Loving Mr. July (10 page)

Kurt sighed. “In a normal company, yes. But
at RentBro, Blake is CEO in name only. He’s also Chief Technical
Officer. And to be honest, that’s mostly what he does, develop
technology. He leaves all the business stuff to me.”

“So why aren’t you CEO?”

“Historical reasons, mainly. Blake was better
known when he first put the company together, so the initial
investors wanted him to run it. Now the board of directors just
gets technology updates from him. They look to me for the running
of the company.”

“No wonder you work so much.” Cynthia thought
about all the nights he sat on his computer, typing away after one
of their workouts. “Doing both the CFO and the CEO jobs must be
pretty tough.”

“I’ve got a great controller I plan to
promote soon,” Kurt told her, stopping to pick up a rare sand
dollar. He turned it over. Finding no cracks, he handed it to
Cynthia. “He’s really good, but he was so young, I didn’t think the
board would go for me handing him the reins earlier. So I’ve
groomed him into the position, given him as much time as possible
in front of the board. They are fully behind him now, which means
I’ll be able to take over Blake’s position officially soon.”

“And knowing Blake, he’s probably thrilled
with the idea.” Cynthia tried to ignore the feel of his fingers
doing an idle dance on her neck. A peek at his face confirmed that
Kurt gazed straight ahead, his face almost pensive. He probably
didn’t even realized what he was doing with his fingers, Cynthia
convinced herself.

“Couldn’t be happier,” Kurt agreed. “Leaves
him more time to tinker in the lab.”

Near his front door, he casually removed his
arm from her shoulders, unlocked the door for her and led Lucky
over to the outdoor shower. “I’ll be up in a bit, after I wash her
down.”

She tried to catch his eye, understand his
mood, but he didn’t so much as give her another glance. Cynthia bit
her lip and headed up the stairs to make dinner. Had she blown it?
Was he trying to make a move on her and gave up because she didn’t
respond? She didn’t know what to do, or why she felt so shy around
him when that wasn’t the case with anyone else. But Sharon was
right, if she didn’t try, she might live her life regretting.

As she chopped the vegetables and got the
chicken ready for Kurt to barbeque, she made a promise to herself.
The next time she had a chance, she was going to make a move and
see what he did.

Lucky greeted Kurt with enthusiastic barking
when he opened the door to his a house a few nights later. That
meant one of only two things, he either forgot to put her outside
that morning, or Blake had come by. Because Kurt knew that Cynthia
was at a Bocher foundation meeting. Which was the only reason why
they weren’t working out tonight. But Kurt wasn’t complaining. He
wanted to do nothing more than hang out on his balcony and listen
to the surf pound on the beach.

He headed up the stairs. “Blake, you
here?”

“Outside. I brought beer.”

“Only right,” Kurt responded. “You’re
squatting in my house.” He headed for the deck, gave Blake the half
hug, half backslap with a handshake that they’d worked out as a
greeting long ago and accepted a beer.

He took a peek at Blake’s face, noted the
glum look and hid a smile. His big brother wanted an ear. And he
was happy to provide it. Wasn’t often that Blake came by
unannounced, even though he’d had a key ever since Kurt owned the
place. And the fact that he brought not one six-pack, but two, well
that meant something was eating at him.

It would come out in good time, Kurt thought.
In the mean while, he was going to enjoy the sunset. He usually
came home from the office too late to enjoy the view of the sun
dipping into the ocean. He stretched out in a lounge chair and
called to Lucky.

“Never get tired of watching that.” He tipped
his beer bottle toward the brilliantly streaked sky. The purplish
clouds dotting the horizon broke up the orange rays from the
setting sun, adding more color than usual. A sailboat passed in
front of the orange ball of the sun itself, making a picture
perfect silhouette.

Blake didn’t answer.

Kurt gave him another quick glance. Blake
seemed far away. Probably wasn’t even seeing the sunset, Kurt
realized. What a shame.

“Do you ever think you’ve finally got
something figured out, only to realize you are more clueless than
you thought?” Blake set his beer aside, and put his hands together
like a steeple. He brought them to his mouth.

Kurt answered him with a nod that he knew was
unnecessary. Blake would just talk for a while now. His job was to
listen.

“Like women.”

Ah, Kurt thought, here we go with the root of
the problem. He breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t the
business. You never knew with Blake.

