He’s a person. “So … I may not have taken that into consideration.” She hadn’t. She’d given up everything from dolls to a car to keep her sister from pitching a fit. She should have given Brock some credit for having a brain and asked what he wanted. And she shouldn’t have let the humiliation of being cheated on once ruin her chance with a great guy.
Ashley leaned across the table, her face serious. “I’m going to say something to you, and I want you to think it over.”
“Okay.”
“You’re happy with Brock. You’re allowed to be happy.”
Sheila drummed her fingers on the table. “I did like kissing him …”
“You bet you did.” Ashley sounded like a cheerleader.
“And he doesn’t want Kelly …” Which made things so much easier. Kelly would move on to the next shiny applicant for her life of quiet and prestige.
“That’s the wrong thinking.”
Sheila’s thoughts screeched to a halt like a driver going fifty in a thirty-five spying a cop car waiting in the bushes.
“You need to be willing to fight for him even if Kelly wants him.”
“Uh, why?”
“Because that’s what a guy wants.”
Sheila wrinkled her brow in confusion. “I thought they wanted sex.”
Ashley giggled. “Yes, but that can wait.” She scooted around in her chair. “I have three brothers, and let me tell you, they want to know they are the king of your castle, your knight, your Iron Man. They don’t want to be the sidekick—they want—”
“Action?”
Ashley pointed at her. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
Sheila giggled. “So what do I do? I want this guy, bad.”
It was Ashley’s turn to drum her fingers.
Sheila jumped up and grabbed a dry-erase marker. “What I need is a PR plan.” She quickly wrote the days of the week on the board. “Okay, let’s make it a five-day plan, because I am busy as all get-out this week, and I can’t do a big gesture of any kind if I’m going to save the Redrocks.”
Ashley slapped her hand on the table. “Let’s do an awareness campaign. Make himawarethat you’re still interested.”
“That’s good.” She scribbled it on the board, knowing they would erase it before they left the conference room. “But I want to be kissing again by Saturday, so the awareness has to happen fast.” Next toAwareness,she wroteintroductory textas step 1.
“Oh, start out by thanking him for all his help on the project.”
“I like that.” Sheila continued to write under step 1. “We need to use all our avenues of communication. See if Julia has any pictures of me and Brock together and have her post them.” She put that under step 2.
“Brilliant. Going public with your feelings shows that you’re not afraid of what the world—or your sister—will think. Once he responds to a few texts, you need a call to action.” Ashley typed away at her keyboard with lightning speed.
“How about inviting him Saturday for the big reveal?”
“Perfect!”
Sheila’s hand stilled, the marker hovering. “What if he doesn’t come?”
“Then you’ll go after him. Remember, you’re a fighter.”
“I’m a fighter.” She gripped the marker. “I’m doing this.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
