Chapter Six
While there was plenty of food at the party, there was absolutely no chance for them to speak privately. Andrea sipped her champagne and gazed around the crowded party, which was being held in a private dining room on the fiftieth floor of the Sterling Hotel. Floor to ceiling windows offered magnificent sweeping views of the city and the bay, and as with their dinner the previous night, the food was first class.
Alex was in the middle of a crowd of people, who seemed to hover intently on his every word. She knew it wasn't just his money and power that called them over, it was also his charisma. When he was in the room, everyone knew it. He was a magnet, and she could feel the pull from across the room. She had a feeling that even if he'd still been dirt poor, he would have been the center of attention.
She finished her champagne, set the glass down on an empty tray and moved towards him. It was about time she reminded Alex that she was there, too. When she reached the group surrounding him, she squeezed to the front of the circle, managing to dislodge a clingy redhead from his side.
She put a hand on Alex's arm and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, "I'm back."
Alex didn't acknowledge the comment, but a small smile played across his lips. She moved a little farther forward, so she could see exactly who he was talking to. The crowd shifted at her movement, and suddenly she was face-to-face with a man she had hoped she would never see again, her ex-boyfriend, Douglas Wilmington.
She blinked in shock, hoping the horrible image would disappear, but Doug was gazing back at her with his perfect white teeth, his sky blue eyes, and his sun-streaked blond hair, and her stomach took a nosedive. She grabbed on to Alex's arm as if he were a buoy and she was about to drown.
"Andrea?" Doug said her name with surprise.
Of course he would be surprised to see her here. This kind of party was his world, not hers. "Hello, Doug," she managed to get out.
"You two know each other?" Alex asked.
Andrea nodded. "Yes."
"We were together for over a year," Doug added. "It's been a while though."
"Congratulations on your baby. Is your wife here?" she asked, even though it turned her stomach to make conversation with the man.
"No, she's at home with our child."
She didn't know what to say to that or what to say to him. Their relationship had ended badly. He'd been an asshole to her, and she'd been stupid enough not to see his bad traits a lot earlier in the relationship. But very few people would believe that Doug was anything but a great guy. Like Alex, he had a lot of charm.
"Maybe you and Wilmington can catch up later, Andrea," Alex said. "Why don't we get something to eat?"
"That sounds great."
"You're here with Alex?" Doug asked, more amazement in his voice.
Before she could answer, Alex said, "She is. I'm a lucky guy." Alex took her hand and led her across the room.
She blew out a grateful breath as she put some space between Doug and herself. "You know people are going to think I actually am your date," she said to Alex.
"You looked like you needed a save."
"Very perceptive. I did. Thank you."
"And I don't care if anyone thinks you're my date." He paused as they reached the end of the buffet line. "So you dated Doug Wilmington?"
She sighed. "I did—for far too long. It took me some time to realize that Doug liked my press connections more than he cared about me. As you may know, he's a lawyer who wants to be in politics. I was able to provide him with some good connections."
"I think he liked more about you than your connections."
She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. It doesn't matter. He used me, and not just for press; he also cheated on me."
"You're better off without him."
"I know that. He's the kind of man who looks good on paper, but in reality, not so much. My mother could never see that though. She really wanted us to get married. I disappointed her when we broke up."
"Did you tell her he cheated on you?"
"No," she admitted. "It was embarrassing. I don't know why I just told you."
"I'm a good listener."
He actually was a good listener, which she hadn't expected.
"Maybe you can't blame your mother for her opinion if you didn't tell her the truth," he added.
"My sister said the exact same thing, but my mother and I have a difficult relationship. She's very judgmental and critical, and I often fall short, so if I don't have to admit to a stupid mistake like picking a loser to date, I usually don't."
"But then you're protecting Doug and throwing yourself under the bus. You're letting her blame you for the breakup. How does that improve your relationship?"
"It doesn't. But I can't seem to act more rationally around her. By the way, you're very good at analyzing people."
"I've always been interested in psychology."
"And you use that interest in your games, don't you?"
"It helps to know what drives people to do certain things, yes." He shifted his weight. "Do you want to get out of here and find some food elsewhere?"
"Absolutely."
"Do you like Thai?"
"I eat it at least once a week."
"There's a good takeout place down the street from here. It's a hole-in-the-wall, but you won't find better Thai food in the city."
"Lead the way."
* * *
Twenty minutes later, after picking up green curried chicken and Pad Thai, Alex drove Andrea toward the freeway leading out of the city.
"We're not going to your house?" she asked.
"I have a better idea. You keep saying you want to know more about me, so I'm going to take you to one of my favorite places."
"I like the sound of that."
"I thought you would. And, no, I'm not going to tell you where we're going until we get there."
"I wasn't even going to ask," she said dryly. "But I hope it's not too far, because the food smells delicious, and my mouth is watering."
