Page 15 of Protected By West
At least, West thought to himself, there had to be fire to get burned.
If she didn't care about him, that would be different.
Indifference meant that there was nothing pushing them together or pulling them apart. The fact that she was actively trying to avoid his gaze was on the other end of the spectrum.
"I have to head back to San Antonio tomorrow on the first flight. I'd like to talk to you before I leave."
He watched as her eyes moved across the table, back and forth as if she was reading something fascinating.
The next speaker had started the preamble to his presentation and that was likely the only reason she turned to look at him rather than let him stand there and block the view of the podium where he was.
Her gaze met his, but he didn't see any of the warmth he saw the night before.
It looked like she was focused on a point on the back wall, looking right through him.
"I want to apologize for whatever it was that I did."
Her gaze lowered to the table again before she looked up again. "I'll meet you during the lunch break and explain."
He nodded. "I'll be waiting for you in the lobby."
He walked out wondering if she'd meet him there or not show up.
Either was possible.
But either way, he'd find a way to talk to her. He wasn't going to give up without trying.
TRACY
Tracy had to give Jaime the prize for patience.
All through the third presentation, they'd both focused on the man who'd talked about added benefits and employee retention. It was always a dry topic, but it was necessary to keep focused on what he had to say. Military City Credit Union considered its employees the backbone of the institution. It paid more than a living wage to its workers, but it also had the added benefit of having employees who were dedicated to the institution. Tracy had been a firm believer in 'you can't get something for nothing.' A value instilled by her mother through all their years without her father in their lives.
Oh, it didn't mean that life should be transactional.
She didn't mean that you couldn't do nice things for people. That was a given.
Being kind was something that she'd always believed in, and her mother had shown her how to do that when they'd volunteered at shelters and community clean ups.
But knowing how her mother had struggled to find a job that paid enough so that they could live and had the benefits of medical insurance so that her mother could get treatment when she was sick, it was something that Tracy was determined to do right for the employees.
They were all top notch. They gave their heart and soul to the members, helping them through all kinds of financial issues. They even had classes for all ages to help increase their financial knowledge and literacy.
And in turn, their members had the benefit of not just dedicated employees helping them to solve problems, they had help to stop problems before they started.
It was one big circle of awesome that happened when things were handled locally instead of in a boardroom thousands of miles away, decided by people who had more money than they'd ever need and didn't know what it was like to stare at your account balance and wonder if you'd make it until the next paycheck.
When the presentation was over, Tracy sat back in her seat and sighed. "You know what this means..."
She turned to look at Jaime who was relaxing into her chair in an almost identical slouch.
Jaime turned her head to look back at her. "A lot of research and possible policy changes."
Tracy nodded. "Looks like."
Tapping one of the brochures that they'd been given, Jaime's smile widened. "This life insurance offer looks good for everyone, but that's what makes me..."
"Nervous? Me, too."
