Loving Her Read online

  Loving Her

  A Novel by CM Hutton

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 – Jen

  Chapter 2 – Rylan

  Chapter 3 – Jen

  Chapter 4 – Rylan

  Chapter 5 – Jen

  Chapter 6 – Rylan

  Chapter 7 – Jen

  Chapter 8 – Rylan

  Chapter 9 – Jen

  Chapter 10 – Rylan

  Chapter 11 – Jen

  Chapter 12 – Rylan

  Chapter 13 – Jen

  Chapter 14 – Rylan

  Chapter 15 – Jen

  Chapter 16 – Rylan

  Chapter 17 – Jen

  Chapter 18 – Rylan

  Chapter 19 – Jen

  Chapter 20 – Rylan

  Chapter 21 – Jen

  Chapter 22 – Rylan

  Chapter 23 – Jen

  Chapter 24 – Rylan

  Chapter 25 – Jen

  Chapter 26 – Rylan

  Chapter 27 – Jen

  Chapter 28 – Rylan

  For my family.

  Thank you for putting up with the long hours of typing, ignoring, thinking, sassing and general grumbling over the last few months. I love you!

  Chapter 1 – Jen

  I hated going to these stupid functions! Weird guys with slicked-back hair and way too much cologne on gave me the creeps. If it weren’t for my boss, I wouldn’t be here. But, when he asked me to come in his place while he was gone out of the country, I couldn’t say no. He’d never asked me to go to anything in his place, so I saw this as a positive sign that he was beginning to have confidence in me and my abilities. Hell, I’d only worked for the crazy bastard for six years! It was about time he recognized my strengths.

  I strolled into the swank hotel all decked out in my new black strapless dress and red Christian Louboutin heels. I loved these heels. They were a gift to myself for….something.

  I found my seat at a round table near the front of the room. This was a once a quarter dinner set up for all the execs at the top ad agencies in the San Diego area. I had been working for Sullivan & Jackson since finishing my masters in marketing. I’d done fairly well moving up in the company, so I guess I shouldn’t complain about the lack of recognition. I just never knew that Michael Camden noticed until today.

  I didn’t know anyone at the table, but I’d never had a problem socializing. I was getting a delicious meal, a few drinks and some much needed self-promoting this evening and I planned to enjoy every moment.

  I noticed him walking toward my table with his impassive face and stiff body language. I was hoping he would pass on by because as good looking as he was, he looked like a total ass and I didn’t want to be stuck with a pompous jerk for the evening. But, as luck would have it, he sat down directly across from me with barely a nod of acknowledgement. Wow, how did this guy get a job in marketing? What does he sell….sticks to shove up assholes? I nearly laughed out loud. Nice one, Jen! I silently patted myself on the back.

  I was about to introduce myself when a two more men walked up to the table and found their chairs. One smiled the cheesiest smile and said, “You must be Michael’s girl.”

  “Excuse me?” Did he really just say that?

  “Sorry, I meant that in the best way.” He laughed nervously. “I’m Jim Davis. Michael and I have been friends for years….went to college together. He phoned today to say you were coming here tonight in his place. Asked me to stick close by and make sure you were doing okay.” Hmm

  “Well, then hello. I’m Jen Bailey and yes, I work for Michael. Unfortunately, he didn’t mention you or anyone that would be sitting at the table with me.” I stuck my hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, Jim. And, thank you for the help.” I really did appreciate the fact that Michael thought about whether I might feel out of place and need a little coaching. Not that I’d admit it to him or anyone else, but I was a little out of my element at this ‘Good Ole Boy’ gathering.

  The man next to Jim stuck his hand out and said, “Hi, Jen. I’m Sam Hartford.” I extended my hand and shook Sam’s. Through this whole exchange, asshat just sat there across from us not saying a word. He just stared back and forth between the three of us.

  I finally got up the courage to say something. “And you are…..?” I leaned in a bit, waiting for the hottie with the attitude to answer. He looked to be close to my age…maybe a few years older; somewhere around thirty.

