Lessons in Love Read online

  For the remainder of the class she took notes furiously, refusing to look at him even once. The hour dragged on interminably, but finally she was free, and at long last her body returned to its normal state.

  She arrived at work and sighed at the huge pile of correspondence sitting in her ‘in’ box. Determined to get the morning’s events well out of her mind, she switched on her computer and got to work immediately. Her boss, Mark Overington, had left a message saying he’d be out of the office for the rest of the day, so she could work in relative peace.

  During her lunch hour, she called the mechanic and was relieved to discover that her car had a simple fault with the alternator, and would be ready for her to pick up that evening.

  After lunch she set to work on some filing, and unfortunately, the task was so routine that it left her mind free to wander, and wander it did, right onto Nicholas Cavanaugh. Just the thought of him set her heart to pounding, and turned her insides to jelly, which made her dislike him all the more. He was so well presented and self assured; although he couldn’t have been more than ten years her senior, and she wondered what had given him the confidence and poise that she so obviously lacked.

  Fortunately, once the filing was done, she was able to settle down to doing the accounts payable, which used up just enough of her mind that she was able to forget that annoying man for the moment.

  At five o’clock on the dot, finished with all her work for the day, Emily tidied her desk, locked the building and hurried to the bus stop, arriving at the mechanic’s at twenty past five, only to find that her car was still being worked on.

  ‘Sorry I’m not finished yet,’ the mechanic, Rick Jeffries, said politely. ‘Would you be able to wait another quarter hour or so?’ Emily frowned slightly, annoyed.

  ‘I suppose I’ll have to. What’s the problem?’

  ‘We had a rush job to finish and had to put yours on hold.’ He looked at her apologetically, and she frowned in response.

  ‘A rush job? I need my car as much as anyone else,’ she said, wondering why her car got relegated until someone else’s ‘rush job’ had been completed.

  ‘I really am sorry Emily. I thought I’d get done in time. If you’re in a real hurry, I can get one of the boys to give you a lift home.’ She repressed a sigh.

  ‘No, don’t worry about it. I can wait.’ Waiting now was better than catching the bus again tomorrow, she thought ruefully.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said gratefully, clearly glad she wasn’t making a fuss. ‘I’ll get back to the car right away. Have a seat in the office. Make a cuppa if you like.’

  ‘Thanks a lot, Mr Jeffries.’ She knew half her frustration came from that morning’s lecture. The fact that the car wasn’t ready irritated her, but she understood the mechanic’s position.

  She made herself a cup of coffee, not knowing how long she’d be waiting, and called home, promising Steve that she’d take him and Veronica out to dinner to make up for her delayed arrival, a deal he readily agreed to.

  After ending the call she got the unnerving feeling that someone was standing behind her. She swung around to look, her heart taking a small leap in her chest as she did so. She noticed first the neat navy coloured pants, and then moved her eyes up to the crisp white shirt and jacket, and finally to the finely moulded features, thick, dark hair, and icy blue eyes. She gulped uncomfortably, nervously running the conversation with her brother through her mind, just in case she’d let the name ‘Nicholas Cavanaugh’ slip out accidentally.

  ‘And who do we have here? You’re looking quite cosy Emily Peterson. I wasn’t aware that you were friends with Rick Jeffries.’ Emily didn’t like the insinuation in his voice.

  ‘I’m not,’ she said defensively. ‘He’s my mechanic, and right now he’s finishing my car.’

  ‘Well I hope he finishes it properly. He left my radiator cap undone, and I damn nearly wrecked my engine driving off in it.’

  ‘I suppose your car was the rush job that needed to be done so urgently that I’m still sitting here waiting for mine?’ she said sarcastically, irritated by his tone. He had probably demanded such prompt attention that the poor mechanic working on his car had slipped under pressure.

  ‘It probably was. It may have escaped your attention, Miss Peterson, but I am a busy man and can’t afford to have a car that doesn’t work.’

