“That’s insane!” I cried. “Val, I’m a 28-year-old woman with minimal experience in recruiting and managing; why on earth would Dax put me in charge of something so essential to the team’s success?”
“Maybe he wouldn’t, but it couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?” she said. “I mean, you obviously have something he wants, so…”
“So, ask and see what he says,” I echoed. Suddenly dating Dax Connor started looking a whole lot better from my perspective. I backed up and asked, “Did you talk to Joanna yet?”
“Nah, she was too busy to take my call today,” Val said. “I thought I’d stop by tomorrow and say hi. Maybe bring her some chocolate or something.”
“You know she refuses to eat any dairy; she’ll have a fit,” I said.
“I know,” Val said in a way that made it obvious she was grinning from ear to ear on the other end.
“You’re so evil,” I laughed. “Again, glad you’re my friend not my enemy.”
“I’ve got your back, PG,” she said solemnly. “Always have, always will.”
“Right back at you, Val,” I said and smiled as I confirmed our bond. “I’m going to work up a list of terms for this contract, and then I’ll go down to the office and present it to him.”
“Very professional of you,” Val laughed.
“Well, if we’re going to do this, then we should do it professionally, don’t you think?”
“Indeed,” Val affirmed.
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” I asked, suddenly remembering that Val had her own cha
llenges.
“Meh, it’s all being taken care of by his mother’s wedding planner, so I basically just have to show up and be able to fit into the dress,” she said in a disinterested tone. She sounded a bit more excited when she added, “But I found out that we’re going to tour North Africa on our honeymoon so that Richard can participate in a desert run. I, on the other hand, will spend my time at spas in Marrakech and shopping in the souks.”
“Sounds like the perfect honeymoon for you two,” I said. “Val, are you—”
“Yep, I’m sure as sure can be,” she said cutting me off. “But thanks for asking. I really am okay with all of this, Payton. I promise.”
“Okay, but you know you could tell me if you weren’t and I’d help you get out of it, don’t you?” I asked softly.
“Yep, I’m well aware of that,” she replied before adding, “I gotta run. Love you, girl! We’ll talk soon!”
“Love you, too, Val,” I said before she disconnected.
I got up off the couch, went into the second bedroom that served as my home office, and grabbed my laptop before heading back to the living room where I spent the next several hours drawing up the terms of an agreement that I thought Dax might want to see. I started by listing every single thing I’d ever wanted, and then winnowed the list down to the top five most important things.
“No, ask for everything,” I murmured as I turned the list into the top 10. “It never hurts to ask.”
Chapter Fifteen
Dax
It had been five days since Payton had flipped me the bird and stormed off, and while I knew this wasn’t over, I also knew I had to play it cool or else I’d push her away for good. I waited until Monday to send her a bouquet of lavender and a bottle of Cutter Highland single malt with a note that said:
P—I meant what I said. Please accept this very sincere peace offering and an invitation for a second date. —D.
She’d said nothing and when I woke up Wednesday morning, I decided to go for a long run to burn off the anxiety that was starting to build. I spent the run trying to decide if I should call her or if I should maintain my distance and wait for her to call me. There was a lot riding on this and I didn’t want to screw it up.
I’d just gotten back from an early morning run and had started making coffee when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and smiled as I answered.
“Well, I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you so soon…or ever,” I teased.
“Ha. Yeah, well, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I’ve got a proposal for you. The flowers and scotch were a nice touch, by the way,” Payton said in a flat voice that was nothing but business. When I remained silent, she said, “You there, Dax?”