Chapter Six
Kevin felt like he was losing his mind. It had been two days since the block party and he hadn’t heard from Kathy. Of course, he shouldn’t have been expecting a call since he’d told her to take her time and think about it. Him. That was it. He’d wanted her to think about him and them. When he’d said good-bye two nights ago, he’d had little doubt that she would give him another chance, but now he began to think that maybe his brothers had been right this whole time. Maybe his ego was too damn big.
The mayor had asked to see him and when he got to the office, Deb was already there waiting.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
He shrugged. “He called. I came. That’s the way it works.”
“I was told this was about the banquet later this week.”
“What banquet?”
She shook her head at him. “You wrote the damn invite. Thursday night, the mayor is having a party for all of the competitors for the tourism partnership.”
Damn. How had he forgotten about that? Probably because he had Kathy on the brain. “I wrote the invitation, but if I recall, you were playing with dates.”
While Deb rattled on about why she needed to pick a certain date, Kevin’s brain went into high gear. If the meeting was this week, that meant the mayor was close to making a decision. The fact that Kevin was being brought back in was a good sign. He had his chance to show the mayor exactly what he could get done.
The door behind them opened and the mayor welcomed them in. Mayor Park had been in office for a few years. Jimmy had worked closely with him the same summer Moira had gotten tangled up in a story that interfered with Jimmy’s case. Although the mayor had made note of Kevin sharing Jimmy’s last name, it hadn’t gotten him any perks. At least not until now.
“Have a seat,” Park said.
Kevin waited for Deb to sit and then he joined her. Park stood and leaned against the edge of his desk.
“Are we set for Thursday?” Park asked Deb.
“Yes. Everyone has accepted the invitation, although most were puzzled about the format. I don’t think I’m clear on how you expect them to present their proposals.”
Park waved a hand. “God, no. I don’t want to sit through any more presentations. If I have to look at one more slide show, I think I’ll be sick. Don’t these people have any other way to share information?”
He shook his head, realizing he was going off course. Kevin had seen him do this often.
Park crossed his arms. “I’m going old school on this. Tourism is about more than pretty pictures. It’s word of mouth and a sense of personalization and community. If these people can’t sell my own city to me over a few drinks at a cocktail party, I don’t need to waste my time with them.”
Kevin liked the idea. “Excuse me, sir, but why am I here? I don’t plan parties. That’s completely Deb’s domain.”
“I read the proposal you put together and I think you’re on the right track. I don’t think the tourism board should be totally farmed out, but I don’t want to waste valuable taxpayer money to convince everyone else in the world that Chicago is great.”
This was it. This was what Kevin had been hoping for. If he were given the opportunity to be in a position where he could showcase his ability to make things happen, his career would be moving. “What do you need from me?”
“I expect you to be at the party on Thursday. Help me vet these groups. It’s not an interview, so don’t treat it like one. The businesses vying for this contract have no idea who else will be there, so they should be looking to impress everyone they talk to. Help me find the bullshitters.”
Kevin smiled. Being a bullshit artist himself made him a bit of an expert at spotting one. He turned to Deb. “Is this black tie?”
“Not formal. Cocktail attire is fine.”
He continued to stare at her.
She sighed. “What you’re wearing is fine.”
“Thank you.”
Park began to move back behind his desk. “And bring a date, Kevin. This is supposed to be a party. If they see you walking solo, they’ll peg you as someone to suck up to.”
“I might like people sucking up to me for a change.”
Park laughed. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later.”
Kevin wouldn’t press the issue of a new position right now—not in front of Deb. First, he’d work the party and find the right people to work with and then he’d talk to Park about appointing him to be the liaison.
As he left Park’s office, he didn’t have to think about who to bring for his date. He was dialing Kathy’s number before he got back to his desk.
“Good afternoon, Love in Bloom. How may I help you?”
His blood pounded at the sound of her offering her services. “Hi, Kathy. It’s Kevin. Do you have time to talk for a few minutes?”
“Um, sure.”
He heard her moving around and waited a second for her to get settled. “I know I said I’d give you time to think, but I was wondering if you might be free Thursday night.”
“Why?”
“I have a cocktail party I have to go to for work. The mayor specifically told me to bring a date, and I immediately thought of you.” So many thoughts of her raced through his head, but he pushed them back.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“It’s not a date. Unless of course, you want it to be.” He realized he was rushing, so he took a deep breath. As much as he wanted to see her, he knew this would also be a good opportunity for her. “This cocktail party is going to be filled with businesses who coordinate events throughout the city. Between you and me, they’re trying to land a partnership deal with the city to handle tourism. This will be an excellent networking opportunity for you.”