  “Rylan Daniels.” And, that was it. I got nothing else. He didn’t stand to shake anyone’s hand and he didn’t offer any more information. I just nodded my head, glanced at Jim, who shrugged his shoulders, and sat back down in my seat. Time to move on. My life was too short for any more assholes to take up residence in my head.

  As the evening started, I enjoyed really great conversations with all the people at my table. Thankfully, two more women showed up, so I wasn’t the only girl amongst these men. Apparently, Michael had phone these ladies too and asked them to show me around. I was beginning to really appreciate the fact that he wanted me to be comfortable tonight in his place. Maybe I misjudged the man.

  By the time dessert was being served, our table was nothing but a loud bunch of laughing fools…except for one. Rylan Daniels just sat quietly, watching all of us snort and laugh over just about everything. For a while, I forgot he was even sitting there. Well, not really. I could feel him staring at all of us, especially me. Maybe he thought I was sleeping my way to the top or something, but I tried to just ignore him and have fun. Who knew if I would ever be invited back to this thing.

  As the last of our food was being cleared, some of the men started talking business, which I was more than happy to not engage in. I had no place spouting off crap in this group of execs. I didn’t want to look like a fool….especially since I’d had a few glasses of wine.

  “Shall we excuse ourselves and go to the ladies room?” Ah, my escape plan….the bathroom. Thankfully, the lovely lady to my far left suggested it first. Ellen, I believe was her name, looked to be about fifty and was friendly and hilarious.

  “Yes, let’s head that way. Thank you.” I was trying not to act like I was nervous about the ongoing conversation at our table.

  “So, Jen. How long have you worked for Michael?” Ellen asked.

  “About six years.” I answered.

  “Wow, and he’s just now showing you off to the other execs? He’s a dirty little bastard for hiding you away. Maybe he thought one of us would snatch you up…take you right out from under his nose.” Ellen laughed and patted my arm.

  “Oh, I’m not so sure about that. Maybe he wasn’t so confident about my abilities.” Loose lips Lucille here needed to slow down on the wine.

  “I know Michael very well. We worked together for years at Williams Advertising until I left the company and started my own agency. He likes to hide his talent away.” Really. Interesting.

  “Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect here tonight, but I’ve had an amazing time getting to know all of you.” All true.

  “Same here. And, I will be keeping touch with you, Jen.” She winked and it made me laugh.

  “So, can I ask….what’s with Rylan Daniels?” I had to know.

  “He’s a quiet one for sure, but an incredible Marketing Director for Redman, Daniels & Smith. Not sure of the story there. He just kept to himself. He started coming to these events a few years ago, but never really says much unless it’s related to business. His grandfather is the ‘Daniels’ in the firm…one of the founders. What I hear is that he didn’t want to be a part of the family firm and actually moved to New York after college and worked for another firm there. So, I’m not sure what brought him back to San Diego.” Ellen stopped to put on lipstick then continued. “He’s a nice enough guy, just se
ems to have no personality or doesn’t care to show it. Whichever it is, he doesn’t put the effort forth to be friendly, so neither do I.”

  Well, there you go. He’s either a real dud or an unfeeling asshole.

  “Come on, Jen. The dancing is about to start!” Ellen laughed and began pulling me out of the bathroom.

  “Wait! What? Oh, hell!” Ellen turned to look at me and nearly tripped over herself with laughter. Things just kept getting stranger and stranger, but it sure had been a fun evening.

  We made our way back to the table and saw all the men with some sort of dark drink in their hands, a port maybe. The other woman at our table had left us and were mingling amongst the other tables.

  “Would you care for an after dinner drink, ma’am?” Freakin’ waiter came out of nowhere.

  “No, thank you. I’m just fine.” I would have loved one, but I needed to keep my good reputation with these people. I could always have another glass of wine when I got home.

