Dating Dr Notorious (23 page)

*** *** ***

Downstairs in Ben’s office, Casey was trying to absorb the fact he just got paid fifteen thousand dollars for being a security system consultant. It was almost half as much as his military retirement paid a year.

“If I continually pulled in this type of cash on jobs, I might not need Jim’s cash infusion,” Casey said to the men around him.

“Yes, you will,” Jim supplied easily, not offended Casey didn’t understand yet. “Just one system for your next customer is going to cost more than two times the consultant fee for the materials alone.”

“Next customer?” Casey looked at Jim, and then at Ben who was smiling.

“Jim is your next customer.” Ben watched Casey absorb the news, delighted with the confusion in his face as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Jim finished off his sandwich and leaned back to see Casey staring at him. “Last time Ben and I had lunch, it turned into a dual bitch session for the break-ins both our businesses have had. Ben told me about his disappointment in the DC security company and his interest in you. He suggested I come meet you and then help with the install in the warehouse to see what I thought. I agreed to help. I also discovered I like your work.”

“How many systems are we talking about?” Casey asked, still unsure what to make of the situation.

“Five to start, two more later this year or next, and I may have a more sensitive one after those.” Jim figured he would soon know if Casey could be trusted to keep a secret.

“Some are larger than others,” Jim continued, “so obviously your consultant fee would be a little larger on those as well. You’re going to have to hire a crew to do the work though. I’m not as tight in the wallet as Ben. I don’t plan on climbing another thirty foot extension ladder just to save a few bucks.”

Casey smiled at that, but inside he was churning like he’d never churned before. He needed to get away so he could think all this through. He also wondered how rich Jim Gallagher was.

“I’m getting married in two months. We’re taking a couple weeks after for a trip. When did you want to start?” Casey asked.

“I’ll show you the first business I think needs it, and then when you have your crew, you can tell me when you’ll be ready and when it can be done. By that time, Ben’s warehouse system should have been tested by a few bad guys and we’ll see what modifications might be needed.”

Jim smiled at Casey’s continued shock, thinking Ben Kaiser was a good judge of character. The former Marine was going to be an excellent investment for Jim. He might even consider running the business for Casey if he didn’t hire him outright.

Jim nodded his chin in Ben’s direction.

“Maybe Kaiser here might pitch in some manual labor if he needs to make a few extra dollars now and again. He’s apparently the adventurous type who likes that hanging from the ceiling shit.”

Jim laughed at the finger Ben discreetly raised across the table.

“Okay. I guess I’ll get back to you soon then.” Casey stood and reached a hand to Jim to shake.

Jim found his grip solid, strong, and dependable. “No doubt,” Jim replied easily.

“Ben, let me know if you need anything else.” Casey walked to the door with only a slight limp. He was heading to therapy this afternoon and looking forward to it.

After the door shut behind him, Jim turned to Ben. “You were right about Casey. He’s solid, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. I liked Casey immediately when I met him. His injury took him out of the service early, and then his wife died of cancer the year after. Regina said he and his wife also raised his younger cousin when the kid’s parents died. He put the kid through Harvard on military pay.”

“Well, the rest of his life is going to be a lot better. I might even make him wealthy,” Jim said, considering. “He won’t be in Alexa’s league, but he’ll bring his own to the table.”

“Thanks, Jim.” Ben said, once again feeling sure Jim Gallagher was a great guy. He intended to get to know him better. He could use more friends outside of family members.

“I imagine soon I’ll be the grateful one.” Jim tapped a pen on the table and looked at Ben. “If you have a bit of time this afternoon, why don’t you help me buy a set of weights? I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Ben stood and grinned, happy as a kid with all the spontaneous events of the day. “Let’s go now. I couldn’t do normal work without a shower anyway. There’s a place in Sanderson Mall where I got my set. This will be fun. You’ll probably need to hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to get you started. You can hurt yourself if you over do it and strain something.”

They headed out the door together with Ben listing the various pieces of equipment that he used.

