Natalie had been to The Ladder before, but only as an observer, as a researcher. Those had only been preliminary runs to make sure this was the place where she would be most likely to meet up with employees of Starson Investments and to locate Brad Herron, Mrs. Morgensen’s broker. Now she was going to have to wade in and actually become a part of things. The very thought made her quake inside. The fact that Vincent had come inside, seated himself at a small table in the shadows and was watching her every move only heightened her nervousness. She was going to have to attempt to come on to a man while Vincent watched. She had a feeling that Vincent was an expert at enticing women. The fact that she had little experience at luring men was bound to show.
Why should it bother her that Vincent should think her inexperienced and naive? “It shouldn’t,” she murmured.
“What shouldn’t, sweetheart? Brad Herron,” the man sitting at the next table said by way of introduction, holding out his hand. Natalie looked up at the man she had observed here before, one she had deliberately seated herself near tonight. He was in his early forties, divorced, handsome and very aware of how handsome he was.
She took his hand, then fought a spate of nerves when he held on to her longer than was really necessary. She had to be smart here. Tonight was just to get the lay of the land.
Beating back the urge to yank away, she disentangled herself from his grip as casually as possible. The man was a player, she reminded herself. She’d known that when she came here. In fact, knowing that gave her a decided advantage in this game. Natalie took a deep breath. “What I meant was that age shouldn’t matter when choosing new friends,” she carefully replied to the man almost fifteen years her senior. Somehow, she even managed a small smile.
“Oh yeah, I couldn’t agree more. You have exceptionally beautiful eyes, honey, do you know that?” he asked. Except Natalie couldn’t help noticing that it wasn’t her eyes he was looking at but her breasts. She felt slightly sick. Even worse, she had an awful urge to get up and go sit next to Vincent. She wondered what he was thinking of this whole scenario. Because even though he couldn’t possibly hear what was being said, the fact that Brad was practically salivating on her had to be obvious. And if she was going to make this subterfuge work, she had to pretend that she didn’t mind Brad’s attitude.
“Why, thank you, Brad. I’m Natalie,” she said, holding on to her fake smile. “Do you come here often?” Not thrilling conversation, but she needed some way to get him to lead into his Starson connections.
“Two or three times a week,” Brad said. “A lot of the people I work with hang out here. But you’re not a regular. I’ve never seen you here before.”
That was because the few times she had ventured here in the past week or two, she had been wearing a wig, enveloping clothes and sunglasses. More importantly, Brad had been busy hitting on other women. His modus operandi seemed to be stake out the nearest free female, which was why she had seated herself within range of his radar. Her ploy appeared to be working.
Except she looked up right then and couldn’t avoid seeing Vincent, who was watching her closely. He was frowning, his dark eyes narrowed. For some reason, her heartbeat kicked up in a way it hadn’t when Brad had given her the once-over. She hastily looked away.
“No, I don’t get out that much,” Natalie said.
“Well, we’ll have to change that,” Brad said, sliding closer. He smelled heavily of cologne. Natalie fought the urge to inch away…or to slam her fist into his nose.
“Are you here with friends?” she asked.
Brad laughed and winked at her. “If you mean, am I with a woman, not tonight. If you want me to be alone, then I’m alone. Just you and me, babe.”
Okay, it was difficult to fight her gag reflex after a line like that. Brad’s shoulder was rubbing up against hers now. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Vincent rising. Was her panic that evident? Clearly it was time to effect a change, both in her demeanor and in Brad’s attitude.
“Oh, I’m not in the mood for alone tonight,” she simpered. “Not yet. I came here looking for the thrill of a crowd, and if you’re a regular here, then you must know at least some of the people here.” Besides, she needed to locate other people at Starson who might talk to her.
“Sure do know some people, sweetheart. You could say that I’m a man with connections,” Brad boasted. “I’m a broker at Starson Investments, a damn fine one, and being charming and making lots of friends is part of the game. Not many I don’t know here tonight. Come on, I’ll introduce you around, show everybody what a sweet, pretty thing I’ve found.”
Grasping her hand, Brad pulled her to her feet and made his way through the crowd, his grip clamping down tight.
If things went suddenly south and she had to change her mind, breaking that grip was going to take some serious work. She wondered what Vincent would think if she suddenly resorted to kicking her new buddy in the groin. For some reason, she had an urge to do just that, to show Vincent that she really wasn’t helpless. It was all Natalie could do not to look Vincent’s way.
She was sure his eyes were following her, but then, that was what he was paid to do, wasn’t it? There was nothing more to it than that. Which was good, she reminded herself.
Try to forget about Vincent and concentrate on Brad and the task at hand, she ordered herself. Just find out whatever you can about who might know what at Starson. Natalie studied the other people to whom Brad was introducing her.
“This is Sheila. She’s the receptionist.”
Natalie smiled and said hello. Judging by the frigid look Sheila gave her, the woman had either slept with Brad at one time or wanted to. Not a woman who looked as if she would talk to another woman she viewed as competition. She filed that information away for later and turned to the next group. Alicia Summersby, an administrative assistant too scared to do more than squeak; Lon Warren, who worked in the mail room and might very well be a misogynist judging from the disgusted look he gave Natalie; Neil Gerard, an account manager.
An account manager? Natalie smiled at Neil. He mumbled a shy hello, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” she said.
He shrugged. “Me, too. Um, have you known Brad long?” He shifted again, and she knew what he was getting at. Brad probably didn’t date anyone for very long. He was in it for the skin and when that palled, he moved on to the next conquest.
“Actually, we just met.”
A look of interest lit Neil’s face. He seemed pleased, even though he didn’t say anything. He struck her as the shy, polite guy that every woman should want but seldom did.
Brad chuckled. “Natalie and I have just met, but I intend to get to know her much better, Neil, my man. Isn’t she hot?”
Neil fidgeted again, and Natalie felt sorry for him, but not so sorry that she wouldn’t come back and talk to him later.
“I don’t know that much about investments,” she said, even though she’d already done plenty of research on the Internet. “What exactly do account managers do?”
Neil opened his mouth to speak, but Brad pulled her away. “Oh no, none of that work talk. This one’s mine, and we’ve got other ground to cover, Gerard.”
Natalie
