Page 28 of Choosing the right Man

“I’ve never heard that before. It’s beautiful,” I say. “I think I’m going to print it and put it on my wall.”

The elevator reaches the underground garage and we walk to his minivan. I smile, and he shrugs as if to say he’s a family man. It makes me smile that much more.

“Go ahead and use it,” he says as he unlocks the car. “Just make sure you writeDell the Masterat the bottom.”

“Does your wife call youDell the Master?” He laughs again, true joy in his voice.

“Not even on the best of days.” He’s still chuckling as he pulls out onto the nearly empty road. “But I sure as heck call her great.” There’s so much adoration in Dell’s voice I can’t help but feel jealous. I remember when Paul spoke of me that way, when he looked at me like I was the center of his universe.

The evil voice in my head tries telling me Mason looks at me like that. It’s a thought I have no business thinking. Besides, he’s only looking at me that way because I’m not his. The second he wins me as some sort of trophy, he’ll quickly lose interest.

Another woman will come along, and he’ll lose interest in the cat-and-mouse game we’re currently playing. I want to be glad about that, but I’m not. It isn’t as if I’d have to see him romancing the woman. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have the right to feel anything about it.

Dell and I chat on the drive home; it only takes about ten minutes. There’s virtually no traffic. I thank him for the ride and make my way inside. I’m going to make love to my boyfriend whether he wants to or not. I need him to want me. I need him to make me feel special before I do something else to make me feel that way.

I strip off my clothes and walk straight into his office, placing a false smile on my lips. I’m not giving him a chance to say no this time.

“Paul, I’m home.” I turn my voice into a seductive purr.

“Well heeeelllloooo, Chloe,” Tony says, a low whistle in his voice.

I freeze where I stand as Paul turns from his computer, his mouth dropping open before he begins laughing. Tony, his friend, is sitting on the couch with a cold beer, and he isn’t trying to hide the fact that he’s ogling me.

Finally I screech and run from the room. Both Paul and Tony chuckle, and the last thing I hear before I slam the bedroom door is Tony telling Paul he’s a very lucky man. I don’t try to hear my boyfriend’s reply.

Sex isdefinitelynot happening now. I think I have my answers to of whether Paul’s interested in me anymore, because he just saw me naked in front of another man, and his reaction was laughter instead of rushing to cover me up.

I need to move out. I’m just not sure when I’m going to do it. My life’s about to change drastically, and all I have to do now is untie the chain around my neck.

Chapter Eighteen

Chloe

I don’t know what to pack for my trip to Las Vegas. I’ve never been there before. I wonder if I’ll have time to go to a show or if it’ll only be about work. I don’t want to ask and seem to be taking advantage of a work trip for personal business, but I’m excited.

We’ll be there on a Tuesday, but I hear Vegas is a city that never sleeps so there should be plenty of things to do during the week. Maybe it will be less crowded, making it possible to do something in the evening without advance reservations.

All of my work materials are packed. The presentation is in a large casino with a huge convention center being built next to it. Alexander Corporation designed layouts to make the convention space appealing to prospective users.

I’ve worked as an assistant at many companies, and have planned a lot of events. I know what works and what doesn’t. Two huge pet peeves when attending a conference are not being able to find rooms and not having enough restrooms.

It’ll be exciting to be a part of this job, to sit with a designer discussing what will and won’t work. Hallways that branch off into more hallways and have rooms such as L-24A drive me insane. Mark the hallways with names. The Rose Hall, theImperial Hall, the Presidential Hall. Then have numbered rooms R-101, P-202. There’s no need to have letters after them. There are enough numbers available without confusing guests. And to make it even less confusing don’t use words that begin with the same letter. If there’s a Presidential Hall, don’t have a Peacock Hall. There won’t be more than twenty-six halls so each one can start with a different letter of the alphabet.

The designers listen to me and nod as if they think my ideas are brilliant, making me feel on top of the world. I might be able to suggest colors and fixtures if they want details. The best part of all is I’ve had two weeks to plan.

Now I know why people get so caught up in their jobs. I’m more understanding of my boyfriend working late into the night because I do exactly that when I start planning. I sit down with my computer and notebook and search, writing down ideas, hoping to spend the day in Vegas with the design team and see my ideas come to life.

Maybe I won’t want to go to a show. But my nerves shatter thinking about presenting these ideas. This is a huge Las Vegas Resort and Casino. They’ll compete with many other conference spaces, and they’ll want theirs to be the best. If they choose us, it will be a ginormous amount of money for the company, and the first time I’ll be involved with a project like this from beginning to end.

A car picks me up from my house, making me feel special. It’s silly, but I’ve never had this kind of treatment before. It’s sort of cool to be picked up.

Paul gives me a distracted kiss on the cheek, then I’m out the door. The driver grabs my bag and I thank him, wondering if I’m supposed to give him a tip. I haven’t done this sort of thing before. I hope I have enough cash.

“We’ll be at the airport in about thirty minutes, Ms. Dagwood,” he says. “I’m Rex.”

“Thank you, Rex.” I’m by myself in the back of the black SUV, and I keep my computer bag with me so I can look over my notes on the ride. I’m glad the driver isn’t a chatty guy. My stomach is too nervous for small talk.

I hope I have the right clothes, the right work materials. I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything. I packed and repacked three times. I brought one nice dinner dress just in case, a couple of pairs of jeans, and comfortable shirts. The rest of my clothes are all business wear.

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