Whisper Privileges (14 page)

She recalled the young girl whispering the
words of encouragement over her shoulder.
Don’t be embarrassed.
It happens to all of us
.

“Take heart in your courage to try, Sydney.
In the end, that’s what will see you through to the finish
line.”

It didn’t feel that way to her. She didn’t
feel courageous for trying. She only felt weak for failing,
cowardly for being pushed into doing something she didn’t want to
do. But Clay’s intentions seemed so sincere, so pure, she couldn’t
be angry. Sydney smiled, acutely aware of the soft flesh of his
palms still wrapped around her hands. “You’re a nice person, Clay
Rutledge.”

“So are you, Sydney Flores.”

Despite his forgiving words, her performance
remained a failure in her heart. Casting the facts in rosy shades
didn’t change anything. But he was trying to make her feel better
and for that, she was grateful. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

He leaned forward, his face less than a foot
from hers. “You’re welcome.” As he remained close, her hands
clasped in his and growing hot, Sydney swore he was about to kiss
her. For one heart-stopping second, she thought he would ease near
and kiss her. Heartbeats fluttered in limbo.
Would he
?

Would she
?

She would. She would kiss him right now where
no one would be the wiser. Sydney held steady, but Clay didn’t kiss
her. He simply stated, “Q could use a pep talk himself right about
now. Care to join me?”

Rational thought clashed with a torrent of
longing as she released anticipation, the moment evaporated. “Sure.
If you think it would help.” She swallowed and choked back the
swell of emotion that nearly betrayed her. “I’d be happy to.”

“You’re the best.” Clay loosened his grip on
her hands and brought them to his lips.

His lips made contact. Adrenaline bolted
through her bloodstream. His gaze never wavered from hers and as he
lingered, she could feel warm wisps of breath against her skin. She
held her breath. His hands would do.

Slowly, he pulled them down by their sides
and held firm. Inches away they stood face-to-face and Sydney felt
the heat rise in her body.
Maybe he wasn’t finished
.

Blue eyes pierced clear through her. He
smiled.

Having Clay this close unsettled her, turned
propriety on its head and made her want to do things she had no
business doing—and in public, of all places! Did he know what she
was thinking? Would he push it to his advantage?

“Shall we?”

With a quick squeeze, he let go of her hands
and she felt a distinct sense of longing for the contact to
continue. She wanted more of their conversation, more of this
moment alone, more of this connection. But she was working. She
didn’t have time for idle distraction, no matter how enjoyable she
may find it. She had to work.

Sydney concentrated on pulling her thoughts
from them back to the events as he led the way back inside. She
followed him to a table where Q and a few of his teammates were
sitting, snacking on energy bars in the section for swimmers only.
In the pool, a group of swimmers took their marks along the edge.
Through overhead speakers, she heard the names being called out one
by one. Everything was back to normal. The Special Olympics kept a
constant pace and she had to keep up.

Q spotted her immediately. Lightly punching a
teammate, he pointed at her. When the other looked over, he
brandished a huge smile and waved, but then ducked his head down
toward the table.

“Hey, Q—remember my friend Sydney?”

Q popped his head up, and a smile of
recognition swept through his features. He nodded, but quickly
turned to watch the swimmers hanging on the edge of the pool as
they waited for the heat to begin.

Sydney approached cautiously, uncertain what
to say. “Hi, Q. Heard you were swimming this afternoon. Mind if I
come back and watch?”

“Sure!” he exclaimed, but turned away just as
quickly, fixing his attention on the girl by his side.

Odd
, she thought. It was as though Q
wanted her here but was painfully shy about the same.

The girl looked up and smiled. “Hi... My
name’s Tanya.” She waved a pudgy hand.

“Hi. My name is Sydney. Nice to meet
you.”

Tanya bubbled with delight. “I’m swimming
today!”

Smiling at her tickled exuberance, Sydney
asked, “Which race do you swim?”

“The butterfly...” she replied, her eyes
rounding as though it were a magnificent feat.