When she stayed silent, he added, “We could finalize details for the bachelor party. It’ll be efficient. You might make connections that lead to new customers, and we’ll get party stuff done.” He wanted to add that he really wanted to spend time with her, but he didn’t know if that would give her a push in the right direction.
“Okay. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”
“I can drive myself.”
“The mayor asked me to bring a date. It might look suspicious if we don’t arrive together.”
She sighed. “Fine. I assume I’ll need to wear a cocktail dress.”
“That would be perfect.” On every level.
“See you Thursday.”
They hung up and Kevin was excited. Not only had the mayor liked his ideas, but he was also bringing Kevin on board to help develop the partnership. On top of it, Kathy would be spending the evening with him as his date.
* * *
On Thursday night, as Kathy slipped into her only little black dress, she wondered how she could determine if she had, in fact, lost her mind. She was getting ready for her date with Kevin.
The word sank like a rock in her stomach. Not a date, she reminded herself. It was a networking opportunity to increase business. That was all.
Her fingers trembled as she attempted to apply eyeliner. She never had been a very good liar, even to herself. She inhaled slowly and deeply. Kevin had offered her an excellent opportunity, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t enjoyed their time together at the block party.
He’d said she should take time and think about the fact that he wanted another chance with her. All she’d been doing outside of work was think about him. The whole thing was crazy. Sure, they’d been good together when they dated, but they were different people now.
What if they didn’t mesh well anymore?
Her hormones answered with all of the ways she’d like to mesh with Kevin. The sexual attraction was still there, more than she ever wanted to admit. But they couldn’t base their relationship on sex, no matter how good it might be.
He scared her because she wanted to give him the chance he asked for. Spending the day with him had reminded her of all of his good qualities. He loved his family. He was playful and fun. He cared about those around him. He was a more mature version of the man she’d fallen for years ago. And physically, he spoke to every nerve in her body.
Her heart, however, wouldn’t listen. It spoke to her in quiet words of warning. He’d hurt her. She’d given him love, and he’d tossed it aside. What would happen if he did that again?
But what if he didn’t?
She tossed her eyeliner in the sink in frustration. Her mind had been stuck on an endless loop for days. Give him a chance. No, he can’t be trusted. Back and forth so many times, she suffered from a mental case of vertigo.
Shoving the inner voices in a closet in the back of her brain, she resumed putting on her makeup. The argument could continue after she rubbed elbows with wealthy, powerful businesspeople. Kevin was simply her avenue to make that happen.
She could handle this. And she was fine until her doorbell rang at six twenty-five. “Come in,” she said into her intercom, and hit the buzzer. Then she swiped on a quick coat of lip gloss and stepped into a pair of heels. Closing her eyes, she said a silent wish that Kevin would look run-down and crappy tonight.
Swinging the door open, she was disappointed that her wish hadn’t come true. Kevin stood in the hallway looking damn fine in a dark gray suit and navy tie. He was sporting a couple days’ worth of scruff, but it was neat.
“Hi. I’m almost ready.” She left the door open for him to come in. Grabbing her small black clutch, she filled it with her cell phone and a stack of business cards. It took a moment for her to realize that Kevin still stood in the hall. “Is there a problem?” she asked.
“Uh, no. You look amazing.”
“Thank you. Is this appropriate for a cocktail party for people trying to woo the mayor?”
“That is appropriate for just about anything.” His gaze traveled down her body and back up.
Her skin heated under his praise and attention. With her purse in hand, she said, “All set.”
He stepped away from the door to allow her to leave and lock up. When she turned to put her keys in her purse, he was standing close, too close for someone who was just a business associate. He fingered her curls.
“I forgot how sexy these curls are when you leave your hair down.”
She never thought of her curls as sexy. They’d been an annoyance most of her life. Now she at least liked them. Once her keys were tucked away, she looked into his eyes and forgot everything.
A shade darker than her favorite faded blue jeans, the pupils were dilated, and there was no mistaking the look of lust.
He released her hair and stepped back. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight.”
“It’s just drinks and conversation, right? No big deal.” They headed down the hall to leave.
“It’s a slightly bigger deal for me. Mayor Park asked me to work this party to help him figure out who might have the best way to handle tourism for the city. If things work out tonight, I could get a promotion out of this.”
“Wow. But no pressure, huh?”
