“I see,” he said, nodding once more. A curl fell across his forehead. “Is the program’s vacation planning offered for free initially? Or is there a cost involved?”
“Right now, I'm offering it for free just to gain word of mouth. I'm working on a modified version that will allow very basic trip-planning services for free, with the option of upgrading to the better packages,” I told him. I loved talking about my company. I’d taken such a leap of faith to quit my day job and take this risk, but I was happier than I had been in months. I knew success was within my grasp.
“Interesting,” he said. His knee bumped mine, and I felt an electric rush into my lower belly. I wanted to brush that curl off his forehead so badly my fingers ached. “What else do you have in the works?”
I grinned and proceeded to explain my plans for the future. Logan listened attentively and asked questions that made me stop and think. He was incredibly astute, and his business reputation was undeniably well deserved. In the course of an hour, he had found several small flaws and offered solutions to problems I hadn't foreseen in addition to ones I was struggling with.
“That is the perfect solution,” I said for the umpteenth time. He saw the holes in my fledgling business with an eagle eye, pointing them out and helping me think of the solution. I was in awe and completely crushing on him. Not only was he good-looking, smart, and rich—he was sweet too. I never once felt he was picking on me; rather, I felt he was going out of his way to help me.
The intercom buzzed, diverting his attention away from me. He smiled apologetically and pressed the button.
“I'm very sorry, sir, but Aiden Hayes is here,” the woman on the on the other end stated. Logan looked disappointed.
“Of course he is,” he replied. He let go of the button and sighed. “Well, Olivia, it was a pleasure meeting with you.”
“Likewise,” I said, rising from my seat. My legs felt heavy. I wondered just how long we had been sitting there.
The door to his office opened, and a slicker version of Logan walked in. He was just as tall with a similar build, but with a slightly leaner frame. His hair was the same warm honey-gold color, but instead of Logan's wild curls, he had smoothed his back. He looked richer, if that were possible.
“Logan, you missed the meeting,” he said, giving me the once-over. I smiled nervously, but his face stayed blank. He turned to Logan and gave him a look that I couldn't read.
“I'm aware.” Logan put his hand on my shoulder and walked me to the door of his office. It was a sweet gesture, but his touch made my body sing with want. I was dying for him to touch me all over. He paused with his hand on the door. “Perhaps we can get drinks later? I'd love to continue our discussion.”
I grinned, feeling a blush settle in my cheeks. I felt like the captain of the football team had just asked me to homecoming. “That would be great. You have my number on the proposal.”
He beamed, letting go of my shoulder to shake my hand. We both held it a second longer than was necessary. I giggled as I realize neither of us had let go, then ducked out the door before I could embarrass myself further. He couldn't possibly be interested in me. He just liked my business idea and was a natural flirt.
“Drinks, Logan?” I heard his brother through the door. “You never take clients out for drinks.”
“Not now, Aiden,” came Logan's reply. The secretary guarding his office was giving me the evil eye, so I stepped away from the door before I could hear more. I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I walked back to the elevator to get to the lobby. I was going to have drinks with Logan Hayes tonight. Things were going better than I could have possibly hoped.
Chapter 3
Present Day
––––––––
Maddy laughed and scooted the snot-filled envelope off my desk and into a trash can. “You have a pen?” she asked, setting the unsigned waiver on the desk. I fished her one out of a drawer and went to open the last email in my inbox. It was my daily news and I nearly punched my laptop screen because of the headline article.
“What?” Maddy asked as I made an angry growl at the offending article. I turned the screen to face her. Logan Hayes and his brother's smiling faces filled the screen with the headline “Hayes Family Donates Millions to Mayoral Candidate.”
“Ah, Logan Hayes again. He is a good-looking man,” she said appreciatively, taking in the image. I glared at her and she clarified, “A jerk, but a handsome one.”
She was, of course, right. Maddy was always right. Logan Hayes was incredibly good-looking. It was part of his charm. He was tall with broad shoulders and an easy smile that was made to be photographed. Both he and his brother had short honey-colored curls; Logan's were always messy while Aiden's tended to be slicked back and controlled. They could have been movie stars with their looks.
And acting ability, I thought snidely to myself.
“You aren't helping.” I glared at Maddy as she continued to inspect the handsome men. She just laughed and handed me the freshly-signed waiver. The paper crinkled slightly in my hand; seeing his picture was making my vision go red again and I was taking it out on another piece of paper.
“You should get going. Tyler's probably worn a hole down to China with his pacing.” She stopped looking at the evil photograph and went to the window, peering out at the ocean view like she might see Tyler out there. “I really, really appreciate you taking him jet-skiing. And for bringing him on this trip. He's been having a rough time, and he still hasn't made any friends-”
“Maddy,” I interrupted, standing up and putting a hand on her shoulder, “I know. I'm really glad he could come with us. He's actually smiling and talking today.”
“Isn't it great?” she turned, hope in her eyes. The past year had been hard on her and Tyler. Things had gone downhill with her ex-husband, and she and Tyler had been forced to move. Things at Tyler's new school weren't going well. He was a shy, geeky eleven-year-old middle schooler in a new school system. I hadn't seen him smile like this in months.
“We're going to have a blast,” I told Maddy. “This whole week, we're going to have a good time. Maybe with a little bit of sun and fun, he'll go back happier and be able to make some friends.”
“I hope so. He’s just lost all his confidence, you know?” Maddy peered out the window again, eyes going past the ocean and back to her problems at home. “I just worry about him. I can't believe his father did this to us. To him.”