So Brian turned his energies to his studies and took a part-time job loading newspapers on the trucks at the Globe. And when he graduated from high school, he became the second Quinn to attend college after his older brother, Brendan. When he registered, hed been asked to declare a major and asked the pretty girl next to him in line what she was majoring in. Journalism had simply been a fallback position, but it had been the best place to meet passionate girls, short of the nursing program. And the classes had been surprisingly interesting, especially when he discovered he had a knack for constructing a story.
Brian jogged to his car in the station parking lot. If he was lucky, hed get what he needed early in the evening and he could spend the rest of his Saturday night at Quinns Pub, relaxing over a pint of Guinness and charming a few good-looking women. Brian chuckled. Maybe hed even wear the tux. Though it probably meant at least an hours worth of good-natured ribbing, hed at least have his pick of the beauties in the bar.
First business, then pleasure, he murmured as he started the car.
BY THE TIME THE TABLES were cleared and the band began playing, Lily Gallagher was ready to go homeor back to her hotel, which was home for now. She leaned on the bar and ordered her first glass of champagne, then winced at her sore feet, chiding herself on her choice of footwear. Though the strappy designer shoes went perfectly with her gown, they werent made for a long evening on her feet.
Shed flown into Boston just that afternoon from Chicago, curious as to the reasons shed been summoned. Richard Patterson had personally contacted her boss at DeLay Scoville Public Relations and requested her services. According to Don DeLay, Richard Patterson was willing to toss down a hefty retainer without any explanation of what he wanted her for.
Lily wasnt about to refuse. A job like this was her ticket to the top, just one step away from a vice presidency and a corner office. And right now, that office was in her sights. Though nothing had been explained up front, Lily suspected why shed been the chosen one. Patterson was a big real estate developer and just last year shed handled a huge scandal with a real estate developer in Chicago.
Crisis public relations was her specialty. People called her when things went bad and it was her job to make them better. On the plane trip from Chicago, Lily had read everything she could about Patterson Properties and Investments, a company that owned shopping malls and motels and fast-food restaurants. Richard Patterson was well-connected politically and was slowly climbing the social ladder in Boston, despite his humble beginnings in a working-class Boston neighborhood.
For Lily, it had been a relief to be offered a job outside of Chicago, though she missed her new house and her best friend, Emma Carsten. She and Emma worked together at the agency and often talked about breaking out and starting a company of their own. But the practicalities of paying a mortgage had made a promotion at DeLay the primary goal for the moment.
Hopefully, Richard Patterson would have some juicy crisis that she could sink her teeth into, some touchy political problem or maybe a community relations issue that she could solve. Shed fix what needed fixing and have a nice addition to her portfolio when she went back to Chicago in a few months. Then she could demand that promotion.
Lily?
She turned to find Richard Patterson standing behind her. He was a handsome, forty-something guy with graying temples and impeccable grooming. He wore a beautifully tailored tuxedo, probably from one of the best menswear designers. If he hadnt been a clientand he hadnt been marriedLily might have considered him a possibility. But she never mixed business with pleasure. The party is wonderful, she said. Youve done a terrific job as chairman, Mr. Patterson.
He forced a tight smile. I didnt do anything. I hired a party planner and my wife took care of the rest. Listen, I have to leave. Ive got a flight to catch. An emergency with a group of investors from Japan. I know we havent had a chance to talk and Ill be out of town for the next few days. But I want you to call my secretary on Monday. Shell set up appointments with my key management people. Youll be up to speed when I get back.
Good. I need to know everything I can. Maybe if you tell me what youd like me to work on, I can get a head start and when we meet I
Well discuss that on Tuesday, he interrupted, glancing over his shoulder.
All right.
If theres anything you need, call Mrs. Wilburn. Boston is beautiful in the month of June. Get out and see some of the sights. With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Lily to wonder why it had been so important for her to arrive todayand to attend this party.
Lily glanced around, deciding that shed wait until she was sure Richard was gone and then call it a night. She took another sip of her champagne as she studied the couples on the dance floor. The ballroom at the Copley Plaza was beautifully decorated to look like the gardens at Versailles. Fountains trickled and arbors were laced with heavily-scented flowers and tiny white lights making an incredibly romantic scene. She sighed softly.
