“I would agree with that approach.”
“That’s why you’re here,” he said and smiled. “You’re idea is definitely different than anything we’ve tried so far. That’s why I was so interested in it. You have a great idea.”
“But is it financially feasible?” she asked, smiling as she threw his words back at him.
“That’s what we’re going to figure out, huh?” he laughed. “How long have you worked for ATI?” he asked, laying the papers on his lap so he could devote all his attention to her, mesmerized by her smile.
“Six years,” she said. “I was offered the job at a college fair my senior year and have loved it ever since.”
“Aren’t you a little young to be a project manager?” he asked.
Darcy smiled, her dimples in full force. “Well, since I only knew your reputation and was waiting on a man around sixty or seventy to walk in and start asking me questions, I could throw that question right back at you. Aren’t you a little young to be a vice president?”
Michael threw back his head and laughed, delighted that she already felt comfortable enough to tease him. “Touché,” he replied.
He picked up the briefing and read through a few more of the pages. “While you’re looking at that, I’ll go get dinner,” she said, starting to stand up.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, waiving her back to her seat. “One of the security guards will bring it up when it arrives.”
“Oh,” was all she could say. Titles had their perks, she thought. When Darcy worked late, she had to go down to the lobby and pick up her deliveries.
Michael had to force himself to focus on the papers and come up with questions. He kept getting distracted by her long, slender legs. That wasn’t the only thing, he told himself. He had to stare at the papers because he wanted to take in her figure. He’d only glanced at it as she walked in and then Jim had gotten in the way of his view. But what he’d seen of her had knocked him sideways.
She was slender but not skinny, he noticed. Darcy Madison had feminine curves in all the right place. She had slim hips and a tiny waist and his mind’s eye remembered her perfect breasts; not too large, not too small. They were just right to fit into his…can’t go down that road, he thought. Concentrate on the proposal, he told himself.
If she smiled one more time, dammit, he was going to have to pull her over onto his lap and kiss her incredibly sexy, full lips. Where did she hide those dimples when she wasn’t smiling, he wondered. They completely transformed her face from a sophisticated, gorgeous business woman to a mercurial sprite that he wanted to catch and find out what she was thinking.
He was frustrated that he wasn’t able to concentrate on the briefing. He prided himself on his ability to focus on whatever issue was brought to his attention. He couldn’t blame himself in this case though. It was all her fault, he told himself. He’d never had this problem before. He knew he should get her out of his office as fast as possible, but he didn’t want to listen to the sensible voice in his head. He wanted to stay and talk to her, get her to relax and learn more about her. For some reason, he wanted to know everything there was about this woman.
Forcing himself to concentrate, he shot her several more questions, interrogating her on her approach, the software she’d need, the possible follow on work, what kind of relationship she had with the potential client, the questions went on and on. The only reprieve she had was when a security guard knocked on Michael’s door and handed them the bag full of Chinese food.
Darcy was famished, having eaten half a bagel about twelve hours before. So she dug into the broccoli and chicken box with gusto. She was disappointed when she pulled an egg roll out of the bag instead of her regular spring roll. Chiang had never gotten her
order wrong before. Everything seemed to be strange tonight. But then Michael pulled a spring roll out and they realized that they had the wrong bags after all and exchanged rolls. She should have known better. Darcy had been ordering from Chiangs for years and he’d never gotten her order wrong yet. It was interesting that she and Michael Attracelli wanted the same main dish but their appetites for side dishes was different.
There was an awkward moment when he handed her the spring roll and their fingers touched. Darcy’s eyes snapped to his face and he caught her startled glance. Darcy almost dropped her roll when the electricity jumped from his fingers to hers. It felt like she had been burned. She pulled her hand back quickly, almost dumping the spring roll onto her lap.
“Sorry,” she said, licking her fingers. “Hot,” she said, explaining her reaction.
Michael nodded and watched her face. “I know.”
Okay, so he wasn’t that interesting, she thought. She’s just getting tired. This was her eighteenth hour today and maybe she was getting a little punchy. Could he please ask her some questions instead of silently reading the proposal again? She wondered how broad his shoulders were. Maybe two feet wide? Three feet? Did he work out on a regular basis? He had to, she realized. He had some pretty impressive muscles rippling under that perfectly tailored shirt.
They discussed the project for another two hours. By the end of the night, Darcy was exhausted. She also understood where Michael had gotten his reputation. He definitely knew his technology and had the perseverance of an ox. She didn’t know what time he’d gotten into the office today but it was already late. He showed no signs of the exhaustion she was currently feeling. He seemed energized even. Darcy was jealous of his ability to maintain that kind of stamina.
“You’re proposal definitely has some potential. I can see a lot of work but there’s a huge payoff at the end. I’ll think about this and will get back to you,” he said, standing up. Darcy took that as her cue to leave.
“Thanks for letting me present my ideas to you. I really think it will work,” she said as a closing statement.
He nodded his head in a non-committal agreement. “I think you have some great ideas. We’ll talk soon,” he said.
Chapter 3
Darcy walked out of the office and made her way back to her own office. Now that she was out of his electrifying presence, her fatigue started to sink in. She hadn’t realized how late it was or how tired she really was. The walk back to her office was very strange. She normally worked late hours but it wasn’t normal for her to be in the office at this time of the evening. Even the cleaning crew was gone. Her floor was completely empty, all the lights turned off and the doors closed except for her own.