In Too Close

Elizabeth. That one kiss had been way too long ago. A part of him wondered if he’d imagined how good it had been. Her taste had been so unique and so right. He’d kissed other women since then but they’d all left him wanting.

“Not that its any of your business, nosy,” Bradley said, “but it’s for Elizabeth. She’s just been promoted to the general manager of the Lars Usten Lodge.”

Carter whistled. “Impressive. That place is first class all the way. They still aren’t as boarder friendly as I’d like them to be, though.”

“Actually, it is now. I have a contract to provide all equipment for ski rental there.” Holding his cup of steaming espresso in one hand and his briefcase in the other, Bradley led the way to the conference room. “But I think you are here to discuss something else.”

“Yes, I am. I want to put together a group of exhibition events similar to the Thunderbolt Energy Games and I need some sponsors to do it,” Carter told him. “I’d like Fresh Sno to be a major participant.”

“Would we do it here in Park City?” Bradley asked as the two of them entered the conference room and took a seat at a long, narrow table. Already he was weighing the pros and cons. He liked community events but his company wasn’t big enough to give too much to charity without it affecting the bottom line. “Why would we need to do another Thunderbolt Energy Games thing?”

“I want to combine it with kids who aren’t already at the top, the ones who haven’t been exposed to good equipment and teachers. Part of it is to use my reputation to give back to the community that nurtured me.”

“I like it,” Bradley said, the wheels already turning in his head. “I bet we can get some of the resorts in the area to kick in as venues. What do you think?”

“Great idea. I grew up here and I know how hard it can be to get your start if you don’t have money. I want the kids who are out there using secondhand boards and skis to have a place to compete and maybe win some new gear. I want to make things easier—”

“I get it,” Bradley acknowledged with a smile. “Give them the shot that you wish someone had given you.”

“Exactly, dude. I know that I could convince my Thunderbolt Energy Drink sponsor to stop here on their tour but I want some events that aren’t part of that.”

“So are you thinking this would run concurrently?” Bradley asked. “I don’t know how that would work.”

“Actually, I’d rather it was a separate event. Use the publicity from the Thunderbolt Energy Games to generate some word of mouth for our Park City games. Or Fresh Sno...I don’t know what else we could call it.”

“How about Fresh Faces?” Bradley suggested. “I’ll ask my marketing guru to get on it.”

“I’m going to be traveling the next two weeks but then will be back in Park City the week before Thanksgiving. My mom would kill me if I missed the holiday.”

“Moms are like that,” Bradley said, because he knew that was what was expected.

“Yeah, but mine’s the best, so I don’t mind it.”

“We can meet that week and I’ll let you know what I’ve come up with. When are you thinking of having this event? I believe that the Thunderbolt Energy Games are going to be in town in January.”

“They are, so I was thinking next November. That gives us a year to talk it up and to get everything lined up.”

“Okay. Just keep in mind that I’m not making any promises yet. I’ll bring this to my team meeting this afternoon and see who wants to get involved.”

“Awesome.” Carter gave him a high five. “I think I’m going to like working with you, man.”

“Would you consider an endorsement deal, too?” Bradley asked. “We could link it with your desire to help the local kids. Maybe get some of Park City Recreation’s best and brightest to do the ads with you.”

“Yes, I will. Of course, my agent will have to be involved so shoot me over an email with the deets and I’ll have him get on it,” Carter said, pulling out a business card and handing it over.

Bradley suspected the snowboard/surfer dude thing was just a persona that Carter wore when he was working a deal. But he didn’t comment on it. He was used to dealing with people like that. He’d figure Carter out as he had figured out Elizabeth, and once he knew what made the other guy tick, he’d know the best way to move forward.

Elizabeth did the same thing—acted as though she was a tough-as-nails executive when inside she was a woman waiting to be coaxed out of her shell. And he was just the man to do it.

3 (#ulink_95904670-c984-5903-a546-5b6c57d977f8)

ELIZABETH SPENT MOST of the day in meetings. But really her mind was on Bradley. Her friend “plus.” She hadn’t been able to get that notion out of her head all day, and she was practically counting the minutes until she saw him again.

She stood above the lobby, which was decked out in fall garlands with the signs of harvest all around. It seemed homey—if home was a big mansion with lots of luxury. She remembered the modest ranch-style home she’d grown up in and acknowledged to herself that Thanksgiving looked a lot different this year.

The scent of spiced pumpkin cookies wafted in the air from the bakery down the hall that led out to the ski area. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. Suddenly, she heard raised voices at the front desk and realized that Thompson Holmes was demanding something.

She rubbed the back of her neck. He was demanding and not a very nice man. He might be able to make people weep with his blockbuster movies but in real life he was an ass. But it was her job to keep him happy so he’d tell his friends about the resort. A big part of their clientele was Hollywood A-listers.

Her cell phone rang and she glanced down at Bradley’s face before answering the call.

“I can’t believe you’re calling me at a decent hour,” she quipped. She kept one eye on the front desk where her manager seemed to be getting Thompson to calm down.

“The hour is always decent when you’re on the phone, Lizzie. I’m calling to see if we can bump our dinner to 8:30.”

She felt a twinge of disappointment. They’d been friends for years; she was ready for the benefits to kick in. Maybe he had cold feet after their call last night.

“Sure. We don’t have to have dinner. You can come by my place later, instead.”

“We’re having dinner,” he said. “I was hoping to add a meeting to your calendar today to discuss an opportunity that Carter Shaw brought me. Our dinner is about you and me. I don’t want to talk business then.”

She ignored the fact that he’d just made her feel warm and tingly inside. Sex was all she wanted from Bradley, but the truth was he’d always made her feel good. Even when they were competing against each other and he beat her.

“I’d love to discuss this,” she said. She needed a community project on the calendar for next year. “But Carter can be...difficult. My board of directors is still a little peeved from the way he pushed for snowboarders. Should I get our ski pro to join us?”

She was already thinking where in her schedule she could fit the meeting in and get Lindsey to join them. That way, she’d ensure it was more business and less date. The more she’d contemplated their friends-with-benefits arrangement today, the more important it seemed to make certain they didn’t fall into a relationship. It would just complicate things.

“It’s up to you, but at this phase, probably just you and I would be fine to discuss this idea. I’m talking to the GMs at all the area resorts.”

“Okay. So is it something exciting? Give me some details so I can start—”

“So eager. Are you always this impatient?” he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“I just don’t like surprises,” she said. “Forewarned is forearmed and all that.”

“We’re not going to battle,” he reminded her.

Yet it felt like that at times. Letting her guard down with Bradley would be a mistake. She already liked him way too much.

“I just like having all the facts.”

“Fair enough. He wants to do a charity-type winter-sports event in Park City next November. I’m going to donate gear to give to underprivileged kids and I was hoping you could donate the facilities.”

She thought about the logistics of what he was asking. “I’m going to have to run some numbers. Let’s meet in my office at seven and then we can head down to dinner at the Gastrophile West after.”

“Okay, I’ll see you then,” Bradley said. “But you should know I’m putting the timer on and when it’s time for dinner, I’m ending our meeting.”

“Fine. I’m not all about business, you know,” she reminded him. His words echoed those that she’d heard from her family and friends over the years. In fact, whenever she went home for the weekend, her mom confiscated her cell phone the moment she arrived. “If you’re going to have an attitude we can skip the dinner.”