“Sounds pushy to me, but you’re the boss.”
“Why are you doing this?” he demanded.
“I’m not doing anything other than pointing out the obvious,” she said. “You didn’t even want your father to bump into the producer. Now he’s coming to this dinner and you’re okay with it. Why are you letting him decide everything?”
He ran his hand through his hair, frustration seizing him. “I’m not. Let’s just focus on getting organized. Since you want to coordinate what we’re wearing, I guess I can find some suits for my father to choose from.”
“You’re actually buying the suit for him?” she asked in shock.
“Yes. And I’m buying you a dress as well,” he said.
Her mouth fell open. “I don’t expect that.”
“I know you don’t,” he said. Heather still didn’t expect gifts or extravagance, and he was determined to give her everything she could ever dream of. Even if he was still pissed off at her. “This dinner is as much ab
out you as it is about me. You deserve to be recognized, and I’m going to buy whatever dress you want. Money is no object, so don’t worry about the cost.”
“I don’t know about all this.” She bit her lip. “We’re fighting on one hand, and then on the other you’re buying me a dress.”
He gazed at her. “What do you expect me to do when we’re fighting?”
She shrugged. “Usually when Gary and I argued he was horrible to me. He’d punish me. Stop picking Finn up from school. Conveniently forget my birthday. That kind of thing.”
His hands balled up into fists. It was a pity he hadn’t been able to kick Gary’s ass at least once before he had fled Seattle like a coward. The man had treated Heather abysmally, and no matter how much they argued Simon vowed to never mistreat her or take things out on her. An argument was one thing, but to punish someone out of spite was something Simon could never abide.
“I’m not Gary,” he told her gently. “I want to make you happy. Even when you’re driving me insane.”
“Okay. I appreciate your generosity.” She sucked in a breath. “I just hate that we’re fighting.”
“Well, you’re going to hate the next few hours even more,” he warned. “Because we have a meeting with the producer, and I’m not going to make it easy for either of you.”
Chapter 8
They met up with Theo in Dover’s lobby at his request. Heather had dealt with the media before, but never on a project this important. A documentary had the potential to really put Simon in the public’s consciousness, much like with other tech personalities who had come before him. He could move beyond being a reclusive billionaire to the type of CEO who ended up in history books. This was a career-defining moment, and she was determined to get this right no matter how hard Simon fought it.
“I want to thank you again for meeting us today,” she said.
Theo smiled. “I’d like to thank you as well. If you don’t mind me getting personal, this opportunity means so much to me. I’ve been a fan of Simon’s work for years now.”
Simon made a non-committal sound and cast Theo a wary glance.
Heather sighed inwardly. She had her work cut out for her if she wanted to make this project a success. “Are you interested in technology?”
“I am. Back in the 1970s my father worked at many of the tech companies that are now industry giants. I’m a huge fan of that era because of my father,” Theo said. “My dad is going to be even more excited than I am when he finds out I’m working on a documentary about Simon Diesel.”
She tilted her head to study Theo. He certainly looked like a fan of the 1970s with his shaggy brown hair, huge mustache, and corduroy pants.
“Your father is Eduardo Nowak, isn’t he?” Simon suddenly asked.
Theo’s eyes widened. “Wow. Yeah. How’d you know that?”
“It’s my business to know,” Simon said tightly. “I recognized your last name. Anyway, Dover and most of today’s tech companies wouldn’t exist without your father’s inventions. It’s a shame CEOs and attention-seekers get so much credit for his hard work.”
“Geez. My father’s going to flip when he hears that you know about him,” Theo said. “He’s a big fan of yours.”
“Glad one of us has a good relationship with our father. Now that we’re all here, where would you like to conduct the meeting, Theo?” Simon asked, his tone dry.
Theo blinked, obviously surprised at Simon’s brusque manner. “Well, I thought I’d drive you guys to our production offices. That way you could meet some of the other producers and the director. I hope that’s okay.”