Ringing in Love (18 page)

Even after they were ostensibly finished with their dinner, Catherine picked pieces of tomato from what was left in the salad bowl, finished the crusts of bread on her plate, took another forkful of the pasta from the serving bowl.

“I can send some of the pasta home with you in a take-out box, if you'd like,” he said.

She blushed and put her fork down on her plate. “I'm not displaying very good table manners, am I? My mother taught me better, I swear. But it's so good I can't resist.”

“I'm not complaining. I'm flattered.”

“Do you cater? I can think of a whole lot of nights when having someone make this for Noah and me would be heaven.”

“Maybe that's what I'll do when I retire—start a catering service for busy single moms. You'll be the first to know if I do.” He reached across the table to her and took her hand. “But for the time being, let's go into the living room. I have a nice brandy there that'll settle our meal. Then we can think about dessert.”

“You made dessert, too?”

“I thought we'd be dessert. Together. Assuming I can keep you in my bed and out of my closet.”

• • •

The smell of coffee woke Catherine the next morning. She opened her eyes to a mug a few inches away from her nose held by Dominic, who was sitting on the side of the bed wrapped in a bath towel.

“Good morning,” he said. “Do you usually sleep in this late on Sunday?”

“What time is it?”

“Nine thirty.”

“You're joking. It's been years since I slept that late.”

His smirk was back, but she didn't mind it so much this morning. “Must have tired you out last night.”

“More likely it was the night before when I was up half the night wondering what you would say to me after the fiasco at the Academy.”

“I like my version of it better.” He held the mug of coffee just out of her reach.

“Is that for me?” she asked, licking her lips.

“It is after I get a kiss good morning.”

“I need coffee right away in the morning or I'm not fit company.” She grabbed the mug from him and emptied half of it in a few gulps. Then she placed it on the bedside table, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Good morning, Dominic.”

“Better.” He ducked his head and gave her another quick kiss.

Slipping from his embrace she said, “It's so late, maybe I should take a quick shower and get out of your way.”

The frown on his face made her unexpectedly happy. “Leave? I promised you breakfast. And Noah isn't home. What's the rush?”

“I don't want to overstay my welcome.”

“That isn't possible,
cara
. Stay until you have to be home for him. I'd like to spend the day with you. Maybe have lunch at a little restaurant I know.”

“Another one in Jersey?”

“No, this one is close to the old neighborhood where your mom lives. I bet you know it—Trattoria Tuscano.”

“I do, but their Bolognese isn't as good as yours.”

He laughed. “Thanks. But their
linguini con vongole
is better.”

“If I keep eating meals with you, I'm going to have to rejoin the gym.”

This time when he kissed her, his intent was much more serious. “I have a better way to work off the calories.”

• • •

It was noon before they ate breakfast—or lunch—or brunch. Whatever the meal was called, it was delicious—fritattas with tomatoes, onions, and Parmesan cheese, fresh cantaloupe, and orange juice. They were lingering over coffee, and Catherine was on the verge of suggesting they clean up the dishes so she could go home, when Dominic sat up straight in his chair, leaned into the table, and said, “Could we break our ‘no business rule' and talk business for just a few minutes?”

“Why not? We've broken it almost every time we've been together. What should we talk about this time?”

“Did you get the request for proposals from the Rittenauer Foundation?”

She was puzzled. That was not the subject she thought he'd raise. “A month or so ago. I think every communications firm in the city got the RFP. Why?”

“Are you going to submit a proposal?”

She sat back in her chair, ran her fingers through her hair, and sighed. “I wish. It's the biggest piece of work I've ever seen, and a five-year contract with them would be a huge break for my firm. But I don't have either the right staff or enough of the staff I do have to get the work done.”

“You sub out your graphics work, don't you?”

Warily she said, “Yes. Usually. Why are you asking all these questions?”

Without answering her question, he asked another. “Have you ever jointly proposed on a big project with another communications firm?”

“No. We've included freelance copywriters or small graphics firms in a bunch of proposals but not with another firm like ours. What's this all about, Dominic?”

“It's about our two firms working together on a joint proposal for the Rittenauer Foundation work. Interested?”

“Jesus. Why?”

“Are you asking him or are you asking me?”

“I don't think Christ deals in petty things like joint RFPs. I'm asking you. Why would you even consider working with us when you've done work for the Foundation in the past and should have no trouble getting them to take you seriously?”

He paused for a moment, as if trying to decide if he'd continue, then said, “Not to compound my clichés but this requires a leap of faith here while I put all my cards on the table.” After he resettled himself in the chair he began. “About a month before the RFP came out, I ran into Dick Rittenauer at an event. He was talking about what they were about to release. I was interested, of course. And he was excited. Said they were looking for a fresh approach to communicating with their publics, a rebranding, essentially. The board thinks they're perceived as out of touch, old-fashioned. He specifically mentioned the need for environmental and social considerations in everything they're doing, from the projects they fund to the way they run their business. He made it clear he didn't think the ‘old established firms' would be able to come up with something that would, as he put it ‘hit him between the eyes.' It was obvious he meant us.”

“Oh. That's a bitch.”

“It certainly is. So when I got the RFP, I debated about responding because I was afraid it was a waste of time. I put off making a decision until yesterday, when I went through it again. And I got thinking. What if the firm best known for socially responsible marketing teamed up with the firm with the deepest technical staff and proposed something to hit Mr. Rittenauer where he wants to be hit?” He sat back in his chair and watched her intently.

Catherine didn't know what to say.
He
had taken a leap of faith? Wasn't he asking her to take an even bigger one? Finally she said, “So, you get access to the brains and heart of my office and I get your graphics staff? Not sure that's exactly a fair trade.”

