Perfect Fit (13 page)

Malcolm paused and lifted a glance at her. “But I can tell by that look in your eye that you feel it’s worth a shot.”

Sage nodded, smiling, as she picked up her clipboard. “Yes, I do, Malcolm. Not everyone who’ll come to Eden will want to frequent the nightclubs or the casinos. I think that including the theater will add a touch of class and elegance.”

“I won’t present an argument there,” Malcolm said, looking at his watch. “Sorry, but I got to run. I’m picking Leanne up from the airport.”

A smile curved the corners of Sage’s lips. Leanne was Malcolm’s wife of ten years and was still living in California. She planned to join him in Anchorage at the beginning of the summer when the school year ended for their eight-year-old son.

Malcolm was a good-looking man, and it didn’t go unnoticed that several women in surrounding offices intentionally flirted with him, some bolder than others. But Sage had never witnessed a time that he flirted back, or took the women up on their offers. It was good to know that some men still honored the wedding vows they made.

“Okay, but drive carefully, Malcolm. The snow is pretty deep on the roadways.”

Malcolm nodded as he slipped into his coat. “Yeah, and you do likewise. And when you get home, you might want to think of how you’ll get Gabe Blackwell to agree to go along with your idea to reconstruct that northwest building. It won’t be easy.”

Sage thought about the last time that she had seen Gabe, when they’d met at the Garden Club for a business dinner. That had been nearly a month ago. She knew he resided in Anchorage the majority of the time, but for some reason their paths had not crossed since that night. “I think that once I present my idea to him, he’ll agree it would be worth the trouble. I really don’t think I’ll have any problem bringing him around to my way of thinking.”

Malcolm nodded, then said with a jesting smile as he headed for the door, “I was in a business meeting with Blackwell one day when the firm that’s handling the landscaping threw a few unexpected things his way, and I witnessed his reaction; so all I have to say to you is good luck.”

Later that night after taking a shower and changing into her nightclothes, Sage stood in front of the fireplace and gazed thoughtfully into
the roaring flames. It was snowing outside, and according to the weather reports it would snow all day tomorrow. She had a meeting with John Landmark first thing in the morning to present her most recent marketing idea to him, and come hail, high water or snow, she intended to make that meeting.

She was just about to reach for the poker to turn a burning log over in the fireplace when the telephone rang. Crossing the room, she quickly picked the receiver up. “Hello.”

“Do you have any words of encouragement for a stressed-out friend?”

Sage arched her brow. Rose sounded so pitiful. “I told you last week if things continue to be uncomfortable at work, to file a complaint with the corporate office. Maybe then they will consider giving you a transfer, especially if they don’t want to lose you. With your experience and excellent work record, you can get a job with just about any advertising firm in the nation, so don’t let that jerk, Mr. Bakersfield, stress you out.”

“I wasn’t letting him stress me out, but today was a different story, Sage,” Rose said softly. “Things really got to me today. I even went into the ladies’ room and nearly cried my eyes out after the announcement was made that Mike Faraday would be getting promoted to advertising director, the job that I rightly deserve.”

“What! Mike Faraday! Lazy Mike Faraday, who never lifts a finger to do anything? How could Bakersfield do such a thing!”

“Easily, since Faraday is a man. Although everyone is reluctant to breathe the words, we all know Mike’s promotion is a clear case of sex discrimination. Mr. Poole had him on probation for his job
performance just last year! Mike’s promotion was the last straw.”

Sage nodded. “What do you plan to do?”

Rose chuckled. “I’ve already done it. I turned in my resignation.”

Sage blinked, surprised. Rose had worked for the company more than six years. “You did?”

“Yes, and I feel damn good about it. And before I could get home, the phone was ringing. Word had already reached the Martins Advertising Agency, and they were calling to offer me a job.”

“Are you going to take it?”

“I’m not sure. It was just last year they were talking about layoffs. I told them I would get back in touch. I’ve decided not to rush into anything and to just take things easy for a while and not make any decisions about my future just yet. I have enough money saved to tide me over for a few months. I really would like to move to Florida, preferably Orlando or Miami. I’m sick and tired of cold weather.”