He smiled and led her out of the building. “No pressure for you. You can mingle and talk about flowers, pass out business cards, stand around looking pretty, and have a good time. The pressure is squarely on my shoulders.”
For the first time probably ever, she saw Kevin O’Malley look unsure of himself. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. What are you looking for?”
“That’s just it. We’re not even sure.” He unlocked his car and opened the door for her. “We’re hoping we’ll know it when we hear it.”
“That’s a tough order to fill.” She slid onto the cool leather seat, and he closed the door for her.
On the way into downtown, they chatted about work and Kevin’s family. He steered far from the topic of them and being a couple, for which she was grateful. At the restaurant, he used the valet and walked around to her side of the car to let her out. They walked to the door together, where he flashed his credentials at the doorman.
“Why is this being hosted at a restaurant? Why not just use space at city hall?”
“Mayor Park wanted something different. He was afraid that if he invited everyone to city hall, he’d be stuck listening to formal proposals all night. Basically, he’s sick of looking at slide shows.”
“Interesting.” She knew very little about the mayor. It wasn’t like she ran in those circles. Inside, Kevin led her straight to the mayor, who was flanked by three very large men.
“Good evening, Mayor,” Kevin said.
“Kevin, glad you’re here.”
Kevin pressed slightly on Kathy’s back to nudge her forward. “This is my date, Kathy Hendricks.”
“Mayor,” she said with a small nod, and extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Hendricks. How long have you and Kevin been dating?”
Kevin flinched beside her. He obviously hadn’t thought the mayor would get personal. “Kevin and I go way back,” she started. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. “But this is relatively new.”
She felt his tension slip away.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here tonight. Help yourself to a drink and mingle. I hope you won’t be offended if I occasionally need to steal your date away.”
“Not at all. This is a working cocktail party, right?”
“That it is.” With a nod to Kevin, he said, “I’m going to greet guests as they enter. Before you leave tonight, I want to touch base to debrief.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kathy swallowed a giggle. Hearing Kevin call anyone sir went against everything she thought she knew about him.
“I need a drink. How about you?” he asked.
“Sure.” Although she wasn’t thirsty, she wanted to have something in her hand as she mingled. At the bar, she ordered a white wine and Kevin ordered a whiskey. “Kind of strong for a business meeting,” she said.
“I’ll make it last. Probably. But I know a lot of these blowhards are gonna bore me out of my mind.”
They stood near a high-top table, and Kevin waited until the first wave of guests wandered past them to get to the bar. When drinks were in hand, it was time to start talking.
“Kevin O’Malley. And this is Kathy Hendricks,” Kevin said to introduce them to a guy who said he was the head of an event planning company.
“And what’s your specialty?” the guy asked.
Kevin took that moment to drink and eye Kathy. Weird, but she could take a hint. “I’m a florist.”
“Interesting.”
“Kathy is excellent at her job. I happen to know that the mayor was very pleased with the last job she did for city hall.”
“Really? I’d love to hear some more about the work you did. What makes you stand out compared to any other florist?”
“I don’t know that I do anything particularly special. I listen to what my customers want and what price point they’re looking for, and then I deliver.”
“Don’t let her fool you, Tom.” Kevin said. “She has an excellent eye for detail and anticipating what a client wants before they do.”
“Did you do the work here?” Tom asked.
Kathy glanced at the centerpiece near her elbow, one that they had shifted back and forth numerous times because it interfered with seeing across the table. “Oh, no,” she said, and then realized that it came across as condescending. “What I mean is—”
“You don’t need to apologize. They’re hideous.”
She grinned.
“What would you have done instead?”
Kathy took a moment to review the entire space before speaking. “First, I would’ve used a smaller setting completely. Something this tall inhibits people from talking across the table. And given that each table also has a candle, I would’ve gone simple, something that would play against the firelight.”
“Not bad for an off-the-cuff response. Here’s my card.” He slid a card onto the table. “Send me your information and we’ll add you to our database of vendors.”
“Thank you. It was nice to meet you.”
Tom walked away and began chatting up the next table. Kathy stood and stared at the card. She hadn’t even been trying to network that time. She’d thought Kevin would want to ask some questions, but he never did.
“You’re good,” Kevin said.
“Not as good as you. Throwing out compliments left and right about things you know nothing about.” She sipped her wine.
“I don’t need to know about flowers.”
“I was talking about me. You have no idea if I’m any good or if I have an eye for detail.”
