noticed that her lips trembled ever so slightly. Occasionally, she ran a shaky hand over her hair, adding credence to his summation. Wow, she was nervous.
With only two colleagues separating her from him, Chase hoped that she wouldn’t be too blown away by his sudden appearance. He took a deep breath. His hands grew clammy. Heck, he couldn’t deny that he also was nervous.
Then Laura shifted her ready smile from the assistant coach to him. Her eyes widened and the smile drooped as her mouth shut in a decisive snap. With an imperceptible shake of the head, she again turned on the smile, reviving it to its original brilliance. Gone, however, was the warm, curiosity in her face. He knew a fake smile when he saw one and he could sense a deep-seated grudge with his eyes closed.
“Miss Masterson, I’m Chase Westfield.”
“He’s the senior assistant director of athletics and head coach for the men’s track team,” Freeman added, still beaming from his chair.
“Very nice to meet you. I know that you’ll like it here. Welcome.” His voice had lost its smooth quality and turned into a froggy version.
Just as well. If he had any more time to talk, he may have slipped and turned it personal. He could’ve commented on how the longer hair suited her with the thick ponytail lying over one shoulder. Or follow that compliment by mentioning how well the navy blue suit fitted her slender body. And the curves had become curvier. But that would get him punched in the eye.
As a sophomore in high school, he’d patted her behind as part of a bet. The act had earned him a solid punch to his right eye and ridicule from his friends. Like that day, he didn’t walk away from a challenge. Did he really expect that Laura would run carefree into his arms with sincere well wishes?
No, not when he’d broken her heart.
“Laura, Chase temporarily oversees your department. The reporting structure is in a state of flux.” Freeman’s voice boomed over the conversation buzz.
Laura sucked in her breath. She’d often wondered if constantly thinking about someone could make them appear. Being level-headed proved to be difficult in this case. She felt as if she’d done an aerobics tape on fast forward. All she could see was the instant that she moved from the assistant coach, whatever-his-name was, to Chase. That image looped repeatedly. Then his lips moved. She tried to concentrate on what he said. But, her thoughts bounced around like a ping-pong ball with one possibility, then another and even a third idea of why she was standing in front of Chase. When his lips stopped moving, she knew it was her cue to speak and hopefully sound sensible.
“Thank you,” she responded. Of course, “kiss my butt” would’ve been more appropriate. She’d save that for later.
“Laura, you can take a seat. Then, we’ll get started.” The boss pointed her toward a vacant chair.
Grateful that it wasn’t near Chase, she hurried over to the opposite side of the room. Although on the other side of the room, the distance didn’t help matters when she had such a clear view of his profile. The 90’s haircut had been replaced by a layered cut along the sides and back. She remembered how soft his hair felt when she’d ran her fingers along the wavy grain of his hair.
And that thick head of hair always belonged to a handsome face. Chase’s smooth skin earned her envy with its clear, unblemished, even tone. Why were long lashes, a milk chocolate complexion and chiseled features wasted on someone like him? She wanted to work the paper from her pad into a ball and throw it at his profile. If she thought that Mr. Freeman wouldn’t be appalled and fire her on the spot, she’d let one rip.
When he stood at the end of the meeting, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. And why didn’t he look the least bit surprised or uncomfortable at seeing her? Right now, he chatted with his colleagues, slapping their backs in friendly fashion, gesticulating with grand hand motions. He was all business. His coolness irritated her.
In a quick moment, he looked up, caught her eye and then looked away. Good, she hadn’t blinked or averted her gaze. Although his eyes didn’t rest on her for any lengthy period, it was enough that their eyes connected. She kept up her scrutiny. Seconds later, she was rewarded when she noticed him tugging at his collar. The dashing smile had faded. Maybe the act had come to an end.
“Laura and Chase, stop in my office for a few minutes,” Freeman invited.
“After you.” Chase stepped over to the side, exaggerating the distance provided to her.
Laura walked past, careful to maintain the distance between them.
“Have a seat.” Freeman indicated the chairs in front of his desk.
Laura sat and glanced over at the chair next to her to see if Chase intended to step away from the door to join them. She looked up at Freeman to see if he’d tolerate Chase not exactly following directions.
“I’ll stand, thank you,” Chase offered, folding his arms and leaning against the door frame.
“Suit yourself.” Freeman turned his attention to Laura. “When you’d interviewed a month ago, Coach Nichols was still employed.”
Laura nodded and leaned forward. Chase had not been mentioned when she underwent the extensive interview process.
“Coach Nichols suffered a family crisis that required his immediate attention even though the school year had begun. We got wind that Chase was being heavily recruited after he retired. How lucky were we? Still can’t believe that he’s here.” Freeman’s open admiration matched its owner’s effusive nature.
If Laura didn’t have an ounce of admiration for Chase, Freeman could brainwash her in minutes with his enthusiasm.
“Let’s not overwhelm Miss Masterson. I’ll be chatting with her after your meeting. Hopefully, she’ll want to work with me, the poor substitute to the renowned Coach Nichols,” Chase remarked in a droll voice.
Freeman chuckled, his wide girth vibrating with his amusement. He pushed back his chair and stood. Laura looked into his eyes which reminded her of Newman’s intense blue ones. She really enjoyed being in Freeman’s company. His easygoing attitude set her at ease. She wished that he had more to say or that she could create a reason to delay heading off with the man standing behind her.
“Let me get going to my next meeting,” Freeman said. “I’ve got a busy morning ahead of me. Laura, again, we are so pleased that you’re on board. Chase, take care of this young lady, she’s valuable to our department and your team.” Laura headed for the door where Chase still leaned, looking like he didn’t have a care.
He grinned at her.
She didn’t return the gesture.
He had the audacity to wink at her. They walked down the hall with him leading the way. Freeman walked with her, also heading to his next appointment. They approached a cross section of hallways. To her dismay, Freeman waved and headed down another hall. She stopped, debating whether to follow Freeman, in which case, she’d have to think of a reasonable excuse to be tagging behind him.
“Laura, aren’t you coming? My office is this way.”
Again he grinned. With a long sigh at Freeman’s retreating figure, she reminded herself that she was a big girl. She could handle her ex-boyfriend popping unexpectedly into her life. Offering a tight smile, she followed him. But he slowed
