadn’t seen for appointments. She had included sample meal plans and suggested shopping guidelines in the pamphlet, as well as her contact information should they have questions.

She had two clients to see after the session, including Omar Drummond, Malcolm’s brother-in-law. Lauren found the gorgeous receiver far more pleasant than she expected, knowing how much Morgan disliked Lauren. Afterward, she spent the remainder of the day consulting with Nigel. She mentioned her earlier session with the rookies, to which he responded, “Hallelujah! Finally, someone who gets it.”

At five thirty, she locked her desk and files, packed up her tote and slung it, along with her purse, on her shoulder and headed out to her car.

“Lauren, you have a minute?”

Lauren groaned inwardly and turned. “Sure, Mr. Green.”

The general manager quickened his steps to reach her. “This will only take a moment. I know you’re anxious to get out of here.” He smiled. “I just wanted to hear how the rookie nutrition session went this morning.”

“It went pretty well, actually.” She shared what she’d told them, as well as their initial reluctance and the measure of acceptance. “I don’t expect them to fall perfectly in line, but if I can change their eating habits now, they’ll be better off in the long run. And so will the team.”

“I agree. We did the right thing bringing you on board. Thanks, Lauren. I won’t hold you. Enjoy your evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes. The award ceremony I mentioned last week. You’ll be there, right?”

Great. “Oh, yes. I remember. I’ll be there.” Lauren couldn’t very well tell her employer she couldn’t attend because she wanted to avoid their star running back. “Have a nice evening.” She continued out to the parking lot, tossed her bag onto the back seat of the car and slid in on the driver’s side. She leaned against the headrest. Why hadn’t she told him she’d be busy? “It can’t be that bad,” she rationalized. There would be a room full of people and, if her path crossed with Malcolm’s, it would only be long enough for a polite nod. She started the engine. “I can do this. No problem.”

When she got home, she called Valencia, hoping her friend could offer some advice about how Lauren should handle any further contact with Malcolm outside work. Part of her felt their relationship should be strictly business, but the parts of her that had responded to his kiss wanted a repeat performance. Valencia’s cell went straight to voice mail, so Lauren would have to deal with her own emotions.

Her bravado held up all night and into the next morning. By Saturday afternoon, all of Lauren’s boasting had been reduced to a mass of butterflies dancing in her belly. While she searched for a suitable dress in her closet, she wished she had begged off yesterday when she had the chance. Surely Mr. Green would have understood if she’d told him she couldn’t make it. After all, she was still getting situated in her new place. She picked one dress after another but put them back. Finally, she settled on an off-the-shoulder black sheath dress that skimmed her curves, stopped just above the knee and had a modest side slit. Setting it aside, she went to shower.

Lauren dried off, wrapped the towel around her and hurried out of the bathroom to catch her ringing phone. “Hey, Valencia,” she said, walking back to the bathroom.

“Hey. Sorry I missed your call last night. My cousin asked me to go to the movies with her at the last minute.”

She activated the speakerphone and placed the cell on the bathroom counter. “No problem.” She smoothed lotion on her arms and legs.

“What did you want? Is it about Malcolm?”

“Yeah. I never got around to telling you about what happened when he finally came in for his appointment. Well, he asked me why I took this job when I could’ve gone anywhere else.”

“Seriously? Sounds like he’s still angry.”

Lauren recalled the confrontation. “Something like that. We kind of argued a little, but then...”

“But then what? Please tell me he didn’t put his hands on you.”

“No! Malcolm isn’t that kind of man. He would never do anything remotely close to hitting a woman, no matter how angry he got.” A memory of a girl in college who’d been upset by him shunning her unwanted attention surfaced in Lauren’s mind. The crazy girl had gone so far as to shove Malcolm and throw water in his face. Malcolm had calmly told her, once again, that he wasn’t interested and walked away. If anyone deserved his wrath, that girl had. Yet he’d done nothing. “He kissed me.” Valencia was silent for so long, Lauren said, “Lyn, you still there?”

