Chapter 3
Addison
I watched Daniel as he took in what I said. I was surprised anything was coming out right at all. In fact, I wasn’t sure exactly what I was saying, but it must have sounded good, judging by the ponderous look on his face. I hoped I was sticking to the script.
It was just that his good looks were incredibly distracting, and I had to will my eyes to stay on his, and not wander to his mouth or his sharp jawline. There was a little stubble along the angles of his face and I wondered what it would feel like against my skin. My face. My legs.
How could I have not known he was Daniel Jacobs? It couldn’t be more obvious. He had an effect on me. On women. This guy could get anyone he wanted. He wasn’t Leonardo DiCaprio. He was better. No wonder he had the reputation he did.
The thought of him sleeping around was a turn-off before I realized it was him, and now I was hot just thinking about him in bed and what he was capable of. His hands probably knew exactly where to touch a woman, and his mouth probably knew exactly how to kiss a woman.
I swallowed hard and tried to focus on what I was saying. I thought I was on the part about how it could be a generous tax write-off. It was like I’d had too much wine, and he was the bottle.
I finished my pitch and sat back in my chair, waiting for him to speak.
“Well, it sounds like it could be a good opportunity for the both of us,” he said. I watched as he ran his fingers along his jaw.
“I believe it could be.”
“I’d have to visit the project first. Maybe have a tour of the place. See more of what you do. I want to make sure it’s a good fit.”
“Of course,” I said, nodding eagerly. Too eagerly.
Did I really just possibly land our biggest donor yet? Maybe I was a better people person than I thought. My boss did assign this meeting to me. And here I thought it was because most everyone was going out of town for the Fourth. Maybe he saw something in me that I didn’t.
“But the tour has to be with you,” said Daniel firmly.
“Me?” I asked with surprise.
I felt like I was flailing in midair.
“I don’t really… I mean, I’m sure my boss would be better suited to…” I stammered.
Daniel shook his head. “I’m not interested in what your boss has to say. I’m interested in what you have to say. The tour has to be with you.”
I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the hammering of my heart. This was unexpected. I didn’t really think I would see him again after today. Hell, I didn’t think he was going to give me a dime. Yet, here we were.
“Okay,” I said after a pause. “I’ll give you the tour.”
He did get what he wanted.
And for some reason, he wanted me.
I laughed to myself. That was ridiculous. This wealthy, handsome businessman didn’t want me.
“Is something funny?” he asked, cocking a brow as a small smile spread across his lips.
Shit. Did I laugh out loud?
“Oh, no. Nothing,” I said, waving him off, feeling my cheeks burn.
“All right. Well, then it’s settled. I’ll have Margaret set up a time that aligns with both our schedules.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I said, reluctantly pulling myself to my feet.
I almost wished he had more questions or that he wasn’t so willing to work with me, so I could push further. It would mean more time with him. I wanted more time. Needed more time. What was going on with me?
He stood and walked around his desk toward me.
He held out his hand and I wondered if the initial spark I felt the first time I shook his hand would run shockwaves through me again.
I shook his hand firmly, noting how large his was in how it enveloped mine like a warm blanket. There was that electricity again.
I pulled my hand away and headed toward the door, feeling his presence behind me like my own shadow. He pushed it open and allowed me to slide past.
“I look forward to seeing you soon,” he said after me.
I was able to muster an “mhmm,” but I didn’t dare look back.
I stopped and saw Margaret at the front desk.
“Hello. Daniel. Er, Mr. Jacobs, said to set up a follow-up meeting. He wants to visit our offices.”
She scanned her computer screen and I willed it to have an opening soon. I noticed her eyes were a brilliant shade of green that played off her jet-black bob. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. And weirdly jealous. There was no way she hadn’t slept with him.
“It looks like he’s free tomorrow morning. Does ten a.m. work?” she asked, looking at me expectantly.
“Uh, yes. That should work.”
That was soon. Sooner than I expected. My nerves had hardly settled from just a minute ago, and now they were playing ping-pong through my whole body knowing I would be seeing him again in less than twenty-four hours.
“Perfect. I’ll put it in the calendar. Can I have the address, please?”
She slid me a pen and a piece of paper and I jotted down the address for the Leading to Learn office building. I thanked her and headed to the elevator. As the elevator began its long descent down to the lobby, it felt as if a piece of me was still on the top floor.
I was being crazy. I was not this type of girl.
I said it myself, and now I was eating my words.
As I walked out of the lobby, I breathed in the fresh air and felt the sunshine on my face.
