Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Her forehead creases and then softens. “You mean how the magazine is donating all sales to the local women’s center?”
I nod and open my mouth and then slam it closed.
She pauses taking pictures. “Why is the organization important to you?”
I grit my teeth, again questioning if I’m admitting too much. “My sister, Skyler, had a stalker.” I shove my hands into my pockets, and she snaps another photograph, but I don’t let it stop me. I continue talking. “We were able to help her, but there are so many women that don’t have the means to survive or even fight back. Plus, I told the magazine I was matching their donations.”
She lowers her camera and blinks at me. “You’re making a donation to the women’s organization?”
I shake my head and look at her in confusion. I’m not sure what she’s heard about me, but it makes perfect sense that I would use my one time doing an interview to build up the organization. “You seem surprised.”
She cocks her hip out. “I guess I am. I figured you were…”
She stops, and I step toward her. “No, finish what you were going to say. I want to hear it.”
Her voice is just a whisper. “I thought you would be cold… cocky… arrogant… greedy.”
I chuckle when she slaps a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
I cut her off and move so that I’m standing right in front of her. “Don’t apologize. I want you to be honest with me. I want you to tell me what you’re thinking.”
She lets out a breath and lifts her camera to look at the pictures she just took. She smiles widely, and I gesture to her. “What are you going to do with those?”
Finally, she looks up. “I’d like to use these for the magazine. Not the stuffy ones from earlier where you weren’t even smiling. This is how I want people to see you when they read about why you’re doing the interview and your matching donations.”
I shrug. “Whatever you think. I’m fine with that.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “Dinner?”
Her eyes are wide, but she nods. “Yeah. Let me finish getting this gear out to my truck, and we’ll go.”
I hold my hand out. “May I have your keys?”
She pulls them out of a bag and hands them over to me.
I hold them out to Mike, my driver. “Mike, can you get all these bags into Lindsey’s truck?”
Lindsey opens her mouth, but I know what she’s going to say before she gets it out. “Please be careful with all of it. I assume it's all fragile.”
Mike nods. “Sure thing, Mills.”
When I look at Lindsey, she’s smirking, and I find myself smiling back at her. “What?”
Mike grabs the first two bags and is about to walk out of the room.
“I’m parked in the garage. If you hit the button on the keychain, you’ll find it.” Lindsey lets her hands drop to her sides.
“I’m sure he would have figured that out.”
She points to Mike, who is exiting the room. “Your bodyguard calls you Mills?”
I stand up a little taller. “He’s my driver, and yeah, he calls me Mills. Mike has worked with me for ten years now. We’re friends.”
Her eyes light up in surprise. “Wow, you refer to your employees as your friends, and you don’t require them to call you Mr. Brody? I’m impressed.”
I hold my hand out to her.
She stares at my outstretched hand, and I can see her mentally weighing her options here. She gently puts her hand in mine, and I let out a breath. I wrap my fingers around hers and pull her gently toward me.
She’s skittish, unsure even, but I’m glad she at least agreed to dinner. I can’t fuck this up.
CHAPTER 3
LINDSEY
After ordering food and sipping a glass of wine, I can feel myself loosening up. I’m not normally a drinker, but who knew wine could taste as good as this?
“Tell me about you, Lindsey.”
I set my glass down and smile. “What do you want to know?”
He’s leaning toward me, and maybe I should feel overwhelmed, but I don’t. Somehow, I’m not sure how he did it, but the whole restaurant is empty, and we’re sitting at a corner table. He’s sitting at my side, and the subtle hint of his cologne wafts over me.
“Everything,” he answers.
I look around the empty restaurant. “Did you kick everyone out?”
He shrugs. “I bought the space for the evening.”
“Why?”
He looks at me pointedly. “Because I didn’t want distractions. I wanted to be able to focus on you.”
I lay my hands in my lap. I’m no match for him, and he’s trying to impress me, but I don’t understand why. “Okay… you want to know about me. I have a sister. She’s two years older than me, a schoolteacher and my best friend. I have a nephew. He’s seven years old and a very cool kid.” I search my brain for something, anything that would be interesting. “I’m a photographer, as you know. I do some side jobs too. I’m growing my business. This shoot for the magazine is going to help that.” I roll my eyes. God, now I sound desperate. “Uh, my parents are both gone.”