He shifted closer and set his glass on the table. “That was no bullshit. I didn’t need to see the centerpieces you made for Deb. I know Deb. She’s hard to please and she was singing your praises. And I know enough about you that you would do right by anyone who was counting on you. That’s just who you are.”
Suddenly she didn’t feel like they were talking about flowers anymore. “Thank you,” she whispered. She wasn’t used to having someone believe in her unwaveringly like that. Her mom and Moira, of course, but other than that, she’d mostly just depended on herself.
“Will you be okay on your own for a while? I need to go talk to people and if I stand here, they’ll be distracted by your beauty.”
Kathy rolled her eyes. That was the Kevin she was used to. “A cheesy compliment like that will get you nowhere.”
“I’m well aware. I’m saving my sincerity for when we don’t have an audience.” He winked and walked away, leaving Kathy feeling warm in all the wrong places.
* * *
Kathy spent the next hour and a half talking with local businesspeople, some of whom might’ve considered using her services, others not at all, but she was still grateful for the connections. She’d been able to talk marketing with one person and tax incentives with another. During some conversations she felt completely out of her depths, but no one treated her like an imposter.
Kevin had mostly disappeared for the night. So much for thinking he’d been trying to wrangle a date. He came by twice after their initial conversation: once to deposit a fresh glass of wine on the table and again to hand her a glass of water. As guests began leaving, she searched for him, but saw him nowhere.
She didn’t know how she felt about the evening. It had been the great networking experience that Kevin had promised, but part of her had expected more from him. Which she was aware was totally unfair to him. He’d offered her space and then gave it to her. He was being thoughtful, but she felt a little neglected.
And there went the endless loop again. She was worse than a lovesick thirteen-year-old.
As her gaze wandered across the room, Kevin turned a corner in the back, shoulder to shoulder with the mayor. They were in deep conversation, but as if he felt her staring, Kevin looked up. When their eyes met, he smiled, and whatever chemistry they shared zipped through the room.
Kevin and the mayor shook hands and parted. As Kevin made his way to her, she noticed how tired he looked. She was suddenly painfully aware of how much she wanted to get out of her heels.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
“Long. I should’ve asked Moira to be my date tonight. She’s the only person I know who can talk as much as these people.”
Ignoring the ping of irritation at him talking about dating her friend because she knew it was ridiculous, she asked, “Did you get the information you wanted at least?”
“I think. We were able to narrow the field of prospects. I’m sorry I abandoned you. Park told me to bring a date, so it would be more social. I don’t think either of us expected this.”
“It’s fine. I talked with a lot of people. It was interesting. You know, running a business tends to be kind of solitary. I do my thing to keep everything going. Sometimes I forget to step back and connect with other people who get it. Thank you for inviting me.” She picked up her purse, which was still filled with business cards, but this time with those of people she’d met. “Ready to go?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” With a hand on her lower back, he led them through the room, waving at stragglers. “I’m fucking starving. You want to get something to eat?”
While they waited for the valet to bring his car around, she shifted from foot to foot. “Food sounds fabulous, but my feet are killing me. I’m not used to standing in heels for hours.”
Kevin opened the car door for her and handed the valet a tip. When she sat, her entire body sighed, but her legs wept.
“We could pick something up and eat at your place.” He pulled into traffic. “Pizza?”
Her stomach rumbled. Pizza sounded so good. But did she want to invite Kevin into her house? She took a quick breath. She was being silly. They’d had a good night. They could share a meal. Plus, they hadn’t yet talked about the final details for the bachelor/bachelorette party for this weekend. “Sure. I’ll call and it’ll be delivered right around when we get back.”
She called and placed the order. The rest of the ride to her apartment was quiet. After an evening of nonstop talking, they both needed some peace. When the car was parked and Kathy pushed the door open, her leg muscles protested. Swinging her legs out of the car, she bent and pulled off the heels. Kevin stood on the curb and watched.
“Not very glamorous, huh?” She wiggled her toes and then pushed herself out of the car.
Kevin closed the door behind her. “Those things look like torture, but as someone who only has to enjoy the view they create, I have to say—and I think I speak for all of mankind on this—we appreciate what you do to look good for us.”
As they walked into her building, she realized the difference in their height. With her shoes on, she was nearly eye to eye with Kevin. Now her eyes were at his mouth. Thoughts of his mouth being on hers slipped into her mind. She must’ve been really tired to go there.
Inside her apartment, she tossed her shoes near the closet and pulled some cash from her purse. “Do you mind grabbing the pizza when it comes? I really want a hot shower.”
