work done this week,’ Freya said. ‘It was all fine.’ His expression was still grim and she was starting to get annoyed. ‘I can go and get my computer if you don’t believe me.’ Her voice was rising. ‘It was a torn condom, for God’s sake.’
Accidents happened!
Just never to her.
Freya made sure of it.
She sat up, not liking all she had told him.
This man knew more about her than she’d told anyone and it was getting harder and harder to look him in the eye.
Zack sat up, knowing he hadn’t handled that well. He tried to improve the sudden drop in atmosphere. ‘Let’s get some breakfast...’ He’d made her feel bad and that hadn’t been his intention, but in his line of work Zack had to be sure.
The snooze alarm went off and he swiped it and then picked up the hotel phone and ordered breakfast for two.
‘Coffee?’ he checked.
Freya shook her head. ‘I’ll have a green tea.’
He ordered and then climbed from the bed. ‘I’ll just have a shower...’ Zack said, and threw her one of the robes. ‘In case breakfast arrives while I’m in there.’
He turned on the cold tap and, apart from the issue that needed to be discussed, Zack felt amazing. So much so that he was considering not just explaining that his career was the reason he needed more information but breaking their game and finding out names.
Seeing her again.
Freya.
Just as he’d predicted it would, overnight her name had come to him.
It couldn’t be!
Zack turned off the shower and stepped into the bedroom, and saw that she had gone. The robe lay on the bed and her clothes and shoes were gone, and Zack let out a breath for his poor handling of things. He went into his laptop and pulled up the glossy brochure that had been sent along with the forms he’d had to fill in.
There was a photograph of the luxurious Hollywood Hills Medical Center, where he was to be interviewed this morning. He scrolled through several photographs of the doctors and nurses who practised there but Zack bypassed them and went to the section near the end.
He had already looked her up.
A few flirty emails had had him curious as to what Freya Rothsberg looked like.
Zack looked at the photo and remembered being in Nepal and checking out who the woman at the end of the emails was. It was a head shot and her long hair was blonde and straight in this image, unlike the curly brunette of last night. Here it was sleek and worn up and her make-up was neutral and she was wearing a dark grey dress with a high neck and capped sleeves.
She looked corporate and elegant and almost unrecognisable from the sultry beauty of last night.
Still, it explained better to Zack why they’d ignited on sight—for a couple of weeks up till Christmas they’d been flirting!
ZACK READ THROUGH their email exchanges in the taxi on the way to The Hills.
At first it had been a semi-formal ‘Dear Zackary’ type of exchange.
Zack had been head-hunted by James Rothsberg and he’d had some questions about the charitable side of things so James had flicked over to Freya some of the questions that he had raised.
From: [email protected]
Dear Zackary,
James has passed your concerns on to me and I hope I can address them.
For some time The Hollywood Hills has been looking into a suitable charity to partner and support.
The highly regarded Bright Hope Clinic was chosen. The clinic treats underprivileged children and is situated in the south of LA, where its services are desperately needed in the densely populated area. As a result their facilities and equipment are severely stretched.
The partnership of the Bright Hope Clinic with The Hollywood Hills aims to increase the number and scope of cases that can be treated. We are lucky to have world-class facilities and can also allow for easy transfer of emergency or overseas patients using the Hills’ helicopter or ambulance transport system. The Bright Hope Clinic in South LA will still run as usual, with cases requiring more complex care being referred to the Bright Hope at The Hollywood Hills.
Sincerely,
Freya Rothsberg
Public Relations Consultant
From: [email protected]
All good. I’ll take a look into the Bright Hope Clinic and get back to you with any questions.
Zack
From: [email protected]
Dear Zackary,
I have attached some further information on the Bright Hope Clinic as well as the names of some contacts I have there, who would be happy to answer any of your questions.
Sincerely,
Freya Rothsberg
From: [email protected]
Zack!
Please can you email the forms and brochures on The Hills, the postal service is a bit slow in Nepal. Also, I note that you have the same surname as James and wondered if The Hills is a family-led clinic?
Zack loathed the politics of work and the thought of butting up against husband and wife with their own agendas held no appeal.
From: [email protected]
Dear Zack!
Please find attached the brochure that will better explain the clinic structure.
To address your concern—James is my brother. So, no, there aren’t twenty Rothsbergs or husband-and-wife teams :-)
Freya!
He grinned that she’d read between the lines and understood his concerns.
From: [email protected]
Good to know!
Zack!
Flicking through the brochure, he had smiled again when he’d seen who he was dealing with and on a rather long night in Nepal he’d responded again.
From: [email protected]
I meant good to know that there aren’t hundreds of you, as opposed to your marital status.
Zack!
He’d regretted sending it, because Zack never flirted or got involved with anyone at work, but it had been such a subtle flirt that she probably hadn’t got it.
Two days had passed and he’d actually forgotten when her response had come back.
Oh, she’d got it.
From: [email protected]
Zack!
Is there a question mark missing in the previous