Chapter Ten
June – Friday
Okay, telling him the truth might not have been the best idea. I probably should have told him some sort of white lie so that he wouldn’t suspect me for doing…well, exactly what I was doing.
“What do you do?” I asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
As he launched into a spiel about his ranch and the oil business that I knew so much about, I tried to get a hold of myself. I was acting like a crazy person, behaving in a totally unprofessional way, and I didn’t know how to reel that side of me in. I needed to remember exactly what I was there for, and now that I’d actually managed to get inside the elusive Larkin ranch, I needed to use that to my best interest.
But at the same time, I liked Roy a lot, even more so now that I’d actually seen him in person. It was making it very difficult to keep my head in the game. When I was close to him, inhaling his musky scent and gazing into those beautiful, soulful eyes, everything else simply flew out of the window, leaving me an utter mess. I’d never been so entranced by someone before, and it left me unsure of what to do with myself.
And now I had to have dinner with him…a thought that was scary and exciting in equal measures. I hadn't spent one-on-one time with a man for a very long time, especially not one who made me feel so crazy inside.
“So, did you grow up around here?” Roy asked as he grilled the steaks. “I thought I knew most people around here, but I don’t recognize you.”
“I did,” I nodded, leaning back against the kitchen counter, trying to relax a little bit. “But I’m going to assume you grew up here, too, and I don’t know you either.” I guessed it was better to get that part out there right away, especially if it helped to convince him that I didn’t have any untoward intentions going on.
“Well, I suppose ever since I lost my parents and took over the business, I’ve pretty much kept to myself.” I noticed that he didn’t mention his wife, which meant that she was an off-limits subject. I wouldn’t be able to write about it in my article, unless I wanted to be the sort of hard, soulless bitch that I may need to be to make it in the cutthroat world of journalism. “And, I’m obviously older than you, so I wouldn’t have known you, anyway. What about family? Could I know any of them?”
“Well, my dad’s dad had a farm here; Samuel Powell? You might not have known him, but maybe someone in your family did.” He gave me a look that suggested he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t making me feel uneasy anymore. I felt like I could continue with my story, just a little bit. “It was in the next town over, but I used to hang out there a lot when I was young and loved it with all the animals.”
I gazed out of the window, looking out on the massive expanse of land that Roy owned, thinking that it would probably be much more exciting with loads of creatures about. “I don’t know whatever happened to it; maybe he lost it before he died…”
“Yeah, it happens; people lose their dreams all the time.” There was something about the way he said that which had my eyes snapping back towards him. There was a sadness to his tone, which had me wondering if he was talking about himself and his own dreams. Maybe he had all the money he could possibly need, but it wasn’t what he wanted? Maybe there was more depth to this man than anyone had ever managed to dig out before…but of course, that was because he didn’t like to talk to anyone.
“What about you?” he suddenly asked quickly, not giving me a chance to get any more information out of him. “What is your dream? Or are you already living it?”
Urgh, this life was too small and dull for me, it always had been, but how did I convey that in a way that didn’t make me sound like a total bitch? A lot of people who lived in Florence loved it and never wanted to leave. “I want to work for a national newspaper,” I confessed in a hushed tone, as if it was a secret. “I always have. It was what I wanted even back when I was at school…”
Oh shit, I suddenly hit me that I was back talking about the very awkward topic I was trying to avoid. I didn’t want Roy to ask me if that was the reason I was there to see him because it would make me feel awful to lie. “How about you? What about your dreams?”
“Oh I don’t know,” he announced evasively, turning back to focus on the food. “I always knew I would end up on the ranch, so I guess I didn’t ever think about dreams. You know how it is. So, do you parents still live here?” I could have pushed it when he changed the subject so abruptly, and I probably would have done if my work was the only thing on my mind, but it wasn’t, so I bottled it and answered his question, possibly proving that I really didn’t have what it took to go big time.
“No, they left a few years ago. They did want me to go with them, but I didn’t want to leave the life I had here. I was happy, and I wanted to stay.”
“Was happy?”
Oops, that was a slip of the tongue that I didn’t want to dwell on! “Am happy.”