There were other reasons she was glad to leave Chicago. Her engagement to attorney Daniel Martin was now officially off. After two years of dating and a four-month engagement, shed thought shed finally found the man of her dreamsuntil shed discovered him naked and in bed with an exotic-looking brunette and her two artificially enhanced breasts. Shed never expected him to sink to such depths and his only excuse had been that he just wasnt ready to commit.
Lily had planned her life around this man, had invested her future with him, and suddenly it was over and she had been forced back to square one in her personal lifeforced to admit that shed surrendered far too much for love. Sometimes Chicago felt like a desert for single women. Plenty of great-looking men on the horizon, but when you got too close, they were simply a mirage, a figment of a desperate imagination.
She took another sip of her champagne and glanced around the room. Maybe it was time to stop being desperate, to quit looking so hard for love and just settle fora little lust. Shed made the first move toward independence, buying a house of her own. I know exactly what I need now, Lily murmured. A nice, tidy, but very passionate, one-night stand.
She hadnt gone looking for creeps and jerks, but the men who wandered into her life had always been strangely unavailableengaged to someone who didnt understand, married to a woman theyd forgotten to mention, emotionally cold, commitment-phobic, fascinated with ladies footwear, contemplating a change in sexual preference, and then Daniel, a unrepentant philanderer. Shed even tried to make a bicoastal relationship work with a Los Angeles writer which racked up an impressive number of frequent-flyer miles but ended with him falling in love with a vapid starlet.
But now she had an opportunity to have a man on her terms. She was the unavailable, commitment-phobic party, living and working in Boston for only a few months, uninterested in a long-term relationship. She could play the field, have a little fun and avoid all the messy strings that seemed to keep two people tied together for far too long.
Lily sighed. This fund-raiser was the last place shed find a single man. The only reason men attended a charity event was that their wives insisted. In truth, most of the men in attendance probably didnt want to be there at all. Lily had always wanted to plan an un event. An imaginary charity dinner and dance that people paid not to attend. Then all the money could go to charity rather than to overblown decorations and overpriced foie gras and over-the-top designer gowns.
Lily sighed. This fund-raiser was the last place shed find a single man. The only reason men attended a charity event was that their wives insisted. In truth, most of the men in attendance probably didnt want to be there at all. Lily had always wanted to plan an un event. An imaginary charity dinner and dance that people paid not to attend. Then all the money could go to charity rather than to overblown decorations and overpriced foie gras and over-the-top designer gowns.
She quickly snatched another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and stared up at the balconies, deciding to find a table on the second level where she could observe the party in peace. A few minutes later, she settled down in a quiet corner on the opposite end from the dance band. She kicked off her shoes and rubbed her feet together, finally feeling a nice buzz from the champagne shed gulped down. A waiter stopped at her table and offered her another glass and she took it and set it across from her, as if she were expecting someone to join her.
A woman as beautiful as you shouldnt be sitting here alone.
Lilys gaze slowly rose to a man standing beside her table, wondering at her luck. But though he was attractive enough, his smile was just a little toopracticed. His dark hair was slicked back and he wore an ill-fitting tuxedo. Still, she decided to at least give him a chance. Actually, Im fine, she said.
He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, despite the champagne goblet. Well, Im not, he said. Im here alone and everyone else is here with a significant other. Im Jim Franklin.
Im Lily, she said.
Just Lily?
Lily Gallagher.
Well, Lily Gallagher, since we both seem to be alone here, maybe we can be alone together. Tell me about yourself.
Lily opened her mouth to respond, but Jim Franklin didnt wait for an answer. Im an investment analyst with Bardwell Fleming. Let me tell you, these parties are a great investment. My bosses buy a spot at the table and then send us guys in to drum up some business. We dont sell stocks and bonds, but we offer analysis services for all types of investments. Ive lived in Boston for about five years. Got transferred up here from our New York office.
After all her bravado, when it came down to it, lust was a tricky thing. Either a girl felt it or she didnt. And Lily already knew that this was a guy who didnt make her pulse pound.
So, what do you do, Lily?
Mr. Franklin, Im really not
Jim, he insisted. Do you have a retirement plan? Have you invested your money wisely?
