Page 25 of Smokey's Distraction
“I lookedover the Lodge account, and I can come up with a good campaign for the company in less than two weeks. I’ll send the preliminaries over to you,” Ashley said as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.
“After I review them, you can present it to the client. I’m sure Smokey will be cool with you taking a day or two away from the office to go to Aspen. How does he like the marketing campaign you’ve outlined?” Zach asked.
“I haven’t had a chance to show it to him yet. He had to work with his guys yesterday, and he’s at a site again today. By the way, where did you find this handyman?” Ashley wanted to change the subject because she didn’t want Zach to know that she and Smokey were having dinner together that night. Even though it was just for business—how many times had she repeated that in the last twenty-four hours—Ashley just had the vibe that Zach wouldn’t see it that way.
“He came recommended by a friend of a friend of a friend. Why?”
“He’s sort of strange. He wanted to come by last night in the middle of a snowstorm to look at the place.”
Zach chuckled. “Get used to living in a small town. You’re an outsider, so to speak, and locals will keep you at a distance until they get to know you. I’ve been told he does good work.”
And is cheap, I bet.“He’s coming by at noon. Keep me in the loop, okay? I’m surprised you didn’t ask Smokey to send one of his guys over to fix up the place.”
“He’s got a ton of projects going and is already short-staffed. Try and make time to go over the campaigns with him, even if you have to meet after hours. Smokey’s one of those clients who wants to advance his company but doesn’t see the urgency in doing it the way we do at the firm.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was a bit past eleven forty in the morning. “I better get going if I’m going to be on time for the noon appointment. Mark Ames made it a point to tell me that he’s never late.”
Zach chuckled. “I like him already.”
“I hopeIdo,” she mumbled. “See you.”
A knock on the door made Ashley glance up, only to find Sabrina standing in the doorway staring at her with a hard look.
“Can I help you?” Ashley said as she slung her purse over her shoulder.
“Are you leaving already?” Sabrina asked, her hazel eyes narrowing,
“I’ll be back. Why are you here?” Ashley grabbed the car keys off the desk and walked toward the surly woman.
“I just wanted to tell you that Smokey is off-limits.” The receptionist lifted her chin as if preparing for a fight.
Ashley smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you mean he’s not in the office today, I already know that.” She glanced at the wall clock and gestured for Sabrina to move out of the doorway. “Do you mind?”
“I’m not talking about him not being here today, I mean that he’s—”
Ashley’s face grew hot, and she looked fixedly at Sabrina. “I’m not interested in what you mean. My relationship with Mr. Harty is strictly business, and whatever he has going on in his personal life is none of my concern.” She pushed past the receptionist and hurried away.
On the drive to the house, Ashley couldn’t get the words “off-limits” out of her brain. Were Smokey and Sabrina a couple? He certainly hadn’t acted like a man who had a girlfriend the night she’d met him at Blue’s Belly, but that didn’t mean anything.Dad hooked up with women all the time when he was married to Mom. Men can be so vile. But Smokey and that unpleasant woman? I’m surprised, but who cares? His personal life isn’t any of my business.True enough, but then why was she miffed about what the receptionist had said to her?
“I shouldn’t give a crap who Smokey dates.” She gripped the steering wheel, irked to no end that a part of herdidgive a damn. And what made it worse was that she didn’t knowwhyit mattered. Ashley had worked with a lot of men over the years, and none of them had taken root in her brain the way Mr. Arrogant-and-Sexy had. Maybe it was because it’d been a while since she’d been with a man. For the past year, Ashley had thrown herself into her career by making a conscious choice to put men and all the BS that came with them on the back burner for a shot at the brass ring. Yes, it was hard, but becoming partner would make all the loneliness worthwhile.
The loud ring of her phone interrupted her thoughts. Expecting it to be the handyman, Smokey’s deep voice rumbling in her ear surprised Ashley just as much as the fluttering in her stomach threw her for a loop.
“Can you hear me?” he asked.
“Yes, how are you?” she answered.
“Good. How’re things going with you at the office?”
For a split second, Ashley wondered if Sabrina had told him that’d she’d spilled the beans to her about their relationship.
“Fine … Why?”
A hearty laugh filled her ears. “Does there have to be a reason?”
“I guess not.” She turned down the street to the firm’s house.Maybe Sabrina told him I took off.“I’m headed to the house where I’m staying to meet up with a handyman.”
“Oh yeah? What seems to be the problem?”
