They hadn’t tried to put a label on what was happening, but Casey knew herself, and she couldn’t do casual. She needed to define what they were and where they were going. She needed to know if there was a real future, like she longed for. The best way to do that was to be straightforward and put it all on the table, even though the thought of that terrified her, given her track record of speaking her mind with men.
“From what you told me, Nate doesn’t seem to be like those other guys you dated. Those assholes who had a problem with you saying what you wanted.”
“He’s definitely in a class by himself,” she said.
Jane slapped the table with her palm. “Then go for it. Tell him how you feel.”
“How is it that you’ve never had this problem with men? You’re a rock star. I can’t imagine anybody more intimidating than you,” Casey asked.
Jane laughed. “Oh, maybe it had a little something to do with the fact that my first husband turned out to be gay and I fell madly in love with the next guy I was involved with,” Jane said with a laugh. At least she was able to joke about that heartbreak now.
Casey laughed. “Good point. Fine, you win.”
Jane raised her arms in victory, then turned serious. “But for what it’s worth, I do think you should just be up front with him. At the least the two of you can know what you’re dealing with.”
“What if I lose him as a friend though? I hate the thought of that happening.”
“I think the more direct you are now, the better off you’ll be at staying in each other’s lives in whatever capacity that is,” Jane said.
Casey nodded several times as if this conversation was giving her the courage to show her cards to the man she was falling for. He was on his way back from Vegas and she was looking forward to seeing him tonight after he returned Joanna’s sculpture. He’d insisted on doing it himself, and she had to admit she was proud of him for facing up to what scared him the most—Joanna and all the pain she’d caused him.
As they cleared their mugs and left the coffee shop, the name Grant Abbot flashed across her phone. Her blood froze. He was supposed to be overseas still, and she’d planned on telling him when he returned that things had changed, and her heart was elsewhere. She took a deep, fueling breath, steeling herself, then answered with a breezy and business-like hello.
“Any chance you would be free for a drink this evening? I find myself in New York City sooner than expected and I’ll be in the mood for a cocktail tonight.”
Casey gulped. A flock of nerves swept through her body. She could hardly believe that three weeks ago she wanted to seduce him, and now the prospect held no interest for her. But she also didn’t want to leave the man hanging. Being upfront with Nate would need to start with Grant. She’d have to let him know they were only in business together, and nothing more. Perhaps, the timing was serendipitous. She’d end things before they started with Grant, then she’d start something more with Nate.
She gave Grant the address for Speakeasy and said she’d see him there this evening. She returned to the office, plowed through work, and finally remembered to respond to Ethan Holmes.
She clicked on his note from nearly two weeks ago, then opened the attachment and read his proposal. He was a smart guy, and it was ironic because he’d suggested something a bit similar to the deal she and Nate were finalizing. Ethan didn’t know about the LolaRing. Joy Delivered was keeping the new toy under wraps until the official launch later this summer. Ethan had, however, suggested the Victoria Hotels start offering The Wild One, a popular toy in the Joy Delivered catalogue, as part of a “Late-Night Sex Toy Menu to satisfy the red-hot appetites!”
He hadn’t quite hit the mark with the brand positioning she’d established at Joy Delivered—discreet, sexy and sensual being the watchwords. Nonetheless, she admired his gumption, so she fired off a quick reply: Love the concept! Really appreciate you thinking of us. There’s so much I like about this proposal, but we are in the process of finalizing a deal with another hotel, so we’ll have to pass at the moment.
Then, because it was always best to leave future partnerships open, she added a final line.
Looking forward to exploring possibilities with you! Drinks soon?
The idea did have some merit though. Maybe not for Joy Delivered, but perhaps for another company. Casey was friendly with one of Joy Delivered’s competitors, Good Vibes, and could envision Ethan’s concept working better for that firm. So she typed once more: I actually have a great idea for this. Let me make some calls and I’ll get back to you.
When she gathered up her purse a bit later to head out for her meeting with Grant, she clicked on her text messages. Laying it on the table with Nate could start with this level of honesty—the one hundred percent kind, so she hit reply on the note he’d sent her before he left.
Hi. Grant Abbot is in town. I’m meeting him for drinks to discuss our deal. I plan to let him know as well that I’m taken these days. Speaking of taken, perhaps you can take me tonight.
She hit send. There. It wasn’t so hard taking that first step.
When she reached Speakeasy, she said hello to Julia behind the bar, then gave a quick hug to her husband, Clay, who was enjoying a scotch and chatting with his wife as she mixed drinks.
“Didn’t think we’d see you until the flight next week,” he said, since he and Julia, along with Michelle’s brother and his wife, would be sharing Nate’s plane to the Maldives.