The Pitch: City Love 2 (5 page)

The elevator arrived at the ground floor and I was careful not to look at him as he held the door open for me. “I bet that makes a good story to tell family and friends,” I said.

“Not really. Laura and I divorced five years ago. It’s not something I really bring up with the boys.”

Boys? I was reeling now. The way he mentioned the divorce, so matter-of-fact, made it obvious it was ancient history.

“How old are your boys?” I asked.

“Jack’s twelve and Noah is seven.”

“They must keep you busy.” God, what an inane comment, but I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Not really. I only get to see them every second weekend.”

We were almost at the foyer doors, but I stopped. He slowed and turned when he realized I wasn’t beside him.

“That’s shit, Paul.” It was hardly eloquent, but it was the way I felt.

Paul didn’t say anything, he just stared at me. He looked weary all of a sudden. Finally he shrugged, then turned back toward the exit. As he pressed the after hours button to exit the building, he said quietly, “One of my regrets.”

I followed him out into the night.

Sydney Harbour stretched out before me like a landscape painting. The creamy white arches of the Opera House gleamed in the morning sun and the jagged horizon of city skyscrapers loomed imposingly from behind. To the right, Circular Quay bustled with green and yellow passenger ferries. Sailboats dotted the harbor in what was shaping up to be a beautiful spring day.

A contented smile played on my lips. I breathed in the crisp morning breeze, a heady mix of sea salt and jasmine. Grounded Marketing was where I spent most of my days, but my harborside one bedroom apartment in Kirribilli was my sanctuary.

I’d lived here for almost five years. The building was 1920s, with tiered brickwork and yesteryear charm, but inside my apartment it was completely modern. Due to the success of my business I could easily afford something bigger, but I had absolutely no intention of moving. I enjoyed living alone and this apartment had everything I needed.

I tore my eyes away from the breathtaking view of the city, and surveyed the open plan living area. It wasn’t what you’d call spacious, yet I found it big enough. On the far wall was a streamlined white kitchen, with handleless doors and granite bench tops. Its compact size wasn’t an issue considering I rarely cooked. It hadn’t helped that I’d dated one of the city’s best chefs for six years – I’d grown lazy.

The only thing the apartment lacked was a car space. After a couple of years of parking my car on the street, I’d finally given up and sold it. My apartment was nestled in a quiet street, but it was only a short walk to the shops, ferries and trains. On the rare occasions I needed to drive somewhere, I hired a cab.

The doorbell buzzer cut through my self-satisfied reverie, and I went to the intercom.

“Tech support!” a bright voice called when I picked up the handset.

I smiled and hit the button to let in Christa and my brother, Max. I’d asked Max to come and take a look at my laptop. Working in IT, he was used to receiving regular requests from computer illiterate relatives and friends. Christa was tagging along for a good gossip session. Plus her and Max were pretty much inseparable these days.

I walked down the hall and opened my front door. Christa bustled in, confronting me with a headful of blond curls as she stood on tiptoes to kiss me.

“I brought food.” She grinned, her blue eyes bright. “Unhealthy food, but knowing you, you’ll walk it off later.”

Max came in behind her. “Sis.” He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and followed Christa into the living area. She spread out an assortment of brown paper bags from the bakery onto my glass dining table.

“God, I don’t know how you get anything done when you’re at home. I know I’ve got water views, but if I could see the city like this, I’d sit and stare at it all day,” Christa said.

Max pulled out a chair and sat down, just managing to tuck his long legs underneath the table. He was wearing a sports T-shirt and shorts. It looked like my computer issue was holding him back from his Saturday morning run.

“Alright, so dish. How was the blind date with Mr. Exotic?” Christa bit into a croissant and started chewing ravenously.

I suppressed a smile as Max reached over and, without saying a word, wiped a large crumb from Christa’s cheek. She grinned at him with her mouth full, then passed him a custard scroll.

“No wonder you guys work out so much,” I muttered, not unkindly.

“Weekend indulgence,” Christa stated, then pointed at me. “Don’t change the subject.”

I sighed and sat down on the dining chair next to her. “He’s definitely exotic. I can’t fault you on that.”

“But?”

I opened one of the brown paper bags and picked out another croissant. Christa was right. I’d probably burn it off by lunchtime anyway. I took a big bite and savored the buttery pastry. Christa was practically frothing at the mouth for an answer by the time I swallowed.

“He’s a bit traditional.”

“Uh oh,” Max muttered.

“You didn’t hurt him, did you?” Christa asked.

“No! Of course not.” The sad thing was, my friends knew me well. My reproductive issues aside, I might appear to be conservative about relationships compared to Scarlett and Christa’s double figure boyfriend history, but that didn’t mean I was after the traditional husband, two kids, and white picket fence. “He feels rather strongly a woman’s place is in the home, taking care of the children he wants to have.”

