“Trust me, she knows.”
“Then, what did she say? Does she feel the same way?”
“I’m sure she does, but honestly I’m happy as long as she keeps doing her job.”
“Steven!” Gary slammed his hand on the table, rattling the silverware. “For a smart and successful guy, you can be really dense. Do you expect me to do everything for you? You’re blowing the perfect opportunity, here.”
“I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about.” Steven looked at him like he was a flying pot plant.
“You said you were interested in Katie, so I’m stepping out of the way to give you a fair chance. I passed you the ball, and now you’re fumbling it.”
Steven’s jaw hardened. “In the first place, I never said I was interested in Katie.”
“You did! You said if Katie ever changed her mind about getting married, you might change your mind, too.”
“That’s called sarcasm, Gary. You know I’m not planning to get married. And if I decided to marry, I certainly wouldn’t date Katie and risk losing the best PA I’ve ever had.” Steven’s eyes did a slow roll. “And if I were interested in Katie, I wouldn’t need you to step out of the way. As if I’d have trouble competing for a woman’s attention.”
“Let me get this straight. You have no desire to date Katie?”
“I already told you that.” Steven’s hand flipped in the air. “And I ought to reiterate my opinion that you shouldn’t date her either, unless this is the reason you’ve been in such a foul mood the past few days. If that’s the case, I’ll stop protesting against the two of you going out. That’s how desperate I am to end your moroseness.”
Steven isn’t in love with Katie. Gary felt his chest relax enough for him to take a normal breath for the first time since ziplining. Of course, that only took care of half the problem. He still had to convince Katie to give him a chance.
Terrific… I just wasted two and a half days I could’ve been with her! Why am I so hung up on this woman I only met a few weeks ago?
Before Gary had the matter fully settled in his mind, Katie returned. Back at work on his cell phone, Steven frowned as his thumbs tapped out a message.
“Well…” Katie stood behind her chair, instead of sitting down. “Since the two of you are surfing this afternoon, I’m going to do a little shopping.”
Steven glanced up from his cell phone, pushing obviously frustrated fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Gary, but I have to bow out this afternoon. It seems there’s a crisis on our San Diego deal, and the client is demanding to talk to me, personally.”
“Anything I can do?” asked Katie. “Do you want me to set up a conference call?”
“Zimmerman’s already scheduled it for about fifteen minutes from now,” said Steven. “You’ve got plenty to keep you busy arranging that meeting in Paris. I don’t need you for this.”
“Okay. I’ll see you guys later.” She started to leave, but stopped and turned back. “I meant to ask about something… I invited some guests to the beach tomorrow. Do you know if that violates the rules for Indigo Bay Resorts?”
“I think that’s allowed, but I can check with Zoe,” said Gary.
“Okay, thanks.”
As she made her way toward the exit on the breezy porch, her shorts exposing her shapely legs, Gary realized he was missing a crucial opportunity to make up for lost time.
“Katie! Wait up!” He didn’t bother to say goodbye to Steven, who barely registered his departure. “Want some company?”
“I’d love it.” Her brilliant smile was like the sun rising after a long stormy night.
13
Katie wasn’t sure what to make of Gary’s decision to tag along on her shopping trip. If what she’d told Nicole was true—that she didn’t want a permanent relationship with Gary—why was her heart singing a Broadway tune simply because he was with her?
The sidewalks were fairly crowded in the quaint little tourist town, though practically empty compared to New York. While plenty of people had stared at Steven as they were walking toward the Surf Shack, for some reason that hadn’t bothered Katie as much as the women who now eyed Gary. Not that she had any claim on him, but wasn’t it rude for those women to look at him like they could eat him for dessert while she was walking right beside him? She’d never felt so invisible in her life.
No doubt, he deserved the attention. He looked like a walking billboard for a male fitness magazine. His muscles were everywhere—arms, legs, back, stomach—and his t-shirt and board shorts did little to disguise them. They were the kind of muscles she liked best—well-defined, without being too bulky. Evidently a lot of women shared her opinion, but Gary seemed oblivious to the attention.
“There’s Happy Paws… Do you want to go in the pet shop?” he asked.
“I’d be tempted to take one home, and our apartment doesn’t allow pets, except for goldfish. I’m just aiming for the Chocolate Emporium to get something for Nicole.”