“This is all going to be okay, you know. I know you’re scared.”
Her words caused my stomach to twist into knots. She was absolutely right. I was more than scared. I was plain terrified.
“But I think he’s worth the risk. Don’t you?”
Yes. “I don’t know. What if I’m just a challenge to him or something? What if none of it is real, and he just thinks he wants me? I can’t go through something like that, not with someone like him.” My admission spilled from my lips, surprising both myself and Barbara.
“I think it’s more than that.”
“How do you know?”
“Just trust me for once.”
I leaned my head against her shoulder. “I always trust you.”
****
I pulled my silver Audi to a stop in the underground parking of my beachfront condo. Living in Santa Monica never got old. I had an amazing view of the beach, and I could see the lights of the pier from my living room window. Beachside living was good, and I was blessed.
Once upstairs, I changed into a sports bra, tank top, and shorts before it got any later. I laced up my running shoes and stretched out my legs and arms, using my appliances for balance. I headed outside into the warm evening air, thankful for the ocean breeze. When I had the chance, I loved running down a bike path that stretched from Venice Beach all the way to Malibu.
I was determined to run my conflicted emotions for Daniel Alexander right out of my body. But that son of a bitch had proven more resilient than my feet pounding against the concrete because as I headed back forty minutes later, he was still firmly rooted in my mind with no intentions of leaving.
As I stopped to stretch after my run, a muscular frame caught my eye. A man was sitting on the concrete wall directly in front of my building. His head was in his hands, but I instantly recognized him. How was it that his frame was already ingrained in my consciousness?
Breathing hard, I stopped in front of him. “Stalking is illegal.” Was it? “Or at least frowned upon in most states.”
His eyes widened in surprise as they darted up to take me in. “Elizabeth,” he stumbled, not sounding like the arrogant, confident guy I’d come to know. “I didn’t know you’d be here, I swear.”
“Are you sure my assistant didn’t give you my address? She’s given you everything else it seems.” At this point, I’d put nothing past Barbara and her mission to get my lady parts in working order.
“I told you I had a meeting in Santa Monica tonight. I was just walking around, and I stopped to think.”
He didn’t look okay. His hair was frazzled, like he’d been pulling at it for hours, and his tie was loosened unevenly.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m so frustrated.” He eyed me before turning away. “These businessmen wanted to talk to me about investing in this brilliant fucking idea they have, but they don’t want to hear how they can make it better. Creative types always think they’re right, that their ideas are the only and best way.”
I moved to sit down next to him, torn between wanting to comfort him and wanting to keep my distance. “Tell me what happened.”
He stared off at the ocean instead of at me. “Everyone wants a piece of my money, right? You know how that is.”
I did know how it was but not to the level that he did.
“I get proposals to invest in start-ups all the time. This one…” His head shook as he turned to look at me. “This one is really brilliant, even James thought so.”
“Who’s James?” I breathed out, my heartbeat still trying to return to normal after my run.
“Sorry. He’s my business partner. Anyway, it’s so innovative, and I love the concept, but I can see the flaws in it. I pointed them out and told them how to fix it, but they were so pigheaded.” He raked his fingers through his hair before glancing up at me.
“People don’t like being told they’re wrong or that their innovative ideas aren’t innovative enough,” I said, not telling him anything he didn’t already know.
“It was a risk to begin with going into it, and I knew that. The lead guy on the project is a buddy of mine, which always makes shit weird, but he knows that I know what I’m talking about.”
“So, what has you pissed off more? The fact that they won’t listen or that he won’t?” I scooted my body a little closer to his and placed my hand on his thigh to calm and comfort him.
He tilted his head and rested it against my shoulder.