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She squared her shoulders, deter Then her ift of prime real estate would be hard for any university to refuse No wonder Mr Berman hadn’t been interested in her solution It didn’t address the problem
“The research you’re talking about is iuy concluded “Which is why the city’s offer is the best one on the table”
Charity forced her attention to Mr Berood points, Josh”
“Just showing you a few things you uy as apparently named Josh “Charity’s done all the work”
She frowned He was taking over her nervous systeive her credit?
“Not at all,” she said, relieved the power of speech had returned “Who could compete with your excellent points?”
Josh actually winked at her, then reached for the folder on the table “This is the letter of intent I think the signing has been put off long enough, don’t you, Bernie?”
Mr Berman nodded slowly, then pulled a pen out of his suit jacket pocket “You’re right, Josh” Then, just like that, he signed the paper, giving Charity the victory she’d so desperately wanted
Somehow she’d hoped it would be a tiny bit sweeter
In a matter ofup the nextand left Charity was alone in the conference rooned doculanced at the clock It was 9:17 a around here, she could cure several diseases and solve world hunger by noon Well, not her So far her acco innocent electronics
She collected the paperwork, went out into the hall and picked up her cold, dead couy blown into her , saved the day, then disappeared? Like a local super hero or so? And if he was so in the loop, why hadn’t he taken care of the probleo?
There was no way she could have known about a private donation—no matter how much research and prep work she had done But Charity still had a vague sense of dissatisfaction She preferred to win through her own actions Not because of a rescue
She made her way to her new office on the second floor She hadn’t hadto Fool’s Gold over the weekend and the presentation preparation taking up all her free tiht in a box of personal ite By oneover her presentation, wanting it to be perfect A complete waste of time, she told herself as she entered the second floor Between the couy, she need not have bothered
Thathad been empty and quiet Now half a dozen women worked at desks Doors to offices stood open and the sound of conversation spilled out to create round noise
She turned toward her office Her assistant should have arrived, so they could meet face-to-face for the first tiether for a couple of weeks noith Sheryl faxing and e- information to Charity in Nevada
Charity had visited Fool’s Gold during her interview process She’d met with the mayor and a few members of the city council, and toured the area She’d never lived in a small town before The closest she’d co Gil about Fool’s Gold and had been able to i down roots in the lakeside town She had even been in this building, had looked around But apparently she hadn’t noticed the giant poster on the wall
Now she stared into a larger-than-life-size picture of her uy He sht shirt and bike shorts leaving very little to the iination The print underneath the picture proclaimed Josh Golden—Fool’s Gold’s favorite son
She blinked, then blinked again Josh Golden as in the celebrated cyclist Josh Golden? Second youngest winner of the Tour de France and possibly hundreds of other bike races? She’d never followed the bike racing circuit or whatever it was called She didn’t follow any sports But even she had heard of him He’d been married to somebody famous—she couldn’t rey drinks and aand had saved the day?
Not possible, she told herself Maybe she’d fallen and hit her head and now couldn’t re all this
She walked past the poster and moved toward her office Just outside the open door, she saw a thirty-so woman on the phone The woman, dark-haired and pretty, looked up and so Love you” The woman stood “I’m Sheryl, your assistant You’re Charity Jones Nice to finally meet you, Ms Jones”
“You, too, and please call me Charity”
Sheryl grinned “I just heard you got the university to sign Mayor Marsha will be doing the happy dance They’ve been slippery little suckers, but you nailed them”
A flash of lanced over her assistant’s shoulder and saw Sheryl’s screen saver had come on with a picture show
The first shot showed Josh Golden on a racing bike The second showed hiuy in a shower, his back to the camera Charity felt her eyes widen
Sheryl glanced over her shoulder and laughed “I know He’s gorgeous I downloaded these from the Internet Want me to put them on your computer?”
“Ah, no Thank you” Charity hesitated “I’m not sure nad pictures are appropriate for a business office”
“Really?” Sheryl looked confused “I hadn’t thought of that I guess you’re right I’ll take off the shower picture, even though it’s randma would call drea I am so outta here”
So every other woman on the planet also reacted to Josh the way Charity had Fabulous Nothing was as thrilling as being part of an adoring crowd, she thought as she made her way into her office
But it wasn’t a probleured out how to control her reaction to him She wanted a nice, normal, safe man Her mother had always been attracted to the Joshes of the world: too handsootten her heart broken regularly and painfully Charity had been determined to learn from her mother’s mistakes
After putting her dead laptop next to her box of personal things she had yet to unpack, Charity glanced through the open door toward Sheryl
“Would you call the ?”
Sheryl shook her head “This isn’t the big city, Charity You can pop in to see Marsha anytime”
“All right Thank you”