“You figure you don’t get them,” Blake
continued. “Then someone comes along and it’s like a key to the
universe. You’re suddenly one of the guys who is in the know. You
can make them happy.” He picked up his beer and took a swig, then
nodded his head in Kurt’s direction and pointed with the beer.
“They make you happy. Life is good. But then for no reason at all,
nothing you do seems to be right. They’re unhappy. And you’re
expected to know why.”

“We talking Sharon here, or someone else?”
Kurt put in. “Because if it’s really ‘they,’ I can see why Sharon
might not be happy with you.”

Blake gave him a dark look. “Of course it’s
Sharon, what’s the matter with you? Have I ever cheated on a woman
in my life?”

“Just checking the facts.” Kurt rubbed
Lucky’s silky head. “So you’re saying the honeymoon’s over?”

“I don’t know,” Blake said, sighing.
“Everything was going great. I haven’t been working as much. We’ve
had time to travel a bit. I enjoy her company like no one else on
earth.”

“But…” Kurt turned to Blake, waited for
more.

“The last few weeks have been a total roller
coaster. One moment she’s fine, next she’s crying, then she’s
yelling at me and I’m not even sure what I did.” Blake scrubbed at
his face with his hands. “I’m going crazy.”

“And it’s not her, you know, time of the
month or whatever?” Kurt stumbled over the words. This was his
sister-in-law they were talking about. Not like he wanted to know
the details, but Blake looked miserable.

“For three weeks?” Blake gave him a look that
clearly indicated he thought Kurt was out of his mind.

Kurt put up his hands in self-defense. “Just
something to think about. It’s been my experience that some women
can be kind of wacko at that time.”

“Don’t think so.” Blake shook his head. He
polished off the beer and started to open another one, then
stopped. “Guess I should ask whether or not I can crash here before
I drown my sorrows in beer.”

“Any time, Dude, any time,” Kurt replied.
“You know that goes without saying. Sharon know you’re here?”

Blake nodded and turned bleak eyes to Kurt.
“Told me good riddance.”

“Harsh.”

“You’re telling me.” Blake leaned back in the
chaise lounge, only to have his head come in contact with wet
material. He reached behind his head and held out the offending
item. “You into wearing women’s bathing suits these days?”

“Up yours.” Kurt didn’t even open his eyes to
look. “Probably Cynthia’s.”

“Oh, geez, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think
about her being here.” Blake looked down at his empty beer bottle
with dismay.

“Relax, she’s not coming back here tonight.
Got some thing to do for the foundation.”

“So cheer me up,” Blake said, giving Kurt a
nudge with his fist. “Please tell me things are going well with you
two. You seemed to be getting along great when I saw you at the gym
the other day.”

Kurt sighed, turned to Blake and opened one
eye. “I’m in worse shape than you.”

Blake lifted his brows.

“True.” Kurt turned back to stare up at the
sky. “I have absolutely no idea what Cynthia thinks of me, and it’s
not like she’s been welcoming my advances.”

Blake let out a shout of laughter.

“Not funny,” Kurt said, but after a moment
started chuckling along with Blake. “Yeah, I’m probably getting my
due. First woman in a long time that I like, genuinely like, as a
person. I mean, she’s funny, and compassionate and smart as a
whip.”

Blake nodded. “Yeah, she’s one of a kind, and
I mean that in the best possible way.”

“And I’ve found myself really becoming more
and more into her, you know?”

“But she doesn’t think you’re so hot?”

“That’s just it,” Kurt said, letting out a
sigh. “I don’t know.”

“How is that possible? You guys have been
together practically 24/7 for the last, what, three weeks?”

“It’s complicated.”

Blake snorted. “That hasn’t stopped you
before.”

“Yeah, well, it’s different this time.” Kurt
peered into his brother’s face. Even in the gathering darkness, he
could make out Blake’s eyes. “What do you know about Cynthia’s
history?”

“Enough.”

“So you see my dilemma?” Kurt read the
compassion in his brother’s face, and knew Blake had at least an
idea of what Cynthia had gone through. Which was good, because he
wasn’t about to betray Cynthia’s confidence. “I’ve made subtle
moves, but she hasn’t responded at all.”