  ‘Yes, I can imagine how terrible it would be for you if you had to be late for an appointment!’ she snapped. Fortunately, he had the grace to look surprised and even slightly ashamed.

  ‘I’d forgotten about that,’ he confessed, smiling ruefully. ‘I must admit I thought your excuse was just that, an excuse. I suppose I owe you an apology.’ She raised an eyebrow at him.

  ‘You do.’

  ‘Well then, I apologise for doubting your truthfulness yesterday.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And what?’ He looked truly puzzled.

  ‘How about apologising for embarrassing me in front of the entire class!’

  ‘OK, that too.’ Emily stared at him silently, lips pressed together. ‘OK, OK. I apologise for embarrassing you in front of the entire class. It was wrong of me to draw attention to you the way I did. Just don’t let it happen again.’ A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and Emily was surprised to find herself smiling in response.

  ‘I try not to make a habit of it, as a general rule. But when one drives a fifteen year old car, these things have been known to happen.’

  ‘Unfortunately they happen with new cars too, occasionally,’ he said ruefully. ‘As it is my radiator will need a good flushing out after what it’s been through. I’m just lucky I stopped driving soon enough to realise I was out of water. I hate to think what would have happened if I’d driven all the way back to the office. The annoying thing is that I didn’t notice the problem earlier!’ he said in consternation, while Emily looked at him in sympathy, something she wouldn’t have felt for him five minutes earlier. ‘If the car hadn’t just been serviced, I would have paid more attention to the fact that it wasn’t running as smoothly as normal. I thought it was just the tuning! Well, enough of my grumbling. I shouldn’t be complaining this way in front of you.’

  ‘That’s perfectly all right. At least I know you’re human now!’ she joked, trying to make light of his serious mood. He raised his eyebrows at her. The look in his eyes ignited something within her, leaving her breathless. She turned away from him, her heart still hammering fit to burst. The effect he had on her was frightening. Especially now he’d decided to act like a human being.

  ‘And what led you to believe I wasn’t?’

  ‘I had you pegged as one of those Mr Perfect types,’ she said lightly, trying desperately to regain her composure. ‘You know, the sort who never makes a mistake.’

  ‘I can assure you that mistakes are my speciality. The most valuable piece of advice I can give you is that mistakes are the best learning tools you have. Just never let yourself feel like a failure because you say or do something wrong. Learn from it and move on. That’s why I’m where I am today, because I never let the small things get me off track in my career. If you do the same, I can assure you that you’ll succeed at whatever you try.’

  ‘I see. So even someone as pathetic as I can make it in the demanding world of business?’

  ‘If you believe you can. Did you let my attitude toward you affect the way you saw yourself?’

  ‘No. Well, not much. I simply decided to prove you wrong about me. And I will!’ He grinned at her, and Emily felt her insides melt. Her heart was still racing in her chest, and a liquid heat filled her.

  ‘That’s the attitude! It’s people who take it personally and quit as soon as they sense opposition who fail in life. You only succeed if you persist at what you’re doing, and don’t let others dictate your feelings of self worth. And never allow yourself to put up with second best. Here comes Rick Jeffries now. He’s a good man, but he made a mistake and I’m going to make sure he knows it.’


  Rick entered the room, concern on his face at the sight of Nicholas’s grim bearing.

  ‘Hello Mr Cavanaugh. Your car’s fine. I’m dealing with the repairs myself.’

  ‘So I should hope! Such a mistake is unacceptable. It’s lucky I realised the car was losing water before serious damage occurred!’ Emily watched the interaction between the two men with interest. Nicholas clearly dominated the other man, making Rick seem somehow smaller than usual, and the way Rick deferred to Nicholas was almost embarrassing to watch. Emily realised that seeing Nicholas’s interaction with others would be an education in itself.

