open up on what she really meant by that, because it didn't make sense to him. But still, there was no room for her in his life because it wasn't part of the plan. Not yet. He had a few more years yet, four to be precise, before he'd be prepared to take time away from Phoenix and invest it in a woman and a family.
He watched her return to the table. She was hot, no denying that. She was right. Why complicate matters with all the deep and meaningfuls? She was hot, he wanted her, and she was open and willing to sleep with him for the next few months. Really, what else did he need to know?
“So,” he said once she was seated and Miguel had brought their food, “What time can we leave on Friday? Em wants us all there for dinner.” He watched her fiddle with her ring as she thought about it. He realized it was a plain gold band on her wedding finger!
“I don't know,” she said slowly. “If we leave at four we could be there by eight, right?”
“More like eight thirty or nine with the traffic on a Friday.” His eyes were still fixed on that ring. He knew, at least he thought he did, that she wasn't married, so what was the story? Was she divorced?
“Could you leave at midday, say twelve, to give us the whole afternoon?” He smiled. “If you really want to come with me.” He emphasized the word to make his meaning clear and was gratified to see her eyes widen and the hint of a flush touch her cheeks.
She gave him her temptress smile, making him shift in his seat.
“You know I want to. But I can't leave the store too early.”
“Why not? Roberto said they could hold the fort.”
She looked uncomfortable. “I just can't. You don't get it. It's my store. I have to be there. I'm not like you. I HAVE to work.”
Pete was a little taken aback by her rapid fire response, but he was curious as to what her problem really was. “If that's a way to say you don't want to spend that much time with me, that's fine, Sweetheart. Just say so. I'm a big boy, I can handle it.” He gave her a hard stare, the look he used when he expected people to drop the excuses and tell him the real story. “Tell me?”
She shook her head. “No, Bigshot, that's not it at all, but I'm not sure you'll understand since you're not subject to the same obligations and responsibilities I am.”
Pete frowned. “Enlighten me.”
“I built that business from nothing. It's the sum total of my life's work. I HAVE to work hard to keep it going, to keep it profitable, to provide an income for my staff. I can't just swan off when I want to, not like you.”
She surprised him. He was under the impression that her store was something of a success. He was a little ashamed that he'd even googled it and asked around the few people he knew in the fashion world. It seemed the store, and Holly herself, had a great reputation.
“I'm sorry, are things not going well?”
She laughed. “Things are going great. It's a thriving little business and I turn a nice profit, but that's only because I work my butt off and don't flit around whenever the mood takes me.”
Pete thought he was starting to understand. He knew so many self-made business people who shared the same fear. They believe that their success was completely tied to their own hard work, that if they didn't continue to work so very hard, it would all slip away. It saddened him because it kept them, and their businesses small.
“You ever hear of working smarter instead of harder?” he asked.
“I like to think I am pretty smart, thank you very much!” she snapped.
He smiled and took hold of her hand. “I didn't say you weren't, Sweetheart. I think you are very smart, you've built a thriving business. I'm just saying that in order to go to the next level, you need to get smarter about your own involvement. You need to run your business, not be your business.”
Holly sighed, he was pleased when she squeezed his hand and met his eye.
“Thanks, Pete. I know you're right. I've heard it all
He watched her return to the table. She was hot, no denying that. She was right. Why complicate matters with all the deep and meaningfuls? She was hot, he wanted her, and she was open and willing to sleep with him for the next few months. Really, what else did he need to know?
“So,” he said once she was seated and Miguel had brought their food, “What time can we leave on Friday? Em wants us all there for dinner.” He watched her fiddle with her ring as she thought about it. He realized it was a plain gold band on her wedding finger!
“I don't know,” she said slowly. “If we leave at four we could be there by eight, right?”
“More like eight thirty or nine with the traffic on a Friday.” His eyes were still fixed on that ring. He knew, at least he thought he did, that she wasn't married, so what was the story? Was she divorced?
“Could you leave at midday, say twelve, to give us the whole afternoon?” He smiled. “If you really want to come with me.” He emphasized the word to make his meaning clear and was gratified to see her eyes widen and the hint of a flush touch her cheeks.
She gave him her temptress smile, making him shift in his seat.
“You know I want to. But I can't leave the store too early.”
“Why not? Roberto said they could hold the fort.”
She looked uncomfortable. “I just can't. You don't get it. It's my store. I have to be there. I'm not like you. I HAVE to work.”
Pete was a little taken aback by her rapid fire response, but he was curious as to what her problem really was. “If that's a way to say you don't want to spend that much time with me, that's fine, Sweetheart. Just say so. I'm a big boy, I can handle it.” He gave her a hard stare, the look he used when he expected people to drop the excuses and tell him the real story. “Tell me?”
She shook her head. “No, Bigshot, that's not it at all, but I'm not sure you'll understand since you're not subject to the same obligations and responsibilities I am.”
Pete frowned. “Enlighten me.”
“I built that business from nothing. It's the sum total of my life's work. I HAVE to work hard to keep it going, to keep it profitable, to provide an income for my staff. I can't just swan off when I want to, not like you.”
She surprised him. He was under the impression that her store was something of a success. He was a little ashamed that he'd even googled it and asked around the few people he knew in the fashion world. It seemed the store, and Holly herself, had a great reputation.
“I'm sorry, are things not going well?”
She laughed. “Things are going great. It's a thriving little business and I turn a nice profit, but that's only because I work my butt off and don't flit around whenever the mood takes me.”
Pete thought he was starting to understand. He knew so many self-made business people who shared the same fear. They believe that their success was completely tied to their own hard work, that if they didn't continue to work so very hard, it would all slip away. It saddened him because it kept them, and their businesses small.
“You ever hear of working smarter instead of harder?” he asked.
“I like to think I am pretty smart, thank you very much!” she snapped.
He smiled and took hold of her hand. “I didn't say you weren't, Sweetheart. I think you are very smart, you've built a thriving business. I'm just saying that in order to go to the next level, you need to get smarter about your own involvement. You need to run your business, not be your business.”
Holly sighed, he was pleased when she squeezed his hand and met his eye.
“Thanks, Pete. I know you're right. I've heard it all
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