The New Year Resolution Read online

  “So how did you meet Ryan?” enquired Vincent, as the waiting staff placed dishes of paté, crudités and wafer-thin crisp-bread in front of them.

  “Through a mutual friend,” Nicole replied, carefully spreading liver paté onto a crisp-bread.

  “Dave and I were at university together,” explained Ryan. “Engineering department.”

  Vincent nodded, looking from Ryan to Nicole.

  Would they hold up under scrutiny?

  “Dave’s wife, Janine, is a close friend of mine,” said Nicole, putting down her knife. “We’ve been friends for over twenty years.”

  “Friends like that are hard to find,” remarked Sylvia. “You’re lucky to have her.”

  “It says a great deal about a person’s character, that they’re able to sustain a friendship like that,” commented Vincent idly, but his eyes were on Ryan. Why did Nicole get the feeling there was more to the history of these two men than Ryan had originally let on?

  “Have you known each other long?” Sylvia asked with genuine interest.

  Nicole felt a warning hand squeeze her thigh. She ignored it. “Not really.” She turned to smile into Ryan’s eyes. “But long enough to know what a great guy Ryan is.”

  She could have sworn he was blushing.

  Sylvia nodded. “It was like that for me too, with Vincent from the beginning,” she said, leaning over to kiss her husband on the cheek. “I knew straight away he was the one for me, even if his values were very different to mine.”

  “Values?”

  “Oh, yes.” Sylvia gave a deep throaty laugh. “Vincent was a mining boss who exploited the land and the workers for corporate gain.”

  Nicole was struck by how animated she became. Her skin flushed and her eyes glittered with energy. Sylvia patted her husband’s hand. “He’s since learnt the error of his ways. Haven’t you, my darling?”

  Vincent gave a tiny nod. “I now invest in renewable energy,” he explained to Nicole, who was watching with amusement. “I’ve made my millions working for large mining corporations and now I’m giving something back to the environment.”

  “How very noble of you,” said Nicole. She now understood why Ryan was so desperate to sit as Vincent’s table tonight.

  “Sylvia was quite the young activist in her day,” piped up Ryan, smiling at Vincent’s wife. Once again Nicole got the impression there was more between them than the pure formality of a previous business arrangement.

  “My daughter tends to exaggerate.” Sylvia smiled, but her eyes were dancing and Nicole could clearly picture the young radical activist she would have been.

  “Daughter?” she asked, turning to Ryan.

  “How is Melanie?” Ryan peered at Vincent over the top of his wine glass. Nicole held her tongue. Obviously Melanie was the connection here.

  “Very well, thank you,” the reformed miner replied with a curt nod. “She got married early last year and we have a grandchild on the way.”

  “Congratulations,” said Ryan, placing his glass carefully on the table. “Please send her my regards.”

  “We will.” Sylvia smiled. “Now why don’t Nicole and I go and freshen up while you boys talk business?” Sylvia got up and nodded to Nicole to follow.

  Nicole took the hint and got to her feet. Excusing herself she followed Sylvia to the ladies room.

  “Well, let’s hear it, then,” said Vincent to Ryan as soon as the ladies had walked away.

  Ryan took a deep breath. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. He gave silent thanks to Sylvia for her insight and turned to look at Vincent, his one-time mentor and prospective investor.

  “I want to do some testing on a new wind turbine I’ve developed. The prototype is great but the project requires an entire wind farm to record reliable energy output. I’ve found the perfect spot up the west coast, where the wind never stops blowing. The council have approved my application to use the space. All I need is the financing to go ahead.”

  Vincent thoughtfully fingered the stem of his wine glass. Ryan waited patiently. He knew the man well enough to know he didn’t dive into investment schemes without thorough due diligence. If Vincent, by some miracle, did decided to help him, there would be a lengthy period of product reviews, discussion and negotiation before any cheques were signed.

  “Tell me why I should help you, Ryan? You haven’t exactly proved to be a worthy investment in the past.”