Christa eyed me skeptically. “Are you sure you didn’t hurt him – just a little bit? Or at the very least attempt to educate him?”

“Honestly. Apart from that one aspect, we actually got along really well,” I admitted.

“It would never work,” Max stated, flipping the lid on my laptop and waiting for it to boot up.

I didn’t say anything and surveyed my half-eaten croissant.

Christa leaned over and placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Maddy, you don’t need to be ashamed of how important your work is to you. I’m also guessing you didn’t tell him the full story?”

I frowned. “It’s not exactly first date dinner conversation to tell someone children aren’t really on your agenda. God, why do I put myself through this?”

“Mr. Exotic isn’t the only guy out there. You still haven’t met John.”

I wasn’t sure if I could muster up the energy for another blind date. This was getting seriously depressing.

Christa read my expression and pushed the rest of the croissant in my direction. “Come on, he sounds promising. He’s a few years younger than us, so no divorces or kids. He’s an architect and very down-to-earth, apparently. He obviously appreciates the arts from what Scarlett has told me. Oh, and he surfs. I hear he’s very fetching in a wetsuit.”

John was one of Scarlett’s suggestions. She’d met him at a gallery when he’d dropped an impressive amount of money buying a couple of her paintings. I had to admit, he did sound like an interesting prospect.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Think about getting a new laptop,” Max suggested.

“Seriously?”

“Afraid so. The hard drive is on its way out, but this is the second time. Go out and get a newer model, it will be faster.”

What a pain. Oh well, laptops were easier to come by than men, I supposed. “Can you suggest a few?”

He closed the lid, the verdict delivered. “Sure. I’ll flick you an email with my recommendations.”

Without thinking, I turned back to Christa. “Paul has two kids.”

She stopped chewing, her blue eyes wide. I couldn’t tell if she was shocked at my announcement or the sudden change of subject.

“When did you find that out?” she asked.

“Last night, after he picked me up.”

“Hang on.” She looked confused. “You were out with Dillon last night. Weren’t you?”

“Yes, but Paul left some files in my office and he needed them for the weekend. He picked me up after dinner and we went to collect them.”

Christa resumed chewing thoughtfully.

“He’s divorced and only gets to see them every second weekend.” I wasn’t sure why I was telling her this, but last night’s conversation still lingered in my mind.

“Who’s Paul?” Max’s expression was wary. He was probably wondering whether it was smarter not to have asked.

“Maddy’s business mentor,” Christa told him. “He co-owns NTRtain Media in North Sydney. He’s helping her out with her big pitch for the banking client.”

Max raised his eyebrows. “He’s the real deal. We were considering working with them on a big website project a few years back, but the client backed out due to cost reasons. Why would you care if he has kids?”

Christa grinned at Max. “Because he’s seriously good looking, that’s why.”

Max mock-glared at her and she pouted at his expression.

“Not in a tall, dark and handsome way like you, darling.”

Max appeared satisfied with her response, then turned back to me. “Not sure it’s a good idea, since you’re working with him.”

“Who are you to talk about mixing business with pleasure, Max Spencer?” Christa put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. She had a point. When Christa and Max had fallen for each other, she’d been doing some graphic design work for his company.

He held up his hands in defeat. “Alright, I’m staying out of it.” He stood, then bent down and gave Christa a quick kiss. “I’m off on my jog. I’ll catch you later.”

Once he’d left the apartment, Christa leaned forward across the table. “Are you interested in Paul?”

“Not officially. I just find him intriguing.”

“Hmm. I can’t recall the last time you found
any
man intriguing.”

It was annoying, but true. During the last few years, I’d rarely come across any men who’d piqued my interest. For some reason, since I’d met Paul, I found myself thinking about him more than I wanted to. “It’s just typical that I can’t go there,” I said, with a deep sigh.

“Why not?”

“Oh, come on! First of all, he’s my mentor and working with me on Grounded Marketing. Secondly, he’s got baggage. Divorced, two kids and a very successful business. Even if he was interested, I don’t see how he’d find the time.”

“They’re all excuses, if you ask me. You like him.”

“That’s my point. It doesn’t
matter
if I like him. It’s not going to happen.”

“So if he was interested, you’d tell him no?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I hadn’t actually allowed myself to contemplate it. “I’d tell him it wasn’t a good idea,” I said finally.

“And if he kissed you?”

Honestly, where was she going with this? I did not need to be thinking about the possibility of my business mentor
kissing
me. She was not helping.

“It’s not going to happen.”

“I seem to recall I was committed to six months man-free when Max happened,” she reminded me.

“I’m not you.”

Christa scrunched up the brown paper bag into a tight ball. “No, you’re not. But I’ve got you thinking, haven’t I?”

I scrunched up my paper bag too, then tossed it at her. “I have more self-control.”

Christa smirked. “That’s what you think.”

I was addicted.