Sage laughed. “Then, you’ll never make it out here. It’s been snowing for a week. And it doesn’t just snow ice particles; it snows sheets of ice.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not. In fact, why not come and see for yourself. You’ll have some free time on your hands since you’re no longer with the elite employed,” Sage said, smiling. “And you know you have a place to stay when you get here. So what’s keeping you from catching a plane and coming here?”

“The cold.”

“Hey, stop being a wimp and get your butt on a plane and fly on out.”

“I’ll think about it. And by the way, I saw your parents today.”

Sage sat down in a wing chair. She usually talked to her mother at least twice a week but had spoken to her father only once or twice since she’d left Charlotte five months ago. He had called her a few days after she had gotten to Anchorage to make sure she was all right and had told her if she needed anything, to give him a call at any time, day or night. She had deliberately kept the conversation short and knew he had probably picked up on that fact. “Where were they?”

“Attending the annual jazz festival, and as usual they looked good together. Your parents are one of the few older couples I know who still seem to care so deeply for each other. They were even holding hands, which I found so touching. I always thought your mom was a special woman because it’s clear to everyone how much your father loves and adores her.”

Sage’s mouth curved faintly as the image of her father and that other woman came into focus. If only Rose knew the real deal. Sage, too, had always thought her father simply loved and adored her mother. But that was before she’d found out about what he’d done behind her mother’s back.

Deciding that she didn’t want to talk about her parents anymore, Sage said, “So will you promise that you’ll at least think about coming out for a visit?”

“Oh, all right. I promise that I’ll at least think about it.”

Not wanting to be too obvious, Sage watched through the window as Gabe Blackwell angled his way up the sidewalk toward the restaurant. She had to hand it to the man; he certainly looked
good. In fact, he’d always been the epitome of male-model material each and every time she saw him. Because she’d been engaged to Erol when she and Gabe had first met, she hadn’t allowed herself to think such thoughts, but now she did, even if it was with a “look but don’t touch” policy. She couldn’t imagine it being anything else beyond that.

He was tall and had broad shoulders and trim hips—a really nice physique. He was definitely the kind of guy single women would check out. His whole persona made a statement that he was a man who was successful in his own right. The expensive suit he was wearing definitely alluded to that fact, as well as the way he walked—as though he was sure of himself and his abilities.

Sage sighed when a depressing thought entered her mind. Erol had possessed that same air about him. But then, a part of her knew that in order to be a successful black businessman, you
had
to be sure of yourself if you wanted to hold your own and be competitive in a society that already had placed one strike against you.

A part of her couldn’t help but wonder if Gabe Blackwell was the type of man who could be trusted. Not just in the business arena but on a more personal level. Could a woman place her trust in him and believe he would do the right thing by her in all areas of their relationship? Her nightly prayer to God continued to be to not let her view all men through distrustful eyes. She didn’t want to become a person who was insecure and suspicious of any man who got close, business or otherwise. She still found it hard not to be that way.

Deciding to focus on business matters, Sage thought about her and Gabe’s impromptu luncheon
meeting and wondered how receptive he would be to her idea about adding the dinner theater. She was sure Mr. Landmark had already briefed him on it since the older man had been impressed with what she had presented. In fact, he had been so impressed that he had called one of his junior executives into his office to take a look at it.

The man had also thought her idea had merit. But he’d also been critical of the Denmark Group for not having thought of it
before
the architectural plans had been finalized. He didn’t like the thought of having to make such a major change at this late stage of the game and felt that Gabe Blackwell would feel the same way. He did, however, go on to state that there was a provision in their contract with the Regency Corporation that allowed for building changes not resulting in undue hardship for the construction team. As CEO of the Regency Corporation, Blackwell would be the one to determine just what would be considered an undue hardship. So in essence, the decision rested with Gabe, although it would be in his company’s best interest to be flexible to Mr. Landmark’s wants if the Regency Corporation wanted to be considered for future projects.