  Ryan sighed. He knew this was coming. “I was much younger when I dated your daughter, sir,” he began. “Neither of us was ready to settle down then. I’m truly sorry I hurt her, but it was pointless continuing the relationship. I had a company to build. She was doing her law exams. We both had bigger fish to fry.”

  Vincent studied him, his clear blue eyes missing nothing. Ryan had always liked the old man, even when he had been dating his daughter. He was the kind of father figure Ryan had hoped his dad would be, but never was: successful, fair, wise. It was a shame they’d lost touch over the years.

  If only the mining magnet felt the same way. Ryan knew he wouldn’t be able to set up an experimental wind farm otherwise. There wasn’t anyone else who had the money and vision of Vincent Mahler, or the sympathetic environmentalist wife to encourage him.

  “Okay, I’ll grant you that much, but since then you’ve been in the media constantly with highly publicised relationship dramas. If you can’t look after your private life, how are you able to run a business effectively?”

  “I know it’s a concern. The publicity was unfortunate. The press zoned in on me as an easy target and I’ve been in the papers ever since. My private life has no bearing on my business. I am keeping a low profile now. Not many people know I’ve returned to South Africa.”

  “Keep it that way,” intoned Vincent, seriously. “Nicole is a nice girl. I would hate to see her dragged through the papers. You know how unkind they can be.”

  “I’ll make sure Nicole’s protected,” cut in Ryan. Lately he’d been flying so far under the radar the press had nothing to write about. He hoped it would stay that way. He hadn’t dated anyone for almost three months – and he didn’t intend to either. Not for as long as it took to launch his latest turbine design worldwide.

  Nicole wouldn’t be an issue. After tonight it was doubtful he’d ever see her again. The press wouldn’t cotton on to this New Year’s Eve date. It was so random, and she was so different to the kind of girl he usually dated, which was precisely why he’d agreed to go out with her.

  When Dave had called with the New Year’s Eve proposition, Ryan had seized the chance. It was the perfect setup. An unknown local Pretoria girl wouldn’t attract any attention. Plus, she was ideal for his needs. Vincent was impressed by her, he could tell, and she’d done an excellent job covering for him.

  “Given enough time the media will hopefully find a different target,” he mused.

  “I hope so, for your sake, my boy.”

  The ladies returned. The rest of the table had filled up with other guests, some of whom knew Vincent and his wife and there were more introductions. Nicole seemed totally at ease amongst the financial minds of the banking industry and contributed to the lively conversations, and Ryan could see she’d earned Vincent’s respect and admiration.

  After dinner the band kicked it up a notch and a few couples hit the dance floor.

  “Do you want to dance?” asked Ryan suddenly, as Nicole leant back in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips. She looked serenely beautiful, with her blonde hair piled up in a loose bun with tendrils falling around her face. For the first time he noticed the elegant line of her neck and shoulders, and the smoothness of her honey-coloured skin, adorned with a simple diamante necklace. He really couldn’t have found a more suitable date if he’d hand-picked her himself. She oozed elegance and intelligence. Now all he had to do was convince Vincent that she was around to stay and hopefully the mining magnet would agree to finance his latest project.

  “Sure.”

  Ryan saw Vi
ncent smile approvingly as he led Nicole onto the dance floor. The band was playing popular cover versions, easy to dance to. Ryan liked music but he wasn’t a natural dancer. Like most men he lacked rhythm, but in this instance he was willing to make an exception. Whatever it took to secure the deal....

  Nicole danced in a manner that was both enticing and admirable. She moved almost instinctively, oblivious to what other people thought of her. Ryan could see she was enjoying herself and he was glad. If this deal went through he owed her – big time.

  As she sang along to the track, her cheeks flushed and her pale blue eyes sparkling with delight, Ryan felt a twinge of guilt. Vincent was right. She was a nice girl. He wondered how she’d react when he told her this was it, that he wouldn’t be seeing her again.

