“Oh, I have seen Pilar, my friend. But that’s not the point, now is it?” Dallas was serious too.
God. He was right again.
Bea arrived with perfect timing. Konrad couldn’t be more grateful to her. She placed their plates on the bar. “Two filet mignons for our handsomest patrons.”
“You have to say that because you work for me.”
“Uh-uh, Halman. You’re just a junior VP. She doesn’t work for you just yet.” Konrad winked at a giggling Bea. Konrad needed to get at least one jab in. He’d lost the whole damn fight.
****
Back at the office, Konrad felt a bit more at ease, even when he received a thank-you email from Antonia for attending the engagement party. Konrad responded with the enthusiasm he knew his friends deserved. However, it all left him with the same longing he’d felt at the engagement dinner. He’d hoped that nagging feeling would subside sooner rather than later.
Konrad passed Susan at reception, waving as he walked through the doors leading into the Korr Properties suite. A few employees stopped him for signatures on documents as he walked to his office. The time had come to take Scottie on the grand tour of Korr Solutions. Excitement made his feet move faster to his office.
As he turned the corner, he heard Scottie’s voice, even as low as it was. He paused, coming to a complete stop at the edge of her cube. Her words became clearer. She was on the phone.
“What do you mean I don’t qualify for a credit line? I have never had a credit card before.” Silence passed for several beats, and when she spoke again, she was indignant. “This makes no sense at all. How can you deny me when I don’t have any delinquencies as a negative mark against me? No, I can’t get a co-signer.”
His heart clenched. Was she in trouble? Did she have financial problems?
“Look, I just need a credit card with a thousand-dollar credit limit. I have been banking with you since I was eighteen. That’s five years! Isn’t that worth something?” The distress overflowed from her voice.
Konrad was compelled to act in some way but didn’t know how or what.
She must have heard him move, and at the moment she faced him, her face turned red, likely from her embarrassment, even though she had nothing to be embarrassed about. This touched him in a way he’d not anticipated.
Her mouth parted the moment their eyes met. She was completely frozen. The voice on the other end of the line sounded from the receiver, though she didn’t respond right away. Scottie closed her mouth. Konrad felt bad that he’d caught her. She looked mortified.
Calmer, she said into the receiver, “I understand. I will have to get back to you. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone. “Mr. Korr?”
Konrad lifted his eyebrow. “Miss Roberts?”
Her cheeks blushed. “Uh… Is there something I can help you with?”
The grand tour of Korr Solutions seemed so trivial after what he’d just heard, but she was his temp, and he could only be concerned about that. It was hard to forget the desperation in her voice, though. The mortification on her face. “Can you be ready in five minutes?”
“Yes, of course. Is there something wrong?” Her eyes widened, and she looked so innocent, like she’d never had a deviant thought in her life.
“I want to take you down to Korr Solutions for the tour.” Konrad’s voice was softer than he expected.
“Yes, of course,” she said, stumbling over her words. “I’ll go to your office in five minutes.”
He nodded and walked across the aisle into his office. He was more perplexed than he ever had been. Dallas was right. Scottie didn’t swoon for him upon meeting him. Didn’t even give him any indication that she thought he was a decent guy. And though they’d only known each other a day, Konrad was drawn in. He was intrigued. For the first time, he thought, as disconcerting and unprecedented as it was, he could easily swoon for her.