Chapter Six #2
Cait couldn’t get over the feeling that things weren’t quite right with her best friend; she seemed to be holding something back. But Cait realized Lindy would tell her when she was ready. Lindy always hated being pushed or prodded.
“The folder?” Lindy prompted when Cait didn’t answer.
Cait flipped it open. “I spent all day Sunday reading through old business journals looking for articles that might interest Paul. I must’ve gone back five years.
I copied the articles I consider the most valuable and included a brief analysis of my own.
I was hoping to give it to him sometime today.
That’s why I was asking if you knew his schedule. ”
“Unfortunately I don’t,” Lindy murmured. She straightened, picked up her briefcase and made a show of checking her watch. Then she looked up to smile reassuringly at Cait. “I’d better get to work. I’ll come by later to help you put up your decorations, okay?”
“Thanks,” Cait said, then added, “Wish me luck with Paul.”
“You know I do,” Lindy mumbled on her way out the door.
Mondays were generally slow for the stock market—unless there was a crisis. World events and financial reports had a significant impact on the market. However, as the day progressed, everything ran smoothly.
Cait looked up every now and then, half expecting to see Joe lounging in her doorway. His men had started early that morning, but by noon, Joe still hadn’t arrived.
Not until much later did she realize it was Paul she should be anticipating, not Joe. Paul was the romantic interest of her life and it annoyed her that Joe seemed to occupy her thoughts.
As it happened, Paul did stroll past her office shortly after the New York market closed. Grabbing the folder, Cait raced toward his office, not hesitating for an instant. This was her golden opportunity and she was taking hold of it with both hands.
“Good afternoon, Paul,” she said cordially as she stood in his doorway, clutching the folder. “Do you have a moment or would you rather I came back later?”
He looked tired, as if the day had already been a grueling one.
It was all Cait could do not to offer to massage away the stress and worry that complicated his life.
Her heart swelled with a renewed wave of love.
For a wild, impetuous moment, it was true, she’d suffered her doubts.
Any woman would have when a man like Joe took her in his arms. He might be arrogant in the extreme and one of the worst pranksters she’d ever met; despite all that, he had a certain charm.
But now that she was with Paul, Cait remembered sharply who it was she really loved.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” she told him softly.
He give her a listless smile. “Come in, Cait. Now is fine.” He gestured toward a chair.
She hurried into the office, trying to keep the bounce out of her step. Knowing she’d be spending a few extra minutes alone with Paul, Cait had taken special care with her appearance that morning.
He glanced up and smiled at her again, but this time Cait thought she could see a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. “What can I do for you? I hope you’re pleased with your office.” He frowned slightly.
For a second, she forgot what she was doing in Paul’s office and stared at him blankly until his own gaze fell to the folder.
“The office looks great,” she said quickly.
“Um, the reason I’m here...” She faltered, then gulped in a quick breath and continued, “I went through some of the business journals I have at home and found several articles I felt would interest you.” She extended the folder to him, like a ceremonial offering.
He took it from her and opened it gingerly. “Gracious,” he said, flipping through the pages and scanning her written comments, “you must’ve spent hours on this.”
“It was... nothing.” She’d willingly have done a good deal more to gain his appreciation and eventually his love.
“I won’t have a chance to look at this for a few days,” he said.
“Oh, please, there’s no rush. You happened to mention you got some useful insights from the previous article I gave you. So I thought I’d share a few others that seem relevant to what’s going on with the market now.”
“It’s very thoughtful of you.”
“I was happy to do it. More than happy,” she amended with her most brilliant smile. When he didn’t say anything more, Cait rose reluctantly to her feet. “You must be swamped after being in meetings for most of the day, so I’ll leave you now.”
She was almost at the door when he spoke. “Actually I only dropped in to the office to collect a few things before heading out again. I’ve got an important date this evening.”
Cait felt as if the floor had suddenly disappeared and she was plummeting through empty space. “Date?” she repeated before she could stop herself. It was a struggle to keep smiling.
Paul’s grin was downright boyish. “Yes, I’m meeting her for dinner.”
“In that case, have a good time.”
