International Player(19)

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. And anyway, since when are you the guru when it comes to charitable foundations?”

He blew out a breath. “Okay. Cards on the table. I’m not really giving you a choice. I’m going to help you and you need to get used to the idea. Remember, I know how business people think. I’ve done thousands of corporate presentations, dinners, and lunches. I know the rules. Understand how to play the game. And if I don’t have any other credentials, I’ve at least proven I can calm you down.”

“What do you mean, you’re not giving me a choice?”

He stood. “I can work from Abigail’s office, I presume? And I’ll need an assistant.”

This time I stood up. “Hey, wait a minute, you can’t just come in here and . . . You’re not the boss around here.”

He raised a single eyebrow. “But someone needs to be, so I suggest you step up, stop being so stubborn, accept my help, and let’s get on with the job.”

My heart was beating through my chest. I rarely saw this side of Noah. He was usually so laid back and affable. I guess this was him in work mode and it was . . . kinda hot.

“I have a tendency to want to . . . fix things,” Noah said, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “And seeing those kids at the rehab center? It just brought back some stuff. I need to do my best for them, Truly.”

Shit, of course, his accident would make the rehab center’s funding so personal for him. I rounded my desk until we stood just a foot apart, tilted my head up, and our eyes met.

“I’d not made the connection. Were you at the same hospital?” I asked.

He nodded, looking away. “I don’t like to dwell on the past. You know, besides Rob, you are the only person I’ve ever talked with about the accident who wasn’t around at the time. But, I don’t know, this feels like I would be doing something positive for the future. It feels right.”

How could I possibly not let him help if that’s what he wanted to do? He needed this. The center needed him. Turning him down would be selfish. I’d just have to visualize someone else when I looked at him—Ricky Gervais or Steve Buscemi instead of the blond-haired, blue-eyed, six-foot Viking in front of me. “I’m sorry. I’m being an idiot. It would be good to have you help.”

When the chips were down, those kids should be the only thing that mattered. Noah was more comfortable charming people and making small talk than I was, and he was good at calming me down. “It’s business. Right?” I needed to see things in a different way. Use him for my own ends. Squeeze out all his knowledge and know-how. Not focus on his hard abs or the way he could make me laugh, calm me down, make me cry.





Ten





Noah


Truly shifted from one foot to the other in the boardroom of the foundation, and she craned her neck to see the screen behind her.

“No, don’t look behind you. Look at the people in front of you. You’re the one they have to buy into.” We were about twenty minutes into our presentation prep, and the look in Truly’s eyes suggested she already wanted to kill me. She’d get over it.

It was good to have a focus, a goal, my teeth buried in something I believed in.

“It’s too much to remember. The screen, the clicker, what I’m saying.” She slumped into her seat and tossed the remote across the table.

“You’re right. This isn’t working.”

She gave me the side-eye.

“I mean it. I want to change things up. We don’t need to turn you into Abigail, just a version of yourself that’s the most attractive to donors.” It was up to me to show her how to be her best and convince her that was more than enough.

She rolled her eyes. “You want me to show them my boobs?”

I chuckled.

“I swear, I’ll do it. It’s a whole lot easier than remembering all this stuff that I’m not good at.”

“As much as I’m sure you have very nice boobs, I’m not sure that’s the answer.” I was pretty sure the money would roll in, but wasn’t sure the Harbury Foundation’s reputation would recover. “Let’s abandon the screen and use printouts. It’s not like it’s a presentation to an auditorium. It’s how many? Five?”

“Maybe six.”

“Perfect. So you’ll all be around a table. You can get hard copies of the presentation for everyone and just take them through it.”

“What, just like I do for the board?”

“I guess. I’m not sure what you—”

“I sit and talk everyone through the slide pack. Abigail always does her bit standing up, but I never do. It freaks me out.”

“Exactly. So, this way will be better.” I glanced down at the paper copy of the slides I had in front of me. “And I want you to take out this slide.” I drew a diagonal line through slide three. “It doesn’t make sense the way you’re talking about it.”

“But Abigail—”

“I don’t care. Slide three goes. I think you should replace it with testimonials from recipients of the foundation’s help.”

Truly frowned but tentatively drew a cross through slide three and scribbled down some notes.

“And we can work on your greeting, add in some of your humor and passion, and you’re going to nail it.” There was nothing Truly couldn’t do if she set her mind to it. She just needed to believe in herself. My eyes dipped to her worried mouth. “We have a whole twenty-four hours before you give this presentation. You know all the material. We just need to make it work for you and then practice.”