Read Online Great Exploitations: Sin in San Fran by Nicole Williams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nicole Williams
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this is when we accept it.” For the first time in the conversation, G wasn’t speaking so loudly I had to hold the phone a few inches from my ear. She was almost quiet.
“Give me one more day—twenty-four hours—before you accept it. Can you do that?” I asked, tapping my foot as I waited for the elevator.
Despite knowing G was resolved to cut the cord, I wasn’t. If I could manage to finagle some time out of her, just a little bit, maybe I could change her mind that the secretary didn’t have her hooks as deep into Henry as Mrs. Callahan and G thought. I was certain someone was elaborating the story G’d gotten. Whether it was the secretary or Mrs. Callahan—my bets were on the competition— someone was making the exaggeration of the decade.
I knew how Henry’d looked at me for the past couple of weeks. I knew the extremes he’d gone to for me. He had feelings for me, somewhere in the range of moderate to intense, and they were growing. Each time we were together, I sensed the conflict growing in him, which meant he was wrestling with some degree of feelings a married man shouldn’t have for another woman. How could I know that and accept what G was telling me?
I couldn’t. I knew Henry too well to believe he’d bang any woman who was open for business. He might have betrayed me, but Henry wasn’t the run-of-the-mill cheater. Just because he’d cheated before didn’t mean he’d do it again for anyone willing to throw her panties at him. His secretary was not going to get him in bed. I didn’t doubt that she would try everything she could, but I knew Henry. I still had time. I was wheeling my suitcase through the hotel lobby by the time G cleared her throat.
“Out of respect for you and the effort you’ve already put into this one, I’ll grant you twenty-four hours more on the Callahan Errand.”
I checked the time and picked up my pace toward valet. I didn’t even have time for a smile.
“But the moment you find out Mr. Callahan was with the competition in that way, I want you to call me because I’m getting you out of there and on another Errand.”
“Do you want me to call you the moment I find out Mr. Callahan wasn’t with the competition in that way? Or should I just keep doing what I’m doing and close this one like we both know I’m going to?” When the valet pulled up in my rental and threw my suitcase in the trunk, I tipped him and sped away. See ya, Tampa. It’s been fun but . . . oh wait. No, it hasn’t been fun. Not even close.
“I can’t quite make up my mind if your confidence is genius or lunacy,” G said.
As I punched the gas, I let myself smile. “It’s a little bit of both. That’s why you put me on the Ten, and that’s why I’m going to close it.”
I STEPPED ONTO California soil eight hours later. Which meant I only had sixteen hours to locate Henry, verify that what I didn’t think happened last night actually hadn’t happened, and get my Errand back on track. Lucky for me I’d been able to sleep on the flight because I had my work cut out for me.
After grabbing a cup of bad coffee from an airport kiosk, I hurried to the Mustang I’d left in the garage last week and sped back to my condo. I might not have had any time to waste, but I wasn’t going anywhere—or closing any Errands for that matter—looking like a wrinkled, tired, shabby mess. If I traipsed into Callahan Industries looking the way I did and the competition hadn’t already won, she would declare an early victory. It was what I would do if our roles were reversed and she wandered up to the Target looking as though she’d just rolled out of bed.
The condo was just as I’d left it. Even though I’d “lived” in it longer than any other Errand’s housing, the condo felt about as inviting and personal as the hotel rooms I normally used. Feeling like I had no anchor was oddly depressing, so instead of dwelling on why that was and what I could do about it, I rushed into the
“Give me one more day—twenty-four hours—before you accept it. Can you do that?” I asked, tapping my foot as I waited for the elevator.
Despite knowing G was resolved to cut the cord, I wasn’t. If I could manage to finagle some time out of her, just a little bit, maybe I could change her mind that the secretary didn’t have her hooks as deep into Henry as Mrs. Callahan and G thought. I was certain someone was elaborating the story G’d gotten. Whether it was the secretary or Mrs. Callahan—my bets were on the competition— someone was making the exaggeration of the decade.
I knew how Henry’d looked at me for the past couple of weeks. I knew the extremes he’d gone to for me. He had feelings for me, somewhere in the range of moderate to intense, and they were growing. Each time we were together, I sensed the conflict growing in him, which meant he was wrestling with some degree of feelings a married man shouldn’t have for another woman. How could I know that and accept what G was telling me?
I couldn’t. I knew Henry too well to believe he’d bang any woman who was open for business. He might have betrayed me, but Henry wasn’t the run-of-the-mill cheater. Just because he’d cheated before didn’t mean he’d do it again for anyone willing to throw her panties at him. His secretary was not going to get him in bed. I didn’t doubt that she would try everything she could, but I knew Henry. I still had time. I was wheeling my suitcase through the hotel lobby by the time G cleared her throat.
“Out of respect for you and the effort you’ve already put into this one, I’ll grant you twenty-four hours more on the Callahan Errand.”
I checked the time and picked up my pace toward valet. I didn’t even have time for a smile.
“But the moment you find out Mr. Callahan was with the competition in that way, I want you to call me because I’m getting you out of there and on another Errand.”
“Do you want me to call you the moment I find out Mr. Callahan wasn’t with the competition in that way? Or should I just keep doing what I’m doing and close this one like we both know I’m going to?” When the valet pulled up in my rental and threw my suitcase in the trunk, I tipped him and sped away. See ya, Tampa. It’s been fun but . . . oh wait. No, it hasn’t been fun. Not even close.
“I can’t quite make up my mind if your confidence is genius or lunacy,” G said.
As I punched the gas, I let myself smile. “It’s a little bit of both. That’s why you put me on the Ten, and that’s why I’m going to close it.”
I STEPPED ONTO California soil eight hours later. Which meant I only had sixteen hours to locate Henry, verify that what I didn’t think happened last night actually hadn’t happened, and get my Errand back on track. Lucky for me I’d been able to sleep on the flight because I had my work cut out for me.
After grabbing a cup of bad coffee from an airport kiosk, I hurried to the Mustang I’d left in the garage last week and sped back to my condo. I might not have had any time to waste, but I wasn’t going anywhere—or closing any Errands for that matter—looking like a wrinkled, tired, shabby mess. If I traipsed into Callahan Industries looking the way I did and the competition hadn’t already won, she would declare an early victory. It was what I would do if our roles were reversed and she wandered up to the Target looking as though she’d just rolled out of bed.
The condo was just as I’d left it. Even though I’d “lived” in it longer than any other Errand’s housing, the condo felt about as inviting and personal as the hotel rooms I normally used. Feeling like I had no anchor was oddly depressing, so instead of dwelling on why that was and what I could do about it, I rushed into the
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