A part of Sage regretted having to place Gabe in such a position—between a rock and a hard place—but her job as marketing manager was to do whatever she could to make Eden the number one ski resort in the country, and she felt that adding the theater would certainly help with her marketing strategy.

She met Gabe’s gaze when he entered the restaurant, and by his frown she could tell John Lancaster had spoken with him and he wasn’t a
happy camper. But she was determined to be undaunted by his disposition. They were business associates whose only concern and whose sole connection was the success of Eden. She was sure she could convince him that her proposal was well worth the trouble.

Sage tried not to focus so directly on Gabe as he made his way to her table. But to avert her gaze and look either to the right or the left, or even out the window, would be useless. Whether she liked it or not, for some reason a part of her couldn’t ignore Gabe Blackwell’s presence even if she wanted to.

At that thought, she continued to hold his gaze, and for the first time in five years, she felt attracted to someone other than Erol. And as Gabe drew closer, she felt her heartbeat stutter slightly … no, more than slightly. She inhaled deeply when a warm feeling flooded her insides. And with that feeling came one of discomfort in the knowledge that she was attracted to another man less than six months after her breakup with Erol.

Okay, she admitted, there may be a driving force behind what she was feeling, considering the fact Gabe was good to look at, and she had already concluded that there was no harm in looking. She reached out for her glass of water when her throat suddenly felt dry, admitting that Gabe Blackwell had definitely grabbed her attention and she couldn’t take it back.

Keep your mind on the issue at hand, Blackwell
.

Gabe’s mind was giving him that order over and over again. He had to remember why he was here and why he was not on his way to the job site as
he’d originally planned. The phone call he’d received earlier from John Landmark had been more than enough to change his plans. It seemed that Sage Dunbar had come up with a marketing idea that had the older man excited. Gabe appreciated excitement like everyone else … until it involved doing something he saw no need to do. Of all the other things Eden had going for it, adding some expensive dinner theater wouldn’t make or break the place. Besides, the people who would come to Eden would come first to ski and then to be entertained. So why not approach one of the restaurants about expanding their facilities to include such a theater. Instead of taking that approach, Sage Dunbar had come up with a proposal that called for actions that would require more time to complete and could delay the finished product by at least another four to six weeks. There were other projects lined up elsewhere for his men, although he admitted that none was as beneficial to the Regency Corporation’s bankroll. John Landmark had put out a lot of money to be kept happy. So the way Gabe saw it, if Landmark wanted the damn theater, he would get it. But Gabe certainly wasn’t happy about it and had a few choice words to say to the woman who had decided to suggest the changes in the first place. Her company had literally dropped the ball. What she was suggesting should have been part of the original marketing proposal presented in the very beginning before the architect had completed designing the resort.

Another issue he had with Ms. Dunbar was the fact that he found her so damn beautiful, even sitting at the table dressed in a conservative dark brown business suit. For the past four weeks he
had tried getting her off his mind—even going to the extent of flying home to Detroit to bed another woman. But that hadn’t worked. He had spent the weekend in bed with Debbie thinking about Sage, and that hadn’t been good. Sleeping with one woman while his mind had been filled with fantasies of another was something that had never happened to him before. Unfortunately, Debbie had picked up on the fact that his concentration level wasn’t where it should be. To be fair to Debbie, he had suggested that they stop seeing each other for a while since he would be spending the majority of his time in Anchorage anyway. Debbie had agreed since she was the type of woman who wanted all of a man’s attention in bed and not just some of it.

So here he was, fighting an attraction for a woman that he didn’t want to become involved with. He wouldn’t balk at the opportunity to get to know her better if he was certain that she wasn’t on the rebound.

Yet he couldn’t stop the pounding in the center of his chest when he reached her table. He had thought of her often—although he hadn’t wanted to. But she would not get next to him, he assured himself. They were associates who worked together and nothing more. The only time they had spent together had been for strictly business reasons. And no matter how much he wanted her, that would be the way things stayed.