here?”
“For the most part. I have a smaller room if I need privacy. But I never want to shut myself off at the academy.”
“I see you also have a day care.”
“Yes, there is always a need for a good day care. It’s fairly new to our list of activities. We provide the day care throughout the day, and then our after-school program is for the older teens.”
“You’ve done a lot in over a year. I read up on the academy and was surprised that you have seventy-five boys and that they’re all between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Some of the boys who have moved on spoke highly of you and the staff in their testimonials.”
She sighed, and her shoulders relaxed. “Have a seat, please.” Her wary gaze still hovered over him.
He complied. This quieter version of Tamara made him uneasy. He had gotten used to her exuberance by the end of their game last time. How could he not admire her tenacity and energy? Even Hadfield and Norton still reminisced about the game, dropping heavy hints that they wanted to play again with her.
From the cool reception she’d given him, he doubted that she’d volunteer to fill in for a game of golf.
“How can I help you? Your assistant’s insistence that I see you today has made me curious.”
“I wanted to talk some more about your proposal.”
“I didn’t think you were interested. It’s been a week.” A slight tone of disapproval crept into her tone.
“I’ve been thinking about it every day,” he countered. He couldn’t stop thinking about her grand plan, but mostly he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
She crossed her arms, clearly waiting for him to continue. Her chin jutted out, ready to take him to task for any perceived slight. Now she made him tense.
The distance between them seemed like hundreds of feet, and a thick layer of frost covered the gap.
“So you want my company to commit to six months with ten guys.” Grant repeated the proposal to ensure that they were still on the same page.
“Yes.” Now her foot tapped. If he waited any longer, he expected to see her explode from the anticipation.
“I want to talk about the young men.” He wasn’t ready to give in just yet.
“What would you like to know?”
“I don’t want more information about them. I want to talk to them—that’s what my assistant should have told you.”
“She did. However, your request is a bit unusual. No one has ever asked to meet them before taking them on.”
“I play by my own rules.”
“Nothing wrong with that. We’re kindred spirits in that regard.”
The term soul mate lingered in his thoughts.
“And I never said that I wasn’t taking them on.”
“But you didn’t say that you would,” she accused.
She blinked rapidly, staring straight ahead.
“Then for the record, Benson Technologies will extend an internship offer to ten students whom you’ve preselected. We can begin next Monday.”
“Thank you.” She was already on her feet, and she picked up the phone. “Mitzy, hold a sec.” She covered the mouthpiece. “Do you have time to return tomorrow afternoon? They will be here.”
He nodded without checking his schedule. Short of an emergency, nothing else mattered at the moment.
She returned her attention to the phone. “Mitzy, could you arrange for that list of students to come to the academy tomorrow?” After instructing Mitzy about other tasks, Tamara hung up. “I hope that this doesn’t interfere with your schedule too much.”
“I’ll make the time.”
She nodded, pleased with his response.
The mood lightened considerably. Now Grant felt more relaxed, as if he’d been given a reprieve from the formidable academy owner.
She clapped her hands and issued a fat grin at him.
“I knew that I could count on you.” She pointed at him, and with a squinty gleam continued, “You are the perfect match for these kids. You had me worried a little, though, when I didn’t hear from you. I couldn’t understand how you would not want
“For the most part. I have a smaller room if I need privacy. But I never want to shut myself off at the academy.”
“I see you also have a day care.”
“Yes, there is always a need for a good day care. It’s fairly new to our list of activities. We provide the day care throughout the day, and then our after-school program is for the older teens.”
“You’ve done a lot in over a year. I read up on the academy and was surprised that you have seventy-five boys and that they’re all between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Some of the boys who have moved on spoke highly of you and the staff in their testimonials.”
She sighed, and her shoulders relaxed. “Have a seat, please.” Her wary gaze still hovered over him.
He complied. This quieter version of Tamara made him uneasy. He had gotten used to her exuberance by the end of their game last time. How could he not admire her tenacity and energy? Even Hadfield and Norton still reminisced about the game, dropping heavy hints that they wanted to play again with her.
From the cool reception she’d given him, he doubted that she’d volunteer to fill in for a game of golf.
“How can I help you? Your assistant’s insistence that I see you today has made me curious.”
“I wanted to talk some more about your proposal.”
“I didn’t think you were interested. It’s been a week.” A slight tone of disapproval crept into her tone.
“I’ve been thinking about it every day,” he countered. He couldn’t stop thinking about her grand plan, but mostly he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
She crossed her arms, clearly waiting for him to continue. Her chin jutted out, ready to take him to task for any perceived slight. Now she made him tense.
The distance between them seemed like hundreds of feet, and a thick layer of frost covered the gap.
“So you want my company to commit to six months with ten guys.” Grant repeated the proposal to ensure that they were still on the same page.
“Yes.” Now her foot tapped. If he waited any longer, he expected to see her explode from the anticipation.
“I want to talk about the young men.” He wasn’t ready to give in just yet.
“What would you like to know?”
“I don’t want more information about them. I want to talk to them—that’s what my assistant should have told you.”
“She did. However, your request is a bit unusual. No one has ever asked to meet them before taking them on.”
“I play by my own rules.”
“Nothing wrong with that. We’re kindred spirits in that regard.”
The term soul mate lingered in his thoughts.
“And I never said that I wasn’t taking them on.”
“But you didn’t say that you would,” she accused.
She blinked rapidly, staring straight ahead.
“Then for the record, Benson Technologies will extend an internship offer to ten students whom you’ve preselected. We can begin next Monday.”
“Thank you.” She was already on her feet, and she picked up the phone. “Mitzy, hold a sec.” She covered the mouthpiece. “Do you have time to return tomorrow afternoon? They will be here.”
He nodded without checking his schedule. Short of an emergency, nothing else mattered at the moment.
She returned her attention to the phone. “Mitzy, could you arrange for that list of students to come to the academy tomorrow?” After instructing Mitzy about other tasks, Tamara hung up. “I hope that this doesn’t interfere with your schedule too much.”
“I’ll make the time.”
She nodded, pleased with his response.
The mood lightened considerably. Now Grant felt more relaxed, as if he’d been given a reprieve from the formidable academy owner.
She clapped her hands and issued a fat grin at him.
“I knew that I could count on you.” She pointed at him, and with a squinty gleam continued, “You are the perfect match for these kids. You had me worried a little, though, when I didn’t hear from you. I couldn’t understand how you would not want
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