through a lot,” I said, walking over to him. “And some of them are uncomfortable around men. It’s one of the reasons I prefer to have women teach the workshops.”
Ford nodded. “I get it. Really.”
“Good,” I said, relieved. “I just want you to understand where the girls are coming from.”
He nodded again, but before we could talk more, the door to the conference room opened and the girls began trickling in. They smiled at me, but when they saw Ford, I noticed a few of their smiles faltering.
I glanced over at Ford, whose own smile had dimmed a bit. He’d noticed their change in attitude when they’d seen him.
Sitting down at the back of the room, I was nervous all over again. I held my breath as Ford introduced himself.
“I have to thank my lovely wife, Emzee, for inviting me to come in today and teach you all about real estate,” he said. “Do you mind if I turn off the lights? It’ll be easier to see the PowerPoint, and I’ll turn them back on afterward so you can read the hand-outs I brought.”
The women nodded, and I could sense them loosening up a little already.
I was impressed. Not just by Ford asking permission, but with the tone of his voice as well as his demeanor. I hadn’t been sure he’d really heard what I was saying, but wow.
There was absolutely no flirtation in his words, none of the usual winking or banter. My playboy husband was stepping up, 100% professional, treating the women around the conference table as seriously as he would treat any man.
The lights went down, and as Ford talked us through his background, his job, and all the ins and outs of real estate development, I found myself riveted. Not just by what he was teaching, but by how he delivered it. And he was calm, approachable, and thoughtful in responding to questions. I even asked a few myself to keep the ball rolling.
After he was done and the lights came up, he passed around packets that contained notes and resources and other helpful information. When I got mine, he flashed me a small smile, but by the time he was back at the front of the room he was all business again.
“So let’s go over a typical career path, and bear in mind that not all real estate is about commercial or residential development—some of you may be interested in becoming an agent, helping people find their first home or working with a restaurant owner seeking new locations.”
He spoke with authority, but not aggression. The eye contact he offered came with brief frowns of concentration, not little winks of acknowledgement, and he paid no more attention to any one attendee than he did to any other. In fact, the only time I saw even a hint of the flirtatious Ford that I knew was when he’d walk over every so often to give me a big grin or a shoulder squeeze that everyone could see.
It felt good to bask in his light, but I’d almost forgotten how sexy it could be to bask in it whilst in public.
As he started to wrap up, I realized I was practically squirming in my chair. All the intelligence and tips and authentic displays of helpfulness that Ford had showed during the seminar had me more hot and bothered than I could have ever imagined.
By the time the last questions had been answered, I was just about ready to bone my husband right there in the conference room.
Ford concluded his talk to a round of applause. As the women filed out, he handed each of them his business card and told them they could reach out if they had any more questions. Once we were alone again, I closed the door and quietly locked it.
When I turned back to Ford, he was packing up his computer, completely oblivious to the way I was staring at him. Like he was a five-course meal and I was starving.
Luckily, I’d reserved the conference room for two full hours. We still had it for another fifteen minutes.
My entire body was buzzing with desire as I pushed away from the door and stalked toward him, unbuttoning my blouse as I did. By the time Ford looked up, my shirt was open to my navel and my cleavage was showing, plumped up above my black lace bra.
He did a double take, and then his smile morphed into the wolfish one I knew so well.
“Why, Mrs.