Page 5 of Trouble

“Looking forward to it,” I said, and then she was off with a smile and a nod that I could only describe asprofessional. I glanced down at the business card in my hand, unable to hold back my grin. She’d been plenty into me this morning, I knew from her lingering looks and profuse blushing, but it was pretty obvious from how completely non-flirty she’d been while being asked out on a date that she probably didn’t realize my ulteriormotives.

Which didn’t exactly promise an easy conquest—but I always loved achallenge.

Cheerfully whistling, I shoved the card into my pocket and strolled back to my table where Louis waswaiting.

4

Audrey

I’d forgottenall about my lunch encounter with the redheaded guy by the time four o’clock rolled around. I was neck-deep in reports and business calls, and so when my private line rang, I assumed it was just another client remembering thatoops,they needed me to finish a report today, or their entire damn company would go up insmoke.

“Caslik Consulting, Audrey Waits speaking,” I said as I picked up, without taking my focus off the Excel sheet I’d spent the past thirty minutes plowingthrough.

“Audrey. It’s Liam. LiamSteel.”

I frowned, trying to allocate the name, but with no luck. “What can I do for you, Mr.Steel?”

A small chuckle.“It’s past four—you asked me to callyou.”

I did? Internally cussing, I grabbed for my diary and desperately flicked through the crammed pages, but no appointments were noted in for past four.Shit!The damn thing was my lifeline, but I’d obviously completely spaced on noting down this guy’scall.

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Steel, but could you just remind me which report this is concerning?” I asked, doing my best to keep my tone as calm anddon’t-you-worry-your-company-is-in-excellent-handsas I could while I frantically rummaged around my desk for any hint of which company he might be workingfor.

“Well, Miss Waits,”he drawled, and I got the distinct impression he was both aware of and enjoying my squirming,“it was about theveryimportant meeting we set up earlier today. You wouldn’t haveforgottenabout it, would younow?”

“No, of course not, I’m just pulling your file up now, Mr. Steel,” I lied, sending my co-worker Eileen a desperate look as she stared at me with an amused grin from her desk next to me, being not the least bithelpful.

“I’m glad to hear it,Miss Waits,” my nightmare client said, and I frowned at the way he intoned my surname. Hadn’t he called me Audrey when I picked up?“When can I expect to pick up the package,then?”

Package?I stared in bewilderment at Eileen, who still didn’t offer me so much as the shakiestlifeline.

“Package, Mr.Steel?”

“The beer, love.”He sounded like he was smiling widely now, his timbre changing from stern business to something much warmer that made me blink in confusion.“It’s Liam, from the park this morning. You gave me your card atlunch.”

“The… beer?Oh!The beer!” I mentally facepalmed when my brain finally connected the dots. “Of course, I’m so sorry! I didn’t catch your namebefore.”

“That’s quite all right,”he said, and this time I was certain there was a laugh in his voice.“But what do you say,Miss Waits?Are you still up forit?”

“Yes, let me just check my schedule…” I flipped back to the right page in my diary. “I should be done about six. Is that allright?”

“That’s fine. Meet you at thepub?”

“Yes, I’ll meet youthere.”

“That’s a date, then. Bye for now,love.”

“Bye, Liam,” I said, hanging up thephone.

It was only when I saw Eileen’s teasing smirk that I realized my lips were quirked up in an involuntary smile. There was something about that cheerful voice that made it impossible not to smile—as if he was overflowing with so much zest for life, it was impossible not to beinfected.

“Audrey Waits… was that… adateI heard you arrange just now? And on company time, noless!”

I quickly pulled my mouth into a straight line and tried to ignore the faint blush on my cheeks. “No, of coursenot.”

“Really, though? Are you sure about that? Because from where I wassitting—”

“It’s just one beer,” I interrupted her, shooting an annoyed glare at her across my piled-up reports. “As a thank-you. He saved me from having to limp back home with a broken shoe and be an hour late for the meeting with Perkinson thismorning.”

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