“Um...yeah. Okay, that was not what I expected you to say.”

“I didn’t expect it, either.”

“And, so... I mean...what happened after that? Did you throw him out of your office?”

“Worse. I kissed him back.” She slipped into her underwear, picked up the phone and went back to the bedroom.

Valencia burst out laughing.

“Not funny.” Lauren placed the phone on her nightstand, picked up the dress and stepped into it.

“Oh yes, girl, it is. How was it? As good as you remember?”

“Better,” she admitted grudgingly. “But he told me as he left that the kiss didn’t change anything. He still doesn’t want me there.”

Lyn snorted. “I hope you told him that’s too bad.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell him anything, because he walked out. Now tonight the GM is expecting me to attend an awards ceremony for Malcolm and his siblings. They’re getting some humanitarian award for work with the homeless. I really don’t want to go, but I’ve only been on the job two weeks.”

“True. And when your boss asks you to be someplace, you go.”

“Exactly.” Lauren examined herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. “I keep telling myself that I’ll be in a room full of people and, even if our paths cross, it’ll just be a polite hello and keep it moving.”

“Lauren?”

“Huh?”

“I know you’ve dated since then and your relationship with Jeffrey was pretty serious, but are you truly over Malcolm? Could you honestly say you felt nothing when he kissed you?”

She dropped down on the side of the bed and blew out a long breath. How she wished she could lie and say she’d felt nothing. That the kiss didn’t make a blip on her heart meter. But it would be a lie. He’d had her heart beating at a pace that could be considered dangerous and sensations flowing through her body that should be outlawed. “No, I can’t,” she mumbled. “I told myself I was over Malcolm, and I am.”

“Are you sure, sweetie?” Valencia asked. “What you and Malcolm shared was pretty deep. And it’s hard to forget the first man you truly loved. Hell, if my first love showed up and kissed me, I’d probably succumb right then and there.”

Lauren stuck her feet into a pair of black sandals with four-inch heels, fastened the ankle straps and chuckled. “You are crazy.”

“Did you or did you not just tell me you kissed the man back? I rest my case,” she added with a laugh before Lauren could respond.

“Shut up.”

“Anyway, what are you going to do?”

“My job. It’ll be easier for both of us.”

“And if he wants more?”

“He doesn’t.”

“So you say.”

“The man told me he didn’t want me working there, so if that’s not a clear sign that he doesn’t want anything to do with me, I don’t know what is.” Hearing herself say the words, she knew this would be the best way, no matter how well Malcolm kissed. “I need to finish getting ready. Thanks for listening to my rant.”

“Hey, you’ve done the same for me countless times. Let me know how it goes.”

“I will.” They talked a moment longer, then Lauren hung up. She applied light makeup, took one last glance in the mirror and, satisfied, left.

The gala was in full swing when Lauren arrived at the popular chain hotel. The grand ballroom was elegantly decorated, large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and a rose brocade pattern adorned the walls. She spotted several players, the GM and, on the far side of the room, Malcolm and one of his brothers. She couldn’t remember which one.

“You made it.”

Lauren turned at the sound of Mr. Green’s greeting.

“Hi, Mr. Green.”

He escorted her over to a small knot of people and introduced her to his wife, the team owner and his wife, and two more of the front office staff. “I was telling Mr. Lawler how much you’ve accomplished with the players in two short weeks.”

The team owner, Mr. Lawler, nodded in agreement. “I’m impressed, Ms. Emerson, and I’m looking forward to having healthier players this year.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Green and Mr. Lawler. I appreciate your confidence.”

Soon they took their seats for dinner and the awards portion of the program. Lauren listened as Malcolm and his brothers gave short speeches. However, it was the one given by a man she didn’t know—Cameron Hughes—that pulled at her emotional strings. He spoke of losing his wife and children in an accident and, unable to bear the pain, ending up homeless. But he also expressed gratefulness to his wife’s best friend, who happened to be Khalil’s wife, for not giving up on him.

