Chapter 10 – Jordie #2
She hangs up the phone and mumbles, “Pompous ass,” and I dip my head to stifle a giggle.
Charlotte appears to be in her sixties, and she doesn’t seem to take shit from anyone.
On the phone, she’s polite, firm, and efficient, but as soon as she hangs up, you find out how she really feels.
It’s almost like she’s forgotten I’m there and can actually hear her.
The admin presses a button on the phone and says, “Amanda, please handle the phones while I step away from my desk.” Then she rises and walks over to pick up my empty cup. “Can I get you another?”
I smile up at her. “No, thank you. I try to be careful about my sugar intake, but it was delicious.” She disappears through a door I assume leads to the executive level’s own personal coffee shop.
A second later, the main office door opens and two people step out.
The woman is in a sharp business suit, and I suddenly regret not dressing up more.
Her makeup is beautiful but understated, and light-blonde hair is perfectly coiffed, in sharp contrast to my regularly scheduled ponytail.
Crap, I really should put more effort into my appearance.
My eyes land on the man, and the elevator Barbie’s words come back to me.
That man is hotter than a pot of five-alarm chili.
She wasn’t wrong. I’m guessing this is the very busy Mr. Phoenix Hale, dressed in an impeccable navy suit that fits him like God himself fashioned it from the finest of materials. He’s tall—even taller than me—and very fit, with a trim waist and long legs.
His hand rests lightly on the blonde’s back in a way that makes me wonder if she’s more than a client. A girlfriend, perhaps? For some reason, that thought irks me.
Suddenly his eyes land on me like two cobalt lasers, and his steps falter. We stare at each other, both seemingly transfixed, and my butt shifts in the chair. Did this damn thing shrink in the past three seconds?
This melding of the eyeballs should feel awkward, but somehow it doesn’t. Until the woman places a hand on his arm, and he drags those sapphires away from me. He inhales, holds it, and then blows it out before focusing on the well-dressed woman again.
“Thanks again for coming in today, Perri,” he says, and I’m struck by the deepness of his voice. It’s rich and smooth, bourbon with a hint of sweet, dark chocolate.
I give myself an internal eye roll. That sounds like something Jules would put in one of her books.
All the air is sucked from the room when he enters. His voice is bourbon with a drizzle of dark chocolate and makes my pussy tingle.
Maybe if the whole football thing doesn’t work out, I can become a romance author. And is my pussy tingling? Why yes, I believe it is.
Cut it out, Jordie. You have a boyfriend.
My attention returns to the couple, and I see the adoration in the woman’s eyes as she gazes up at him. “Thanks, Phoenix. It was fun.”
His smirk is chock-full of cocky smugness. “Oh yes. A lot of fun. I’ll talk to you later.”
Fun? Were they in there banging while I was waiting?
Perri rises on her tiptoes to kiss Phoenix’s cheek. “What are you doing tonight? Want to take me out on the town?”
“Sorry,” he replies. “I have to get home to Reece. It’s our date night.”
Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a damn minute.
This asshole has a woman at home and he’s with this Perri person?
The freaking audacity! My pussy tingles have ceased to exist. In fact, my vagina has frozen to a Titanic-destroying iceberg level inside my cotton panties.
There’s nothing less appealing to me than a cheating man.
I’m fuming by the time Perri departs, flashing a friendly smile and waving at me on her way out. I honestly have no idea what my face is doing right now, but I think I return her greeting with a weak smile.
“Jordie, so nice to see you. Sorry about the delay.” The volume of Phoenix’s voice startles me, and I turn to find him directly in front of me.
How the hell did he get across the room so quickly and without me noticing?
This dude is sneaky like a cat. Probably one of those unneutered tom cats who prowl neighborhoods looking for females.
“It’s fine,” I say with as much politeness as I can muster. His eyes roam over my face, his mouth curving up on one side, and I squirm beneath his blatant inspection. “Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”
Now both sides of his lips arc upward, making twin dimples pop on his cheeks. The look is unfairly attractive.
“I’m sorry for staring, but you are an absolute knockout. This is going to be fantastic.”
Does he think I’m going to hook up with him? How many damn women does this jerk keep on the line at one time? Well, that just won’t do.
I prop a hand on my hip and raise my chin a scant inch, ready to put him in his place. “Do you know the Dwayne Johnson rule, Mr. Hale?”
“Like, the actor?”
