Read Kate Sherwood - Dark Horse 2.2 - Head Shy for Free Online Page B

he's exactly that antisocial, but it's because he doesn't want to schmooze people, not because he can't . Not because he's afraid, or uncomfortable, or whatever else Jeff had been spouting the night before…he can do it, and he can do it well, and he doesn't need to be tricked or pressured into it. He takes a deep breath and braces himself, then rolls his shoulders a little, making himself look relaxed and confident.
    The bathroom door opens and a man walks in, maybe in his forties, trim and athletic looking in jeans and a 49ers Jersey with a big '16' on the front. He smiles at Dan. "Hi—you're from the Kaminski suite, right?" Dan nods, and the man extends his hand. "Scott Wiseman—I'm Assistant to the

Head Shy | Kate Sherwood
CFO, for the company."
    And here it comes—Dan has to figure out how he's supposed to introduce himself. In the damn bathroom. But Dan remembers his little pep talk, and smiles as he shakes the guy's hand. "Hi. Dan Wheeler. I train horses for Evan; well, more for his sister, really." That seems appropriately neutral. And maybe it's a bit weird that Evan would bring his horse trainer to a football game, but Dan's seen enough of Evan's social interactions to know that it's not exactly unprecedented.
The other man just nods. "Yeah, Evan's mentioned the horses… said he's learning to ride?"
    Dan shrugs. "I guess he might think so." He smiles to show that it's just a gentle joke. "Nah, he's coming along. It's been a bit of a challenge to find a horse that fits him, but I think we've got it sorted out." He heads for the door; there's only so much talking you can do in a bathroom before it just gets weird. "I'll see you in there?" The other man nods, and Dan opens the bathroom door and steps into the hall. That was a good warm up—he wasn't great, but he's rusty. He'll do better with the next ones.
    It's still not time for kick off when Dan gets back to the suite, and people are just milling around, chatting. Dan can tell that both Jeff and Evan notice when he comes in, and try to catch his eye, but he thinks he's a little pissed at them. Or, maybe he's not pissed, he's just trying to show them that they don't need to worry about him. Whatever. He's going to be independent, not clingy. It'll be better for Evan's privacy and Dan's selfrespect.
    There's a long counter at the back of the room, covered in snacks and booze, and Dan heads for it. A woman's standing there, maybe in her early thirties, long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Dan has no idea what it is, how rich women do it, how this one can be wearing jeans and a plain

Head Shy | Kate Sherwood
    button-down shirt and still somehow look like she's just about to step onto a yacht. He doesn't know how they do it, but he has to admit, it's pretty effective. Intimidating. But Smooth Dan is not intimidated by wealthy people, so he smiles at her as she glances up at him, nods at the plate of snacks she's assembled.
    "Have you tried any of those? Got any recommendations?" Smooth Dan invites others to share their opinions, and acts as if he's interested. But not too interested. Smooth Dan is friendly, but he's not sleazy. Smooth Dan has a pretty careful balancing act to do and he's a little out of practice.
    But he must have got the balance right, because her returning smile is open and warm. "It's all pretty good, actually, but…." she points to one of the trays. “The scallops are my favorites."
    There's another woman there now, on the far side of the brunette, and she nods. "Oh, they're good… but the grape leaves? with goat cheese? They're the best."
    Dan shakes his head, puts his smile on again. He thinks his face muscles might get tired—it's been a while since they were used quite this way. "Damn, those both sound good. I've got to say, when I was told there'd be food, I was thinking more hot dogs and nachos."
    The brunette looks a little startled, then glances at her friend, who looks thoughtful, then nods as if consenting to something. The