Chapter Ten #2
“Depending on what she tells Rachel, I might have some regrets,” Oakley said. “Somehow, I suspect whatever Olivia says is going to come back to haunt me.”
“Most likely it will,” Clark admitted. “But as long as it promotes your cause and doesn’t damage your relationship, do you really care? You like her, Oakley, and I haven’t seen you this invested in a long time.”
Which was what worried him. The crowd parted, and he could see Olivia approaching Rachel. His best friend’s wife was about to meddle. But if it won him Rachel? Oakley might just be okay with that.
* * *
Rachel could understand why Cody Fallsworth was a champion, an internet sensation and an international celebrity.
She could also understand why Taylor found him so appealing.
He had that extra something that made women swoon and men take notice.
Rachel might be into him, too, if he wasn’t always on the road to the next competition, and if Oakley hadn’t kissed her and ruined her for other men.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy Cody’s attention and flattery.
He’d not only told his assistant to send Taylor some autographed merchandise, but he’d even video-called her.
She had been so excited Rachel had worried the older woman might pass out.
But fortunately, she hadn’t, and when Cody had handed Rachel’s phone back, Taylor had mouthed, “Thank you.” Rachel would have liked to have seen Allie, but her daughter was already in bed.
“Thank you for doing that,” she told Cody as she slipped her phone into her new handbag.
“Anytime. It’s what makes this job fun. You weren’t asking for yourself, and that’s rare.
” He had one of those megawatt grins the cameras loved.
His entire face was one of proportion and symmetry, from the full lips to the square jaw and wide-set deep brown eyes.
He had strong cheekbones, one of which had a thin jagged scar that simply added to his powerful mystique.
She’d seen the way women hovered, but the assistant had kept them at bay so that Cody could talk to her. It was a heady sensation.
Rachel sipped some of the white wine a server had brought her. She hadn’t eaten any of the appetizers, so she was feeling the giddy effects of wine and Cody’s attentions. “I haven’t followed the circuit in forever. My dad’s the one who got me into it.”
“Well, are you going to be cheering me on this weekend? You should.”
She tried not to let her heart race, but it was automatic when around a man of Cody’s caliber. She strove to play it cool. “Doesn’t the showcase favorite have enough people calling his name? And how will that look if I’m playing favorites? What will all the other contestants think?”
“That you know a winner when you see them, same as I do.” The corner of his lips lifted, along with his eyebrows. “Same as how you picked that dress, you pick me because I deliver.”
She could live in this flattery, Rachel realized.
It was easy banter, the type that made no promises beyond this moment.
How long had it been since someone had paid her this kind of male attention, aside from Oakley, of course?
His attention came with complications. Cody’s came with nothing but the fun flirtation of no expectations.
“Rachel! Here you are!” A woman came up to her. “And Cody. How are you doing? You going to give the crowd another win? Your trophy shelves must be about to break from the weight of all the hardware you’ve brought home this year.”
“You know it, Olivia.” He saw Rachel’s confusion and gave her a “can you believe we’ve been interrupted” roll of his eyes. “Rachel, this is Olivia Adams. Clark’s wife. Olivia, you really need to stop assuming everyone knows who you are.”
Olivia tittered and put her hand on her heart. “But, darling, they always do. Rachel simply hasn’t met me yet. She spent all her time with Clark and Oakley, poor dear.”
Rachel hadn’t really spoken to Clark tonight either. But they had worked together during conference calls. “Nice to meet you, Olivia.”
“I’ve come to snag you for dinner.” Olivia gazed pointedly at Cody. “You weren’t going to ask her, were you? The executive staff has a reservation and we assumed Rachel would be joining us.”
If he had been going to ask her, Olivia had kiboshed that.
“Rachel, I can see you’re busy,” Cody said, and Rachel could see the hints of disappointment etched into his handsome features. “If your bosses don’t give you an all-access pass, find my assistant and she’ll give you one of mine. Remember, you’re my cheering squad. I’m depending on you.”
“I won’t forget,” Rachel promised as she let Olivia lead her away. “While it’s nice to meet you, I didn’t need saving,” she told her.
Olivia gave a toss of her hair. “Oh, I know. If you had, Oakley would have come over himself. But you have made him green-eyed and that’s a rare feat, one I’m down for.”
Oakley could not be jealous. The thought thrilled Rachel anyway, which was wrong as she’d been the one to insist that things remain professional.
“There they are,” Clark said as Rachel and Olivia approached.
“Taylor’s favorite rider is Cody,” Rachel said. “My daughter’s caregiver,” she explained when she saw Clark and Olivia’s confusion. “He was generous enough to FaceTime her.”
“Who? Allie?” Oakley asked.
“No, Taylor,” Rachel clarified. “I was worried she’d faint and I’d have to go home.”
“Good thing she didn’t, since you’re going to dinner with the three of us,” Olivia said. “Clark and I insist. I made a reservation for four people. I’d like to get to know you. You run my husband’s and best friend’s lives, after all.”
“Then how can I say no? Do we need to stay to the end?”
Oakley shook his head. “Nope. After I give my extremely short speech, we can leave. It’s all Hannah’s event after that.”
They went somewhere both intimate and worthy of the dresses they were wearing, a place with low lighting, heavy wood tables covered with white linen and plush, leather armchairs.
Rachel sat to Oakley’s right, and across from her was Olivia.
That allowed them to talk throughout dinner.
The five-course chef’s menu with a main course of roasted duck proved the place lived up to its starred rating.
“I like your friends,” she said when she and Oakley returned to the penthouse level. She hadn’t laughed so hard in years. Olivia’s sense of humor had kept the conversation flowing. At no point had Rachel felt like she was out with her bosses, but rather with good friends.
“They liked you, too,” Oakley assured her. “Let me help you with your dress. Unless you think you can undo it?”
“Probably not.” No one was in the hallway, so he followed her into her room. Her breath caught as he unhooked the clasp and lowered the zipper to a respectable level. “Thanks for an enjoyable evening, Rachel. Sleep well.”
Then he was gone, back through the connecting door into his suite so fast that she wasn’t sure the whiplash was real or imagined.
She shut the door and threw the lock, mainly out of habit than anything else.
She knew Oakley wouldn’t try to come into her room.
He was too much of a gentleman for that.
But what did she want to happen anyway? She’d been the one to tell him any relationship would be impossible.
She hung the gown up and put on her pajamas. Her phone beeped with a text. Thinking it might be Oakley, she swiped.
It was from a number she didn’t recognize. She read the text: Save me a dance Sunday. And don’t forget to cheer for me.
Cody. He must have gotten her number when they called Taylor. She hearted his message.
As her conflicting feelings offered no answers or respite, it was the least she could do.