  Nicholas left the office looking far more satisfied than he had on arrival. He turned once towards Emily, and with a half-smile on his features nodded at her in farewell.

  ‘Everything all right?’ she asked the mechanic as he watched Nicholas stride away.

  ‘Yes, fortunately. I’ll have to give those boys a talking to! There’s no excuse for such clumsiness, and unfortunately I’m the one who’s got to wear it. It’s lucky he didn’t end up with a cracked head!’

  ‘I’m glad you kept hold of your temper then!’ she said with a giggle. ‘You could have made quite a mess.’ The mechanic’s sombre expression lightened, and he laughed.

  ‘I hope you realise I was referring to the engine!’

  ‘Of course.’ She grinned

  ‘At least your car’s fixed and you’re free to go. I’ll give you the key and send you out the invoice in the mail.’

  ‘Thanks a lot,’ she replied. ‘I’ll see you later.’ She walked over to her car and climbed in. It purred like a kitten as she started the engine, and she drove home feeling lighter in her heart.

  ‘You’re finally home! Let’s eat!’ Steven’s enthusiasm made her laugh.

  ‘Hang on!’ she said. ‘I just got here.’ She shook her head as she looked at her brother and sister, trying to remember when she had been as young and full of energy and excitement as they were. ‘It’s been a long day. I had not just one, but two encounters with the infamous Nicholas Cavanaugh, lecturer extraordinaire.’

  ‘Tell us about it on the way, Em,’ insisted Steven. ‘I’m dying!’ Emily debated changing from her work clothes into something more comfortable, but the grumble in her own stomach precluded the desire to change.

  ‘OK, let’s go.’

  The meal was tasty and hot, and Emily regaled her brother and sister with the day’s events.

  ‘He sounds awful!’ exclaimed Veronica. ‘Imagine making you speak in front of so many people.’ Emily grinned at her little sister. Veronica hated public speaking with a passion.

  ‘Well I survived it,’ Emily reassured her with a smile. And she had, too. It was strange, she was almost glad she’d gone through it now. She’d faced her own fears and come out on top. Not only that, but her animosity towards Nicholas seemed to have vanished. She knew now he wasn’t a completely cold-hearted monster. In fact, she realised abruptly, she could quite easily come to view Nicholas Cavanaugh in a very positive way indeed.

  Chapter Two

  Nicholas stepped out of the shower in a remarkably good mood. It would be even better, he reflected, when he actually had somewhere decent to live. His cousin’s spare room was adequate, but stifling compared to his large city apartment with bayside views.

  He’d been drawn back to Ballarat, the city where he’d obtained his university degree twelve years earlier, and had been looking forward to getting closer to his roots, and also back to a more relaxed lifestyle. Now he had the money and the power, he was able to transform his life into something different. Establishing a new branch of his company, Rutherford’s, in Ballarat was a long held dream, and he was satisfied that things were finally falling into place. The past with all its disappointments was behind him, and he relished the thought of new challenges.

  A knock at the bedroom door startled him from his reverie. ‘Yes Wendy?’ There was only one person it could be. His dearest cousin, who, although often a pain in the neck, was a wonderful secretary (he’d hired her the moment he’d arrived in town) and also a very hospitable being.

  ‘I’ve got some KFC for dinner, so get your rear out here and enjoy!’ Nicholas grimaced slightly at the thought of the unhealthy greasy chicken, and then laughed softly to himself, realising how much he actually enjoyed such artery-clogging fare.

  ‘Guess what?’ Wendy began, as he seated himself at the table. He raised a questioning eyebrow in response. ‘Come on, you can do better than that,’ she said with a pout. He shook his head wryly, and raised his eyebrows. ‘OK, I’ll tell you. Guess whose name I heard mentioned in our local family restaurant?’

  ‘I give up. Tell me.’ She sighed and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at him.

  ‘Yours, as a matter of fact. Let’s just say that there’s a rather attractive young woman who doesn’t seem too happy with my dearest cousin.’ Her voice was teasing, but he frowned, nevertheless.

