Reed was getting an earful of lectures and was just sick and tired of it. He couldn’t believe Rachel had ratted him out like that. Though he shouldn’t be surprised, as she annoyed him as much as she loved him.
“What do you mean you brought an employee to the party?” his father asked. “Which one? Who was it?”
“Taylor Winston,” he said. He’d barely gotten out of the shower before his phone rang. He supposed he could thank Rachel for not talking to them last night.
“The new girl?” his father said. “In accounting?”
“That’s her.”
“Nice girl. Sweet. Quiet. Totally not your type,” his father said, sounding baffled.
“Nope, she isn’t. We’re just friends.” If he said that to himself enough he might actually start to believe it. “Rachel forgot to tell you that part, I’m guessing.”
“She told me,” his father said.
“Then what’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is you don’t need to get someone else messed up in your head games. I’ve heard nothing but good things about her and I don’t want to lose a good employee.”
His fingers flexed into a fist. “I don’t play head games.”
“Not anymore you don’t.”
“Then why say that to me?”
His father sighed. “Reed. We’re just concerned. After Whitney—”
“Stop right there. It’s old news and I’ve heard it enough. I pulled it around and I’m not that person. I wasn’t even as bad as everyone thought I was.”
He was getting pissed at being labeled. Did he drink too much and sleep around? He did. So did a lot of men. And those men didn’t have their fiancée die in a natural disaster on the other side of the world while she was screwing some other man.
Did Reed try to purge all his anger longer than he should have? Again, yes.
But he worked his ass off at his job. He was always respectful to his parents and his family and to his employees.
Just because he had a low opinion of women for a long period of time didn’t make him a bad person.
Had his opinion of the fairer sex changed much in the last year? He had no clue. He just knew he wasn’t interested in finding a one-night stand anymore.
“I get it,” his father said. “And I’m sorry to bring it up again. We just want to see you settled down.”
“Why?” he asked. “What is the big deal? I’m thirty-one. Still young, still lots of time.” Just because he was thinking of everything he’d thought he’d have by now and didn’t shouldn’t concern his parents.
“Very true,” his father said.
“Then I don’t understand the meaning behind this call.”
“Beats the hell out of me,” his father said. “Your mother made me do it.”
He grinned, knowing that was probably the truth. He loved his parents, but they got on his nerves way too much.
“Tell her to stop then.”
“I’ve been telling her that for years and you see how well it’s working out, right?”
Reed shook his head, said a few more things and then hung the phone up wondering what Taylor was doing right now.
If anyone was playing head games it was her. He wanted to know what her plans were today and was hoping to spend more time with her, but all she said was her plans didn’t have anything to do with him. She was probably at the spa right now with friends.
***
A week later Taylor was eating her salad at her desk and scrolling toy stores online. Angie’s birthday was coming up and she was still trying to figure what to get her and what theme for the birthday party. It wasn’t as if they knew that many people, but she’d planned on having a small party at some place with a few kids from daycare.
Thankfully it was still a month away and she had to figure out if she was going to have Jack and his parents over for a smaller celebration. The last thing she wanted was them in her home for longer than necessary, but she didn’t want the party held at either of their houses.
She looked up when there was a knock at the door to see Reed’s father standing there. They hadn’t officially met yet.
Roger Chapman was the CEO of Chapman Construction that employed over a hundred people. His office was on the second floor of the building and very rarely did he make his way to the first floor for anything other than using one of the conference rooms.
“Hello,” she said. Wendy was out to lunch leaving Taylor all by her lonesome again. The only reason she would have these toy sites on her computer to begin with. Even with her computer facing the wall, there was no way she would take a chance of being caught or questioned.
“Taylor, right?” Mr. Chapman said.
“Yes.” She pushed her salad to the side. “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Chapman?”
“Please call me Roger,” he said, walking in and taking a seat in the chair across from her. Just like his son. Why did his sexy son have to pop into her mind right now? “So you’re friends with Reed.”
Oh boy, she didn’t expect this to happen. How the hell had it happened? It’s not like Reed has said much to her since their one date. He did text her the next day to see if she was busy like she’d said. She hadn’t replied back for hours because she was too busy caring for Angie and her bellyache and reaming out Jack for not paying attention to what Angie had eaten.
Her quick reply of Yes. Been a bit of a crazy day, only resulted in a smiley face from him.
They hadn’t exchanged numbers, but she knew who it was right away. It’s not like she had a lot of friends here anyway, but he’d obviously gotten her number from her file. Thankfully she didn’t have anything else listed in there that he could have found, like her daughter’s name. Though if he wanted to be bothered, he could log into the benefits software and seen more than she’d like him to. She was thinking it didn’t occur to him and that was fine with her.
But since that text on Sunday, he’d sent her at least one a day. Nothing serious. Nothing even asking her for another date. Just something silly that normally brought a smile to her face that forced her to look around like a guilty teenager after being caught dating the kid her father hated.
“I suppose,” she said back.
Roger laughed. “No worries. I just wanted to get a look at the woman that could manage to be friends with Reed.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means he has very few close friends and everyone else is an acquaintance. Nothing more.”
“I probably fall into the acquaintance category.”
“I doubt that.”
What the heck was that supposed to mean? “I’m not sure what you’ve been told.”
“Just that Reed brought you to a party as his...ah...wingman might be the word I’m looking for.”
Her face flushed. She knew darn well it did. It had to because if it wasn’t that then she was running a fever. Maybe it’d be better if she were coming down with the flu so she could excuse herself from this conversation.
“Did Reed tell you that?” she asked.
“My daughter did.”
“Ah,” she said. Rachel had shown up here the Tuesday after the party, strolling into the office during lunch too. It’s like they all knew she was the only one in the building who sat at her desk during her lunch.
The only difference was, Rachel made her laugh. She didn’t stay and talk much. Didn’t do anything other than say, “Thanks for keeping Reed under control on Saturday night.”
“Huh?” Taylor had said.
“You’ll understand someday when you get to know him better.” Then she’d walked right back out the door. Taylor hadn’t had the guts to ask Reed what she meant. It wasn’t a conversation for a text.
Maybe if she saw him again she would. What the heck was she thinking of now? She didn’t need to spend any private time with him.
“No worries,” Roger said, standing up. “It’s a good thing. Trust me.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” she said.
“A word of advice, if you don’t mind?”
Like she was going to tell the owner of the company no. “Sure.”
“Give him a chance. Don’t let him get away with anything. And always be upfront with him.”
She forced a tight smile. Just what she needed, considering she was hiding Angie from everyone. That didn’t count in her mind. It’s not like she was lying to him, or anyone. Reed had never asked if she had a child.
And why was she even worrying about it? They were friends. Loose friends at that. “Okay.”
She watched Roger walk out of her office, shook her head, and pulled her salad back over to finish her lunch. The Chapmans sure were some weird people.