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Authors: Rain Trueax
Tags: Romance
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whatever projects he chooses."
S.T. knew his smile wouldn’t be reflecting humor. "And what do you know about a man like me?"
"I don't hire builders I haven't investigated," Soul said. "Mind if I sit down?" He sat in the chair beside Christine without waiting for permission. "I can pay well," he said, "if that's what's concerning you. We wouldn't expect you to donate your efforts."
"I never dreamed you would," S.T. said, sitting in his own chair, leaning back a little as he studied Soul's face. Whatever was behind the public mask was well hidden.
Soul chuckled. He looked at Christine again. "Will I be permitted to view the proofs from the pictures you took of my people and me?"
"If you would like," she said without enthusiasm. She hadn't been eager to even develop the film, unsure of what she might see in the prints. Although she knew it wasn't true that the camera never lied, she'd often found taking photographs of a subject solidified her first impressions even though sometimes revealing surprises. This wasn’t a man she wanted to see into.
Soul looked back at S.T. "What will it take to convince you to take on my project?"
S.T. looked down at his desk, picked up his day-timer and flipped through it. "Maybe I can send one of my people down to gather--"
"That would not do," Soul interrupted. "I don't want the opinion of an employee. I want your impressions of the land, the setting. I know what I want. I'll wait until you have time."
S.T. looked levelly at him as though considering. "I can’t promise anything about taking it on but might be able to work a look in at the end of the week. Or early next week." Christine didn’t doubt he had known he would do it; but for some reason, perhaps his own instincts, was playing hard to get. She wished he had said no.
"Either works for me," Soul said, rising. He looked back down at Christine. "May I drop you someplace, fair lady?"
She hated that name. She didn't hearing it from him, didn't like the speculative look that came back into S.T.'s eyes as he watched them. "I have a rental car, but thanks anyway," she said, not moving. If he wanted her to leave with him, he was in for a disappointment.
Soul looked from her back to S.T. "You will call when you know when you can come?" he asked, holding out a card.
S.T. hesitated a moment before taking the card. "Sure.”
When Soul was gone, S.T. sat back down. "You don’t like him much.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” She shuddered. “I have worked with a lot of people and rarely found someone I disliked so much. I really think you ought to say no. Of course, it's none of my business, but I don’t think he’s someone you want to be involved with—not on any level."
Being the youngest in a family and having had a full helping of being told what to do, she didn't normally try to influence people as to their decisions, but she couldn't stop her words. "He's... There's something under the surface, something...” She stopped unwilling to say the word that described what she was thinking.
“I have a reason to go," he said finally.
"Rethink the reason."
"Sometimes a man can’t."
When he looked at her again, the expression in his eyes told her the subject had changed from Soul’s project to the two of them. It meant he intended to do nothing about the attraction that she knew was mutual. It was the wisest course for them both, but she wasn’t going to leave it at that.
"How about dinner tonight?" she asked surprising them both.
He gave a laugh. "You asking me on a date?”
"It could be repaying you for letting me do the photo shoot.”
"It could?"
"Or it could be a date."
He seemed to consider. "It's a dumb thing-- for both of us. You know?"
"Do I?"
"Anything between us could only lead to trouble."
"Maybe I like trouble... or maybe I don't agree with your abilities as a fortune teller. So how about it?"
The smile was now in his eyes, but behind it she saw a troubled expression. She was unsure of his
S.T. knew his smile wouldn’t be reflecting humor. "And what do you know about a man like me?"
"I don't hire builders I haven't investigated," Soul said. "Mind if I sit down?" He sat in the chair beside Christine without waiting for permission. "I can pay well," he said, "if that's what's concerning you. We wouldn't expect you to donate your efforts."
"I never dreamed you would," S.T. said, sitting in his own chair, leaning back a little as he studied Soul's face. Whatever was behind the public mask was well hidden.
Soul chuckled. He looked at Christine again. "Will I be permitted to view the proofs from the pictures you took of my people and me?"
"If you would like," she said without enthusiasm. She hadn't been eager to even develop the film, unsure of what she might see in the prints. Although she knew it wasn't true that the camera never lied, she'd often found taking photographs of a subject solidified her first impressions even though sometimes revealing surprises. This wasn’t a man she wanted to see into.
Soul looked back at S.T. "What will it take to convince you to take on my project?"
S.T. looked down at his desk, picked up his day-timer and flipped through it. "Maybe I can send one of my people down to gather--"
"That would not do," Soul interrupted. "I don't want the opinion of an employee. I want your impressions of the land, the setting. I know what I want. I'll wait until you have time."
S.T. looked levelly at him as though considering. "I can’t promise anything about taking it on but might be able to work a look in at the end of the week. Or early next week." Christine didn’t doubt he had known he would do it; but for some reason, perhaps his own instincts, was playing hard to get. She wished he had said no.
"Either works for me," Soul said, rising. He looked back down at Christine. "May I drop you someplace, fair lady?"
She hated that name. She didn't hearing it from him, didn't like the speculative look that came back into S.T.'s eyes as he watched them. "I have a rental car, but thanks anyway," she said, not moving. If he wanted her to leave with him, he was in for a disappointment.
Soul looked from her back to S.T. "You will call when you know when you can come?" he asked, holding out a card.
S.T. hesitated a moment before taking the card. "Sure.”
When Soul was gone, S.T. sat back down. "You don’t like him much.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” She shuddered. “I have worked with a lot of people and rarely found someone I disliked so much. I really think you ought to say no. Of course, it's none of my business, but I don’t think he’s someone you want to be involved with—not on any level."
Being the youngest in a family and having had a full helping of being told what to do, she didn't normally try to influence people as to their decisions, but she couldn't stop her words. "He's... There's something under the surface, something...” She stopped unwilling to say the word that described what she was thinking.
“I have a reason to go," he said finally.
"Rethink the reason."
"Sometimes a man can’t."
When he looked at her again, the expression in his eyes told her the subject had changed from Soul’s project to the two of them. It meant he intended to do nothing about the attraction that she knew was mutual. It was the wisest course for them both, but she wasn’t going to leave it at that.
"How about dinner tonight?" she asked surprising them both.
He gave a laugh. "You asking me on a date?”
"It could be repaying you for letting me do the photo shoot.”
"It could?"
"Or it could be a date."
He seemed to consider. "It's a dumb thing-- for both of us. You know?"
"Do I?"
"Anything between us could only lead to trouble."
"Maybe I like trouble... or maybe I don't agree with your abilities as a fortune teller. So how about it?"
The smile was now in his eyes, but behind it she saw a troubled expression. She was unsure of his
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