Chapter 11 #2
And when she looked at the waiter, she relaxed completely. Her smile was breath taking. Thaddeus stared at her with a feeling of complete loss; it was how she had looked at him at one time. The ache in his gut was compounded when the waiter’s eyes dropped appreciatively to her cleavage.
The reaction was swift and immediate. Jealousy, envy, anger and hot possession all flared inside of him.
“Do you have a wine list?” He spoke a little louder than he’d intended in an attempt to draw the waiter’s attention.
Instead, Saphire shot him a sharp look. “Tony’s uncle is the family wine maker. They serve only his bottles.”
“I see. Why don’t you order, seeing as you know the family so intimately?”
She understood his censure but it was unwarranted. She fixed Tony with a calm smile. “Prosecco,” she said simply.
He nodded. “Your favorite.” It was accompanied with a wink.
Thaddeus could have snapped something in two. “That will be all for now.”
Tony was surprised by the sharp admonition but he smothered it quickly. “Prosecco is coming right away.” He hummed as he disappeared towards the candlelit bar.
Saphire might have cautioned Thaddeus at another time. But that was in the past. Their easy relationship had long since died.
“Melania has several projects in the pipeline,” Saphire began her rehearsed speech a little haltingly, but with an air of determination Thaddeus had to admire. He settled back in his chair, resigned to listening, if only for the opportunity to study her further.
“Our benefit on Friday night was the biggest of its kind. The funds raised will be immediately channeled so that pediatric oncology nurses are able to visit children in remote areas of the country. The next event is a ski weekend in the Alps and she’s planning to co-host a Christmas gala in London.
We’re just waiting to confirm the celebrity host before publicizing it. ”
His eyes bore into hers. Saphire took it as tacit approval to continue, though he was confusing her with his unwavering attention.
“As you no doubt know, Melania’s events attract a high-profile rota of A-list guests.
Her marketing and business nous has seen Hope Renewed grow from a small, local charity to a hugely important international fundraiser.
We have established statistics on the positive impact sponsorship and participation has for our corporate funders. ”
She paused here and he sensed she was waiting for something, so he murmured, “Such as?”
She nodded, relief beading across her brow.
“Such as advertising that flows directly from our website. We post corporate sponsorship banners across the site and we track the flow of traffic; there’s an increased buy-rate, too.
Not to mention the PR that comes with our events.
Melania’s mission is to get as much free coverage as possible.
We are, after all, a charity, and can’t really afford a massive advertising budget.
Fortunately, over the years, she’s built an incredible contact sheet of industry people, and anything she touches garners huge press. ”
“I see,” he nodded when the waiter arrived with the prosecco and began to pour it in two glasses.
“Leave it,” Thaddeus insisted, waving his hand toward the young man.
“Yes, sir. Would you like to order?”
“I will have whatever my date recommends,” Thaddeus inserted silkily, his eyes holding warning for Tony.
“Lasagne,” she muttered stiffly.
“Salad? Bread?”
“Both,” Thaddeus muttered, summarily dispensing with any more interruptions.
“This isn’t a date,” she hissed just as soon as Tony had disappeared from the table.
“Did I ruin a budding relationship for you?” He cooed with a total lack of concern.
“No.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat.
He lifted his prosecco and sipped it thoughtfully. “This reminds me of the first night we met.”
Her cheeks infused with color, as he’d expected they would.
“It’s nothing like that night,” she assured him candidly. “In the past, our corporate sponsors have included …”
“Enough,” he said, shaking his head. “Business later.”
Saphire nodded but her heart was dropping. He was going to say no. He wasn’t interested in the charity; not really.
“Are you wasting my time?” She said slowly. “Or playing with me for your own sick reasons?”
“No, and no,” he responded.
“Then what are you doing here?”
He took another sip of his drink. “Do you find it so hard to believe I might have an interest in philanthropy?”
“No,” she bit down on her lip. “I googled that too. I know you’re generous with your corporate donations.”
“Indeed.”
“I just don’t know if you intend to be generous with Hope Renewed.”
“I emailed Melania, didn’t I?”
She toyed with the stem of her flute. “Yes. The timing is a little coincidental though. After all, I just ran into Rocco a couple of nights ago and then bam! You appear out of nowhere …”
“Coincidental,” he said with a small smile.
