‘Terribly.’ He slipped in one tiny cheat. ‘I had, er, rather pressing things on my mind.’ Seeing her cheeks darken he finally gave in with an apologetic smile. ‘Would you think that I was avoiding you if I said I need to ditch you for the morning.’
‘Of course not.’ Amelia shrugged. ‘Like I said, I was surprised how many meetings I got into yesterday. Anyway, I’ve got plenty of work I should be doing.’
‘What if I also said that I need to speak with Mr Cheng alone this afternoon?’
Peeling open a croissant with slightly shaky hands and spooning jam onto it, she gave a pale smile. ‘Then I’d be starting to think that maybe you are avoiding me after all. Not really.’ She smiled when she saw his slightly worried frown. ‘Vaughan, I always knew there would be things I couldn’t come along to. I’m not a child you have to amuse for the day. I’ll be completely fine.’
‘We could meet for lunch—’ He gave a small wince almost before the sentence was out.
‘Except…?’ Amelia said for him.
‘I’ve just remembered that I’ve arranged to meet someone.’ He hesitated for longer than usual, his frown deepening, then eyed her cautiously, as if weighing up whether or not to continue. ‘I suppose you could come, but given your career revelations, how off the record is off the record?’
‘It’s completely non-negotiable,’ Amelia replied, utterly without hesitation. ‘Your secrets are safe with me. They just help.’ Realising he didn’t understand, she elaborated slightly. ‘Help me to form a picture in my mind. But just because I know something it doesn’t mean I have to reveal it.’
‘You’re quite sure about that?’
He’d really piqued her interest now. For the first time he was cagey and hesitant, and it only served to intrigue her more, but Amelia knew when to hold back, knew when to feign uninterest—at least when it was about work. ‘Look, you do your lunch and I’ll catch up with you later this evening—tomorrow, even. It really isn’t a big deal.’
‘I’m meeting with one of the directors of a children’s hospital.’ Vaughan grimaced slightly, as if he regretted even saying it. ‘Every year I give a small donation.’
‘So small that they take you out for lunch when you’re in town?’ Amelia said shrewdly.
‘Okay, a significant donation,’ Vaughan admitted reluctantly. ‘The thing is, Sam, he’s the director, is doing his best to persuade me to go public with my support.’
‘Why don’t you?’ Amelia asked, her tone completely matter of fact. ‘Almost every celebrity I’ve ever interviewed has done the rounds of the children’s wards to soften their image.’
‘Exactly,’ Vaughan replied, his voice suddenly curt. ‘But I’m hardly a celebrity.’
‘But you are, Vaughan,’ Amelia pointed out. ‘You’re good-looking, impossibly rich, reeking of scandal and still single! Take it from a woman who knows—you’re a celebrity! Why don’t you want me to use this? Heaven knows, a piece of good publicity couldn’t hurt you right now.’
‘So I should ask a couple of sick kids to pose with me?’
‘You wouldn’t be the first,’ Amelia responded. ‘And you would be doing some good—it might make a few other business magnates dig deeper.’
‘So why not get the mileage?’
Now it was Amelia feeling shallow, all of a sudden uncomfortable with the conversation.
‘Those children don’t know me, Amelia. I’m not some popstar they adore, waltzing onto the ward for a photo shoot. I’m just a guy in a suit…’
‘Who donates a lot of money.’ She saw his lips tighten. ‘Come on, Vaughan. A significant amount to you would be a fortune to most people. And maybe the children won’t know you, but their parents will…’
‘I’m sure if their child’s sick enough to be there they’ll have other things on their mind. Amelia this is something I do because I want to—something just for me. That’s what I’m going to explain to Sam today. He’s hoping that if I go public it might trigger a few more in the business community to get involved.’
‘Which can surely only be a good thing?’ Amelia answered, still not entirely convinced.
She’d heard too many celebrities insisting this was something they wanted to do, been to too many contrived charity dos for a cynical edge not to have evolved. And if that sounded hard, she didn’t care. At the end of the day the hospitals needed the money and Vaughan needed the positive publicity—it was win-win as far as Amelia was concerned.
