Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(93)

She thought for a moment. “You know what, actually, that is not true. Sean, of all people, would listen. I don’t know that he would care, but he would listen. I trust him.”

And she did. She did actually trust him. She had to take a second to marvel at that realization. She didn’t trust many people, especially gorgeous womanizers, but when he was being human, and when they worked together, he said what he would do, and always took care of it. He’d earned the trust she bestowed upon him.

“Why?” Tory asked into her reverie.

“Such a simple question, such a difficult answer,” she remarked as she contemplated.

“Such a wise mind in such a young body,” he responded.

She scoffed in jest, then answered, “Well, after the presentation I asked him what he thought of my part. You know, to see if he had any notes, anything I could do better, things that I did well… It was my first one, so I wanted to get feedback.”

He nodded.

“He was upfront and honest, which I might not always expect from a sales guy, but what was more, he made sure I got what I was promised.”

“Which was? If you don’t mind me asking, that is?”

She shrugged to let him know she didn’t care in the least. “Before the presentation I was promised a promotion and a raise if I did well; if I succeeded in the trial. My boss meant well—the thing about my company that I like best is that everyone is loyal to their subordinates and to the company. That‘s a first in my experience. Usually it seems like everyone is either out for themselves, or just doesn’t care about anybody else.

“Anyway, my boss was trying to get me what was promised, but we are just research, you know, and we take a long time to get heard when it comes to personnel. We aren’t the golden children like marketing or sales, so things take longer.

“Well, anyway, Sean stepped up and made sure I got what was promised, and quickly. I didn’t ask it of him, and it wasn’t his job, but when he sees something that needs to happen, he sees that it does.”

“Forgive me, this will sound a little …uncouth, but are you sure it wasn’t because you are an attractive young woman?”

Krista laughed because of how true it was, “Did you not notice my second to marvel at the fact that I trust him?” She laughed again. Tory took a sip of wine to hide his smile—he had noticed.

“At first I thought exactly that, actually,” she went on. “He is a womanizer—I’ll say it! He is a hot guy who women like, I see that.” Krista reined herself in. She was talking to an older guy, and an executive to boot, so she probably shouldn’t be so loose with slang. This guy, however, was keeping her pace. The whole night he had been, actually. He probably had kids, and was most likely very close to them.

Unfortunately undaunted, she continued: “I don’t find him all that desirable myself because I have been down the ‘bad boy’ road and it always ends in heartache. I’m a lot more jaded than most women. A long time ago I asked that he drop all that…behavior if he wanted to work with me.”

“You did what?”

“Sorry for the language, and it sounds a little bold now, but seriously, I think he says things without even realizing they are womanizing-type comments. It’s an image or something. I just wanted to take myself out of that loop, you know?”

He was looking at her incredulously.

“Well?” she said in defense. “You wouldn’t want to work with that, right? I had to say something!”

“You do sound like my wife. Or my daughter. Believe it or not, I was once a man like you describe.”

“I bet your wife beat it out of you, huh?”

“In so many words, yes,” he laughed. “But, as you say, it was an image. A key in the door of ambition.”

“And look at you now.”

“Look at me now. That’s right. Although, I would be nowhere without my Emily.”

“I hope that’s your wife.”

He laughed, “Yes.”

“Well, Sean is actually a really decent guy under it all, he just gets weighed down by the image, I think. But I do trust him. Other than that, I keep to my job and make sure I give the best I can.”

“No one can ask for more than that.”

“Well, they certainly can, but that’s another story.”

“What about Tom and John, the Senior and Junior VPs?”

“You’re trying to glean information! Well, you’ve come to the wrong source. I have met John only a few times and never so much as seen Tom. John is a nice enough guy. I hardly talk to him, though. Pity about his name.”

“What do you mean?”

“His name is John Susan.”

She was met with a look of confusion.

“Susan. As in, ‘Boy Named Sue’ by Johnny Cash?”

“Oh! ‘My name is Sue, how do you do? Now you’re gonna die!’” Tory quoted, and then burst into laughter that resulted in a lot of people looking their way.

Sean was across the dining area with John, looking at her with his arms crossed. She couldn’t tell if he was mad or worried, she was obviously making a scene. She needed to tone it down.

The dessert showed up as she whispered, “I always thought he wanted to be called John because he wanted to be all young and sell an image and all that. Like sales guys do, right? Then I heard the last name and it made sense.”