“Yes.”
He shakes his head. “No, I don’t guess I do.”
“The rule says that to determine if something is appropriate to say to a woman, you first ask yourself, ‘Is this something I would say to Dwayne Johnson?’” I cock my head to the side, giving him all the attitude. “So why don’t you try again?”
He pauses for a long moment before saying, “You have a great chest.”
I feel my face transform several times over the next few seconds. First shock, then a frown, and then… goddammit, I can’t help it. Just as Phoenix winces like he’s expecting a knee to the groin, I burst into laughter. He met my sass with sass, and I have to admit, he delivered the perfect comeback.
Phoenix chuckles, and those stupid dimples come to life again. Internally, I name them Thing One and Thing Two, like Dr. Seuss’s characters who are capable of causing mass chaos. In a woman’s panties. Other women’s. Definitely not mine.
With a gentle hand between my shoulder blades, much like he touched Perri the homewrecker, he urges me toward his office. I hope he doesn’t think he’s going to get lucky with me. If he’s still needy, he can just call one of the models for the company. I’m sure they’d all be more than willing.
Once inside, he closes the door and gestures toward a seating area.
His office is different from the waiting room, much more masculine, with a sturdy oak desk and forest-green leather furniture.
I eye the couch and wonder what kind of action that thing has seen, so I decide my safest bet is the matching armchair that sits adjacent.
Phoenix Hale takes the couch, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his thighs.
“First of all, I’d like to apologize for commenting on your appearance, Jordie.
I don’t want you to think that’s why Hale Cosmetics wanted to partner with you.
Yes, our company focuses on physical beauty, but we also appreciate and celebrate the inner beauty of a woman, and you have that in spades. ”
“I… well… thank you,” I stammer out.
“You just caught me off guard in the waiting room. I’ve seen you on TV, of course, but I didn’t expect you to be so… compelling in person.”
I’m temporarily thrown off by the description. I’m compelling? No. I’m just a tomboy from a small town.
“I apologize too,” I say. “For my attitude. I’m not accustomed to that kind of attention. I’m not the pretty one in my family.”
Phoenix’s eyebrows shoot upward toward his rumpled, dark-brown hair. Has the man never heard of a comb? And for that matter, what’s up with the scruff lining his strong jawline? Maybe he spent so much money on his suit, he can’t afford a razor.
“Damn. If you’re not the pretty one, I need to meet the rest of your family,” he retorts.
I rush to explain. “Xander is the smart one, Bubba and I are the athletic ones, and Juliette is the pretty one.”
He sits back and slowly bobs his head up and down.
“Ahh, I see. Congress must have passed a law that there can only be one pretty sibling per family.” He pulls out his phone.
“I need to message my brothers and sister to let them know I’m claiming that title and they’ll need to choose something else. ”
Unable to hold it in, I let out a snicker. Why does this guy have to be so physically attractive and funny? It’s quite inconvenient when all I want is to hate him.
“Stop it,” I tell him. “You know what I mean. I’m just an athlete.”
“Just an athlete,” he muses, putting his phone away and resting against the back of the couch with one ankle crossed over his knee. “You realize you can be more than one thing, right, Jordie? You can be both beautiful and strong at the same time.” His voice goes quieter. “And I think you’re both.”
My face is an inferno. This guy is smooth as whipped butter.
“I’m not sure I’m the right person for this campaign,” I admit, my voice almost a whisper as I say what’s been on my mind the past couple months.
Phoenix leans forward again, and I catch a whiff of mint and vanilla mixed with… maybe honey? His eyes have once again turned into blue lasers I can’t look away from.
“Jordie, I’m the marketing director of a multi-billion dollar company.
Hale Cosmetics leads the industry in innovation for women’s skin care.
I didn’t get this position because my name is on the building.
I got this job because I’m the best. Does saying that make me a cocky son of a bitch?
” He tilts his head back and forth a couple times.
“Yeah, probably, but it’s true. And I need you to understand I knew exactly what I was doing when I chose you for this campaign. ”
“Why me?” I ask, becoming exceedingly interested in a loose string on the hem of my shorts.
“Because you inspire people. Especially young girls. That’s why we want you to represent our brand.
” I remember Bear said the same thing downstairs.
I never set out to be anyone’s inspiration; I simply wanted to play ball.
My head jerks up when Phoenix says, “Do you remember the end of the third quarter in the national championship game last year?”