‘If you’re so intent on it being kept private, then why are you asking me along? Why are you asking a journalist to an intensely private lunch.’
‘You don’t mince your words, do you?’ Vaughan smiled almost reluctantly.
‘I don’t like being fed a line.’ Amelia shrugged, happier now they were on safer ground. She was back—maybe not back at the driver’s wheel, but at least up in the passenger seat, shoulder to shoulder with this complicated man.
For as long as it took for her second up of coffee to be poured!
‘I listened to what you said about the bigger picture. I figure that an hour in Sam’s company might bring you on board, and an up-and-coming journalist on side can only be a good thing for the hospital.’
‘Oh.’
Placing a hand over his cup, he refused a refill, waiting till the waiter had walked away before standing up. ‘Can I let the restaurant know to expect one more?’
An extremely significant donation might have been a better description, Amelia decided as she handed over her jacket and stepped into the restaurant. Wafts of herbs and garlic filled the air, along with the pop of corks, and there was the luxurious feel of deep carpet beneath her feet. Small donations surely didn’t merit this five-star treatment.
A frown formed as Amelia glanced over to Vaughan’s table and then at her watch. Vaughan had specifically told her one p.m. and she was five minutes early—yet already he and his companion were clearly at the coffee stage.
‘Amelia.’ The consummate host, Vaughan stood up and greeted her, introducing her to Sam and guiding her to a seat. ‘I’m sorry about this, but something came up and we had to switch times.’
‘My fault, I’m afraid,’ Sam apologised, while not looking remotely sorry. ‘I’ve got an afternoon appointment which means that I’m going to have to wrap this up.’
‘Now that you’ve got what you wanted,’ Vaughan said dryly, and Amelia frowned at the rather obvious irritation in his voice.
‘You’ll be great, Vaughan.’ Sam grinned. ‘It’s for the kids, remember?’ He smiled over to Amelia. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jacobs. Hopefully we’ll see you at the charity auction on Thursday.’
Glancing briefly over, she saw Vaughan shake his head, his eyes demanding her to say no. But in a curiously defiant gesture she smiled at the rather pushy Sam.
‘Is that an invitation?’
‘It certainly is.’ Sam beamed. ‘We can use all the publicity we can get. Don’t worry, Vaughan—’ his wide smile wasn’t reciprocated ‘—you’ll be just fine. Oh, and before I forget—do you have those tickets you promised?’
Unclipping his briefcase, Vaughan pulled out a stiff white envelope, handing it over to Sam before shaking his hand and bidding him goodbye.
‘Well, that was enlightening,’ Amelia said with more than a vague hint of sarcasm as Marcus walked off. ‘I’ll certainly get a lot of mileage out of that lunch.’
‘Bloody salesmen,’ Vaughan snapped at the departing back.
‘I thought he was one of the directors from the hospital.’
‘He’s in the wrong job, then,’ Vaughan clipped, but he didn’t elaborate further.
Amelia’s curiosity was seriously piqued. She felt as if she’d rushed in at the end of something and missed the important part—like watching her favourite soap without knowing what had happened last week.
‘What was in the envelope?’ Amelia asked, but Vaughan didn’t even attempt an explanation.
‘Have something to eat.’
‘I’m actually not that hungry, Vaughan. If you didn’t want me here, you should have just said.’
‘Sam rescheduled at the last moment,’ Vaughan argued.
Amelia fished in her bag, frowning as she pulled out her mobile. ‘I can’t see your message here, Vaughan.’
‘Because there isn’t one,’ Vaughan responded easily, completely ignoring her sarcasm. ‘There isn’t one because I knew if I tried to reschedule then you’d assume I was making excuses and wouldn’t come.’
‘You were right,’ Amelia clipped. ‘But only about the fact I wouldn’t have come. Vaughan, I do have an article to write. I’ve dragged myself through the city for a meal I don’t really want to sit with a person I’ll no doubt be seeing this evening.’
‘I thought the entire purpose of this exercise was to get to know me better,’ Vaughan retorted, flashing a triumphant smile.