I tried to ground myself, but before I headed toward the subway, I looked up at the building I had just exited.
I could see a peep of foliage hanging over the top terrace and smiled to myself as I walked down Fifth.
There was something about Daniel that was so captivating, it made me forget who I was.
I was not usually attracted to men like him.
I knew the type. Rich and only cared about themselves.
I’d tried pitching to enough of them to know.
They didn’t care about a nonprofit or helping children, let alone anyone.
I could hardly get anything out of them.
They were cold and calculated, unless they wanted something from you.
And usually that was getting you into bed with them.
Here I was, thinking about what it would be like to be in bed with him. Despite this ridiculous fantasy, he seemed interested. Sure, it was probably for the tax write-off, or the accolades or the Forbes article that would surely be printed. Either way, my boss would be happy.
Before descending down the stairs to the subway and the land of no service, I typed out a quick email to my boss.
I let him know the meeting went better than expected, and that Mr. Jacobs would be visiting the offices tomorrow morning, but had requested the tour be with me.
I hit send before tucking my phone in my purse and making my way downstairs to the platform.
My train arrived five minutes later. I found a seat and leaned my head against the window as it jolted to life and made its way back to Brooklyn. A place that seemed far from Daniel Jacobs in more ways than one.
As I trudged up the stairs to my apartment, I noticed Elma’s door was open.
I could sense her waiting to pounce, like her cat.
I snuck past silently, wanting to avoid any questions about my meeting with Daniel.
I made it successfully up to my apartment.
As I searched for my keys, my phone rang in my purse. I slid it out. It was my boss.
“Hey, Brian. Did you get my email?” I answered, holding the phone between my cheek and shoulder.
“Yeah, I did. Uh, what’s with this tour tomorrow?”
“Oh, Mr. Jacobs just wants to see more of what we are about before he makes a decision, but I’m confident he will be our newest donor.”
“That’s all well and good, but what’s this about the tour being with you?” he asked skeptically.
“I don’t know. He was adamant about it.”
Brian paused on the other line. “All right. Don’t screw this up, Heartly.”
I rolled my eyes. I had gotten us this far.
“I won’t. See you tomorrow.”
Hanging up, I unlocked my door, stepped inside and kicked off my shoes, looking around my small abode. Daniel’s office was five times the size of this. We were definitely worlds apart.
I unzipped the back of my hellish skirt and slid it off, tossing it on the floor by my bed.
I didn’t plan on wearing that again any time soon.
When Daniel came to the office tomorrow, he would see we don’t really do office attire there.
It was more like a smart casual dress code.
One that didn’t require tweed skirts with no give, thank God.
I walked to the kitchen in just my button-down and underwear and pulled a bottle of cabernet from the wine rack.
While I normally didn’t drink during the week, tonight, I could use a glass or two.
I took my wine opener and unscrewed the cork, the familiar sound soft popping from the opening.
I took a swig from the bottle before grabbing a glass from the cabinet.
After I poured a somewhat generous serving, I moved to sit on the couch, grabbing my laptop on the way.
I plopped down and took another sip of wine before opening my laptop.
I had some Googling to do. I typed Daniel Jacobs into my search bar and his face popped up immediately.
It was such a common name, but he took precedence in the search results.
His pictures didn’t do him justice. They were good, but he was better in the flesh.
I scrolled through, seeing nothing new that I hadn’t read in the file Brian had given me. I switched over to the “news” tab and intermixed with articles on his latest business deals were tabloid articles. This was what I was looking for.
The headlines read:
Three Girls in One Night? Daniel Jacobs At It Again!
Will New York’s Biggest Playboy Ever Settle Down?
Caught With a New Leading Lady!
I read through the tabloids and studied the paparazzi photos glaring at me from the screen.
All the women he was with were stunning, and never the same ones in the photos.
My stomach growled as it craved Ling’s Dynasty.
I wondered if these women were ever as hungry as I was.
If they were, they sure didn’t show it. I noticed their slender arms and long legs on display in skintight dresses that hugged their small midsections.
I saw his fingers interlaced with theirs.
His hand on the smalls of their backs. His lips on their ears, exchanging intimate secrets.
I felt that familiar pang of jealousy I had earlier while scheduling my meeting with his assistant, Margaret.
I closed my laptop and slid it across the couch with a sigh.
I took another swig of wine before calling in a takeout order for Chinese food. Then I laughed to myself as I sprawled out on the couch. Daniel Jacobs would never be interested in me. It seemed to calm my nerves slightly for tomorrow’s meeting.