Lily grabbed her glass and drained it, then quickly stood. Im just going to get myself some more champagne. If youll excuse
And heres a waiter now, Franklin said, flashing her a blinding smile.
Lily bit back a curse and sat down again. If this wasnt pure torture, she didnt know what was. It wasnt her habit to be rude, especially in a business situation, but she doubted that Richard Patterson was friends with Jim Franklin, investment analyst.
As Franklin prattled on about liquid assets and high-yield bonds, Lily let her gaze wander, interjecting a word every now and then to answer one of Franklins questions, before he resumed his Wall Street chatter. She pasted a bland smile on her face and fixed her gaze just over his right shoulder, wondering how long shed be obligated to carry on this one-sided conversation. Her mind scrambled for an excuse, something that would politely put him off. Then she noticed a man standing behind Franklin, his shoulder braced against a marble column, an amused grin twitching his lips.
Lily quickly glanced away, but when she looked back, she found him still staring at her. Then he looked at his watch and pretended to yawn and Lily couldnt help but smile. She took another sip of her champagne and observed the man from over the rim of the glass.
Unlike Jim Franklin, this guy was downright gorgeous. He had dark hair, just long enough to brush his collar but perfectly trimmed. Dark brows accented eyes of an indeterminate shade, but Lily knew they were probably some uncommon and very arresting color. Her gaze skimmed over his body, finding him taller than average and beautifully built, his tailored tux accenting wide shoulders and a narrow waist.
When she returned to his face, his smile was a bit wider. He nodded at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. And then he pushed away from the column and started toward her. Lily held her breath, her eyes still fixed on his, her heart beating a little faster.
Sweetheart, he said, stopping next to the table. Ive been looking all over for you.
He reached out and Lily hesitantly placed her hand in his. But to her surprise, he drew it up and placed a kiss near her wrist. She swallowed hard. Darling, she said. Youre late.
Not too late, I hope. You will forgive me, wont you?
She slowly stood. Of course. Lily glanced over at Jim Franklin as she grabbed her shoes from the floor. Thanks for the investment advice, Jim. Have fun at the party.
The stranger tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and started toward the nearest exit. When they reached the hall, he stopped. Youre safe now.
I wasnt really in any danger, Lily said. Unless boredom is fatal.
With a guy like that, you never know. I wasnt willing to watch you throw yourself over the railing just to get away from him.
Thanks for saving me, Lily said.
No problem. So, are you here alone? Or did your date desert you? He paused. Or maybe that was your date?
Lily shook her head. Im here alone. A professional obligation.
And when is that obligation finished? he asked.
Right now. Lily smiled hesitantly, realizing that she might have given him the wrong idea. Suddenly, she wasnt interested in going back to the hotel. Shed just met an attractive, sexy, and witty mana rare occurrence in her life. What about you? I suppose you have a reason for being herebesides rescuing me from the scintillating Mr. Franklin.
He chuckled. Actually, I crashed the party. The band sounded good so I thought Id check it out. But the crowd was a little bit too stuffy for meuntil I saw you. He let his gaze rake over her body and Lily shivered. Has anyone told you that you look incredible in that dress?
You flatter me, she teased, keeping the banter light. And I dont even know your name.
Oh, lets not play that game. And lets not talk about what we do for a living. Or where we come from. And the weather is off-limits, too.
All right, Lily said, intrigued by the game. We can talk about art and literature and music. But I have to call you something.
Darling was kind of nice, he said with a devilish grin.
I guess you can call me sweetheart, then, Lily countered. Though their conversation had a provocative tone, she couldnt help but giggle. From the amused expression on his handsome face, he wasnt taking this any more seriously than she was.
Sweetie for short, he said. Come on, sweetie, theyre playing our song. I think we should dance, dont you? He took the shoes from her hand, flipped them over his shoulder and sauntered toward the stairs.
Lily watched him for a long moment, her gaze fixed on his wide shoulders. Why not enjoy this handsome stranger for a night and leave it at that? Shed hoped to find a man in Boston and this stranger certainly fit the bill. And if she admitted up front that there was no possibility for a real relationship, then she couldnt get hurt again.