“Wow.” Sydney released and exclaimed, “I
never could swim the butterfly!”

“She’s really good,” Q interjected, then
turned back toward his swimmers in the water.

“Their team has been doing awesome,” Clay
said. “I think they’re going to sweep the gold.”

“How exciting.” Honestly thrilled for them,
there was something about competition that always lit a fire in her
belly. At the sound of the whistle, Sydney turned toward the pool.
Splash after splash, the swimmers sped off in backstroke. “Look at
them go,” Sydney murmured, captivated by not only their speed, but
their agility. Unfamiliar with the Special Olympics before these
events, she didn’t know what to expect—but she surely didn’t expect
this! These kids were swimming clean and fast, and if she didn’t
know any better, she wouldn’t be able to tell they had disabilities
at all. She turned to Clay. “They’re really good, aren’t they?”

“They really are...” he confirmed, leading
her a few feet away from the young swimmers.

Absently she followed, watching the kids as
she walked. It wasn’t until they began tagging the wall that she
could detect a difference in their performance. Some came to a full
stop before pushing off the side to begin their lap back while
others slowed, their bodies drifting off-course as they turned to
head back down their lane.

“This group is swimming for the semi-final in
the fifty meter backstroke,” he informed.

She glanced up at the scoreboard. The time
clock was zipping through the seconds as it tracked the time. “And
Q?”

“He races again later this afternoon.”

“They’re really going at it,” she said,
marveling at their energy.

“They’re serious about these competitions, no
messing around. Now, how about you and me?”

She turned to him, but only partially. She
didn’t want to miss the final tap. “Huh?”

“You and me. Dinner?”

She dodged his question by zeroing in on the
race. People were jumping up and down as swimmers closed the final
stretch. Anticipation swelled as she watched to see who would hit
first.
Go, go
...she urged silently, rooting for whoever was
in the lead. She didn’t have anyone specific to cheer for—other
than a member of Q’s team—but at the moment, none of it mattered.
She was invested in the lead swimmer.

“How about dinner tonight?”

The horn blew and a slew of energy burst from
her. “Yes!”

“You will?”

“What?” She turned and instantly realized her
mistake. “No, er—I was talking about the swimmer,” she blurted.

“I’m talking about us,” he said softly. “Will
you have dinner with me tonight? It will give you a chance to make
up for yesterday.”

The announcer called out names and times and
she narrowed in on Clay. “I thought you said it wasn’t a
problem.”

“It won’t be.” He grinned. “If you have
dinner with me.”

His playful provocation was more than she
could resist. And she definitely enjoyed the man’s company.
What
harm would dinner be
? Then she remembered. “What about your
parents? Won’t they expect to have dinner with you?”

“Not when I tell them I’m taking the most
incredible woman to dinner, they won’t. They want their firstborn
to be happy, you know.”

“No, I don’t know,” she said, but couldn’t
help laughing at his precocious tease. “Oh, but they must be some
wonderful parents you have.”

“They are.”

Unequivocal yet tender, his reply gave her
pause. She pulled her shoulders back, cleared her throat and
considered his invitation. “Well, I guess there would be no harm in
dinner.”

“Are you worried about me harming you?”

“Not in so many words, but—”

“Too many words.” He touched a forefinger to
her lips.

The move lit fireworks through her
midsection.

“One word is all you need for this one.”

As Sydney was about to reply, she caught
sight of Javier as he entered the pool area. He was staring
directly at them. Even from here, the indictment in his eyes
registered.
You’re flirting with the customer
?

Chapter Ten

The breath was trapped in her chest. She knew
it looked bad, his finger on her lips.
Oh my God
—Clay’s
finger was on her lips! Sydney abruptly pulled away. She would have
excused herself at once if Javier weren’t so close. Damn it, why
did he have to see them together?

Confused, Clay turned to see him
approach.

Javier pasted a smile onto his lips and came
to a stop before them. “Sydney...” he said, allowing her name to
linger as he took them both in. He didn’t introduce himself to Clay
and instead, fixed her in the spotlight of his gaze. Apparently, he
thought she should do the honors.