"There's no traffic, so we should be there in about ten minutes."
She sat back in her seat to enjoy the ride, silently trying to guess where they might end up. But none of her guesses came close to their destination.
Alex turned off the freeway, driving down a frontage road that moved past the bay and the airport. Then he pulled onto a dirt strip facing the southernmost runway and shut off the engine. It was a dark and isolated spot, and it was definitely not somewhere she would have expected him to take her.
"I know we're at the airport, but why are we here?"
"You'll see," he said. There was just enough light coming from the adjacent runway to show the smile in his eyes. "Watch."
A moment later, a jumbo jet turned and sped down the runway in front of them, launching into the sky with a roar and a rumble that shook the car, and then there was nothing but silence.
"It never fails to impress me," Alex said quietly.
She glanced over at him. "So you like to fly, I guess."
"I do, but when I first started coming here, flying somewhere else seemed like an impossible dream."
His voice was quiet, reflective. She almost didn't want to ask another question, because he seemed lost in thought, and she was afraid any word from her would stop him from talking further. He'd put his guard back up and remember she was a reporter and someone who threatened his privacy.
He looked over at her. "No questions?"
"When did you find this place?"
"A long time ago."
"After your parents died?"
"Yeah," he said shortly. "We should eat. I hope you don't mind a picnic in the car?"
"If you don't mind food in this beautiful car, it's okay with me." She actually liked the idea of sharing a meal in complete and total privacy, no other people or distractions except the planes, of course. She pulled out the containers and a couple of plastic forks, and for a few minutes they ate in silence, the only break in the quiet coming from the jet engines.
"That was good," she said, sliding their empty containers into the bag. "I'll have to remember that place."
"I told you it was the best Thai food in town."
"You did. And you were not exaggerating." She paused as another plane took off. "How did you find this place?"
"For about six months, I lived a mile away—on the other side of the freeway. I used to come over here whenever I needed to get away."
"Who were you living with then?" she asked, trying to figure out what period of his life he was talking about.
"A foster family. There were a couple of different ones over a few years. This particular family had taken in four other kids, and it was a small house. It felt really crowded to me, so I got out whenever I could."
"Why did you end up going somewhere else?"
"I don't really remember."
She doubted that. Alex seemed like the kind of man who remembered everything.
"Let's get out of the car," he suggested.
"It's kind of cold," she protested.
"You can wear my coat."
"All right." She stepped out of the car and followed him over to the chain link fence.
He took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. "How's that?"
"It's good."
Alex put his hands on the fence, linking his fingers around the wire as the next plane pulled into position. "This runway opened up the world for me. It made me feel like I could dream, like there was freedom somewhere, I just had to find a way to get to it."
"You certainly did that. You not only found a way to get on a plane, you found a way to own your own plane—didn't you?"
"I do have my own plane. I'll have to give you a ride some time."
"That would be amazing. I've never been on a private jet. Now you can go wherever you want. You're about as free as any man could be."
"I am." He shot her a quick look. "And I want you to know that I don't take my success and good fortune for granted, Andrea. I worked hard for it, probably a lot harder than anyone would believe."
"I don't doubt that. You faced a lot of challenges as a kid, but you didn't let those obstacles keep you down."
"I was too stubborn to give up. I knew there had to be more to life than the one I was living. There were people on these planes, people who'd found a way to take off on an adventure, maybe people like me." He paused. "One of my first games, Wing Rider, is based on all the days I spent standing on this fence."
She made a mental note to check out the game as soon as possible.
"It was my first bestseller," he added.
She liked that his childhood dream had turned into a reality. It seemed the best kind of justice. "Did you ever imagine you'd be this successful, this rich?"
"Yes," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "I've always believed that if you're going to dream, you should dream big. There are no barriers to the imagination, only in the real world. But you can move some of those barriers with persistence, determination and ambition."
"I really should be writing this down. Or do you mind if I tape our conversation with my phone?"
"I'd rather have you write what you remember from our conversations, what sticks in your head as important. Everything else is worthless."
"But you just gave me a great, inspiring quote. You are someone to admire, Alex. I'll admit I didn't really know that when I first got this assignment, but I'm starting to really respect you and everything you've accomplished."
"I'm glad."
She looked through the fence as the engines of the jet in front of them began to roar. It seemed to move down the runway in slow motion, although she knew it had to be hitting speeds over a hundred miles an hour. The wheels lifted and the plane tilted, for a moment caught between earth and sky. It would either go up or come down. She caught her breath, lifting the plane with her mind. And then it was up and airborne, flying off for destinations unknown.
"It is incredible that man can move so quickly from one place to another," she said.
"Do you travel much, Andrea?"
"No, but I hope to do more in the future."
"Do you want to be a foreign correspondent like your father?"