  I noticed that Rylan Daniels was no longer at our table. Maybe he’d left for the night. We must have been too much for him to handle. I smiled to myself.

  Music started up and people were making their way to the dance floor. Where did that band come from and how did I miss seeing the dance floor?

  I took my seat and watched the others move away. I wasn’t about to get up and ‘cut a rug’ in front of these people. They all knew each other well enough to make fools of themselves, but I knew no one and certainly knew better than to get on that dance floor.

  I sat for several minutes, alone at the table when I felt someone walk up and stand behind me. I made a slow turn to see none other than Rylan Daniels standing directly behind my chair. We just stared at each other for several long seconds.

  “You’re not dancing?” What the hell? He was actually speaking to me?

  “Um, no,” I said in a slow, sarcastic tone.

  “Would you like to?” Was he really asking me to dance or just messing with me?

  “Are you asking me to dance with you or just curious about my abilities?” I had no idea what he was wanting.

  A small huff of a laugh came from the vicinity of his mouth. “I was asking if you would like to dance…with me.” His words came out so quiet that I almost didn’t hear them.

  Oh. My ears picked up the song that was playing and I realized it was rather slow. “Um, okay. Sure, let’s dance.” I had this odd feeling like that took a lot for him to ask me and I didn’t want to make him feel bad… truthfully, I didn’t care to dance at all….with anyone.

  He held his hand out and I took it. He led us to the dance floor and carefully turned to position us facing each other. He was so meticulous in his movements and placements that it was almost mechanical, like he was a dance instructor. The thoughts that ran through my head were insanely hilarious.

  We began to move to the music. It was a really beautiful melody that I couldn’t place. He was a really good dancer, but didn’t seem to enjoy it at all. It made me even more curious about the man.

  I leaned away from him slightly and looked up into his face. I noticed his beautiful gray eyes staring down at me, so I went for it and asked my question.

  “Rylan? You don’t seem to be having any fun with any of this, so why did you come?” I waved my arm around the room as I asked the question.

  He stiffened. “Obligation.” Well, now that was just super. Yippee for me! I get to dance with a gorgeous hunk of a man that is about as dull and boring as wet paper towel.

  I shrugged a little and said, “Well, that’s an answer, I guess.” I didn’t have anything else to say. We finished the song and I quietly said ‘thank you’ and walked away leaving him standing there.

  It was getting late and I needed to catch a cab home. I made my rounds and said all my ‘good-byes’ and ‘thank yous’ to everyone I’d met. I didn’t see Rylan Daniels the rest of the evening and I was glad about it. He was just a strange man and as much as I liked a little challenge and as curious as I was about him, there was no way I needed to spend any more time thinking about the man.

  I walked out of the hotel and found a cab waiting. I climbed inside and was announcing my address with the door opened and someone else slid into the back seat with me.

  Shocked, I turned to tell the intruder to get their own damn cab, only to see him in the seat next to me.

  “Um, this cab is occupied, Mr. Daniels.” I was pissed.

  “I know. May I share it with you? I saw you leaving by yourself and wanted to make sure you got home okay.” He was looking at me funny, almost like he was embarrassed or uncomfortable.

  “I can make it home just fine. Now, if you don’t mind…..”

  “Jen….may I call you ‘Jen?’ I would like to share the cab with you, please.” I looked at him for a few seconds.

  “Fine, but I’m being dropped off LAST! I’m not comfortable with you knowing where I live.” He just stared at me then nodded his head. “And, yes. You may call me Jen if I can call you Rylan.”

  “Yes, of course.” He sat back in the seat and shut the door. The cab driver was glaring at us through his rearview mirror during the whole exchange.

  I handed the cabbie my address typed in on my phone, but reminded him to drop Rylan off first. Rylan, of course, just rattled off his address out loud and then stared straight ahead. Neither of us said a word the whole ride.

  As we pulled in front of Rylan’s beachfront home, he handed the cabbie a large number of bills and said, “Her fare is on me. Make sure she gets inside before you leave her.” What?

