Chapter Seven: Not So Business as Usual
Evan looked up when he heard the soft rap on his office door. Every bone in his body tensed, telling him it was Beth. He hadn’t seen much of her alone following the day at the beach. She had deliberately made herself either scarce or glued to Melissa’s side, and he didn’t force his attention on her. No…he wanted her to come to him on her own.
“Come in,” he called, and then settled back in his seat.
When the door opened, he took a moment to study her. The white shirt she wore had the top two buttons undone at the neck, showcasing an iridescent strand of pearls. His gaze traveled to her small waist where the shirt was tucked neatly inside a beige skirt that hugged her womanly shape and stopped a few inches above her knees. Slowly his gaze traveled back to meet hers. Almond shaped brown facets that held a hint of green flecks in the center stared back at him.
“Your ten o’clock is here to see you, a Miss Trammel. But before I send her in, I need to give you something.” Closing the door behind her, she walked over and placed an envelope on his desk.
“What’s this?” he asked, never taking his eyes from hers.
“It’s the money I won in Vegas. There’s about five thousand dollars inside. You can count it if you’d like.”
“Why would I want to do that? The money’s yours. You won it fair and square.”
“It’s not mine to keep. I was playing on your money, so therefore it’s yours.”
“I gave you the money because I wanted you to have a good time. Trust me, when I saw how your face lit up every time you won, it was worth every penny.”
“Evan,” she hesitated while her hands fidgeted with each other. “I came back to your hotel suite the next day, but the maid told me you had already checked out. I wanted to return the money and talk to you about that night. I waited several hours to get up the courage because I was embarrassed, but I guess I’d waited too long.”
He felt a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed hard. She had come back. The night had meant more to her than she had let on. “I’m glad. I feel better knowing you didn’t just run out on me. But as far as the money goes, please keep it. Why don’t you buy yourself a nice dress for the party?”
Her neatly arched brows lifted slightly. “What party?”
“The party my father’s throwing for some of his supporters. He did tell you, didn’t he?”
“He hasn’t mentioned any party,” her voice sounded flat. She turned to leave. “I’ll send Ms. Trammel in.”
“Beth.” He rose to his feet and walked around the desk. “The money is yours. If you don’t feel like you can accept it in good conscious, then at least take it and buy yourself an evening gown, compliments of the firm.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but before giving her time to argue, he picked up the envelope and placed it in her hand. “Please, do this one thing, for me. I want you to have something nice to wear to the party.”
She glanced down at her hand and then back to him. She blinked hard, but not before he saw the moisture gathering. “This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, Evan.”
He wanted to say he wished to do more, but he was afraid she would recoil from his offer and that was the last thing he wanted. “You’re welcome. Now send Ms. Trammel in and bring a pad and pen. We should both make notes, and then later when we’re trying to put things together, we can share them.”
“Right,” she said. “I’ll send her in.”
Evan took a seat behind his desk and watched as an overly done, bleached blonde waltzed into his office. At first glance, he thought she was the typicalCaliforniagirl. But then his eyes slid to Beth coming in after her. Although she too was fromCalifornia, she was anything but typical. Shifting his gaze back to his new client, he watched Amy Trammel take a seat and cross one tanned leg over the other. Then leaning back in her chair, she ran her hand promiscuously around the plunging neckline of her dress, drawing attention to a pair of protruding breasts. Clearing his throat, he kept his eyes centered on hers and pretended not to notice.
