“I don’t get many perks with my new job. This is city business, so the mayor springs for a driver.”
“Check you out. Wait till your brothers hear about this.”
He took her hand and led her to the beachfront building. “They won’t find out anything.”
“Hmm . . . sounds like blackmail information.”
“I’m sure we can work something out to keep this a secret.” He flashed her a smile while opening the door. His dark hair was still mussed from running his fingers through it, giving him a rakish look as he grinned.
Unfortunately, it was the last genuine smile she saw from him all night.
Chapter Sixteen
Kevin had never seriously considered homicide. Tonight changed that. Brent had fucked him over good. The valet service that he supposedly booked flaked, so there was no valet parking. The caterer served excellent food, but complained that she hadn’t gotten accurate numbers, and she was worried about running out of food. Brent was supposed to guide the event and he wasn’t even there.
It wasn’t Kevin’s job to fix this or to make sure it ran smoothly. He was expected to attend as the mayor’s representative as they tried to convince other businesses and organizations that Chicago was the place to host conferences and conventions. The next move was to bring more TV and movies here to film. But if they couldn’t even pull off an established charity function, who the hell would trust them with anything else?
So to save face, he spent the night running interference and relying on Kathy for ridiculous things like making sure the waitstaff didn’t take a smoke break outside the door where guests would see them. Another time he’d asked her to check with the organization to see if their event organizer needed anything. He simply couldn’t be everywhere at once.
When he wasn’t smiling his way through networking with many of Chicago’s connected and elite, he was plotting his revenge against Brent. The night was wrapping up, and he had no idea where Kathy was. He hadn’t seen her and part of him feared she’d left.
He stood near the door, saying good-bye to guests as they left. He felt foolish for thinking this would’ve been a nice date for him and Kathy. He’d envisioned a walk on the beach, being able to watch the sun set. As he shook hands with another guest, one who appeared adequately impressed with both Kevin’s bogus city hall title and the way the event had been run, Kevin had another business card slipped into his palm. He apologized yet again for Brent’s absence, but promised to get their contact information into the right hands.
Which wouldn’t be Brent’s if he had anything to say about it.
A snort and a laugh drew his attention and when Kevin scanned the room, his gaze landed on Kathy and the snorting came from Moira, who stood beside her. Kathy’s face lit with her laughter and she was beautiful. When her eyes locked on his, he realized without a doubt that he loved her.
The notion was both frightening and amazing. He smiled and abandoned his post at the door. When he reached her, he took her hand and kissed her cheek.
“How’s the new job going?” Moira asked.
“I’m surviving.”
“That doesn’t sound too promising.”
“I can’t control who I work with.”
She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him. “Was that a dig at me?”
“Huh? No. I don’t work with you. Although, since you’re here, I hope I can call on our familial bond to get a good review.”
“I don’t review people like you. I talk about the organizations and charities and the events they produce.”
A sudden idea struck him. Although he’d been making a joke about using his relationship with her, he realized it might be worth it. “You could though.”
“I could what?”
“You could write an article about the mayor’s new initiative and how we’re working with City Connections to improve tourism for the city.”
The look on Moira’s face changed and he recognized it. Her interest was piqued. Jimmy had told him that she’d been working on a number of different projects that went deeper than her usual charity pieces. “Let’s set up a time to talk,” he continued. “I can give you all the information and access you need.”
What reporter didn’t love an exclusive?
Kathy yawned and guilt kicked him again. He held her hand. Moira looked at their joined hands and back at him. There was a warning in her eyes that he didn’t want to think about.
“The two of you always talking business. I’m glad I have a job that ends when I turn the lock on the door,” Kathy said.
“That’s not true. You think about flowers and arrangements and vendors and stuff when you’re not at the shop,” Moira argued.
“But I don’t live my job like you guys do.”
Kevin took a deep breath. She was right. He had been living his job, much like he’d seen his father do his whole life. “I’m done living it. At least for tonight. Are you ready to get out of here?”
“Whenever you are.”
“I’ll call you later,” he said to Moira.
“Be good,” she responded.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“You got me there. I almost couldn’t even say it without laughing. I was channeling Jimmy.”
Kevin smiled and waved and led Kathy toward the door. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”
“Why?”
“I promised you a date and then I didn’t do anything but impose on you. I bet you didn’t even get to enjoy yourself.”
“Well, you’d be wrong. I had a great time. I met a lot of people and hung out with my best friend. So it wasn’t quite a date, but at least the night’s still young.”
“How early do you have to be up tomorrow?” He feared the answer because he really wanted to spend the night with her, making love to her, showing her how much he cared about her.
“I don’t. Anna is opening, so I can go in whenever I want.”
“That’s the best news