  “Uh, Rylan? I can pay for my own damn cab ride. Take your money back.”

  “NO! It’s my treat for letting me share the cab. Good night, Jen Bailey. It was nice to meet you.” He shut the door and walked away before I could say anything else and the cab driver sped off toward my condo.

  What a bizarre night. I needed a hot bath, another glass of wine and a good book to unwind from it.

  Chapter 2 – Rylan

  She was incredibly beautiful. I hadn’t seen her at any of the dinners before. When I found her sitting at the same table and she looked straight at me, I froze not knowing what to say. Thankfully, some of the awkwardness went away as soon as Jim showed up and began his inquisition, taking her focus off me.

  I listened intently all evening to learn more about her. What I learned was that she worked for a rival ad agency and had impeccable people skills. She didn’t skip a beat keeping up with all the macho crap at our table and I was pretty impressed.

  She looked close to my age and judging by her conversation with Jim Davis, she was well educated and worked hard. Knowing Michael like I did, he’d obviously seen her talent and respected her abilities enough to send her in here with all these sharks.

  I sat quietly most of the night, as usual. I rarely saw the need in mindless, meaningless conversation anymore. It served no purpose to me, even though I did enjoy listening to it. It occupied my mind and kept me focused on the present…on life.

  At some point during all the table talk, I slipped away to go walk around the room. I needed to move a bit and appear interested in everyone else. I made a few short stops at other tables to shake hands and say hello, but I found myself continuing to glance back at her as I mingled. There was something about Jen Bailey that had my attention and it was unnerving and not welcomed.

  I watched as she laughed and seemed to have fun. She disappeared with Ellen for a little while only to reappear looking refreshed and even more beautiful than before. I couldn’t stop myself from moving back toward the table when I saw she was the only one sitting there as the rest took to the dance floor.

  I forced myself to ignore the boulder crushing my chest and go to her and ask her to dance. I told myself it was because I didn’t want her sitting alone at the table, but I wasn’t sure that was the truth.

  Surprisingly, she agreed to dance with me. I felt the need to pull her closer to me, but withheld the urge. She smelled as good as she looke
d and my mind was a jumbled mess. I was barely getting my emotions under control when Jen leaned back, stared in my eyes and ask me why I was there. I curtly gave her an answer because I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Her big, beautiful blue eyes were mesmerizing and I felt my whole body become rigid. Before I could say anything else, the song was over and Jen was thanking me and slipping away.

  I stood there in shock for what felt like hours as I watched her grab her things and head toward the front doors of the hotel. I had to say something else to her.

  I followed and barely made it to her cab as she was climbing in. I needed a few more minutes with her, but after convincing her to let me share the cab, I was at a loss for what to say.

  We just rode in silence until we reached my house and then I watched as the cab drove away with Jen Bailey.

  Chapter 3 – Jen

  I slept in the next morning, enjoying the fact that it was Saturday. I stretched my body and felt all my muscles wake up. I needed to drag my ass out of bed and go for a swim. Saturdays were my days to either swim for a few hours or take a long run. Today was swimming for me.

  I looked over to the window and noticed my black dress draped across the chair and was immediately taken back to the odd events of my previous evening and Rylan Daniels. As quiet as he was, he certainly made an impression on me…..not sure what kind of impression, but one that had my brain buzzing with curiosity.

  I made my way to the kitchen, made coffee and sat to read for a bit. I loved reading, but had limited chances to do it. At the moment, though, I was having a bit of trouble focusing on my book. I needed to get going and burn up some energy.

  I ate a little breakfast and packed a bag to head to the gym to do some laps. On the drive over, I remembered the stupid date I was supposed to go on that evening and it put a damper on my whole day. UGH!

  This was some guy my best friend had begged me to go out with. She and her husband were constantly trying to set me up with this guy or that guy. They’d been together since our freshman year of college and married shortly after we graduated and were one of those sickening couples that actually liked spending a lot of time together.