Page 132 of Until You

“Aiden, what’s up?”

“Is this a bad time?”

She laughed. “I’m just standing in front of two or three hundred people. What’s up?”

“You opened?” he asked in surprise.

“Nope. We just decided to go ahead and use the publicity to get public support for the store.”

“Good thinking.”

“That’s why you’re about to pay me the big bucks,” she said with a laugh.

“Lanie, that’s part of why I’m calling.”

Oh, shit. “Are you going to fire me before I even start?”

“No, nothing like that, but I do have something important to discuss. Call me back when you’re free.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Not at all. I think you’ll like what I have to say. Go do your press. We’ll talk later.”

She hung up and checked her phone to make sure she hadn’t missed a call from their attorneys. Was the fact that it was taking longer than expected a good thing or a bad?

Stephanie was continuing her speech, telling them how Montgomery Enterprises wanted to become active in the local community, and playing up the store as a do-gooder underdog. She definitely knew how to engage the crowd.

But Tyler was still in the same place, and Lanie wondered if she should say something to him or ignore him unless he tried to attract her attention.

Stephanie beamed at the crowd. “We’d love to chat with media now and answer any questions you might have.”

Stephanie started to head toward the camera crews to answer questions, but she noticed Tyler in the crowd and hurried over to Lanie.

“Why do you think he’s here?” Stephanie whispered.

“I don’t know.”

“He’s not doing anything lawyerly, so he’s probably here to see you.”

He looked so serious, he was making her nervous.

“You up to doing these interviews?” Steph asked.

“Not yet. Let me talk to Tyler first.”

“Okay.”

Her stomach cramped as she moved to the edge of the crowd, keeping her gaze on him as he moved toward her.

“What are you doing here?” Lanie asked.

“I was worried about you.”

She offered him a smile. “Tyler, I’m okay. Really. I need to go talk to some reporters now.”

He grinned. “I love watching you work.” He lowered his mouth to her ear. “You’re sexy as hell, Lanie Rogers.”

She flushed as she walked over to the reporters and started taking questions as the crowd continued to grow.

---