In no time, Angelo warmed them each a couple of slices in the microwave in their kitchenette. After handing her a plate, he moved to the couch. “Sorry, I can’t provide you anything else.”
“This is plenty. It reminds me of my college days. Leftover pizza for breakfast was a common staple in the dorms.”
Angelo leaned back, kicked off his loafers and propped his feet up on the coffee table. There was no longer any boss/employee awkwardness between them. Being closed up in a hotel suite, no matter how fancy, left no room for cool distances. In fact, they’d shared some passionate disagreements over the pitch, which only led them to better, outside-the-box ideas. But it was far too late for any passionate conversations—at least the professional ones.
“I’m surprised your parents let you go to college.” Angelo’s voice roused her from her exhaustion-induced fantasy.
“Why?”
“Because they had your life planned out to be a wife, to be a mom and to take over the family business. Why spend the money and time on an advanced degree if you weren’t going to use it?”
The fact that Angelo Amatucci, star of Madison Avenue, was truly interested in her life sent her heart fluttering. “It was hard for them to object when I won an academic scholarship. Plus, they knew I had my heart set on earning a degree. My guess is they thought I’d go, have fun with my friends for a few years and eventually realize my place was with them in Paradise.” Her gaze met his. “Didn’t your parents expect you to return to Italy after you graduated college?”
He glanced away as he tossed his plate of half-eaten pizza onto the table. “My family is quite different from yours. Their expectations weren’t the same.”
“I have a hard time believing that, after seeing how much your brother and sister miss you. Maybe you can slow down and fly here more often.”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d have to find someone to help with the special accounts—someone the clients would trust.”
“Do you have anyone in mind?”
His steady gaze met hers, making her stomach quiver. “I have an idea or two. And how about you? Is Amatucci & Associates just a stepping-stone for you? Do you have other plans for your future?”
“I’m exactly where I want to be.”
His gaze dipped to her lips and then back to her eyes. “That’s good to know. I want you here, too.” He glanced away. “I
mean at the company. You’ve become really important to me.” He cleared his throat. “To the company. You know, it’s really late. Let’s call it a night and pick up where we left off tomorrow. You know, with the pitch.”
Kayla sat there quietly as her normally calm, composed boss tripped and fell over his words. She wanted to tell him to relax because she liked him, too—a lot. The words teetered on the tip of her tongue when he jumped to his feet and moved across the room to shut down his computer.
Disappointment settled in her chest. Shouting her feelings across the room just didn’t seem right, nor did she have the guts to do it. And by the rigid line of his shoulders, he wasn’t ready to hear the words. She had to accept that the fleeting moment had passed—if it had truly been there at all.
She tried to tell herself that it was for the best. Taking a risk on revealing her feelings to Angelo was putting all of her hopes and dreams on the line, but she wasn’t much of a gambler. She liked sure bets. At the moment, the odds were really good that she’d gain a promotion if they pulled off this royal pitch. And that’s what she needed to focus on—not on the way Angelo’s intense gaze could make her stomach do a series of somersaults.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.
Two days before Angelo’s private jet was scheduled to sweep them off to the Mediterranean island of Halencia, Kayla received yet another phone call from Pam. However with Angelo hovering so close by and forever checking over her shoulder to see the progress she was making with their pitch, she couldn’t answer the call. No way. No how.
Kayla sent the call to voice mail before returning to the email she was composing. But a thought had been nagging at her that perhaps after their talk Angelo might have changed his stance on the company doing some charity work. There were so many worthy causes out there that really could use the power of Amatucci & Associates to make a difference. And she wasn’t just thinking of her beloved after-school program.
There were countless other organizations that were worthy of a helping hand. Perhaps it was worth a shot. What was the worst that could happen? He would tell her to drop the subject and get back to work? Because surely at this point he wouldn’t fire her, would he?
“You’ve done a really good job with this pitch.” And she meant it. Angelo was very talented and creative. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t be at the top of his game. “It might be a nice idea if you’d considered implementing a charity program at the office. I know a lot of people would be willing to help—”
“No.”
Just a one-word answer? Really? Kayla tried to accept it as his final word, but she was having problems swallowing such a quick dismissal. Why did he have to be so close-minded? Was he that worried about his bottom line?
She stared at him. How was it possible that the same man who had escorted her around the village and had shared some of his childhood memories with her could be opposed to helping charities? There had to be something more to his decision.
Maybe if she understood, she could change his mind—make him see that charities needed his special kind of help. Not everyone was gifted in getting the word out in so many different capacities from tweeting to commercials and radio spots. Not to mention that Angelo had an army of contacts in Hollywood willing to help him when needed.
“Why are you so opposed to the idea of helping out charity organizations?”
“You just aren’t going to let this go, are you?”