I raise my eyebrows. “Are you surprised?”
“A little,” Libby admits, blushing. “I wouldn’t have expected a CEO to be so deep in the trenches, so to speak.”
I nod.
“Any CEO worth his salt has a vested interest in his product,” I reply. “I feel like a man’s passion always comes through when he’s really into something. People can tell when you’re just in it for the paycheck, and when you’re in it because you’re truly passionate about the product.”
Libby looks up at me with that same starry-eyed stare that makes me want to pull her away and make love to her right now. “So what made you decide on coffee?” she asks. “Patrick never really told me the story behind Third Rail.”
I let out a dry snort. “Yeah, and there’s a reason he never did, unfortunately. The truth is, I first got into it right after I got out of rehab.”
“Rehab?” Libby exclaims, her eyes widening. “I never - I - I mean, I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t,” I growl. “I don’t talk about it much.” It’s the truth. Up until now, I made a rule of not being forthcoming with that part of my backstory. Now, it seems like I’m breaking all of my rules when it comes to this woman. “I had a drinking problem,” I explain simply, taking her hand in mine as we continue our stroll at a leisurely pace. “It never spiraled totally out of control, but I was lucky. I could see where I was headed, and it wasn’t good. Succeeding in business can do that to a person. Having all this money, but still being so alone…” I shake my head. “Anyway, I checked myself into rehab to get a handle on it. And I did. I don’t touch alcohol anymore.”
“That’s really brave of you,” Libby says, and her voice is sincere. I don’t feel like she’s just telling me what I want to hear. “I mean, seriously. Admitting that kind of thing and doing something about it takes guts. I admire you, Frisco.”
It’s a simple enough statement, but it warms my heart in a way I never thought possible. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Libby murmurs, while glancing at me through her lashes. “It also makes me feel a little better.” Seeing my questioning look, she bites her lip. I’m sure the gesture isn’t meant to come off as sensual, but it does. “I mean, you’re so… together,” she explains. “Successful. Capable. But it’s a reminder that everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and that I’m not the only one putting my foot in it.”
“Believe me, sweetheart,” I tell her, placing my hands on both her shoulders to look her in the eyes, “half of getting to where you want to be is making mistakes.” She beams up at me, and I snake an arm around her waist as we carry on. “And speaking of which,” I ask, “where do you want to go in life, honey? Patrick raved about your barista skills. Do you see yourself owning your own coffee shop someday?”
“Me? No.” Libby blushes, shaking her head. “I mean, it sounds nice in theory, but I’ve seen how hard Dakota works to run the Blue Bean. Being a small business owner is a full-time job, and I don’t think I want that when-” But she cuts herself off, looking suddenly shy.
“When what?” I prompt.
Libby looks down at the ground, shuffling her feet. “It’s embarrassing,” she admits in a low voice, “especially nowadays. I think what I’m hoping to do is be a full-time mother, if that ever happens. It seems lots of women these days want to be corporate CEOs or high-powered lawyers, but I guess I’m a little different.”
I stop for a moment, just looking at her.
“Yes, but what do you mean, if you become a mother?” I ask. “You’re young, sweetheart. It should be a given if that’s what you want.”
Libby’s shoulders slump, and it’s all I can do not to sweep her into my arms. Shit, I’m in deep, but the funny thing is that I couldn’t care less.
“Well, it’s just that the thing with Patrick has thrown me for a loop,” she says in a low voice. “I mean, I thought I knew him, but then these pictures came out, and he was probably cheating on me for a long time. I had no idea,” she says in a miserable tone.
I nod, slipping my arm about her waist again.
“No one could have guessed,” I growl. “It was totally unexpected.”
She nods, looking down while biting at her lip.
“But the thing is, who would want me now, after what I’ve done?” she says in a quiet tone. “After all, everyone knows that I leaked those photos. I’ve already shown how low I’ll go with this revenge porn thing, so what guy would date me now?” She turns to me, sounding afraid as she adds, “Why would you, Frisco?”