“What a crazy woman,” he mumbled with the shake of his head. Yet as he watched her bolt down the hall in angry strides, her blonde locks bouncing with each and every step, a recollection came to mind. The hand she’d been clenching the bag with—her left hand—showed no evidence of a wedding ring on her finger.
Zander knew he was nuts to pay attention to that detail in such a moment, but it wasn’t every day a woman like that came along. Someone with such…conviction. Misaimed as it was, he admired it.
He reached for his phone and dialed up Linda on speaker.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Benton?”
“Linda, when’s my appointment with Milton and Brewster?”
“Looks like it’s scheduled for the third of February,” she said through the line.
Huh. That was later than he thought. Perhaps if he could rush things along, he could meet up with Ms. Kat Morgan himself and give her an update. “See if you can move it up, will you? The sooner the better.”
“Goodbye, Ms. Morgan,” Linda said faintly. Zander leaned toward the phone, wondering if he’d hear the woman’s reply.
Nothing.
“I’ll reach out to them now and see what we can do,” Linda said.
Zander pictured the feisty chemist once more. The anger in her eyes, coupled with the heat of that moment when she held his gaze. “Thank you, Linda,” he said. “And then, if you can, send Ms. Morgan a dozen yellow roses.”
Linda was a professional, he learned that much over the years she’d worked for him. But even still, he felt the extended pause in her response. “What would you like the card to read?”
“Thank you for your visit. I think you’ll be pleased with the changes I plan to make with Milton and Brewster. If you change your mind about discussing the issue face-to-face, I’d be happy to meet with you.” He paused there, an unfamiliar hint of desperation creeping in. He hadn’t been this intrigued by a woman in years. “Attach my personal number,” he added, “and sign my name.”
Sure, he might regret doing so, but Zander couldn’t get himself to care. Even if it wasn’t under the greatest terms, he wanted to see Kat Morgan again.
Chapter 3
Kat could barely believe the moment was real. In less than sixty seconds, she would tell her friends and family some very big news. All while a small camera crew from Married at First Meet filmed the shock and awe in their reactions.
It felt like lava was bubbling in her stomach. Kat might have a strong enough conviction of her own—trusting the process with her future—but it didn’t take a chemist to know her faith in the show and its staff wouldn’t be shared by her guests.
And what a group it was. Her sister Jeanie sat on the couch beside her husband Craig, adjusting the collar of his polo shirt. They’d left Noah and Ben, their two and four-year-old boys, with a sitter in preparation for the event.
Mom and Dad stood behind the young couple, mumbling something or other and eyeing the camera crew suspiciously. For good reason—the only thing they’d been told about the gathering was that Kat had some very important, life-changing information to share with them.
Her friends sat at the opposite end of the room, juggling party plates filled with hors d’oeuvres and half-empty wine glasses. Clearly, they were more at ease. They—unlike her family—knew what was coming. In fact, Piper and Charlotte had known about the show since Kat first auditioned.
There was a reason she hadn’t told her family until now: her mom was a self-proclaimed hypersensitive worrywart, and her father—a half-Cherokee martial arts master—prided himself on detecting the intent of another man’s heart. And perhaps he really could; unlike Kat, Dad never fell for the charms of Bradley Stanger, the man who nearly ruined her faith in love.
The mere thought triggered the lava flow once more, the heat quickly moving from her stomach to her face.
Stan, the long-bearded cameraman running the scene, gave her a nod. “We’re going to start rolling,” he said. “You go ahead when you’re ready.”
When she was ready…
She’d likely never be ready. Kat caught herself glancing back at the tall vase in the corner. The yellow roses—though they’d only arrived one week earlier—were starting to wilt, but she hadn’t been able to throw them away. It was dumb, and she knew it, but she’d received a small thrill from the gesture.
Sure, Zander Benton had infuriated her beyond reason by rescuing a company that deserved to go down in flames, but there was no denying he was also one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen face-to-face. There was also no denying the draw of a powerful man, and there weren’t many quite as impressive as the Benton men.
In a way, she’d kept the flowers, as platonic as the gesture may have been, as homage to her last shred of singlehood. Something she’d soon say farewell to forever.
Kat cleared her throat as something caught her attention—a flashing dot of red beside the lens.
“Wait for me,” came a voice from the hall. Ellis. She’d nearly forgotten he was there. Her long-time friend and coworker had voiced a fair amount of concern over Kat’s participation in the experiment, but at least he’d come to support her.
She locked eyes on the lanky guy as he shuffled between her friends to take a seat beside Piper, declining the glass of wine she offered him.
