Ready for Her Close-up. Katherine Garbera
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу Ready for Her Close-up - Katherine Garbera страница 3
“I’m Russell Holloway,” he said, though he could tell she recognized him. She’d said that she’d heard of him.
“I know.” Then she shook her head. “Despite how it may seem, I’m usually a bit wittier.”
He chuckled. “First meetings can be a bit nerve-racking.”
“Yes, they can.”
She stared up at him and then flushed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then say nothing and let me enjoy the view. You’re a very beautiful woman.”
“I don’t know about that. Should we take our seats at the table?”
“Not just yet,” Russell said, linking her hand through his arm, leading her out of the ballroom and into the hallway.
He’d already arranged for the camera crew to follow them. Every detail had to go off smoothly. Russell had signed up with the matchmaking service to improve his reputation.
The Kiwi Klubs had had stagnate growth for the past two years. They had started as destination clubs similar to Club Med. Attached to each of the hotels was an exclusive A-lister nightclub where people went to see and be seen. Russell was making a profit but he wanted to try something new, and the real money in destination vacations was in families. He wanted to open a family-friendly resort, but with his reputation that was easier said than done. He had a chance to buy a well-known family vacation company but the owner was balking at selling to someone like Russell—not from a business standpoint but from a reputation-based one. So he’d decided to try to change his image.
He’d already arranged with Willow and Conner MacAfee, Matchmakers Inc.’s owner, to give Gail a preview of the Gustav Klimt exhibit that would be opening here in the Big Apple Kiwi Klub on Wednesday. As a personal friend of Russell’s, Conner had suggested participating in the show as a course of action to help Russell out.
“Where are we going?” she asked. “I think we are supposed to stay where we were.”
“Afraid to get in trouble?” he asked.
“No. I just like to follow the rules,” she said.
“I don’t.”
“Shocker,” she said.
He laughed. She gave the impression of being very sure of herself and confident. Those were traits that he’d been hoping for in his match. “Don’t fret, Gail, this side trip has been preapproved.”
“Good,” she said.
“Here we are,” he said, opening a door that led into the mezzanine atrium. The hotel area was very modern and had large expanses of open wall space with a glass dome inspired by Van Gogh’s Stormy Night. The floor was made of marble.
“This exhibit is opening on Wednesday, so we will be the first to experience it.”
When he’d approved the design, he’d specified that the atrium be used to display art. He had wanted to capture the feeling of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and replicate it here. If he was going to get families and couples into his hotels, then he needed to give them something special.
“I love Klimt’s work. I have a print of The Kiss hanging in my bedroom at home,” she said.
Russell thought it interesting that Gail had chosen that piece to hang in her bedroom. In it, the man was completely wrapped around the woman, holding her face in his hands as he kissed her neck. Klimt’s style was very sensual.
“Have you ever been kissed like that?” he asked.
She glanced up at him, a bit of shock in her eyes. “No. I don’t think so. But I’m sure you have.”
He arched one eyebrow at her. She didn’t seem to like him very much. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“But then, you never have been a gentleman,” she said almost sharply.
“That’s true,” he acknowledged. “I’m not exactly the kind of man who’s been circumspect in my relationships. But that’s why I’m here.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I’m not on this show to play games with you, Gail. I’m looking for a match just like you are.” He knew if he was going to be successful in changing his reputation, it had to start with Gail. If he couldn’t convince her he wanted to change away from his bad boy image, the viewers at home wouldn’t buy it either.
“I’m sorry if I jumped to conclusions,” she said.
“You should be,” he said, flirting with her.
The PA motioned for them to move, and Russell put his hand at the small of Gail’s back and steered her toward another framed picture. It was a portrait of a high-society woman. They stood in front of it for a long time.
“She reminds me of you,” he said. It was a sensual portrait of a fully-dressed woman with an open bodice, just starting to reveal herself to the viewer.
“Did I mention that I don’t fall for practiced lines,” Gail said.
“What makes you think that was a line?” he asked. “She’s so sexy,” Gail said.
“You are too,” he said.
Gail gave him a yeah, right look, and Russell realized for the first time that he was dealing with Gail’s future as well as his own. And though he’d decided to do this purely for business reasons, he was determined to give her the very best of himself—however little that might be.
He reached over to touch her face, but Gail drew back. Getting past his reputation was going to be harder than he’d expected. It had been too long since he’d moved in any circles other than those inhabited by his decadent friends.
“She’s mysterious like you, as well. There is more to you than meets the eye,” he said.
“And you’re all flash, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I’d like to hope not. Otherwise I’d be pretty boring.”
“Well, no one has ever called you boring,” she admitted.
Russell turned them both back toward the end of the hallway. He’d forgotten the cameras were there. He rarely let anyone distract him from his surroundings and was a bit surprised that Gail had.
“Okay, cut. Great job, you two. Jack, come on in,” Willow said.
Jack joined them, and Russell was reminded that this was definitely a TV show. Jack shook his hand and Gail’s.