“Thanks, I will,” he returned confidently, his eyes alight with excitement. “Oh, and by the way,” he added, indicating the folder she’d worked so hard on, “thanks for all the effort you put into this.”
“You’re... welcome.”
By the time Cait got back to her office she felt numb.
Paul had an important date. It wasn’t as though she’d expected him to live the life of a hermit, but before today, he’d never mentioned going out with anyone.
She might have suspected he’d thrown out the information hoping to make her jealous if it hadn’t been for one thing.
He seemed genuinely thrilled about this date.
Besides, Paul wasn’t the kind of man to resort to pretense.
“Cait, my goodness,” Lindy said, strolling into her office a while later, “what’s wrong? You look dreadful.”
Cait tried to swallow the lump in her throat and managed a shaky smile. “I talked to Paul and gave him the research I’d done.”
“He didn’t appreciate it?” Lindy picked up the Christmas wreath that lay on Cait’s desk and pinned it to the door.
“I’m sure he did,” she replied. “What he doesn’t appreciate is me.
I might as well be invisible to that man.
” She pushed the hair away from her forehead and braced both elbows on her desk, feeling totally disheartened.
Unless she acted quickly, she was going to lose Paul to some faceless, nameless woman.
“You’ve been invisible to him before. What’s different about this time?” Lindy fastened a silver bell to the window as Cait abstractedly fingered her three ceramic wise men.
“Paul’s got a date, and from the way he talked about it, this isn’t with just any woman, either. Whoever she is must be important, otherwise he wouldn’t have said anything. He looked like a little kid who’s been given the keys to a candy store.”
The information seemed to surprise Lindy as much as it had Cait. She was quiet for a few minutes before she asked, “What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know,” Cait cried, hiding her face in her hands. She’d once jokingly suggested to Joe that she parade around naked in an effort to gain Paul’s attention. Of course she’d been exaggerating, but some form of drastic action was obviously needed. If only she knew what.
Lindy mumbled an excuse and left. It wasn’t until Cait looked up that she realized her friend was gone.
She sighed wearily. She’d arrived at work this morning with such bright expectations, and now everything had gone wrong.
She felt more depressed than she’d been in a long time.
She knew the best remedy would be to force herself into some physical activity.
Anything. The worst possible thing she could do was sit home alone and mope.
Maybe she should plan to buy herself a Christmas tree and some ornaments.
Her spirits couldn’t help being at least a little improved by that; it would get her out of the house, if nothing else.
And then she’d have something to entertain herself with, instead of brooding about this unexpected turn of events.
Getting out of the house had an added advantage.
If Joe phoned, she wouldn’t be there to answer.
No sooner had that thought passed through her mind when a large form filled her doorway.
Joe.
A bright orange hard hat was pushed back on his head, the way movie cowboys wore their Stetsons. His boots were dusty and his tool pouch rode low on his hip, completing the gunslinger image. Even the way he stood with his thumbs tucked in his belt suggested he was waiting for a showdown.
“Hi, beautiful,” he drawled, giving her that lazy, intimate smile of his. The one designed, Cait swore, just to unnerve her. But it wasn’t going to work, not in her present state of mind.
“Don’t you have anyone else to pester?” she asked coldly.
“My, my,” Joe said, shaking his head in mock chagrin. Disregarding her lack of welcome, he strode into the office and threw himself down in the chair beside her desk. “You’re in a rare mood.”
“You would be too after the day I’ve had. Listen, Joe. As you can see, I’m poor company. Go flirt with the receptionist if you’re trying to make someone miserable.”
“Those claws are certainly sharp this afternoon.” He ran his hands down the front of his shirt, pretending to inspect the damage she’d inflicted. “What’s wrong?” Some of the teasing light faded from his eyes as he studied her.
She sent him a look meant to blister his ego, but as always Joe seemed invincible against her practiced glares.
“How do you know I’m not here to invest fifty thousand dollars?” he demanded, making himself at home by reaching across her desk for a pen. He rolled it casually between his palms.
Cait wasn’t about to fall for this little game. “Are you here to invest money?”
“Not exactly. I wanted to ask you to—”