Afterward, the music started and couples took to the floor, including Mr. Lawler and his wife. Lauren stood, intending to use this opportunity to go to the bathroom.

Mr. Green stood and helped her with her chair and waved at someone. “I know you’re still meeting with players, but have you had a chance to meet Malcolm Gray yet?”

The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Before she could respond, she felt the heat and, without turning around, knew it was Malcolm.

“Congratulations, Malcolm,” Mr. Green said, shaking Malcolm’s hand. “Have you met Lauren Emerson? She’s going to be a great asset to the team.”

Malcolm stared down into Lauren’s eyes. “Thanks, and yes, we’ve met. Hello, Lauren.”

That’s one way to describe it. “Hi, Malcolm.” She had only seen photos of him wearing a tuxedo, and those pictures hadn’t come close to capturing the raw magnetism he exuded standing next to her. She couldn’t decide whether she liked him better with his locs or the close-cropped look he now sported.

“Well, my wife is going to have my head if we don’t get at least one dance in, so I’ll see you two later. Malcolm, can you make sure Lauren gets acquainted with everyone?”

Lauren’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I’m sure Malcolm has some other people to see.” She looked to Malcolm, expecting him to agree. To her amazement, he extended his arm.

“Shall we?”

With Mr. Green and his wife staring at her with huge smiles, she couldn’t very well say what she wanted. Instead, she took his arm and let him lead her out to the dance floor. She regretted it the moment he wrapped his arm around her. Malcolm kept a respectable distance, but it didn’t matter. His closeness caused an involuntary shiver to pass through her. And why did he have to smell so good? The fragrance had a perfect balance of citrus and earth that was as comforting as it was sensual. How was she going to make it through the next five minutes?

Malcolm must have sensed her nervousness. “Relax, Lauren. We’ve danced closer than this, so what’s the problem?”

Lauren didn’t need any reminders of how close they’d been in the past. “I’m fine,” she mumbled.

A minute went by and Malcolm said, “Smile. You don’t want everyone to think you’re not enjoying my company.”

She glared up at him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “I’m holding a beautiful woman in my arms. What’s not to enjoy?”

Mr. Green and his wife smiled Lauren’s way, and she smiled back. As soon as they turned away, she dropped her smile. “I can’t play these games with you, Malcolm,” she whispered harshly.

“This is no game.” Their eyes locked for a lengthy moment, then he pulled her closer and kept up the slow sway.

Lauren fell silent and tried to maintain her composure. The softness she saw reflected in his eyes gave her pause, given that it had only been a few days since their confrontation. She figured he was just being polite because they were in a room full of people, but deep inside, a small piece of her wondered if it was something else. Common sense said to let it go, but she couldn’t. “Why are you doing this?”

Malcolm’s brows knit. “Doing what? I’m just dancing.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You know what I mean. Five days ago you wanted me gone. Now, tonight, you’re acting like you don’t hate me...almost like you care or something.”

“I don’t hate you, Lauren. At least not anymore.”

She gasped softly.

“I won’t lie. For about six months afterward...let’s just say you weren’t at the top of my favorite-persons list.” He shrugged. “Now...” He let the sentence hang.

“A lot of time has passed, and we’re not the same. I’ve changed and so have you.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. “That’s true. But there are some things that are still the same.”

The last notes of the song faded, and he led her off the dance floor. “What are you talking about?”

Malcolm stopped near her table. “Your kiss.” He pivoted and walked off.

Lauren stood stunned and unconsciously brought her hand to her lips. Realizing what she’d done, she snatched it down. She turned and saw Morgan glaring at her from across the room and hoped to escape a confrontation. She didn’t need one more thing tonight. After locating upper management and a few of the players and saying goodbye, she left the ballroom. If Lauren were lucky, she’d make it out of the hotel and to her car without any problems.

When she took the job, Lauren had known she would have to deal with Malcolm, but she hadn’t counted on this.