To Love An Older Man. Debbi Rawlins

Even the noon hours were blocked for meetings with the mayor, the chairperson of one charity or another, or perspective clients.

      They always ate at Star Bistro or the St. Francis hotel. Damn if he could recall what a Big Mac tasted like.

      “Yeah, we’ll be wrapping it up soon.” He glanced at his watch. “Have a good one.”

      “See you tomorrow.” David had already transferred his gaze to his day planner. Only five appointments tomorrow. Maybe he’d have time to get on the treadmill for an hour.

      He got up and stretched, and then picked his suit jacket up off the valet. Pausing a moment, he stared out at the lights across Fisherman’s Wharf. San Francisco was his favorite city in the world.

      Paris was beautiful in the spring and Athens possessed a certain magical quality at night. But there was no place like San Francisco for David. Not just because he’d grown up here. In fact, there were times when the prominent Matthews name made the city a difficult place to live, especially during his rebellious youth.

      He shrugged on his jacket and watched the fog roll in. Another ten minutes and the glittering lights and the moon’s reflection on the water would be shrouded with the thick damp haze. He didn’t mind. There was something comforting and peaceful about the fog.

      David grabbed his briefcase and a bottle of Evian from the wet bar for the ride home. His private elevator waited, and while he rode to the garage, he mentally ticked off the three briefs he had to review tonight. By tomorrow morning he had to…

      The day planner—he’d left it on his desk.

      Dammit.

      His reserved parking stall was just outside the elevator doors and he pressed the button to unlock his car and then threw his briefcase onto the passenger seat. He hesitated, trying to decide how badly he needed the day planner.

      Shaking his head, he locked the car doors again and then took the elevator back up.

      He’d left his office door open for the cleaning crew and the light from the corridor was enough for him to get to his desk without breaking his neck. The day planner was still open right where he’d left it. He picked it up and then straightened his desk blotter when he heard a loud angry voice.

      He stopped and listened. It wasn’t Todd or Jason…David figured they’d left the moment they heard his elevator earlier. But as far as he knew, no one else was here.

      Concerned, he moved closer to the door. He recognized the voice. Tom Snyder was their newest hire, a young lawyer only a year out of law school. Who the hell could he be talking to in that harsh tone? The guy was usually so well mannered.

      David angled himself to get a better view. They were standing just outside Tom’s door, Snyder and a young woman. Although David got only a shot of her profile, she looked barely out of her teens, her dark blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, her rumpled coat a size too big. With a trembling hand, she pushed stray tendrils of hair away from her flushed face.

      “I don’t want you here, Beth.” Tom glared at the woman, his face darkened with rage. “Go back to Rock Falls.”

      “You know I can’t do that,” she said in a small defeated voice.

      “I’ll give you bus fare, but nothing more.”

      She wrapped her arms around herself. “You act as though I’m asking for a handout. It’s my money, Tommy. You said you needed it for us, that once you had the right clothes and car and your career took off we could get married and I could go back to school.”

      “But you ruined it, didn’t you? I told you I didn’t want any kids tying me down. But you got yourself knocked up.”

      “You know it was an accident.” She visibly swallowed but lifted her chin. “Besides, I seem to remember your participation.”

      Tom cursed viciously. “Go back to Idaho.”

      “Believe me, I don’t want to stay here. Not with you.” She shook her head. “You’ve changed, Tommy. I don’t even know you anymore.”

      “And you haven’t. You’re still the idealistic little girl who thinks all is right with the world as long as your apple pie wins the blue ribbon.”

      She flinched. “Please give me some of the money, Tommy. Just enough to go get set up somewhere. I don’t care about the rest. You don’t have to pay me back. You’ll never have to see the baby or me again.”

      David let out a breath, tamping down his growing anger. This was none of his business. He had no right eavesdropping. He never interfered in his employees’ personal lives. He wouldn’t start now, even though he’d like nothing better than to plant his fist in the middle of Snyder’s arrogant face.

      He had to leave. The feelings stirred inside him weren’t about the young woman’s plight as much as they were about David’s own tumultuous youth, about the grave mistake he’d made almost twenty years ago.

      “Did I say I’d pay you back?” Tom asked, drawing David’s attention back to the drama outside his office. “I thought the money was a gift.”

      “Tommy, please, I don’t have anywhere to go tonight. Even if you don’t care about me, you can’t let our baby suffer.”

      “Use your credit card.”

      “You’ve maxed it out.”

      “So this is my fault again.” Tom swore and paced the corridor. “I don’t have any money. I don’t get paid for another week. Can’t you get an advance from your job?”

      “You got me fired, remember?”

      He stopped and glared, his face distorted with fury. “Dammit, Beth, can’t you accept responsibility for anything?”

      Her mouth dropped open. She started to speak but then pressed her lips together and sadly shook her head.

      “Go back to Idaho where big brother will make everything all right.” Tom sneered. “Back to the farm where you belong.”

      “This isn’t fair,” she said, clutching her fists. “I’m only asking for what’s mine.”

      “Life isn’t fair. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” He glanced at his watch. “Now I suggest you get out of here, which is what I’m about to do. I’d hate to have to call security.”

      David stepped back. The woman didn’t appear to be in danger, which meant David had no business interfering. Making certain he had his day planner, he got in the elevator and headed for the garage.

      He didn’t know Tom Snyder well. Most of their interaction had occurred during the interviewing process, but he knew enough about the young man to be shocked by his behavior. David wasn’t keen on having anyone of that ilk working for his firm. He had every intention of keeping a close eye on the guy. If he stepped out of line once, he was gone. Legally that was about the best he could do for now.

      But that wasn’t what weighed on David’s mind. He couldn’t erase the image of the young woman, her shoulders slumped in defeat, her trembling hands unconsciously rubbing her belly, which still appeared rather flat. Or maybe it was a trick of the oversized coat.

      He wondered if she truly had no money. If not, where would she go tonight? Would she get anything to eat?

      Not his concern, he reminded himself. The city had plenty of shelters and social services to assist her. Maybe Tom had even relented and put her up for the night.

      Yeah, right.

      The elevator reached the garage and the doors opened. David cursed to himself. He hesitated a second, staring at the Jaguar, longing for the relaxing ride home, and then pressed the button to return to the top floor.

      No doubt he’d regret what he was about to do. But if he didn’t assure himself the woman was all right, he’d regret that, too. Hopefully, they’d both be gone and he wouldn’t have to