Debbie eyed her skeptically. “How much younger?”
“I was only eighteen, he was twenty eight. We’d met at a pool party for one of my friends,” Zoe explained, not proud of what she’d done back them. “We were testing our wings, trying to figure out the world and I met him. He was tall, dark and handsome and we hit it off instantly. We went out on a couple of dates but by the third one, we kissed.” Zoe stopped, her mind traveling back to that night, her body tingling just at the memory of how incredible it had felt to be in Marco’s arms, to feel his body press her against her beat up old car, to feel his muscles, to anticipate the kiss she knew was coming. And when his lips touched hers, she’d actually seen stars, and rockets and fireworks. The whole shebang.
Debbie laughed softly. “Earth to Zoe. What happened?”
Zoe blinked, not realizing she’d zoned out during the telling of her story. “Um….” She blushed and stood up, sifting through the papers on her desk. “Well, a few days later, I saw him with another woman and I never heard from him again.”
“He never called to explain? Or even to gloat?”
“I never went back. I couldn’t handle it. Years passed and here we are today.” She didn’t go into how devastated she’d been over the betrayal, or the fact that she’d never found anyone who could stir her the same way, always finding her dates lacking.
Debbie sighed and stood up. “So here we are, and we’re about to get into bed with a shark.”
“I thought you said he was a piranha.”
“I said he attacks like a swarm of piranha. Not that he personally was one. There’s a difference. And now that I think about it, it would be more appropriate to call him a shark now instead of a swarm of piranha. Sharks eat anything they can find. And Marco is now going to gobble you up.”
Zoe shook her head, ignoring the sexual reference that she wasn’t sure Debbie had meant or not. “He’s not going to gobble us up. He’s just investing and helping me be able to pay the staff.”
“Are you sure?”
Zoe bit her lower lip. “You’re making me nervous.”
“Good! Caution is always appropriate when swimming in infested waters. Be careful that you don’t jump from the frying pan directly into the fire by letting Marco into our business.”
Debbie had a very valid point. She didn’t want to deal with Marco personally, and maybe professionally she needed to take a step back.
Someone stuck their head in the office doorway and asked a question. “I’ll handle this,” Debbie said quickly. “You make sure you know what you’re doing.”
Debbie walked out and Zoe continued to bite her lip, worried now that she was doing something monumentally stupid. Why would Marco want to invest in her company? It was small potatoes compared to what he normally dealt with. Was he trying to use her company for a strategic takeover or something like that?
Taking the business card out of her purse, she dialed the number. His secretary answered immediately. “May I speak with Marco DiAngelo? Just tell him it’s Zoe.”
She was immediately transferred and Zoe’s heart rate increased as soon as she heard Marco’s deep voice. “Have you opened up the bank accounts already?” he asked.
Zoe hesitated for only a moment. “I think we need to talk about this a bit more.”
“What’s there to discuss? You need financing, I need a good investment. We’re going to grow your company together.”
“Yes, but that’s what I don’t understand. Why would you be bothering with a company as small as I am? You normally deal with larger companies and takeovers that require months, sometimes years of negotiations before everything is settled.”
“So this will be a refreshing change. Why don’t you come over to my office and we’ll talk about it?”
Zoe loved the sound of his voice. It got all soft and husky when he invited her over. But this was business and she needed to stay focused. “Let’s talk about it over the phone,” she countered.
“We can discuss it better when you get here. I’ll even have George on standby so he can set up the appropriate accounts once we’ve dealt with all of your concerns. I’ll see you in…” he hesitated as if he were looking at his watch, “Twenty minutes?”
“No, Marco…please, I don’t want to come down there.”
“Why Zoe?” he said, and again, that voice just melted her insides. It was all coaxing and soft, as if he knew she was afraid to be alone with him and he was trying to be reassuring. But that was crazy, she told herself. He couldn’t know that much about her, and especially couldn’t read her mind over the phone.
“Because I think it would be easier, due to our past, if we make this less personal.”
He chuckled. “Our past is the only reason this is going to happen. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Again, he hung up the phone, leaving her staring at the speaker as if it were a worm.
Then she realized that Marco was on his way over here. Soon!
She hurried out of her office and found Debbie but couldn’t pull her away since she was dealing with a vendor. Zoe realized that this might be about money, perhaps a cash on delivery order, so she let Debbie handle the issue and slipped back into her office.
The only escape she could find was sketching. She picked up her drawing pencils and started making lines, losing herself in the fall and sway of the artistry in making her fall line. When she finished one idea, she moved on to the next, and another, not really getting the idea she wanted exactly correct on paper. She was working hard when she felt rather than heard Marco’s arrival. It was as if the air started sparking with electricity and she looked up to find him standing in her doorway.
“That was fast,” she said softly, loving the way his dark gray suit looked on his tall, muscular frame. Today he wore a yellow silk tie which only increased how dark his skin and eyes looked.
He glanced at his watch. “It was twenty minutes exactly.”
Zoe sighed and put her pencils down. “I guess so.”
“Why don’t you show me around?” he suggested, walking into her office looking relaxed and confident, and Zoe was relieved to have something to do other than try and argue with him about investing.
She took him through the sewing and cutting rooms, introducing her to several of the team members, all of whom were very excited to meet a man as handsome as Marco, giggling in their obvious interest. Zoe tried to ignore their blushes and giggles but by the end of the tour, she knew she was standing a bit closer to him, a subtle signal that he was off limits.