  Nicole caught his eye and smiled. “I love this song. It reminds me of my university days in Cape Town.”

  As she twirled around in front of him, Ryan caught the floral whiff of Allure, by Chanel. It suited her. He fought the urge to move closer. Her enjoyment was contagious. For a brief moment he wished he could relax and live in the moment like she was doing, but this project was too important. It would be too easy to grab her hand, whirl her around the dance floor and laugh along with her, but that would be dangerous. It could lead to complications.

  So he reined himself in and smiled politely, watching her lose herself in the music.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “I told you, it was a fun night.” Nicole uncurled her legs from the sofa and tickled the Great Dane’s ear with her toe. Rupert was curled up leisurely at her feet, enjoying the morning sunshine. He grunted in response to her touch.

  “But what about Ryan? What was he like?” probed Janine from the other end of the phone.

  “He was interesting...” Nicole began, unsure how to proceed. The night had progressed much along the same vein, with Vincent Mahler promising he’d think about Ryan’s proposal.

  In the car on the way home Nicole had sensed Ryan’s frustration. He’d hoped for a more positive response, obviously. Although Nicole didn’t know the ins and outs of the project, she knew it was important to Ryan to secure Vincent’s approval and she hoped it worked out for him. She’d said as much when he dropped her off outside her house. It was two in the morning when they’d finally got home. The latest night Nicole could remember since Olivia was born.

  As midnight had struck, Ryan had leant over and kissed her gently on the cheek. It was a platonic kiss, with no hint of anything more. Nicole also had the sneaky suspicion it was more for Vincent’s benefit than her own. Right then she knew this date wasn’t going to progress anywhere – and she was fine with that. It had been fun. Ryan was great, but that’s all it would ever be. One fun night.

  “Nicole, I want to thank you for your help tonight. I really appreciate it,” Ryan had said on the way home. “I know I took you by surprise and I’m sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be, it was fun,” scoffed Nicole, unperturbed. “It’s not often I get to pretend I’m some millionaire playboy’s girlfriend.”

  Ryan frowned. “What makes you think I’m a playboy?”

  “Google,” said Nicole, with a cheeky grin. She’d looked him up on her iPhone while waiting in the line for the loo, earlier that evening. His love life made for interesting reading. “Not that it matters to me. I had a great time tonight and Vincent and Sylvia are lovely. I hope you get to work with him.”

  “Me, too,” said Ryan, giving in and smiling with her.

  They pulled up in front of Nicole’s house. The Merc drifted to a stop, the engine idling. “Thanks again, Nicole.” There was a note of finality in his voice.

  “Goodbye, Ryan,” she whispered, and climbed out of the car. The Jacaranda blossoms had covered the pavement with a soft lilac carpet which muted the sound of her heels on the concrete.

  It was nice knowing you.

  “Hot interesting or boring interesting?” pressed Janine, refusing to let it go. Nicole giggled.

  “Jan have you Googled this guy? He’s a bona fide playboy. He dated some Spanish princess and when they split up it was plastered all over the international press. A month later he was with some super-model in Majorca. The guy’s way out of my league.”

  “I had no idea...” There was a pause as the information filtered through. “I never would have suggested it if I’d known. Dave didn’t say a word.”

  “Perhaps he didn’t know, either,” suggested Nicole, stroking Rupert’s big head that was now resting on her knee.

  “Actually, he probably didn’t,” admitted Janice. “He does have his head buried in an engineering book most of the time. Foreign princesses and super models aren’t really his forte, thank goodness.”

  Nicole laughed. “Never mind, Jan. I had a great night. It was worth it just for the experience. It’s not like I wanted anything serious, anyway. This was the perfect splash of colour to kick-start my new year.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “Oops, sorry, better go. There’s someone at the door.”

  They hung up and Nicole padded barefoot to the front door. Rupert, ever faithful, trotted along at her heels.

  “Who is it?” Nicole called.

