Page 15 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“Hello,” she whispers, “Noah?”

“Hey,” I reply. “I'm glad you answered.”

“Did I have a choice?” she asks, and I have to laugh.

Actually, she didn't. After all, it's still date versus cooperation.

“No, I didn't,” Cara answers the question herself.

“How are you?” I ask instead of answering her nagging.

“Fine, and you?” she asks, and I smile.

“I’m good too. And it’s great that you’ve agreed so quickly.”

“Nothing's agreed yet!” She snorts, and I grin. It's going to be very, very fun with her, I'm sure. I just can't believe that she's not interested in me at all, as she's trying to make me believe. After all, she has accepted the conversation.

“No?” I ask provocatively. “Why not?”

“You know why,” she hisses. “You're taking advantage of the fact that I want you as a client and blackmailing me with a date.”

“I'm blackmailing you?” I laugh again. “Don't you think you're exaggerating? I want the date, yes. Why don't you see it as a quid pro quo that you're going to make a lot of money with me soon?”

Cara mumbles something I don't understand.

“What?” I want to know.

“I said it doesn't work like that,” she repeats, “you're crazy.”

“Is that how you talk to all your clients or future clients?” I ask, getting up from the couch to get a drink of water. “Because then I can tell you that your career is not going to be a success.”

“My career,” she mumbles. “I don't think you care that much about my career. You want to go out with me and brag about it.”

Now I have to laugh again and go back to the couch. “Let's put it this way,” I consider. “There are bigger fish to fry.”

“Noah!” I can see that she is struggling for words. She wants me as a client, I know it. And she knows I want to take advantage of that. We are in a pact situation. “Can you be serious for once? Can't you see that this will only cause problems?”

I cluck my tongue and shake my head. For me, there are no problems if we don't look for them. We go out together and we both get what we want.

“No,” I say. “To be honest, I don't see a problem. Do you?”

“Of course I do!” she shouts. “I see problems everywhere. I want to do a good job and you ... you only think about yourself.”

I sit down on the couch and groan in annoyance. This woman really seems to take everything I say the wrong way. Everything, really, but how can that be? She must realize that this date isn't the worst idea. We could get to know each other better.

“Aren't you at all interested in getting to know the person you are about to work with?” I try again.

“Of course, but I...”

My goodness! It really can't be that she finds another excuse. She wants it too.

“Is that a woman's thing?” I ask. “That you always find a ‘but’.”

“No, but...”

“You see!” I shoot back. “Once again, you find a ‘but’. ‘But this, but that.’”

“It's not about my ‘but’, it's about your ulterior motives.”

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