“I hate it when men do that,” Emma agreed, stabbing a crouton with her fork.
“Outright hostility I can deal with, but Jack’s method of hearing me but not listening to me, of looking at me but not seeing me, is so annoying.”
“He’s scum.” Emma blew out a regretful-sounding sigh. “But damn, he is hot scum.”
Much as she wanted to, Maddie couldn’t deny it. “But in my book, annoying trumps hot every time. Plus, not only is he annoying, I simply don’t understand him. Most of the executive types I’ve met are driven, to the point of working seventy or eighty hours a week. Jack doesn’t put in a minute of overtime on Fridays.”
“Probably wants to get an early start on the weekend,” Emma said, crunching on her crouton.
“Oh, yeah. I pegged him as the boff-a-babe-at-lunchtime, love-and-leave-’em sort I can’t stand the day I met him. Not that it matters. I only need to deal with him for another month and then I’ll be gone from Java Heaven and on to my next assignment. And I’ll never have to see Jack Walker again.”
Emma stole another peek over her shoulder. “It is so unfair that all that lovely male pulchritude is wasted on someone so undeserving.”
“Agreed.” Because if he were a nice guy, she’d jump him in a heartbeat.
Yeah, her and every other woman in Atlanta. Yet clearly his annoying traits weren’t hindering his success with women. Not that she was envious of his obviously active social life. Heck no. She had no desire to sleep with a bunch of different men-a preference that had led to her current sexual drought. Of course, sleeping with one man-a man who mattered-would be nice. But finding a man who mattered-one with integrity, and intelligence, a sense of humor, and a liking for monogamy-had proven as difficult as locating a single pearl on a fifty-mile stretch of beach.
Dating in Atlanta was brutal. While in theory a one-night stand might be good for what ailed her-and she’d definitely been tense lately-finding a man she wanted to get naked with was proving a challenge. Although the city was littered with attractive men, it unfortunately took more than looks to interest her. Still, for the purposes of a one-night stand with a sexy, golfing fireman, handsome was enough. Emma was right. She’d chickened out in the past but she wouldn’t this time. After all, this weekend she was just looking for one night-not for forever.
Three
As soon as she arrived back at her office after lunch, Maddie checked her e-mail. The weekend’s itinerary had arrived from Carla and she opened the attachment. Pushing up her glasses, she perused the schedule, and was surprised to see she was expected to arrive Friday evening. Her gaze skimmed lower, then fastened on the activity listed for Saturday morning. What on earth…? She blinked, but the words remained, and her brows collapsed in a scowl.
“Oh, no,” she murmured through clenched teeth. “Not just no… hell no.”
Was this insanity Jack’s idea-or Gavin’s? Obviously one of them was responsible, but her money was on Jack. Anything to piss her off and make her suffer. Well, she wasn’t having any of it.
With the schedule gripped in her hand, she marched out of her office and headed down the long corridor that separated the executive offices from the cubicles, wondering if steam actually spewed from her ears.
She understood the need for this team building weekend. In fact, she’d suggested it to Gavin and set up the entire thing, using Atlanta’s most respected motivational team-building company. It was just what the doctor ordered to get the accounting department back on track, plus it would provide her with an excellent opportunity to make the sort of observations she needed to present her report to Gavin. He wanted the accounting staff downsized from twenty to fifteen by the end of the month and he was counting on her report to advise him as to which employees should be let go in that reduction.
But there was a huge difference between attending the weekend and this. She shook the itinerary and shot it another baleful look as she strode along. This other thing was simply out of the question.
She looked up. Jack’s office was only a few doors away. Filled with grim determination, she advanced toward the door marked Jack Walker, Chief Financial Officer.
As she approached, she heard his deep voice. Pausing outside his ajar door, she heard him say, “I’m sorry, too, sweetheart… I know, I was looking forward to it, too.” He heaved a sigh. “No, it’s one of those business things I can’t get out of. But I’ll make it up to you.” He fell silent for several seconds then gave a low chuckle. “Deal. I’m looking forward to that… okay, sweetheart. Talk to you soon.”
Several seconds of silence followed and Madeline realized he’d ended his call. Drawing a bracing breath, she stepped into the half-open doorway. He stood with his back to her, looking out the window, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He’d removed his charcoal gray suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. She refused to acknowledge that the rear view he was treating her to was in any way… a treat.
She was about to knock when he said into the phone, “Hey babe, it’s Jack. Sorry I’ve missed you. Just calling to let you know I’ve gotta bail on our plans this weekend.”
Madeline shook her head. Jeez, how many “sweethearts” and “babes” did he have to break dates with this weekend?
“Really sorry ’cause I was looking forward to us-”
His words cut off when he turned around and saw her standing in the doorway, hand raised and poised to knock. She froze, and for several seconds silence swelled as they stared across the expanse of his office at each other. While the rear view had been exceptionally nice, the full frontal packed a serious wallop. Six-one, broad shoulders, deep blue eyes, firm, square jaw-complete with an intriguing indent in his chin-and a mouth that somehow managed to look hard and soft at the same time. His thick dark hair looked slightly rumpled, as if he’d dragged his hands through it, an imperfection that did nothing to detract from his physical appeal. Damn it, it simply wasn’t fair that he was so attractive. And such a pest.
His eyes narrowed and he said into the phone, “I’ll call you later.” With his gaze still boring into hers, he snapped his phone shut then set it on his desk. “Eavesdropping, Ms. Price?”
Heat flooded Madeline’s face and she raised her chin. “Certainly not.”
Um, actually you were eavesdropping, her annoyingly honest inner voice pointed out.
Okay, fine, she’d been eavesdropping. But not on purpose. It was an accidental eavesdropping. Because his door was partially open. So actually the entire thing was his fault. Based on his scowl, he wouldn’t appreciate her pointing that out.
“I was just about to knock when you turned around,” she said. “Do you have a minute?”
He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like Do I have a choice? then said, “Sure. But not much more than a minute. I have a meeting. What can I do for you?”
Drop the arrogant attitude. Then ugly yourself up. A paunch and a few hairy warts on your nose should do the trick. “Have you seen the itinerary for this weekend’s team building?”
“Not yet.”
She crossed the mocha-colored carpet and handed him the memo. “Read it and weep.”
He gave it a brief scan. “Looks pretty standard…” His words trailed off and his brows jerked downward. “What’s this?” He looked up at her and she knew what he’d seen.
“You’re not responsible for that?” she asked.
He made an incredulous sound. “For scheduling me and you for a six a.m. orienteering session Saturday morning? Hardly. Is this your idea of a joke?”
“I know what orienteering is. Believe me, there is nothing funny about the thought of you and me stuck in the woods together with nothing but a compass and a map to guide us.”