  “It’s Ryan,” came the curt reply.

  Nicole frowned. What on earth was he doing here? Despite her confusion, her heart traitorously skipped a beat. Then she chastised herself. He had only shown her polite indifference last night. It was not a romantic reason that had brought him back here this morning.

  She pulled open the heavy wooden door. Rupert immediately gave Ryan the once over and then stuck his big wet nose into the man’s crotch.

  “Rupert, come here,” hissed Nicole, pulling the big dog backwards by the collar. “Sorry,” she said to a surprised Ryan, “he always does that with strangers.”

  “No problem.” Ryan walked into the front room, patting Rupert on the back. “That’s a beautiful dog you’ve got there.”

  “I know.” They stared at each other for a few seconds before Nicole said, “Why don’t you come in? I’ll make some tea.”

  “Thanks.” Ryan followed her awkwardly into the lounge and sat down on the sofa, in the exact spot where Nicole had been sitting only moments earlier. Nicole put the kettle on and turned to face him across the open-plan kitchen and lounge area.

  “So, I have to admit this is something of a surprise.”

  As are you, in those jeans and a t-shirt.

  Ryan looked the antithesis of the suave businessman he’d been last night. Denim jeans stretched around tight thigh muscles, giving the impression of someone who was used to hard manual work. His T-shirt had a surfing logo on it, a testament to an outdoorsy lifestyle and the pale colour contrasted nicely with his tanned arms.

  “Yes, I can see how it would be,” he began, clearly unsure where to start. “And I had no intention of bothering you today, believe me.”

  “It’s okay.” She smiled, trying to make a joke. “I didn’t have that much to drink last night. I’m hangover free.”

  Ryan fell silent as the kettle bubbled to a noisy climax.

  “Sugar?” asked Nicole.

  “Please, one.”

  Nicole stirred the teas, wondering why the teaspoon suddenly seemed incredibly loud against the edges of the mugs. “Here you go.” She handed a steaming cup to Ryan and perched on the leather armchair opposite him. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you are here? Did I leave something in the car?”

  “No, nothing like that.”

  Ryan took a sip, gathering his thoughts. This was harder than he had expected. When Vincent had called this morning with his proposal, Ryan had been ecstatic, until he’d heard what the proposal consisted of. But he couldn’t refuse. Vincent was holding out an olive branch and Ryan had to take it. It was his only shot.

  He looked at Nicole, face freshly scrubbed, barefoot and totally relaxed in her domain. She didn’t seem worried that he was seeing her with no make-up on. A far cry from Inge who wouldn’t leave the room witho
ut first spending an hour in the bathroom, or Gabriella who always had her personal make-up woman do her face before she appeared in public.

  “I have a proposition for you,” he said, feeling more confident. For some reason he felt that he could talk to this girl honestly and she wouldn’t berate him.

  She studied him with interest. “Oh?”

  “Yes. You don’t have to agree to it, but I’d be incredibly grateful if you did.”

  Please agree, he begged silently.

  The look of interest increased. Good.

  “I heard from Vincent Mahler this morning. He has invited me to spend a week with him and his family.”

  “Wonderful! Then you got the funding?”

  “Not exactly.” Ryan hesitated. At Nicole’s confused look he added, “He invited you as well.”

  “Me? But why me?” stammered Nicole, shaking her head.

  “Because he thinks you’re my girlfriend,” pointed out Ryan. “And the crafty old bastard is putting me to the test.”

  “You think he doubts us?”

  “I don’t know.” Ryan shrugged. “But he’s not going to hand over twenty million without doing some serious due diligence first.”

  “Twenty million?” mouthed Nicole, her eyes out on stalks. “No, of course not.”

  “So I need to ask you if you’ll come away with me?”

  Nicole leant her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. Ryan waited. She really did have a lovely neck. His eyes idly drifted downwards over her chest. He realised with a start she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples pushed against the thin material of her T-shirt, becoming more obvious the more he stared at them.