As he laid out the food on the table and we sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but notice how nice it felt. It didn’t feel weird, like a business dinner, or awkward, like a first date with a stranger; it just felt like a nice causal dinner with a friend I’d known for years…apart from the intense sexual tension swirling around us. The conversation flowed well, we chatted easily without any awkward silences, and he made me feel happy. It was the nicest thing I’d been through in a very long time.
In fact, when we finished eating, I felt a little sad that I was going to have to go home. Oh my God, stop feeling this way, I tried to convince myself. This is work…try to remember that. But the reason I felt sad to go had nothing to do with my career.
“Do you want me to take a look at your car now?” he asked, seemingly as reluctant for me to go as I felt. “I have a little time, unless you’re in any rush?”
“Is it something fixable?” I asked in shock. I wouldn’t expect a billionaire oil man to even know how to get his hands dirty, never mind know how to fix a car.
“Well, I don’t know if I can definitely do it, but I am happy to take a look.”
As I followed behind him towards the barn where we had dumped the car off earlier, I felt a swirl of emotions coursing through me. This was the most insane thing that I’d ever been through, and it all started with the car. What was I going to do if the fixing of my car was the end of things, and I never got to speak to him again? That would leave me in a bad position career wise, and…whatever else I was feeling.
“I am sorry about all of this,” I told him once more as guilt flooded me. “I’m sorry to have put you through so much.”
“It’s okay,” he reassured me, sending me a grin that literally made my heart skip a beat. “I’ve really enjoyed your company, so it hasn’t been a hardship.”
Oh no, this is too much… I didn’t think that I would ever be able to keep the smile from my face. He was just making me feel so many things at once. As he set about taking a look at my car, fiddling with tools, I couldn’t help but admire his form up close. He was even better with his body close to me, and he sparked a deep desire inside of me that I hadn't experienced in…well, ever. I’d been attracted to people before, but never quite like this.
“Right,” he turned to face me with a smile on his face. “I think that’s done, do you want to get in and check it out?”
I turned the key, anxiety in my heart, but much to my relief, it worked this time. “Oh my God, you actually did it! That’s amazing; thank you so much.”
Light shone in my eyes as I smiled gratefully up at him, and I quickly noticed something new in his eyes…an idea, maybe? “Look, I just wanted to let you know,” he shifted on his feet uncomfortably, which had me curious as to what he was about to say. Was he going to ask me out?
“If you’re serious about wanting to go national, to achieve your journalistic dreams, I might be able to help you.” My heart pounded faster, and I leaned in, curious as to where he was going with this. “I mean, for some strange reason, people seem to be very interested in me, but I’ve never spoken to the press before. Maybe if I give you an interview, that would help?”
“You would do that?” I gasped out in shock, unable to believe what I was actually hearing. “Seriously?”
“Well, I saw how happy it made you when you talked about it, and… I don’t know, I guess I wouldn’t mind talking to you.” He paused thoughtfully for a second, and I started to panic that he was about to change his mind. “I could do it on Sunday, after church, if you like?”
“I… I would love that!” I exclaimed happily. Wow, this was going even better than I could have ever imagined. “Thank you.”
“Give me your phone, I will put my number in so you can call me when you get to the gate.”
As he typed his digits into my phone, my heart fluttered like crazy. This was amazing – absolutely incredible – and I couldn’t believe my luck. Roy Larkin was offering to speak to me, giving me his phone number, and actually making my career. This was the best decision that I’d ever made, and I hoped that it would lead to all that I’d been dreaming about for such a long time.
“So, I’ll see you on Sunday,” he smiled at me. “I look forward to it.”
“Me, too,” I nodded – the understatement of the century. I was absolutely ecstatic about the idea. “It’s going to be great.” I could get the interview, write the piece, and still respect this man who had barriers surrounding him for very obvious reasons. I knew it would be incredibly difficult to be a journalist with morals, but I also wasn’t quite ready to break that just yet. Not when I liked Roy so much. Maybe a time would come when I would have to, but I would cross that bridge when I came to it.
As I drove back down the road where it all began, excitement filled my veins. This was it: the start of a brand-new life. I couldn’t wait to get it going.