see her face. Closing her eyes, she shook her head in shame. “Jason, I don’t have the money for a cell phone. Besides, I don’t really go out and do anything besides walk to the library and back.”
“You don’t spend your days shopping for more of those hideous jumpers?” he asked and Emma had to laugh at the teasing tone in his voice.
“No. I’m pretty well stocked up on those hideous jumpers,” she replied, laughing slightly at his apt description.
“I’ll have someone send over a phone. And a credit card. This time, Emma, don’t turn down my money.”
She was thoroughly sick of following someone else’s orders, but the thought of having her very own cell phone was a very nice surprise. Not that she had anyone to call.
“Anyway, that wasn’t why I called you. I wanted to ask a favor.”
“Of course,” she said, sitting up taller in her chair. It was exciting to think that Jason, who never seemed to need anyone, was actually asking her for a favor! “How can I help?”
Jason almost laughed at her eager tone. He wished he were there so he could see her enchanting green eyes light up. Or maybe they wouldn’t. He wasn’t sure how she felt about socializing with others. It occurred to him that she seemed to be such a home body.
“I have an event tomorrow night. It’s a charity function that I donate to and there’s a fundraising dinner. Would you mind attending with me?” He actually had no idea why he was even thinking of going. He rarely attended these kinds of functions, preferring to simply have his office write a check. But it was the best idea he could come up with to be with Emma so he’d grabbed it. It would give him a chance to talk to her in a non-threatening environment.
“A fundraiser? Which charity?”
“Is that a yes?”
Emma smiled, her heart beating wildly at the thought of seeing Jason again. “Yes. Of course I’ll help you.”
“Great. I’ll have my secretary send over the details. Do you have anything appropriate to wear?”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry.”
“Not a problem. Have your driver take you to T andory’s. It’s on Westchester S treet. Ask for Laura. She’ll have all the information and will know what’s appropriate. She’ll get you ready.”
“But…I don’t have the money for any of that,” she said, painfully aware of her poverty stricken state.
“Didn’t your father give you an allowance?”
She sighed with humiliation. “No. He…uh…didn’t think I needed any money.”
“What do you do for income?”
“ What do I need an income for?”
Jason was stunned. “Emma, what do you do for entertainment?”
“I go to the library.”
“You don’t go shopping or have any hobbies?”
“I read. A lot,” she clarified.
“Anything else?”
Emma wished she cou ld see his face to determine what he was thinking. It was hard to read one’s tone through the phone. She needed to see a person’s facial expressions to gauge their reactions.
“There are lots of things I’ve wanted to try…” she said hesitantly.
“Such as?”
Emma shrugged but knew he couldn’t see her either. “I don’t know. My father was pretty strict.”
Jason hesitated, not sure why he even cared that this lovely woman had been basically kept in a bubble her whole life. “How is the job search going?”
Great! Another embarrassing subject. “Well, I don’t really qualify for anything.”
“I thought you went to University.”
“I did. But I have no work experience. And my father signed me up for all of my classes. Unfortunately, I have a very expensive, very useless degree.”
“So go back to school and take the classes you’re interested in. Who is stopping you
“You don’t spend your days shopping for more of those hideous jumpers?” he asked and Emma had to laugh at the teasing tone in his voice.
“No. I’m pretty well stocked up on those hideous jumpers,” she replied, laughing slightly at his apt description.
“I’ll have someone send over a phone. And a credit card. This time, Emma, don’t turn down my money.”
She was thoroughly sick of following someone else’s orders, but the thought of having her very own cell phone was a very nice surprise. Not that she had anyone to call.
“Anyway, that wasn’t why I called you. I wanted to ask a favor.”
“Of course,” she said, sitting up taller in her chair. It was exciting to think that Jason, who never seemed to need anyone, was actually asking her for a favor! “How can I help?”
Jason almost laughed at her eager tone. He wished he were there so he could see her enchanting green eyes light up. Or maybe they wouldn’t. He wasn’t sure how she felt about socializing with others. It occurred to him that she seemed to be such a home body.
“I have an event tomorrow night. It’s a charity function that I donate to and there’s a fundraising dinner. Would you mind attending with me?” He actually had no idea why he was even thinking of going. He rarely attended these kinds of functions, preferring to simply have his office write a check. But it was the best idea he could come up with to be with Emma so he’d grabbed it. It would give him a chance to talk to her in a non-threatening environment.
“A fundraiser? Which charity?”
“Is that a yes?”
Emma smiled, her heart beating wildly at the thought of seeing Jason again. “Yes. Of course I’ll help you.”
“Great. I’ll have my secretary send over the details. Do you have anything appropriate to wear?”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry.”
“Not a problem. Have your driver take you to T andory’s. It’s on Westchester S treet. Ask for Laura. She’ll have all the information and will know what’s appropriate. She’ll get you ready.”
“But…I don’t have the money for any of that,” she said, painfully aware of her poverty stricken state.
“Didn’t your father give you an allowance?”
She sighed with humiliation. “No. He…uh…didn’t think I needed any money.”
“What do you do for income?”
“ What do I need an income for?”
Jason was stunned. “Emma, what do you do for entertainment?”
“I go to the library.”
“You don’t go shopping or have any hobbies?”
“I read. A lot,” she clarified.
“Anything else?”
Emma wished she cou ld see his face to determine what he was thinking. It was hard to read one’s tone through the phone. She needed to see a person’s facial expressions to gauge their reactions.
“There are lots of things I’ve wanted to try…” she said hesitantly.
“Such as?”
Emma shrugged but knew he couldn’t see her either. “I don’t know. My father was pretty strict.”
Jason hesitated, not sure why he even cared that this lovely woman had been basically kept in a bubble her whole life. “How is the job search going?”
Great! Another embarrassing subject. “Well, I don’t really qualify for anything.”
“I thought you went to University.”
“I did. But I have no work experience. And my father signed me up for all of my classes. Unfortunately, I have a very expensive, very useless degree.”
“So go back to school and take the classes you’re interested in. Who is stopping you
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