Regina walked into the office smiling the next morning, only to be met by the worried stares of her office staff.

“What?” she asked.

“We put some newspapers in your office,” Ann said simply.

“Okay.” Regina sighed, wondering what could possibly be in them that had them all so worried.

She stopped to make a cup of tea, and then took it to the office with her. She dropped her bags and walked to sit at the desk. The story hadn’t made the cover, but it had made page two:
CEO Caught Cheating On Sex Therapist
.

Along with a blistering article questioning Regina’s skills in bed was a picture of her in the brunette disguise. Ben had walked her to the elevator in his building and had ended up kissing her against the wall as they both liked to do. She could all but taste the passion again just looking at the picture. She did feel herself start to get turned on and laughed at her reaction.

Then she got really mad at the article for calling Ben a cheater, which she knew would hurt him terribly. The man was loyal to a fault.

Regina threw down the paper in disgust.

Ben had once told her he wished she was a normal woman. But what was normal? She no longer had any idea. This—the picture of her love life in the paper—is what her life had become over the years. The press stalked her because she was scandalous news, and now they stalked Ben because of her.

This specific picture also confirmed her worst fears. Despite all their precautions, they had been caught sneaking to see each other. Regina swore richly, venting her frustration on unseen photographers and lying writers. Then she got out the scissors and cut the picture out. She put it on the bulletin board with the ones of their first real date.

The elevator photo made her hot every time she looked at Ben pressed up against her. She was so twisted, she even wished she could have a real picture of it. What she felt for Ben Kaiser was like every fantasy from high school to her current age all rolled into the one intense male reality. With Ben, Regina somehow magically got back the level of desire she’d wasted on her sorry husband in her thirties.

Ben was more than just a second chance at love and life. He was simply everything she’d dreamed of in a man, and for an added bonus, he even made her laugh.

In Regina’s line of work, she saw proof every day that relationships like theirs didn’t happen often or to many people. She’d be damned if she gave Ben up because of the press.

Since the brunette disguise was now busted, she’d just have to find another and better one.

Damn reporters anyway.

Not even the office staff had recognized her. The brunette disguise had been golden.

*** *** ***

Across town, Ben was beginning his bi-weekly meeting with the board members of his company.

As they were taking their seats, Janet came in and handed Ben a newspaper. He looked at the picture of him kissing Regina against the wall by the elevator in his building. He swore viciously, which had Janet backing away.

Then he saw the headline accusing him of cheating and swore again.

He looked up to find eleven faces staring at him.

“Sorry,” Ben said, face flushing with embarrassment.

He rarely swore at the company and rarely in front of anyone other than Daniel or Alfred. Sighing, Ben threw the paper out in the middle of the table, disgusted with it all.

Regina’s disguise had been perfect. No one recognized her, not the press, not his staff or family. He bet Regina had gotten a similar reaction from her office people this morning.

This shit was getting old
, Ben thought, his face darkening. He made a mental note to talk to the guards in his building about cameras. He’d love to get his hands on the person who sold the elevator shot to the press.

Daniel picked up the paper. “Damn, Dr. Logan sure looks hot in a short leather skirt,” he said laughing.

Stacey snatched the paper out her husband’s hand, rolled it in a tight roll, and smacked Daniel hard on the shoulder several times while he laughed and cringed.

Alfred noticed all the other people at the table seemed to have seen the picture. Many looked relieved. Some finally laughed. No one, Alfred thought, wanted to believe Ben was a womanizing bad guy making out with a pizza delivery girl, but the picture had been very convincing.

Since the woman was Dr. Logan, the picture only supported what Daniel and Alfred had already explained to them.

One thing for certain, everyone sitting at the table now knew for sure Ben was in love with Regina Logan. The elevator picture hid nothing.

Alfred walked by and took the paper from Stacey in mid-strike. “Well, I think this moves agenda item nine up to item one this morning.”

“What’s item nine?” Ben said, still struggling to calm his voice, his tone, and the tightness in his entire body. “I don’t remember there being a number nine on the list.”