That wasn’t strictly true, he realized,
thinking back over the previous week. She had dropped the attitude
with him. She had been friendly and cheerful ever since the fateful
evening about which neither of them talked. And without the prickly
attitude, her sense of fun and delight in people had been
infectious. But every time he touched her, she seemed to move away,
act awkward.

“Don’t look to me for answers,” Blake said
with a wry grin. “I’m the one over here crying in your beer.” He
took a look at the label. “I guess this is my beer, isn’t it? Your
refrigerator was empty.”

“And knowing her history, I don’t want to
just go for it without at least having some sign that she wants it,
you know?” Kurt continued.

“So you think she realizes you’re into her?”
Blake asked.

“Geez, I would hope so.” Kurt scowled. “I’ve
done everything short of forcing myself on her.”

“Then I say we’re both screwed.” Blake said.
He opened another beer. “So let’s get drunk.”

“I’d say you’re already half-way there.” Kurt
turned to take a good look at his brother. It was kind of funny,
actually to see his normally responsible brother in this state.

Blake held up his beer bottle in a toast. “To
not understanding women, but having beer.” He let out a hiccup.

Yeah, his brother wasn’t going anywhere
tonight. And suddenly it seemed like a good idea to join him. He
clinked his bottle with his brother and took another swig.

Lucky looked back and forth between the two
men before dropping to the floor and letting out a big sigh.

Kurt stood in the photographer’s studio
shivering. He understood the lights were hot, but did she have to
keep it the temperature of a meat locker?

He felt like an idiot. Patty, the
photographer, had asked him to take off his shirt and pull his
pants down low over his hips. Which wasn’t a problem seeing as he’d
lost so much weight in the last few weeks, the pants were at least
one size too big. But then she and Cynthia had insisted his torso
had to be oiled. Supposedly it would make his skin look better in
the photos. They’d wanted to put some makeup stuff on his eyelashes
too. But he’d drawn the line there. The photographer was supposed
to be a whiz at Photoshop. She could just fix stuff later. It was
bad enough that he felt like a basted Thanksgiving turkey.

If it hadn’t been for the remembered,
unforgettable look in Cynthia’s eyes when she told him about her
childhood abuse, he might have ditched the entire project. Donated
a bunch of money and called it a day. But this project was
important to her. And he had made a commitment after all. She’d
held up her end of the bargain, so now it was his turn.

“Look into the camera, give me some bedroom
eyes,” Patty instructed, clicking away with her camera.

Kurt scowled. “How the hell am I supposed to
do that?”

Patty stopped taking photos. “C’mon Kurt.
It’s not so hard. Just think of some woman who turns you on.”

“About all I can think of right now is how
damn cold it is in here,” Kurt muttered. He looked down at the
sheepskin rug covering the desk and wished he could wrap himself up
in it. A sheepskin rug on what was supposed to stand in for his
desk. Like any self-respecting businessman just happened to have a
sheepskin rug lying about in his office, ready to drape over his
desk. He was going to look like a porn star.

“Uh Patty?” Cynthia walked over from where
she had been observing the photo shoot, in the darkness, behind the
lights. “Can you give us just a second?”

“Take your time,” Patty said. “I’ve got to
put a new memory card in the camera anyway.”

Cynthia came over to where Kurt leaned
against the desk. She adjusted his pants a bit.

“Pull them any lower and we’ll have a
different kind of calendar all together.” Kurt covered her hand
with his.

Cynthia left her hand there, slowly stroked
her finger over the skin under his pants, and looked up at him. “Is
there any girl you can think of who is really sexy? Could even be
some celebrity. Just so that you look less like you’re going to
bite someone’s head off.”

Kurt resolutely kept his eyes on Cynthia’s
face. He would not talk to her boobs, she deserved better. Could he
think of someone sexy? Hell yes, she was standing right in front of
him. He knew what she was wearing today without having to even
look. Within the last week or so, she’d been around him more in her
regular clothes. And they always seemed to be low cut, exposing a
lot of her cleavage. Today’s outfit was black, and reasonably
conservative. It’s just that his eye kept coming back to the lace,
the lace above her breasts. It was almost as if she was trying to
drive him crazy. And he didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t
want to treat her like one of the scumbags from her past—make her
feel like the only thing he wanted from her was sex. She considered
him a friend. He wanted to be one. But he wanted a lot more and
wasn’t sure where her head was at.