Page 27 of Hard Rock Heat

Katherine did the bulk of the research, leaving me to look after the logistics. I'd spent the last few days scouting out locations. My idea about using a stadium seemed to be on the right track. While some sleep outs took place on sidewalks or in parks, those were usually smaller events. For something with hundreds of people, there needed to be facilities to handle them. Not to mention, we had some great ideas about involving thecommunity.

Katherine suggested inviting groups to set up booths to promote their own related causes, and getting some employment agencies in there to help the older homeless and at-risk teens find jobs. Maybe arrange for different types of entertainment and games to keep the attendees occupied during the event. That would be hard to organize if we had people sleeping on random sidewalks and parkbenches.

She also came up with the wonderful idea to get the attendees to donate some of their more professional clothing. Homeless teens could always use more clothing, especially nicer clothing for when they went on jobinterviews.

A real plan was beginning to form. I was also beginning to realize how complex this whole thing was going tobe.

I was at one of the local college sports stadiums, taking pictures and making notes, when a familiar figure began walking across the field. I could tell it was Damon even from the distance. His confident stride couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. He waved his hand as he approached, not greeting me withwords.

"Long time no see." I tried to keep the sarcasm from slipping out, to noavail.

"Hard at work?" heasked.

"Aren't Ialways?"

He noddedabsentmindedly.

So it seemed we weren't going to address our previous conversation. That was fine. If Damon didn't want to get serious, I was all the better for it. I didn't need that kind of complication in my life. Not if I wanted to get that promotion. I needed to focus all my energy on my job. On thisevent.

Too bad this event was headed by the one person who had the power to derail me from mywork.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Iasked.

"Your intern emailed me with a list of places you were checking out. I decided to come seemyself."

"And you couldn't have waited until I told you the details at our nextmeeting?"

"Impatient, remember?" hesaid.

"You need to learn some impulsecontrol."

"Sounds boring." He glanced around the stadium. "I thought we were going to be sleepingoutside?"

"A sleep out is more about the spirit of the thing," I explained. "We can't ask hundreds of people to sleep in a public park with no washrooms. What if it rains and someone gets sick? What if there's an accident and we need first aid to be on scene? How are we going to keep random people from crashing the event if there's no official entrance andexit?"

Damon whistled, lifting a brow. "You do think ofeverything."

"That's why you hiredme."

Damon gave me a scrutinizing stare. It was different from his usual ones. The glint in his eye was less heated. He didn't linger on my breasts or legs. He looked almostimpressed.

"You're really smart," hesaid.

A small glow of pride filled my chest. I tried to shove it down. I didn't care about impressing Damon Drake, playboy rockstar.

I did, however, care about pleasing myclient.

But it wasn't a sense of professional pride I felt. This was lessfamiliar.

I'd felt the same way after he told me my sexting message washot.

As much as I tried to deny it, some part of me did want Damon'sapproval.

Ihatedthat I felt that way. Who the hell cared what Damon thought ofme?

"I actually wanted to come see you in person before our meeting at your office," hesaid.

"Oh?" Was he going to bring up the datingthing?