‘As far as I’m concerned,’ he interrupted, ‘you’re the right person for the job, but it seems you still need to convince yourself of that. Perhaps it will help if I say we’d like you to consider approaching Andee Lawrence with a view to her co-hostingHindsightwith you, should you decide to stay in the presenter’s chair. If not, I think she could be a perfect lead on her own, don’t you?’
Cristy’s eyes widened in shock. She really hadn’t seen that coming. Andee Lawrence wasn’t only a dear friend and an ex-detective – she was an exceptional woman in so many ways. How could she possibly not want to work with Andee? She’d be brilliant at true-crime podcasting, if she wanted to do it.
But why weren’t they talking about Connor?
‘I didn’t realize you knew Andee,’ she said cautiously. ‘Have you already spoken to her?’
Kinsley shook his head. ‘You’re the one calling the shots, but I know you’re already seeing the potential of the suggestion: two highly intelligent women with a myriad of talents between them, most of which will lend themselves perfectly to moving everything forward in a way to benefit us all.’
‘But what about Connor Church?’
Kinsley’s failure to answer told her exactly what she didn’t want to know, that for them at least, Connor wasn’t being seen as a major player.
For her, this could be a deal-breaker, but now wasn’t the time to challenge it.
CHAPTER TWO
‘Wow!’ David muttered two hours later as he finished reading the offer Cristy was still having some difficulty digesting.
She’d thrust the paperwork at him as soon as he’d walked into their hotel room a few minutes ago, and after sitting him down in one of the wing-backed armchairs, she’d gone to pour them both a drink from the mini-bar while he went through it.
He looked up, his acute yet gentle navy eyes showing how impressed and apparently amused he was. Her heart tripped with a rush of unsteadying emotions: desire, because she always felt it when she hadn’t seen him in a while; elation at this incredible recognition; guilt for wanting it; fear of taking it …
‘They’re giving me time to think,’ she told him, ‘which, at the moment, is the only part I really seem able to get my head around.’
Drolly, he said, ‘Well, they obviously want you, but then again, who wouldn’t?’
She shot him a look and said, ‘It all feels so bloody big-time in comparison to my little world in Bristol – which, let’s not forget, I happen to love.’
Putting the offer down on the table next to him, David picked up his wine glass and saluted her. ‘You’re right, it is big-time,’ he agreed. ‘Or it could be, if you end up deciding it’s what you want.’
Sighing, Cristy sank down into the other chair and stared moodily at the enormous bed, with its six-foot high padded headboard and luxury pillows, where in normal times, they’d already be deeply into the throes of a joyous reunion. Right now, she was too distracted to think straight, let alone make love.
Doing her best to refocus, she said, ‘How did your lunch meeting go?’
‘It was good. All fintech IPOs and business models – follow-up first thing tomorrow. Now, stop trying to change the subject.’
Smiling, she sipped her wine and felt overwhelmingly relieved that he was here. David was just about the only person in the world she actually wanted to discuss this with, and not only because he was such a good listener, with a far greater understanding of all the nuances and ramifications of the offer than she could claim to have right now. It was also because he wouldn’t bring his own agenda to bear on her final decision. In fact, she was pretty certain it would make no difference to him, or to their relationship, where she lived or how she decided to proceed. All he’d care about was her. At least that was the vibe he always gave off, and apart from a little misunderstanding here and there, she never had any reason to doubt him.
She turned to look at him and could tell right away that his dark eyes were seeing straight to the heart of her dilemma – her conscience even; how could she not love that about him? ‘It’s really thrown me,’ she admitted.
‘I know,’ he said, ‘which is why Kinsley’s given you time to think. If you’d had to make a decision today, you’d most probably have turned it down.’
Certain he was right about that, Cristy looked away and caught her reflection in the large, gilt-framed mirror over the glass-topped desk. She could see, even from this distance, how bright her eyes were and how pale her complexion. Itwas the look of someone trying very hard to keep her feet on the ground while wanting to shout with amazement and joy and … triumph? Was that how she felt: triumphant? Certainly flattered, maybe even a tad smug. How horrible was that?
What she really felt, she decided, was out of her depth and unforgivably disloyal towards her team – Connor most of all.
‘When are you speaking to Kinsley again?’ David asked, going to refresh their glasses.
‘Nothing’s in the calendar, but I have his mobile number. He told me to call any time.’
‘OK, then I recommend you start now with a list of everything you want to ask or discuss when you do speak. Chances are, he’ll contact you fairly soon just to check on the direction of your thinking, so best to be prepared for that.’
Taking that as good advice, even finding it a little easier to breathe at the prospect of space, she said, ‘Have you ever met him?’
Bringing their drinks back to the table, he said, ‘Once or twice. A long time ago, during my lobbying days. I never got to know him – he was someone else’s client – but he always struck me as an impressive, no-nonsense sort of guy.’
‘He’s that, all right: definitely not someone you want to be on the wrong side of, but a great ally if you ever need one.’
