'It didn't say that in the advertisement,' Emma pointed out. 'And you didn't mention it when we spoke on the telephone.'
'Luca-I mean Mr D'Amato-does not like to put too many specifications in the advertisements for one reason, and I rather agree … ' she gave a small sniff ' … that when the right person appears, we know.'
Well, there wasn't much Emma could say to that-clearly at first glance it had been decided that she wasn't the right person for the job.
Only …
Now, even though it had been an impossible dream, now that she had glimpsed it, Emma wanted it.
The salary was to die for-her family home, despite months on the market, hadn't sold and the nursing-home fees were piling up. Evelyn had explained during their initial telephone interview that Luca's staff burnt out quickly. He was a demanding boss, expecting complete devotion, and that this job and the travel would literally overtake her life, but that suited Emma just fine.
One year working hard and she could meet the nursing-home fees. Surely in that time the house would sell and pay off the backlog of debt? One year, burning herself out, and she would finally be free-free to pursue her dreams, free to live the life that had so far been denied her.
And now that glimmer of hope was rapidly being taken away. 'Now, if you'll excuse me … ' Evelyn gave a thin attempt at a smile ' … I have an important phone call to make.'
Well, at least Evelyn hadn't kept her guessing, at least she wouldn't be checking her phone every five minutes, or dashing to get the mail.
It couldn't have been made any clearer-she wasn't wanted.
'Well, thank you for seeing me … ' She should just stand and go, shake Evelyn's hand and leave, except, inexplicably, she was dragging it out and for some stupid, stupid reason tears were threatening as yet another door closed on her push for a better future. 'Thank you for your time.'
It was her horoscope's fault, Emma told herself as Evelyn scribbled a note on her carefully prepared CV.
It had told her to go for it, reminded her that you have to be in it to win it. Told her that Jupiter and Mars had moved into her tenth house, which assured success in her career …
Stupid horoscopes, Emma thought as she went to retrieve her handbag. She didn't believe them anyway.
And then in he walked.
And the room went black.
Well, it didn't go black, but it might as well have, because he was all she could see.
Dressed in a tuxedo at four p.m., he strode over. Evelyn stood up, knotting his bow-tie as she gave him, in a couple of minutes, what seemed like a month's worth of messages, and all in a language that was foreign to Emma.
'Mr Hirosiko wants an "in person" next week.'
'No,' came his bored response.
'Kasumi was insistent.'
'He can have a face-to-face.
'And your sister rang, upset … she wants you there for the entire weekend.'
'Tell her that given that I'm paying for the entire weekend … ' he had a thick, deep, Italian accent and Emma felt her toes curl ' … I can choose my schedule.' His eyes drifted around the room as Evelyn dealt with his cufflinks and then he gave Emma a bored glance that changed midway and utter disinterest shifted slightly.
He deigned to give her a second look, and it was one she recognised well. It was the same look her father and brothers had used on unsuspecting women-at the petrol station, the supermarket, school concerts, the pub, oh, anywhere …
It was a look that to Emma screamed danger.
Six feet two with eyes of navy blue, Luca D'Amato might just as well have had the word danger stamped on his smooth forehead. Jet-black hair was slicked back, but a thick, raven lock escaped as Evelyn declared him officially knotted, and with one manicured hand he raked it back through his hair and it fell into effortless shape. Oh, she'd seen photos of him, had known that he was good-looking, but a grainy newspaper photo didn't do him justice, could never capture the essence of him, just the shocking presence of him. A scar ran the length of his left cheekbone, but that one imperfection merely enhanced his general faultlessness.
'We haven't been introduced.' Full, sensual lips curved into a smile as he turned come-to-bed eyes on her, his deep, accented voice for her ears now. 'This is … ?'
Emma was struggling to find her voice, but Evelyn did it for her. 'Emma Stephenson.' Evelyn looked as if she were sucking lemons, and it dawned on Emma then that the real reason she hadn't got the job was perhaps that Evelyn had been hoping for someone plainer, dowdier, older, bigger … in fact, someone who would withstand Luca's charm. Well, she needn't have worried. Emma could handle Luca's sort with her hands tied behind her back-she'd grown up surrounded by them! 'We were just concluding the interview.'
'For the assistant PA job?' Luca checked, holding his hand out, and, because it was the polite thing to do, Emma shook it, feeling his warm fingers close around hers. Then she looked up as he voiced what she was thinking. 'But I've got a cold heart!' He winked at her.
'I'm sure you do!' Emma retorted. He was shameless, utterly shameless, and Evelyn was welcome to him. 'Well, again,' Emma said, coolly walking to the door, absolutely refusing to be rattled, 'thank you for your time.'
She walked out into the foyer, took the lift and only as she went to sign out did she realise that she'd forgotten her bag. That, despite appearances, despite appearing utterly and completely unruffled by his stunning presence, one glimpse of Luca D'Amato and her stomach was in knots. He was devastatingly handsome, with eyes that stripped, undressed and bedded you in a matter of seconds, and she had deliberately not returned the favour.
Emma headed back up in the elevator, moving to step out, only he was stepping in …
'I wasn't expecting to see you again.' He didn't move to let her pass him, his broad frame barring the exit, just slightly, and there was this offer of conversation that Emma didn't want to take up. 'I hear the interview didn't go too well.'
'It didn't.'
'Shame.'
How loaded with meaning was that single word, and Emma swallowed hard before speaking. 'I forgot my bag, I'm just going to get it,' she offered by way of explanation and as the lift door started to close she pressed the button to open it. There was this pang, this twinge, this snapping almost, this ending that she didn't want to happen, because he really was divine, and she wished for just a fleeting second that she had the looks, the confidence, the experience to allow him to pursue her.
But she didn't.
'Going down?'She pressed the 'hold' button for him, and he stood back as she stepped out and she caught the heavy scent of him, just the brush of his expensive suit as she passed by.
'No, up.' He grinned. 'To the roof.'
'Things that bad, then?' Emma called over her shoulder, safer now that the doors were closing, but he halted them with his hands.
'Do you want to join me?'
'I'm sure another job will come along,' she replied, watching a slow smile spread on his face as he got her dry humour. 'Things really are never that bad.'
'I'm actually going to Paris.'
'Lovely.'
'Helipad's on the roof.'
'They usually are.'
'Formal dinner, very boring, but maybe after … What are your plans?'
'TV dinner, a rerun of my favourite murder mystery.' Emma gave a sweet smile. 'So there's really no contest!'
He really was smiling now, thinking he'd got his easy way, holding the lift and waiting for her to step inside. So, so arrogant, so, so assuming, he really thought he could just snap his manicured fingers and summon her-he only seemed to get the message when she opened the doors to his office suite, his rich, assured voice just a touch perplexed.
'If you're worried that you've nothing to wear … '
'I'm not worried at all!' Emma laughed, and she could be as rude as she liked, could tell him exactly where to go with his smutty offer because, after all, he wasn't going to be her boss. 'As I said, there's really no contest!"
As the lift doors closed on him and she walked over to Evelyn's office, she was too irked to think before she knocked. Her hand rose, the door flung open and Emma stood there stunned as she took in the sight of Evelyn. The assured, pompous woman, who had dashed her hopes just a few moments before, was sobbing her heart out, first jumping up and shooing her out, appalled at being caught, then too upset to care.
'Negative!' she wept as Emma just stood there. 'I was so, so sure that I was.'
'I'm so sorry!' Well, what else could she say? 'I'm very sorry.'
And what could she do other than lead the sodden bundle to the nearest chair and peel off tissues as Evelyn gulped out her sorry tale?