She’d even worked up a little speech of assurance about how she wouldn’t change a thing, though she’d mentally crossed her fingers because there were things that definitely needed changing.
She’d presented herself at his office precisely at four. James was a stickler for promptness. She’d kissed his papery cheek, sat down as directed, folded her hands…
And listened as he told her he had not yet reached a decision as to who would replace him.
Be calm, she’d told herself. And she had been, or at least she’d managed to seem calm as she asked him what decision there was to make.
“You already said it would be me, Grandfather.”
“I said it would be someone capable,” James said briskly. “Someone of my lineage.”
“Well—”
The look on his face had frozen her with horror. “You don’t mean…Bradley?”
Bradley. Her cousin. Or her something. Who understood the complexities of second cousins twice removed, or whatever the hell he was? Bradley had been wimping around the bank for years, interning the same as she had, except he’d never done a day’s work, never done anything except try to grope her in the stockroom.
“Not Bradley,” she’d finally breathed.
“Bradley has a degree in economics.”
Yes. From a college that probably also gave degrees in basket-weaving.
“He’s well-spoken.”
He was, once he had three or four straight vodkas in him.
“And,” her grandfather had said, saving the best for last, “he is a man.”
A man. Meaning, nature’s royalty. A prince, whereas she was a lesser creature because she was female.
Grandfather had risen to his feet, indicating that she was no longer welcome in the royal presence.
“Be here Monday morning, Aimee. Ten o’clock sharp. I’ll announce my decision then.”
Dismissed, just like that.
Sent out the door, down the wheezing old elevator, into the street where she’d walked blindly, no idea where in hell she was or where she was going, which was why she hadn’t seen the man and he’d almost knocked her down.
That despicable, horrible man who’d insisted it was she who’d walked into him. Who’d accused her of not being a woman when, damn him, it was the very fact that she was a woman that was going to deny her the one thing she wanted in life.
What a fool she’d been. What an idiot. She’d turned down two wonderful job offers because she’d believed—she’d been stupid enough to believe—
She’d been anguishing over that when the man charged into her.
As if she were invisible, which she undoubtedly was because she was female. Oh, the arrogance of men. Of him. The way he’d clasped her shoulders and looked down at her from the lofty heights of his lofty maleness.
“Easy,” he’d said, and smiled, and that—the smile, the slight foreign huskiness to the word, the broad shoulders, the ink-black hair, the midnight-blue eyes and the face that was the male equivalent of what had launched a thousand ships, that was supposed to make up for his rudeness?
Aimee had told him what she thought of him.
Men didn’t like honesty. She’d learned that a long time ago. And this one, this—this bad-mannered stranger, had decided she needed a lesson, that she needed a graphic reminder of her place in the universe…
He’d kissed her.
Kissed her! Put his mouth on hers, the arrogant, miserable son of a bitch….
His firm mouth. His soft mouth. His mouth that was, any woman could tell, made for long, deep kisses…
God, she was in bad shape. Anger, adrenaline, whatever you called it, was pumping through her veins. She was completely stressed out.
A man would know what to do to ease such stress.
He’d go to a gym and sweat it out. Actually that would work for her, too, but her gym, a gym for women, was closed. Hey, it was Saturday. Date night for the fairer sex, right?
“Such crap,” Aimee said.
She could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears.
Or a man would call up his buddies, meet them someplace crowded and noisy and guzzle beer. That’s what men under pressure did, didn’t they? Go out, drink, talk about stupid things, pick up women?
Sex was the great relaxer. Everybody said so. Okay, not her because she’d had sex and it had been far from memorable but according to everything she’d read, sex could lower your stress levels every time.
Aimee snorted.
Imagine if a woman did that. Called a friend, went someplace loud to drink and looked for a guy to pick up. Went to bed with him, no strings, no ridiculous exchange of names and phone numbers. Just bed.
Just sex.
Of course, some women did. They went looking for sex.
Sex with a stranger. A stranger with dark hair. Blue eyes. A square jaw, straight nose, firm mouth. And that little accent…
The phone rang. Let it. Her voice mail could take the call.
Hi, her recorded voice said briskly. You’ve reached 555-6145. Please leave a message after the tone.
“Aimee, it’s Jen.”
The last person she wanted to talk to! Jen had taken a job with Fox and Curtrain after Aimee pointed her toward it.
“I’m not going to take it,” she’d said, “so why shouldn’t you?”
Why, indeed?
“Aimee, look, I know this isn’t your thing but a new club opened right near me and it’s supposed to draw a hot crowd. And it’s Laura’s birthday, remember her, from the second floor in our dorm? She’s in town and a bunch of us are getting together to, you know, check out the club…” There was giggling in the background and Aimee rolled her eyes. “Okay, Laura’s right. To check out the guys, see if they’re as hunky as everybody says.”
“Jen?” Aimee said, picking up the phone.
“Oh, you’re there! Listen, I don’t know what you’re doing tonight, but—”
“I’m not doing anything. I’ve had—it’s been one of those days, you know?”
“All the more reason to go with us. Have a drink, listen to some hot music—”
“Get picked up by some hot guy,” a female voice in the background said, to another round of giggles.
“That’s the last thing I need,” Aimee said. “I mean, is that all I’m good for? To go to a club where the music’s so loud I won’t be able to think? To let a guy pick me up, buy me a drink—”
“Yeah. I know. It’s a meat market out there—but sometimes, well, sometimes that can be fun. You know. No BS. Just an evening of fun and games.”
“It’s bad enough men think that’s what we’re all about. That we’re useless except in the kitchen or the bedroom. We don’t have to play into their stupid fantasy.”
Silence. Then Jen cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said carefully, “so just forget that I—”
“Not that I couldn’t be