The Executive's Decision
Page 4

It was past noon when Mary Ellen announced she needed to eat because her head was spinning. Regan hadn’t wanted to stop her from showing her everything just so she could meet a total stranger for a hot dog.
Now she wondered if he’d even be there.
She grabbed her purse and joined the crowd in the elevator. There were four different conversations going on at the same time. She loved the banter. She’d missed corporate America.
When she walked through the lobby, sunlight streamed across the marble floor and she was glad. The sun was shining for her experimental moment of moving on.
Just beyond the door, she stopped and took out the compact from her purse and gave herself a quick glance. A quick gloss over her lips, and she had to look better than she had that morning. She walked around the side of the building to find the hot dog cart.
A variety of people in suits and skirts mingled with a few tourists in shorts in the small court between the buildings. Would she recognize him?
A laugh escaped her throat. She knew exactly what he looked like. His sandy hair and green eyes had burned his image into her mind. A shudder ran through her when she thought of his arms wrapped around her, protecting her. Enticing her. Scaring her because she feared letting a man be that close to her.
“I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
Regan’s heart hitched, and she spun around to find him standing behind her with a bouquet of daisies.
“Just got here.” She tried to catch her breath with him standing right before her. He was even more handsome in the full light of day than under the dingy glow of the bus lights. “I forgot to ask…”
“These are for you.” He handed her the bouquet and interrupted her thought on asking his name.
“Thank you.” She took the flowers from him, careful not to let their fingers meet. She was already feeling the surge of anxiety threaten her triumphant moment.
“So how is that new boss of yours?” he asked as they walked to the hot dog cart. “Working you too hard?”
“He hasn’t even shown up.” She blew out a breath of irritation then rubbed her fingers over her forehead to ward off the mark she knew was forming from her scowl. “You’d think that since I’ll be in charge of his every move by the end of the week, he’d want to meet me.”
“I’m sure he has good reason.” They approached the cart. “The usual, Frank. What will you have? Sky’s the limit.” He smiled a brilliant white smile.
He was taller than she’d realized, standing nearly a foot taller than she. “Well then, I’ll take the Polish sausage with sauerkraut and mustard, a bag of chips, and all caution thrown to the wind today, a Coke.”
“Caution thrown to the wind?”
“I don’t eat chips, drink soda, or eat hot dogs. But when a charming man asks…” When his smile widened, she stopped. It was okay to flirt with a man again, wasn’t it? Why was she so hesitant?
She swallowed hard. Because loving a man who was handsome and talked easily had broken not only her heart, but her will to live.
“This way.” He led her around the building to a courtyard that overlooked the river. An enormous fountain sat in the middle of the yard with stone tables all around. “There’s a nice spot over here.”
He started toward a blanket that had been set down under a shady tree.
She let out a long breath. “Your usual spot?”
“I suppose you could say that.” He laid down his lunch. Then he took hers and set it on the blanket as she maneuvered a seat in her skirt.
“So this is where you bring all your lady friends?” She could hear the jealousy bubble in her voice and she hated it. She didn’t want to care about this man and his life. She was being pleasant and having lunch with him because he’d asked.
“Well, I haven’t had one of those in a long time. Usually my assistant comes with me, but…” He stopped at that and bit into his hot dog. “I must say, I’m glad you took the bus today.”
“Me too. Otherwise I would have had to pay for lunch.” They shared a laugh, though his sounded more relaxed and natural than hers. Her eyes skimmed over him again. He was someone she could definitely find herself wanting to get to know better, if she’d only allow herself to do so. It was nice to have normal, female feelings toward the opposite sex again, but it scared her to the core.
“So will you be riding home with me as well?” he asked, biting down on a chip he’d taken from her bag.
“No, sorry. I have someone picking me up. He would have brought me to work, but I would have been late.”
“Had you known your boss wasn’t even going to show up…”
“I would have missed out on lunch.” She bit into her Polish sausage.
“Good thing you didn’t know, then.” He reached over with a napkin and wiped her upper lip, leaving a smudge of mustard on the napkin. The intimacy of it made her avert her eyes. He leaned back on his arms. “I suppose you’re going to get that car of yours fixed.”
“Of course.” She kept her eyes low.
“Too bad. I’ll be stuck with that old lady and her giant bag.” When she lifted her eyes to him, his danced with humor. “I guess I could stop running home in the evenings and just drive.”
If her brother couldn’t get her car running it wouldn’t be so bad. “You run home?”
“I’ve been known to. It frees my mind after a chaotic day.”
His phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. Regan quietly sat and finished her lunch as he answered the call.
“I’ll be there.” He shook his head. “I said I would.” He sipped his soda while he continued to nod his head. “You did? How did she sound? I’m sure she’ll do a great job.” He glanced toward Regan, who desperately tried to give him his privacy. “Okay, I’ll talk to you tonight.”
Regan tucked her trash into her chip bag and finished off her soda. She noticed him glance at his watch and she realized her very nice lunch date was over.
“I suppose I should head back to my office.” He stood and helped her to her feet. “Thank you, Regan, for a very nice lunch.”
“Thank you.” She picked up the blanket and folded it neatly as he carried their trash to the can. “Thank you again for the flowers. It was very nice of you.” She handed him the blanket and pulled the bouquet to her chest.