The Prescription Playboy. Grayson Reyes-Cole

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      Huntington turned her icy glare on her.

      “Oh dear,” Gina went on. “Who shot your dog?”

      Hunny ground her teeth and considered whether she should confide in Gina or not. She did, after all, work with him. In Hunny’s mind that was about right up there with consorting on moonless nights with the devil. “I’m not sure I can even talk about it.”

      “Kevin,” Gina guessed. She tried, earnestly, to pull a serious face, but failed miserably when she let out a soft chuckle. “What did he do?”

      “Nothing.”

      “Don’t give me that. Hunny, we’ve gotten to know each other really well. I consider you my friend. What is wrong?”

      Hunny tried to make her face devoid of emotion, she really did. Instead, she just resisted the need to tuck her head between her knees. “I...I...I just didn’t think...” Huntington’s face heated. The room seemed to shrink. She’d never been a victim of claustrophobia, but this could mean she was having her very first attack. Her hands clenched into tight little fists as she took in a raspy gust of air. At least she had finally stopped gulping for air. She didn’t know how to say it. Fortunately, she didn’t have to.

      “I see.” Gina said shaking her head, “He didn’t invite you to dinner. He just expects you to be there.”

      Huntington remained mute.

      “And he didn’t ask you to stay and work on this project, which you’re obviously willing to do, he told you to.”

      “He doesn’t have the right to do that.”

      “I know, but he’s just like that. You don’t get to be where Kevin is in life as young as he is without taking the bull by the horns from time to time.”

      “Do you let him do that to you?”

      “Hell, no.” Gina squealed. “Shoot, he knows better. Besides, it doesn’t matter to him whether I agree to dinner or not.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “I mean if he tells you to do it without even being around him, how can you say no?”

      The message was not lost on her. “Are you saying this is his way of asking me out?”

      “I know what you expected, but I’m asking you to be patient. He likes to use his looks and charm and even his position to his advantage. I tell you, he’s a character, but believe me, he’s real sweet. You’ll get used to him. You’ll like him.”

      Hunny glared at her.

      “Maybe you should go back to the hotel,” Gina suggested. “You know how sometimes you get up in the morning and nothing goes right that whole day, and you wish you’d just gone back to bed? Well, you can, y’know. That’s the benefit of being away from the home office. It’s just a like a paid vacation.”

      “I wish.” Hunny rolled her eyes. “But, he wants me in the office, and I’m no coward.” Unfortunately, she had another image of that fantastic physique dash through her head. Of course, it was accompanied by a vision of a smile with just a hint of a gap. “I’m not. I’m going to be fine, and I’m going to be sane. I had a little episode there but you know, I think it’s just trying to finish out this account. There seems to be no end to it. You and Arthur both promised that this was it, the final negotiation. Yet, it’ll be another couple weeks-months at least by your own estimation.” She shivered again.

      “Hunny, calm down. You’re getting worked up over next to nothing. Everything’s going to be fine. It might even be better. And as for all of Kevin’s publicity, tell me, how often does an African-American man who’s not in Hollywood, the music biz, or sports get on America’s Most Do-able Bachelor list?” Gina tried to reassure her.

      “What happened to ‘eligible’?”

      Gina shrugged with a grin. “Do-able, eligible… These days, what’s the difference?”

      You can say that again. Hunny mumbled to herself something about clients and patience. Then she closed her eyes, took another deep breath and pulled herself together. “Just out of curiosity, will you be coming tonight?” She reached for her last lifeline.

      “Of course not. You know I won’t be attending. The Green Man’s Banquet is tonight. And, as you recall, Med Sol is sponsoring that golf tournament. Upon your suggestion, I am representing the company at this illustrious affair.”

      “At least it’s got something to do with pharmaceuticals. It’s so rare that any of your social functions are actually beneficial to the company,” Huntington remarked. Gina just winked at her. The woman was incorrigible. “Why isn’t he going?”

      “Kevin hates golf. And as I mentioned earlier, you, our consultant on these matters, were the one who suggested I take his place,” Gina explained, then had the nerve to smile. “Kevin seemed more than ecstatic to let me go and represent the company. Besides, I’m almost certain if I didn’t have other plans, he would have made me some.”

      “Gina.” Hunny’s voice was high-pitched and nearly frantic. “This is work we’re talking about, not the dating game.”

      “Girlfriend, I’m on your side completely,” Gina said, her eyes wide and innocent. “All work and no play, and all that stuff. Ab-sooo-lutely.”

      Huntington found no consolation in that flip comment. “I’m serious. This is Huntington here, not Nicky Davidson.”

      “I know, I know. But, I also know you haven’t dated in a while, and my boss is a lot of fun. It might do you some good to go out with him.”

      “Have you learned nothing from this Nicky Davidson thing?” Huntington demanded.

      “As a case study, I have learned that the woman has more personalities than a prime time sit-com.”

      Hunny was not going to laugh. She may not win the Nicky Davidson battle—after all she had never met the woman—but she was not going to encourage Gina. “He’s my client.”

      “So what, Hunny?” Gina turned to focus all her attention on Huntington. “I’m the client too, and I’d like to think we are friends.”

      “We are,” Huntington assured her emphatically.

      “Then trust me.” Gina reached over to pat her hand. “You can land this account and have fun at the same time.”

      “Well, I’m sorry.” Hunny shook her head. “I can’t have that kind of fun with someone I work with. It always ends badly. Just like N—”

      “Don’t say it.” Gina held up a hand to halt her as she laughed. “Well, if you’re not interested, Hunny, you’re not interested. I still think you two would make a fabulous couple. I also feel compelled to tell you Kevin is a force to be reckoned with. If he has set his sights on you, you might not have too much to say about it.”

      “Does this mean I’m about to get chased around the proverbial desk?” Huntington really wanted to know. Kevin looked like the sort of man who never had to chase for long. And, while she СКАЧАТЬ