“Clay, this is my boss, Javier Lopez,” she
said, lifting a hand between them. But feeling the slight tremor,
quickly dropped it to her side. “Javier, this is Clay Rutledge.
He’s one of the parents here for the events. Actually, he’s a
friend of Charlie’s.” She shoved her hands into her front pockets
and glanced between them.

Javier digested the connection and extended
his hand in welcome. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Clay returned.

“How are the events going?” Javier asked
him.

“Great.”

“I trust you’re being taken care of by
Sydney?”

“She’s been outstanding.”

Grateful for Clay’s lack of further
explanation, Sydney knew Javier wouldn’t dare push. Nor would he
mention the personal touch he most certainly witnessed. To speak of
it now would mar his reputation of cordial hospitality, though she
was certain she’d hear of it later. Javier never missed an
opportunity to feign jealousy in regard to potential male
interests, as though he still cared.

Clasping hands behind his back, Javier
continued, “Anything we can do to be of service and make your stay
in our fine city more enjoyable, you let us know, yes? My people
are here to be of service.”

Sydney felt the pinch.

Clay slid a sly smile her way and replied,
“You bet I will.”

Javier turned to her. “Sydney, have you made
it by the track yet?”

“It’s my next stop.”

“Good. Susana tells me they’re short on water
bottles. Call the supplier before you go, will you?” He glanced
sideways at Clay. “And please don’t make her wait.”

“I won’t,” she replied.

“We don’t want any of the athletes to go
thirsty, you know.”

“Not advisable,” Clay put in. “Hydration
teams need to be fully-stocked in order to serve.”

Javier smiled thinly at him. Sydney wondered
what was running through his brain at the moment, how much damage
the interaction caused, but she’d remain wanting. Her boss excused
himself without another word. If for no other reason, than he had
run out of reasons to stay.

Unhinging his gaze from Javier’s back, Clay
asked, “You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“I don’t think so.”

His features softened. “Last thing I want to
do is cause trouble for you.”

She snapped a glance toward Javier and
murmured, “I know.”

“Now, can we get back to our dinner?” He
grinned sheepishly. “Or does that count as trouble?”

Sydney hesitated. Under the circumstances,
was that really a good idea? “Are you sure you can leave Q?”

“He won’t miss me. During these national
competitions, the kids stay with their team and coaches. The
parents become sort of an appendage, at this point.”

She furrowed her brow.

He slid an encouraging smile her way and
said, “It’s actually a good thing. Think of it as Disney World for
adults. With so much of your normal life spent looking after your
child, this break is like a free-for-all as far as time goes. We’re
not needed. The kids don’t want us around because they’re having
too much fun with their friends, their team... They’re excited
about the events in general. Trust me when I tell you it’s a huge
weight off a parent’s shoulders to know that your kid is happy and
healthy and you have some time to yourself.” He shrugged. “It’s a
big deal.”

“I never thought of it that way.”

“You have no reason to.”

When Sydney’s eyes lowered, Clay touched her
forearm. “That’s not a bad thing, Sydney. It’s just reality. But
I’m still waiting on my answer for dinner.”

She peered at his hand on her arm and
wondered.
Would dinner cause her any trouble
?
Would
Javier care if he knew
?

Perhaps. A smile eased onto her lips and she
raised her gaze to meet Clay head on. But that was his problem.
“Dinner would be great.” And it would serve Javier right. There was
only one reason he had interrupted the two of them and it had
nothing to do with business. She glanced around the pool deck.
Swimmers passed by in groups, volunteers clustered near the stands,
assisting fans and families. Clay’s connection as a client was
minimal at best. There would be no reason a dinner date with him
would bring shame upon the reputation of JL Conventions. It wasn’t
like she was cavorting with someone from the Shriver family!

“Pick someplace quiet, will you?” The glimmer
of anticipation in his eyes unsettled her as he withdrew his
touch.

“Quiet?”

“While I don’t bite, I do like to savor my
company.”