She let her gaze drop in a coy manner.
He kept his expression even, hoping not to sway her one way or the other. He was supposed to be resting over the holidays, not entertaining a tender young thing like Hadley Monroe. Still, the man in him couldn’t help but be flattered by her theatrics.
Her expression changed then, indicating a return to her usual all-business demeanor. She sat on the sofa, shifting to face his way. “So, tell me all the interesting things happening on the left coast.”
He chuckled. “I was about to ask you for an update on what’s been going on here over the past year.”
“Not much.” She shrugged. “We’ve cleared our last thirty acres of land and are trying to decide what to develop there. A new grocery store opened, along with a few boutiques to appeal to the tourist crowd.”
“What about Coastal High? Did they ever finish the new stadium?” When he’d visited last year, ground had been broken for the project, adjacent to the old field.
“Yes. They finished it right after school let out for the summer. By the time the kids got back for the new school year, the football team had already practiced on the new turf.”
He nodded, pleased that his alma mater was making improvements. “You know, I haven’t been back to Coastal since I graduated.” He watched her as she spoke, taking note of her body language. “It’s been so long, I don’t think I remember how to get there.” He had a vague idea of the way to the school and could probably find it on his own. But he wanted to see how she’d respond.
She leaned forward, her face brightening. “If you want to see the new stadium, I’ll take you over there.”
“Sounds great. Maybe we’ll swing by there in a few days.” He wondered if he was encouraging her too much, but he did consider her a friend. He saw no reason he couldn’t treat her as such. If she were someone else, someone closer to his age and not related to one of his oldest friends, they’d be having a much different conversation right now.
“Really, though. Tell me what’s happening in Hollywood. Filming anything? Premieres coming up?” The glint in her eyes gave away her excitement.
He chuckled at her effortless transition from friend to fan. “I wrapped Destruction Derby 3 about a month ago. Haven’t filmed anything since, and no premieres until after the New Year.”
She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait for DD3 to come out. I loved the first two.”
His brow hitched. “Really? I never pegged you for the type who’d like the DD series. Explosions, fast cars, fistfights.” The films in the series were wildly popular with the young male audience, at least according to the suits at the studio. They were huge moneymakers and kept Devon financially secure, but filming them had been especially hard on his body.
She made a face of mock offense. “That’s sexist. Just because I’m a woman, you think I can’t get into a good action thriller?”
“You gotta admit, you’re not exactly the target audience.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. “Come on, Devon. You know me better than that.”
He laughed. “I’m just teasing you. Thanks for the compliment, though.”
She leaned in, dropped her voice as if there were someone else in the room. “Listen, just between me and you, is Captain Vicious coming back for the third movie?”
He laughed again at her question. “You’re like the fiftieth person to ask me that.” The character, a villain in the DD series, was played by veteran actor Rick Rollingsworth. Rick, a contemporary of Samuel L. and Denzel, was about as well loved as a man of color in Hollywood could expect to be. “At least ten people asked me that between the baggage claim and the rental car counter.”
“We’re friends, though. So, are you gonna tell me?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. The nondisclosure agreement in my contract is in full effect.” He knew Captain Vicious would indeed be making a return but couldn’t risk his standing with the studio by telling her that. “You’ll have to find out with everybody else when the movie drops in May.”
She sighed. “Oh, well. I’ve waited this long, I suppose I can wait till Memorial Day.” She stood and he took time to appreciate his view of her. The sweater, jeans and tall boots encased her shapely figure in a way he found very attractive, but not overly revealing. The dark ringlets of her hair were pinned on top of her head, revealing the lines of her face. Her high cheekbones, full lips and sparkling brown eyes were all marks of her beauty, and of the Monroe blood flowing through her veins. Today, Hadley looked much as her mother, Viola, had looked twenty years ago, when they were kids.
A few long, silent moments passed between them before she seemed to notice his scrutiny. Her cheeks filled with a rosy blush, the glittering eyes shifting to the window behind him. Straightening, she began to run through the speech she usually gave him when he checked in to the unit. “The groceries you requested for the first week are already in the kitchen. You have plenty of fresh linen in the closet upstairs, and the housekeeping service will stop by every other day to do laundry and dishes for you...”
He smiled, putting up his hand to stop her rambling. “Thanks, Hadley. I got it.”
She shifted her gaze away from his face, running her hand over the red ribbon securing the gift basket. “Is there anything else you’ll need?”
He fought the urge to give her one of the many cheeky answers that came to mind. Shaking his head, he said, “No, but if I think of something I’ll give the office a call.”
She crossed the room toward the front door, passing him as she moved. “Well, I’ll stop pestering you and let you get on with your vacation. Just give the office a call if you need anything, or when you’re ready to go see the new stadium.”
He nodded. “I will. Thanks for everything, Hadley.” His words were sincere. She’d seen to his every need for the past four years he’d been coming there, either personally or through the staff. She made it easy for him to leave his work behind for three glorious weeks, and he truly did appreciate everything she did.
“You’re welcome.” She smiled on the heels of her soft reply, then opened the door and let herself out.
He turned and looked out the window, watching her stroll back to her car.
Something told him this Christmas would be an interesting one.
Seated behind her desk, Hadley popped a soft peppermint in her mouth and chewed. The desktop was full of paperwork, detailing the long list of repairs waiting to be made at several of Monroe’s properties. She sighed as she swallowed the small pieces of candy. She was the office manager, and that entailed a lot of things. What it didn’t entail was property management—that was Campbell’s job.
Scooting her chair back, she stood and walked around her desk. Leaving her office, she walked down the corridor to Savion’s office. The door was open, and a quick peek let her see her brother poring over something on his desk. She tapped on the glass panel next to the door to get his attention.
Glancing up, he waved her in. “What’s up, Hadley?”
She entered the office and took a seat in one of his guest chairs. The office, which had been occupied by their father, Carver, before his retirement, still looked much the same as it had ten years ago. Savion had held on to most of their father’s books and decor, as well as the navy blue carpet and soft-textured blue wallpaper.