“He told you?” She demanded softly.
Thaddeus inclined his head.
“And that’s why you’re here.”
He lifted his flute of wine and sipped it without dropping the hold he had on her eyes. “It is part of why I’m here,” he conceded finally.
Saphire expelled a breath angrily. “Then you are wasting my time. And your own. I have nothing to say to you on … our personal matter.”
His laugh sent daggers dancing down her skin. “Liar.”
She lifted her chin angrily. “Do you have any more relevant questions?”
“You don’t think Melania sent you to meet me because she wanted to exploit our history?”
“She doesn’t know about our history,” Saphire retorted tightly.
Thaddeus felt his footing slip a little. “You didn’t tell her?”
“No. Why would I?”
“Even when I emailed?”
“Of course not! Are you kidding me? I’m twenty six and this is the first job I’ve ever had. I’m not going to stuff it up by prattling on about my failed relationships.”
The pain in his chest was for her vulnerability. The admission made a tenderness swell inside of him that he had thought long gone.
“You have done volunteer work for the charity for years …”
“Volunteer work,” she spoke slowly, to spell it out for him.
“This is a proper, paid position. And Melania wants to make it more permanent. I don’t want her to think I can’t handle a simple negotiation with a man who’s appeared out of thin air begging to give us money.
” She closed her eyes. “So if your plan was to see me again, and to use my position in Hope Renewed to get me here, then you’re potentially ruining my reputation at work for no good reason. ”
He narrowed his eyes. “I would never dangle a carrot to a charity and not follow through. Of course I intend to donate.”
Saphire felt strange. Adrenalin had spiked and dropped, and now she was deflated and a little queasy.
“Donate. Don’t donate. It’s your decision.
” She stood up slowly and reached for her bag.
Her eyes met Tony’s and she offered him the hint of apologetic smile.
Before the waiter could arrive, Thaddeus shook his head.
“Sit back down.”
“I can’t.” She stepped away from the table. “I really need to go.”
She dipped into her wallet and pulled out more than enough Euro to cover the meal they’d never share.
She threw them down onto the table with fingers that weren’t quite steady.
When her eyes met his, he was instantly reminded of a hunted animal, terrified and in a corner.
“Please don’t call me. I’ll have someone else get in touch tomorrow to explain the options open to you. ”
His heart was thudding in his chest.
He watched her walk out and swore, then jerked out of his seat and moved swiftly after her. The night air was the slap of reality he needed. She was moving quickly down the footpath, and though he couldn’t see her face, he could tell her arms were folded over her chest.
He ran to catch her and when he spun her around tears were gliding down her cheeks as they had been that last night they’d spoken; the disastrous night in Athens.
“Saphire,” he groaned, lifting his hands and cupping her face. “Where are you going?” She shrugged out of his touch and for good measure pushed her hands against his broad chest.
“Don’t touch me,” she said angrily. “For God’s sake, just leave me alone.”
“I want to talk to you. Not about work. About you. And me.”
“There is no you and me,” she said with disbelief.
“I didn’t think so either.”
She dashed her tears away and stared down the street.
“You said you loved me. Love does not simply disappear.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a bit of an idiot when it comes to love, aren’t I?
You know, that night I came to see you in Athens, I learned something really damned important.
I thought I loved you. And I thought you loved me.
Just like I thought I loved Jordan. But you know what?
I am a terrible judge of character. Like, the worst. I’m useless.
I wouldn’t know love if it bit me on the arse. ”
He stared at her with a mix of consternation and amusement. “A tempting thought,” he assured her finally.
“You don’t get it,” she was weary now. “It’s too late. A month ago, I wanted nothing more than to talk about you and me. But seeing you with her …” she shuddered. “Is that a man’s solution for everything? Sex? Because it’s how Jordan dealt with things. It’s obviously how you deal with everything.”
“You are the one who wanted to screw me to pay your husband back,” he reminded her gently.
“Yeah. The one time in my life I make a spontaneous decision and look where it gets me.” She shook her head.
“I came to you straight from my husband’s office.
I told him I wanted a divorce and then I got on the first flight I could.
To you. Because all I could think about was how much I’d stuffed up by walking away from you.
How I’d had the best thing in my hands and I’d let it go. ”
His heart was cracking with the strength of his feelings. “We need to talk about this.”