that’s the third shot, then yes. We’ll add that to the portfolio.” Elizabeth stared at the photo. Rory’s eyes had darkened to a deep walnut color, and he had the slightest smile on his face. “What makes you say he was thinking of me? Maybe he was thinking about you.”
“Don’t I wish.” Chloe sighed again. “But alas, his gaze followed you around the room.”
That information should’ve made Elizabeth warm in all kinds of places, but instead the fact worried her. She couldn’t afford having Rory see her as anything but his boss. “He can’t be interested in me. Can he?”
“Why’s that so unbelievable?”
“We’re ill-suited.”
“Opposites attract.”
“You’re full of clichés today.”
“You’re just ticked because I’m right, and don’t try to change the subject. It’s true. Opposites do attract.”
“They may have instant chemistry, but those relationships don’t last. The ones that do are based on things like similar values and interests.” Needing something to busy her hands and control her nervousness, Elizabeth grabbed a pen and fiddled with it. “Pull up the shots of him shirtless.”
“You’d give a guy up because you worked together? Even if you thought he was your soul mate?”
“There’s no such thing. In a world of over six billion people, there has to be more than one man I could have a lasting relationship with.”
Chloe shook her head. “If I thought a guy was the one, I wouldn’t let anything get in the way.”
The last shots of Rory popped onto the screen. Chloe whistled through her teeth. “Be still my heart. These are the best yet. Look at those six-pack abs.”
Elizabeth stared at the photo, speechless. Rory could make a nun think twice about her vow of chastity. Hell, think three times about it. “Make that one poster-size. I’ll put it on an easel. Put the rest in a portfolio. I’m off to make sure the mock-ups are ready for tomorrow.”
Pointing at the picture displayed on the computer monitor, Chloe said, “That’s all you’ve got to say about this?”
“I think it’s excellent. It should accomplish exactly what we need it to.”
Her friend flopped back in her chair and threw her hands in the air. “And that’s why you don’t date much.”
“Can we stick to the job here, and stay off the topic of my love life?”
“What love life?”
Elizabeth pointedly ignored her jibe, mainly because she lacked a good comeback. Tough to argue with the truth.
Her dating had been a little sparse lately, but that was because she had standards. If she let her friends set her up she could have three dates a week, but what was the point of dating if the candidates fell below par? On top of that, her job’s long hours left little time for a social life. But more importantly, she had no intention of letting dating sidetrack her from what mattered—saving Devlin’s accounts and advancing her career. That required work and sacrifice. Everything worthwhile did.
“How can looking at this gorgeous guy, one you’ll be working in close contact with, not make your body sing?”
“I’m tone-deaf.”
Listening to her body, being ruled by her hormones, led down a scary path. Going against common sense led to caring, wanting, expectations and possibly loving. All of those things, in her experience, led to heartbreak. No, thanks. Been there, done that. Gave away the T-shirt.
“I don’t have time for anything except getting ready for tomorrow’s meeting.” Elizabeth glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock. The night was zooming by at warp speed. “I still have to come up with a slogan before the morning meeting.”
“Got any ideas?”
“I have a bunch written down, but now that we’ve got Rory’s pictures they don’t seem right.” She rubbed her throbbing temples. “I want something memorable, like the Calvin Klein ad with Brooke Shields. ‘Nothing gets between me and my Calvins.’”
“Think about Rory’s qualities.”
“He’s stubborn to the point of pigheadedness.”
“His good qualities.”
She thought for a minute. “He’s strong. He’s authentic.”
“He sure is a real man, and very delectable.”
Rory’s comment that no real man would wear designer jeans popped into Elizabeth’s head. She grabbed a Post-it note and scribbled out a line as adrenaline gushed through her system, invigorating her. “I’ve got the slogan, Chloe, and it’s perfect.”
* * *
BY THE MORNING MEETING in the agency’s conference room, Elizabeth was running on stress and caffeine. The stuff that fueled corporate America. Once she presented a hopefully coherent campaign to Micah Devlin and answered his questions, which if past meetings were any indication would be many, she planned on collapsing and sleeping for two days straight.
When she escorted Devlin, dressed in a pair of his own jeans and a pin-striped button-down shirt, into the conference room, he sat at the long mahogany table and pulled out his iPad.
She smoothed the skirt of her charcoal-gray Ellen Tracy suit and glanced down at her red stiletto pumps. Chloe called them her ruby slippers, because Elizabeth felt invincible when she wore then.
Ruby slippers, do your magic. “We believe Rory McAlister is the perfect person to represent Devlin Designs’ men’s jeans.”
Elizabeth pulled the cover off the poster on the easel, revealing Rory—naked from the waist up, his arms crossed over his wide chest, his biceps bulging, his skin slick with sweat—wearing the company’s jeans and his cowboy hat. Below the picture ran the words Devlin men’s jeans. Strong enough to stand up to a real man.
Her breath stuck in her throat as she waited for her client to respond. When she’d first met Micah Devlin she’d been attracted to him. In his mid to late thirties, he was approximately five or so years older than her, and she liked that. He had an MBA from Harvard Business School. Was the CEO of the family business—a Fortune 500 company, no less. He was tall, in shape without being overly muscular. His company contributed to numerous charities. He’d seemed like her dream man. At least on paper.
Then she’d gotten to know him. His controlling personality and micromanaging had effectively incinerated her attraction.
No worries about mixing business and pleasure there.
“I like him,” Devlin said. “He’s strong and fit, but doesn’t look like he spends all day in the gym.”
Relief burst through her, making her knees weak, but Elizabeth clamped down on the emotion. There would be time to celebrate later, once the contracts were signed, her agency’s