She thought about his question. "For a while I did, but as I've gotten older, I've begun to realize that I don't want to live his career; I want to make my own way in the world. Although I haven't dreamt of having my own airplane or even a million dollars, I have imagined myself making a difference in the world in some way."
"I have no doubt that you will."
"If I can just get my interviewees to talk to me," she said with a sigh.
"I'm talking to you now, and I took you to the gym earlier. I also brought you here. You're way ahead of every other reporter I've talked to."
"I appreciate that. But I wasn't just referring to you."
"Are we back to the other secret story?"
"Yes. I thought I had a really good source, but he disappeared on me, and neither I nor my investigator have been able to find him."
"What do you think happened?"
"I believe he got scared. He was in a position to share some information about his company, something they were doing wrong, and I really believe he wanted to blow the whistle, but someone scared him off."
"Or paid him off," Alex suggested.
She frowned. "I did wonder about that. It's so frustrating. I feel like I let him slip through my fingers. I should have done a better job of cornering him, but I let him call the shots. I was playing it his way, and that didn't work."
"Does this person still work for the company?"
"No, the official word is that he resigned. I called his cell phone, but his number is no longer in service. I went by his apartment, and his neighbor said he'd left for an extended vacation. She wasn't sure where he'd gone. I worry that something bad happened to him because he was trying to talk to me."
"That's a leap."
"I don't want to believe it's true, but I have to consider all the options."
"You're not going to tell me what this story is about, are you?" Alex asked.
"I really can't. Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." She paused. "Getting back to you. Do you have a woman in your life?"
"No one serious."
"Have you been involved with anyone in the recent past? I know you've gone on a lot of dates, but has there been someone who stuck around awhile?"
"How long would you consider awhile?"
"Six months."
"Then no."
"Okay, what has been your longest relationship in the past five years?"
He thought for a moment. "Probably about two to three months."
"What happened?"
"The fire burned out."
She stared back at him. "On whose side?"
"Both sides. It was a mutual parting."
"So you're a serial dater?"
"That sounds bad. I don't think I want to be that," he said with a lighthearted grin.
"You're messing with me, aren't you?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"This is why you haven't had a relationship longer than three months. You don't take women seriously."
"And you seem to take things a little too seriously. It's a beautiful night. Relax, enjoy it. You don't have to work every second."
"I don't know how many seconds I'm going to have with you," she replied. "I don't want to waste them."
"If we're just going to talk about my love life, you are wasting them. I really have nothing momentous to share with you. And I don't date nearly as often as you think."
"Why not? You could have any woman you want."
"Could I have you?" he challenged.
She shivered at his words. "You don't want me. You just want to shake me up."
"I do want you, and I do want to shake you up," he said, taking a step in her direction.
She instinctive backed up, right into the fence. "Let's get back to the interview."
"What are you afraid of, Andrea?"
"I'm not afraid. I just want to get back to business."
"This is business. The business of you getting to know me." He put his hands on her waist. "I'm about to reveal something to you that I've never shown another reporter."
"What's that?" she asked breathlessly.
He lowered his head and his mouth covered hers.
She jumped at the heat of his lips, the sudden unexpected contact. She should have pushed him away, but instead she found herself sinking into the kiss, sliding her arms around his back, pressing her breasts against his chest. His mouth was warm and still spicy from the curry, and he kissed with same confidence and intensity that he seemed to bring to everything else in his life.
She kept telling herself she would end the kiss in a moment. She would move away. She would get back to the most important thing in her life, which was her job. But she didn't feel much like a reporter now. She felt like a woman—a woman filled with desire and need and an ache that started in her heart and ran through every muscle in her body.
Thankfully, the need to breathe finally broke them apart. She doubted she would have made a move otherwise.
Alex lifted his head and the steam of their heated breaths flowed around them. He stared into her eyes, and she wished for a few less shadows. If she could see him better, maybe she could read what he was thinking, but in the dim light, his expression was indecipherable.
She swallowed hard and drew in a breath. "That was…" The right word seemed impossible to find.
"Yeah," he said. "I completely agree."
"You agree it was unprofessional?" she asked, finally finding the word she was looking for.
"That's what you were going to say?" he asked with a frown.
No, she'd been searching for an adjective along the lines of amazing, awesome, fantastic, unbelievable…but she wasn't going to tell him that. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about it. We should go." She slipped his coat off of her shoulders and handed it back to him. Then she headed to the car.
She was in her seat with the belt buckled a good minute or two before Alex finally slid behind the wheel. He started the engine, then looked over at her. "That was the best kiss I've had in a long time." His gaze lingered on hers for a long moment, then he shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking spot.
She looked out the window, his words rocketing around her head. Alex had said exactly what she'd been thinking, what she hadn't had the courage to say. What the hell were they going to do now?