“Item nine is an idea Daniel and I have to fix the problem you and Dr. Logan have with the press.”

Ben snorted. “Sure. Why shouldn’t my relationship with Regina be on the company board meeting agenda list? Maybe we should make my love life a standard point of discussion every time we meet.”

Everybody laughed, but they all continued to look at Ben in sympathy.

Alfred paced while he talked. “Benjamin, you are the company. Lots of men in power get slammed because of their love life. You’re too nice, Ben, and you aren’t seeing this the way the rest of the world does. Or the way our conservative town does at least.”

Daniel stood and took the paper from Alfred only to toss it picture-up in front of Ben again. “Falling in love with a notorious woman is probably the worst sin you’ve ever committed in your life, Ben. It’s also the best thing you’ve done for yourself personally in long damn time.”

Daniel tapped the picture with a finger. “The story is bullshit, but the picture of you kissing Dr. Logan isn’t, is it?”

Ben sighed, not willing to lie about it, but also hesitant to admit it. “No. It’s not bullshit.”

“How are you going to deal with being in Dr. Logan’s life if you struggle to be honest with us? Telling us how you really feel about her ought to be easy for you. We all love you, Ben. Tell him,” Daniel ordered, turning to the table and motioning for others to talk.

There were smiles, nods, and low laughs as they made kissing sounds and told Ben they loved him.

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed. He was embarrassed, but also feeling slightly better. “Great. I love you all, too. Can we move on to some real business now?”

“Not quite,” Alfred said. “What are your intentions toward Dr. Logan?”

“
My intentions?
What are you, her father?” Ben looked at Alfred like he had gone temporarily mad.

Alfred smiled back smugly. “Answer the damn question, Ben. Do you love the woman or not?”

Ben shook his head, “I don’t see how that applies to anything or that it’s any of your business.”

“Ben,” Daniel said. “Answer Alfred’s question. How do you feel about Dr. Logan?”

Ben had had enough of the cross-examination. “Yes. I love her. I intend to marry her when I can figure out a way to do it that doesn’t cause the company to lose half its tight-ass clients who have no idea what she is really like.”

“Well, we’ve got an idea how to fix that little problem.” Alfred nodded to Daniel who walked back to his seat and picked up a half-inch stack of papers clipped together.

Daniel brought the papers to Ben and set them in front of him on top of the photo.

“We want you to resign as CEO.” Alfred said, smiling.

“Resign as CEO?” Ben looked at Alfred, Daniel, and all the other faces at the table. His absolute shock was impossible to hide. Everyone was smiling which was too bizarre to believe.

Inside, Ben was cold, frozen solid thinking his choice to love Regina could have such damaging consequences to the rest of his life. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

Daniel put a hand on Ben’s shoulder, grounding him in reality and taking him out of his thoughts. He winced as Ben glared at him and his hand, but he didn’t move away. “Before you follow through on your urge to punch either Alfred or me, please take at least ten minutes to look at the package we’ve drawn up. It’s not the worst case scenario you’re thinking it is.”

“And if you don’t think it’s a brilliant plan, then we won’t do it. Nothing changes unless you agree,” Alfred said easily, walking away from the murderous gleam in Ben’s eyes as his gaze followed him down the table.

Ben noticed some of the other board members also looked worried. Others were all but laughing. The whole situation was like a bizarre nightmare.

“Read the papers, Ben,” Alfred ordered, pointing to the paperwork.

Ben put on a pair of reading glasses and picked up the first page. It took him two pages to get over feeling betrayed. By the time he got to page four, he had calmed down, but then he had to go back and start over.

He saw Alfred and Daniel high fiving and snorted.

Bastards
, he thought. They could have asked him before they told the whole board.

Janet was bringing in coffee and trays of donuts to entertain people while they waited on Ben to finish reading.

Ben motioned for one for himself, and she brought him a cup of coffee and a glazed donut.

“Thank you,” he said, smiling as she touched him arm in support.