He smiled. “I knew you'd come back with something like that. What I get is a chance—a chance, mind you—to win part of a huge contract because of your young, talented staff. What you get is financial management of the contract—which you don't like doing—a graphics staff, some pretty talented writers and editors even if they do work for me, and a group of people who know the Foundation like they know their own grandparents. I don't think either of us ends up with the fuzzy end of the lollypop.”

Her mind was reeling, trying to sort out the offer, his reason for making it, what it meant for her and her company. Just thinking about it made her hyperventilate. “What does Edie think about this idea?”

“Haven't talked to her yet. Like I said, the idea just came to me yesterday. And I wanted to know if you were interested before I brought it up with her.”

Catherine took a deep breath to get oxygen to her brain. “It's hard to get my head around the idea, and I can't give you an answer until I talk to my staff but …” She paused for a few moments before joining him in the leap. “Okay, I'll talk to them tomorrow.”

“Good. I hoped you'd say that. I think we could do something very special together.”

A terrible thought wormed its way to the forefront of her mind and made her frown. “I don't suppose there's any connection between …?” She waved her hand as if to include the dishes in front of them, the room, and everything else from the past twenty-four hours.

“Between making love with you and my idea about the Rittenauer proposal? What do you think?

“I'm not sure what to think. That's why I'm asking.”

His laugh wasn't particularly humorous. “So, to your list of my lesser qualities—ruthless businessman, player, dastardly egomaniac, and smooth operator—I can now add prostitute as what you think of me?”

“Oh, dear God, is that what I just said?”

“Pretty damn close.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything like that. My brain is just scrambled. First you blow me away with your lovemaking, then you hand me the chance to make my business almost as successful as yours. I'm not sure how to process it.”

“I like the part about blowing you away with my lovemaking. In fact, I like that even better than the chance to pitch the Rittenauer Foundation for a big contract. So, if I have to make a choice, I'll pick you in my bed. If you're concerned about my motives, don't take the idea any further. And if you ask your staff and they turn it down, it won't change my wanting you.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “I hesitated to ask you now because I was afraid you'd blend the two events together. The only reason I did was that when I was going through the RFP, it was obvious the clock's ticking. We've burned a lot of weeks doing nothing, and we need to get to work on it.”

“When's it due? I don't remember.”

“Right before Christmas. Whoever wins the contract is going to get one hell of a New Year's present.”

• • •

Catherine got home just in time for her son to arrive back from his weekend with his dad. Noah politely introduced Dominic to his father and enthusiastically talked about the soccer game he'd played on Saturday. Everyone was cordial and pleasant, with Noah keeping the conversation going until Dominic and Andy left.

Which was a good thing because Catherine was still in a fog about the offer Dominic had made. She was sure her staff would jump at the chance to work with The Russo Group. She was tempted by the offer, of course, but worried that the way it had come about was questionable. Finally, she decided to take Dominic at his word and believe that his attention to her and the chance to work together weren't linked in any way.

She hoped.

On Monday, her intuition about her staff was confirmed. To say they were excited about working with The Russo Group would be to badly underestimate their eagerness. When Catherine asked who'd like to be on the team to develop ideas for the proposal, there were so many qualified volunteers she had a hard time selecting from among them.

She heard from Dominic it did not go so well in his office. Edie was adamantly opposed to the idea and put up a loud and long argument, saying they didn't need help coming up with as many good ideas as Bennett and Associates would. However, the rest of his staff agreed with Dominic. They were enthusiastic about working with the firm identified as innovators in their field. Edie eventually gave in to the pressure of the rest of the staff but turned down Dominic's offer for her to head up the Russo Group team. The rest of his staff fought to be on the project team, as Catherine's people had.

The die was cast. The Russo/Bennett team began to work on the proposal.

Fall had arrived and with it cooler weather and the start of school and soccer for Noah. Because he was doing so well with the Kid-2-Kid program, Catherine lightened up on the rules enough for him to go to a Halloween party with his friends. Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Dominic spent time with the Alessandro family, Catherine and Noah with the Russo family. It was getting more difficult with each passing week for Catherine to avoid facing Dominic's growing presence in her life. But what the relationship was, exactly, she couldn't say, although the enthusiastic acceptance from both their families of their being together, and the plans Dominic was making for them over the holiday season, would seem to indicate it was more than just casual dating. For the first time since her divorce, it appeared that Catherine had not only someone to accompany her to holiday events, but also a date for New Year's Eve. It was her favorite day in the holiday season, when anything seemed possible with the fresh start of a new year. And this New Year's Eve promised to be spectacular. Dominic had asked her to go with him to a black tie party at the new Barnes Foundation building on the Parkway.

Her fears that he was spending time with her for business reasons got lost in a flurry of dinners, social events, and the occasional weekend together throughout the fall. They were the talk of the building, according to Melody. Catherine asked Mel to keep the gossip to a dull roar, insisting it was still just a fling, even though neither she nor Dominic saw anyone else socially. In spite of his monogamous behavior, however, he never talked about how he felt. Not that she did, either, although she had a growing level of trust that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

To avoid trying to figure it out, Catherine did what she'd always done for distraction—she threw herself into her business, planning to worry about Dominic after the first of the year.

It wasn't hard to do. The Rittenauer Foundation proposal deadline was fast approaching, and the work was intense. The team from Bennett and Associates and the team from The Russo Group spent so much time together they were beginning to finish each other's sentences. No one had to ask what the daily coffee order would be. Everyone knew what every other person ate for lunch. Not to mention the details of their love life and the gossip from both offices.