Kevin stared at her for what felt like a full minute before clearing his throat. “Sure.”
Kathy went to her bedroom and grabbed some comfy pajamas and carried them to the bathroom. Normally, she’d walk through the apartment naked or in a towel, but she wasn’t silly enough to attempt that with Kevin standing in her living room. Regardless of whether she thought she could give him another chance, she couldn’t deny the attraction they shared.
Even if her hormones wanted to act on it, she wasn’t ready to give in to that attraction until her heart and mind agreed.
She stood under the hot spray until her tense muscles relaxed again. Then she dressed and went back to the living room. Kevin had removed his jacket and loosened his tie. He’d made himself comfortable, sprawled on her couch with his feet up on the table, looking like he was at home.
Memories flooded her brain of the times they’d hung out just like this, watching a Blackhawks game and eating pizza. She’d lie on him and pretend to understand hockey simply because she’d liked the feeling of his body close to hers, his arms wrapped around her. When the game had ended, they’d spent the night together.
There were no walks of shame or sneaking out in the middle of the night like they were hooking up. They’d been in a relationship. It hadn’t been her imagination.
Kevin turned and looked over his shoulder. “Feel better?”
“Much.”
He waved at the TV. “I didn’t know if you wanted to watch something, so feel free to change it.”
Moving his feet back to the floor, he leaned forward and opened the pizza box. He’d already grabbed napkins from her kitchen and had a beer open for himself.
By the time she sat, she knew she needed answers before she could think about taking this anywhere with him. She needed something to get her off the merry-go-round in her head.
She sat in the corner of the couch and curled her legs up on the cushion. “You know, as I walked into the room, I was struck by how comfortable you made yourself.”
He looked sheepish for a minute. “Sorry. I figured it was okay since you were in the shower and we planned to eat together.”
“No.” She held up a hand. “That’s not it. I don’t mind. It reminded me of when we were dating. And yeah, we were dating. We hung out and spent the night together. We weren’t just friends with benefits or whatever. We were in a relationship.” Her skin warmed as her anger and frustration rose again.
Kevin hung his head. “Yeah, we were. I never meant to imply we weren’t.”
“Then what did I do wrong?” As soon as she said the words, she wanted to pull them back. They were needy and weak. She knew she’d done nothing wrong.
“Nothing.”
“I know that. I’m not being clear.” She swallowed and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. “What I meant was, what did I do to make you think it was acceptable to sleep with other people?”
“Again, you did nothing. I really liked what we had going, but we never talked about it. We didn’t have the talk.” He shifted on the couch, putting himself closer to her. “What I said before was true. I knew we were getting serious, and it freaked me out. I wasn’t ready. I had no fucking clue what I wanted. Part of me thought playing the field was it.”
“And I made it easy by disappearing from your life without a fight.” She had to admit he impressed her. Kevin took responsibility for the crappy way things went, even though it wasn’t all his fault. Sure, he could’ve figured out that she wasn’t looking for an open relationship, but back then she didn’t have the backbone to stand up and tell him he was being an asshole. “Okay. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
He pulled a slice of pizza and handed it to her. “For the record, I know now.”
“Know what?” she asked as she sank her teeth into the gooey cheese.
“I know what I want. I’ve been focused on my career for the last few years. I’m not exactly where I want to be, but I’m on the right path. I’m ready to settle down. I’ve always known that one day I’d want to get married and have a family. I’m ready.”
She swallowed the pizza in her mouth, but it wasn’t moving down her throat. What the heck? First Kevin tells her he wants another chance with her, but she can take her time to think about it. Now he’s talking marriage and babies.
He burst out laughing. “Right now, you look like I imagine I would’ve five years ago if you’d mentioned settling down. I’m not expecting to get you pregnant anytime soon. I’m just letting you know that I’m in a different place in my life. I’d like you to be part of it.”
Then he sat back and returned his attention to the TV and the baseball game that he’d turned on. He ate his dinner like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her. She was adept at listening and although he’d said he wasn’t looking for a baby right now, she also heard what he left out. He didn’t say he wasn’t looking to marry her, or that he wanted to test the waters of monogamy; he simply said he wasn’t quite ready to impregnate her. Her—not just anyone.
So much for clearing her mind. Kevin had just given her even more to think about. And for the first time, she really wanted to consider it. It was more than lust or chemistry. She found that the more time she spent with Kevin, the more she liked who he’d become. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to trust him.