than dwell on it, she returned to her work, but was interrupted minutes later. Her door opened and she looked up, expecting to see Alex again. She stared wordlessly at the man in the doorway.
Overnight she’d decided it was a passing attraction she’d felt towards Lucas Ryecart. Only it hadn’t yet. Passed, that was. Dressed in black jeans, white shirt and dark glasses, he was just as devastating.
‘How’s the tooth?’ he asked.
‘The tooth?’ she repeated stupidly.
‘Gone but not forgotten?’ he suggested.
The tooth. Tory clicked. She’d have to acquire a better memory if she were going to take up lying to this man.
‘It’s fine,’ she assured. ‘Actually, I had forgotten all about it.’
‘Good.’ His eyes ran over her, making her feel her T-shirt outlined her body too clearly. ‘You didn’t have to come in. How do you usually spend your Saturdays?’
The same way, Tory could have admitted, but somehow she didn’t think he’d be impressed, even if he now owned most of Eastwich. More like he’d think she had nothing better to do with her time.
‘It varies.’ She shrugged noncommittally, then glanced down at her work, as if anxious to get on with it.
He noted the gesture, and switched to asking, ‘Has Simpson gone?’
‘Simpson?’ Tory stalled.
‘Alex Simpson.’ He leaned on the doorframe, eyes inscrutable behind the dark glasses. ‘At least I assume it was Simpson and not some passing bum, making himself at home in his office.’
‘Alex was here, yes,’ she confirmed and went on inventively, ‘He came in to catch up on his paperwork.’
‘He was catching up on some sleep when I saw him,’ countered Ryecart.
‘Really?’ Tory faked surprise quite well. ‘He did say he’d been in very early. Perhaps he nodded off without realising.’
‘Slept it off, is my guess,’ the American drawled back, and, pushing away from the door, crossed to sit on the edge of her desk. He removed the glasses and appraised her for a moment or two before adding, ‘Are you two an item? Is that it?’
‘An item?’ Tory was slow on the uptake.
‘You and Simpson, are you romantically involved?’ He spelt out his meaning.
‘No, of course not!’ Tory denied most vehemently.
It had little impact, as the American smiled at her flash of temper. ‘No need to go nuclear. I was only asking. I hear Simpson has something of a reputation with women,’ he remarked, getting Tory’s back up further.
‘And from that you concluded that he and I…that we are…’ She was unwilling to put it into words.
He did it for her. ‘Lovers?’
Tory found herself blushing. He had that effect.
He studied her, as if she were an interesting species, and her blush deepened. ‘I didn’t think women did that any more.’
‘Possibly not the women you know,’ Tory shot back before she could stop herself.
He understood the insult. He could easily have sacked her for it. Instead he laughed.
‘True,’ he conceded. ‘I tend to prefer the more experienced kind. Less hassle. Lower expectations. And fewer recriminations at the end…Still, who knows? I could be reformed.’
And pigs might fly, Tory thought as she wondered if he was flirting with her or just making fun.
‘What about you?’ he said with the same lazy smile.
‘Me?’ she asked. ‘Oh, I prefer the invisible kind. Much less hassle. Zero expectations. And absolutely no recriminations.’
It took the American an instant to interpret. ‘You don’t date?’
‘I don’t date,’ Tory repeated but without his tone of disbelief, ‘and I don’t need reforming, either.’
He looked puzzled rather than annoyed, his eyes doubting her seriousness.
‘Is that a targeted response,’ he finally asked, ‘or a general declaration of intent?’
‘Come again?’ Tory squinted at him.
‘Are you just telling me to take a hike,’ he translated, ‘or are all men off the agenda?’
Tory debated how much she wanted to keep her job. Just enough to show some restraint, she decided, so she said nothing. Her eyes, however, said much more.
‘Me, I guess,’ he concluded with a confidence barely dented. ‘Well, never mind, I can live in hope.’
He was laughing at her. He had to be. He wasn’t really interested in her. It was all a joke to him.
He straightened from the edge of her desk, saying, ‘Would you have some idea how I might contact Simpson? ‘
‘I…I’m not sure.’ Having denied any relationship with Alex, Tory could hardly reveal the fact he was holed up at her place. ‘I might be able to get a message to him.’
‘Fine. I’ve asked all senior department heads to meet me, nine a.m. Monday, for a briefing,’ he explained. ‘It would be advisable for Simpson to attend.’
Tory nodded. ‘I’ll tell him…I mean, if I get hold of him,’ she qualified, anxious to dispel the notion she and Alex had anything other than a business relationship.
‘Well, if you can’t, don’t worry about it,’ he ran on. ‘It’s Simpson’s problem if he can’t give Personnel a current telephone number.’
Tory frowned. ‘But you saw him this morning.’
‘So why didn’t I wake him up?’ he asked the question that was clearly in her mind. ‘Let’s just say I thought the morning after wouldn’t be the best time to meet a new boss. What do you think?’
Tory thought that remarkably fair of the American—to give Alex the chance to redeem himself. Of course, he might simply prefer to sack him when he was stone-cold sober.
‘Alex is a very good programme-maker,’ she declared staunchly. ‘He won a BAFTA three years ago.’
‘Simpson was a very good programme-maker,’ Lucas Ryecart corrected her, ‘and, in this business, you’re only as good as your last show. Simpson should know that.’
Tory said nothing. Speaking up for Alex had cut no ice with this man.
He also suspected her motives. ‘Why so concerned about Simpson? If he goes, it might do your own career some good.’
‘I doubt it.’ Tory wondered who he was trying to fool. ‘Simon is more experienced than me.’
He frowned, making the connection only when she glanced towards the second desk in the room. ‘More willing to promote his cause, too, as I recall. Is he the reason you’re loyal to Simpson?’
‘Sorry?’
‘You don’t want to work for this Simon guy?’
No, Tory certainly didn’t, but she didn’t want to do Simon down either.
‘You’re not homophobic, are you?’ he surmised at her uneasy silence.
‘What?’ Tory was startled by his directness.
‘Homophobic,’ he repeated, ‘Anti-gay, against homo—’
‘I know what it means!’ Tory cut in angrily, and, forgetting—or, at least, no longer caring—who he was, informed him, ‘It might be hard for an American to understand, but reticence isn’t always an indication