At least my addiction wasn’t life threatening. A person couldn’t die from running their own business, I reasoned. Although their social life definitely could, I thought, smiling.

I returned my gaze to my laptop with a sense of satisfaction. Who cared if it was almost six o’clock on a Saturday night and most single girls would be getting ready for a night out on the town? I was in my element.

I scanned the report and the list of website links I’d been working on for the last couple of hours. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot and I had Paul to thank. I saved the file and then attached it to an email titled:
You truly are wise.
Then I hit send.

Paul Nielsen was one smart man. I’d been doing some initial digging on the internet about the men and women we were pitching to at the bank. The information I’d discovered was going to completely change our pitch. My team would probably hate me come Monday, but once they saw the evidence, I was pretty sure they’d be as excited as I was.

My computer beeped to show a new email. It was from Paul.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Madeleine.

Well done. Mia Moss is one very interesting lady. Perhaps you should become an investigative journalist …

Compliments aside, tell me you haven’t spent the entire day working on this?

Paul

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

I grinned at his reply. Mia Moss was a senior marketing executive at the bank and it turned out she had a very interesting history. Now in her mid-thirties, she’d spent her twenties working for not-for-profit organizations and traveling the globe. Not that this was particularly noteworthy. It was her involvement in Greenpeace that left me spinning. She’d been involved in numerous protests and was at the center of an arrest ten years ago.

She appeared to have reformed since then, but it was obvious she was one of the major driving forces behind the bank’s new corporate governance plans. I had a feeling if we could present a pitch that appealed to Mia’s mindset, we’d have a good chance of winning the business.

I hit reply to Paul’s email.

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Paul,

Not all day. Just this afternoon. Besides, I find working more enjoyable than going on blind dates …

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

I hit send before I could change what I’d typed. I wasn’t sure if it was professional to be joking with him like this. However, he’d asked me to drop my guard and let some of my humor shine, so I figured I might as well start practicing on him. My email beeped again a moment later.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

What? No more hot dates tonight?

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

I bit my lip while I pondered his response. Was Paul just joking around? Or was he genuinely interested? Time to turn it around on him. I hit reply again.

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Not tonight.

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

Nothing like being deliberately vague to elicit a response. Another reply came through, less than a minute later.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

I hope you’re not planning on working tonight?

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

I cringed. He’d answered my question with a question. I should have known he wasn’t an amateur.

His reply was also cringeworthy for an entirely different reason. When I got caught up in something, I had a one-track mind. Tonight all I’d been planning on doing was walking down to my local Thai restaurant for dinner, then coming home. If I got sick of working I’d probably consider watching a movie.

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Possibly.

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

I was tempted to turn off my computer after my sad admission, but waited patiently for his reply.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

As your mentor I’m very concerned. It’s important you achieve some work life balance.

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

Alright, business addiction aside, it was time to defend myself.

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

I’m not a complete loser. I played netball this morning, then had lunch with some girlfriends.

What would you suggest to achieve suitable work life balance for a Saturday night – that doesn’t involve a blind date?

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

After I hit send, I reflected on our email conversation. Was it just friendly banter between two bored business associates, at a loose end on a Saturday night? Paul’s reply arrived in my inbox before I could ponder the situation any further.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

I’m currently enjoying a beer on my front veranda. You should try it. It’s called relaxing.

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

I’d interrupted him. He was probably with friends or family and here I was harassing my attractive, but unobtainable, business mentor. I quickly typed a reply.

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I’ll let you get back to your beer.

We can talk more about Mia at our meeting next week.

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

I didn’t expect a reply after that, so I began shutting down the programs I had running. It was time for this single lady to go and grab some dinner. A new email message arrived just as I was about to close my inbox.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

Not interrupting. You still haven’t told me what you’re doing tonight (that involves some form of relaxation).

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

My heart thumped in my chest at his unexpected reply, and continued to pound as I typed my reply. Why, oh why, did this man have to be unavailable?

To: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: You truly are wise

I’m about to walk up the road to my favorite Thai restaurant. Thai Fusion in Kirribilli. I can highly recommend it.

Madeleine Spencer

Director

Grounded Marketing Pty Ltd

My stomach growled after I hit send. My mobile phone would receive Paul’s emails once I left home, but for some reason I continued to stare at my computer screen. I frowned as a new email arrived a minute later, with an unfamiliar subject line.

From: Neilsen, Paul

Subject: Dinner

I hear you’re a loyal customer of Thai Fusion. As it turns out I am too.

Meet me there for dinner? It will put my mind at ease to know you’re not spending your Saturday night in front of your laptop.

Paul Neilsen

Director

NTRtain Media Pty Ltd

After I read, then re-read Paul’s reply, I swallowed. Had my hot business mentor just invited me to dinner under the thinly veiled guise of professional responsibility? Or was my perpetual single status affecting my ability to reason? There was only one way to find out.

My palms were sweaty as I typed my reply.