"What?" I sputtered.
Again, he did the thing with the eyebrow. By now, I was pretty sure he was doing it just to taunt me.
I made a sound of frustration. "Nuts? As in crazy? Like that's any better."
He gave a loose shrug. "Hey, you said it, not me."
Gretchen spoke up. "So, should I call security?"
Chase spared her half a glance before returning his attention to me. With cool deliberation, he reached up and stroked his chin as if deep in contemplation.
I wasn't buying the act for one moment. Whatever he was going to do, he'd already decided. I don't know how I knew. I just did, which meant that he was only doing this to torment me.
Still, I refused to squirm. Instead, I waited in stubborn silence for him to either toss me out or escort me up to his office.
I just prayed it was the office thing, because after that phone call with my mom, I'd reached a whole new level of desperation. Thanks to that blabbermouth Ginger Hawthorne, the proverbial cat was out of the bag.
If I couldn’t get Chase to say yes to the sponsorship, I'd need to deliver the bad news today, not only to the festival committee, but also to my own family.
As far as the festival itself, I'd still try to get another sponsor, but the odds weren't looking so great. Some might say it was only a festival. But to my little hometown, it was a really big deal.
The festival was where my grandpa had proposed to my grandma over fifty years ago. It was where my dad had his won his first tractor pull at only eighteen years old. It was where my mom had been crowned first runner up in the tomato queen competition – and where I'd been crowned the same thing over two decades later.
At sixteen, I'd had my first kiss under the lights of the carnival midway and had eaten my first funnel cake as a toddler while watching my older brother ride the Ferris Wheel.
Over the past few decades, our town had lost a lot of people – some due to death and old age, and others due to younger people moving away in search of better jobs.
But some of us were still here. And as long as we were, it seemed incredibly important to continue our traditions.
As my thoughts swirled, I felt my eyes grow misty. And in that moment, as I stood waiting for Chase's answer, I decided that I wouldn't give up, no matter what.
If it came down to it, I'd promise him just about anything to make this sponsorship happen – well, anything except my virtue, because whoring myself out for any event would make a mockery of everything I held dear.
But somehow, I would convince him. And I'd keep smiling no matter how much he irritated me.
If I came down to it, I'd even beg.
I just prayed that I wouldn't have to.
Chapter 13
Chase
In the lobby, she looked almost ready to cry.
See? Crazy.
I knew this because sane people didn't cry if a potential meeting went off the rails. But she looked like she wanted to, which was a real kick in the teeth, because it took all the fun out of teasing her.
I looked to Gretchen and said, "Nah. I think I'll be safe."
Hell, I knew I'd be safe, as long as I kept Mina Lipinski away from my privates.
Across from me, Mina blinked several times before perking up to say, "Great. I'll just grab my stuff."
I shifted my stance. As long as she didn't grab my stuff, I figured we'd be alright.
That stunt of falling into my arms had been about as subtle as a sledgehammer. And yet, I'd enjoyed it more than I should have.
There'd been a moment – and not a short moment either – when I'd been tempted to go with it anyway, to pull her hard against me and kiss her like I meant it.
I was good at rolling with that sort of thing. I should be. I'd had plenty of practice.
By now, I'd seen every trick in the book.
"Oops, I dropped my pen. I'll just bend over and pick it up in front of you. And what do you know? I'm not wearing any panties."
That sort of thing used to be a blast. Pun intended. But sometime in the last few months, the routine had gotten stale, like a day-old donut. I mean, yeah, it wasn't terrible. But it wasn't something to savor either.
I watched as Mina turned and bent toward the sofa to retrieve her computer and purse. The purse was the same one she'd been carrying yesterday, which made me wonder if it was the only purse she had.
I wasn't into purses, but I did notice things – like her dress. It was just as respectable as the one she'd been wearing yesterday. This one was pale yellow, the same color as the highlights in her hair.
The dress wasn't short or low-cut. It wasn't tight either. And yet, it hugged the curve of her ass as she leaned further out to pick up a leather portfolio.
I resisted the urge to take a good long look – and not at the portfolio – even as I wondered if she was wearing any panties. And if so, what kind were they?
I was still wondering when she stood and turned back to me. Clutching the portfolio against her chest, she said, "Ready whenever you are."
As she spoke, something inside me stirred. Or more likely, something in my pants stirred. Either way, it was something best ignored, like a craving for cheap tequila on an empty stomach.
I jerked my chin toward the elevators. "I doubt it." I began walking toward them, leaving Mina to follow along beside me.
As we walked side-by-side, she asked, "You doubt what?"
"That you're ready." Yesterday, I'd asked for proof that she'd attended the festival as a baby. I'd done it for a damn good reason, whether she realized