  ‘Oh?’ he asked, reflecting on who he could have offended. Unfortunately, there were a number of Ballarat families who would not be singing his praises right now. He’d bought out two small, struggling firms, Preston Enterprises and Villa Business Services, and regretfully a small number of people had been retrenched.

  ‘Yes, a young woman who seemed a little peeved at the way you showed her up in class and then held her up because your car needed fixing. You know, pretty peaches and cream complexion, lovely shiny brown hair. The sort of girl who usually can’t get enough of your charms.’

  ‘Ahh,’ he murmured, in irritated understanding. He’d actually thought he’d made progress with the lovely Emily. Obviously he was wrong about that, and he wondered why it bugged him so much. ‘Yes, that would be one of my students. A young woman with a great deal of potential, I believe. Or at least, I thought she had some potential.’ Wendy raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Potential as what? A conquest?’ She giggled and he frowned at her, his appetite gone.

  ‘What? No. Of course not. In business. But I think now she has a few more lessons to learn!’ Wendy shook her head at him.

  ‘Does it ever occur to you to leave well enough alone? If I’d known how you’d react, I wouldn’t have told you. You know, you can come down awfully hard on people.’ Right now he didn’t appreciate Wendy’s advice. In fact, hearing it made him feel even more contrary.

  ‘I’ll take your advice into consideration, Wendy,’ he said politely, knowing full well he wouldn’t. Somehow Emily Peterson had had an effect on him. He hadn’t quite analysed what that effect was yet, but it had been slightly disturbing. He’d found her perhaps a little too attractive – hell, more than that, he desired her. He’d warmed to her, and it felt as though he’d been stabbed in the back to hear she’d spoken about him in a public place to goodness knows who.

  There were three things he’d learned in his career, and those were rules he’d stuck to until this day. One, always learn from your mistakes; two, never speak negatively about others, even when they can’t hear you; and three, let go of the things other people do and say which upset or offend you. Unfortunately, he still had some problems with number three, especially when it came to attractive young women.

  Certain incidents in his past made it difficult for him to let go of some upsets, especially where women were concerned, and this knowledge grated on him, making him even more annoyed. And, he had to admit, even more likely to do something foolish.

  The next two days Emily had accounting classes, and she saw neither hide nor hair of Nicholas Cavanaugh. Her accounting lecturer didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in drawing negative attention to any of her students, but somehow accounting classes just weren’t as interesting as business economics, for all that Emily didn’t have to be on guard the entire lesson.

  Friday morning’s business economics lecture began somewhat more auspiciously, with another student being asked to do a presentation as Emily had done on Tuesday. She was gratified to note that he did no better than she had, and Nicholas
seemed content to treat him the same way he’d treated her. However, her relief was short lived. After he’d done a spiel about how to improve presentations, Nicholas looked right at her, and Emily felt like sinking through the floor.

  ‘Miss Peterson, after your abysmal attempt at doing a presentation on Tuesday, I’ll give you the opportunity to redeem yourself. Come on out to the front of the class and let’s see what you’ve learned since then.’ Emily glared at him. She couldn’t believe he was doing this after his apology! She’d thought he was different after Tuesday night, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  She gave him her most withering glare as she walked, head held high, to the front of the lecture theatre. She certainly had learned her lesson, but hadn’t thought she’d be expected to demonstrate that learning so soon. She’d had the sense to summarise the previous lecture’s reading material, and had read through it earlier that morning, just to be on the safe side. At least, she reflected, she knew what to expect now.

  She began speaking in as clear and concise manner as she possibly could, carefully trying to remember the important points of what she’d read. Fortunately, by the end of her spiel Nicholas was looking at her with a new-found respect, but the glance she gave him was cold and unforgiving.

  ‘I hope that was more satisfactory?’ she said, trying hard not to meet his disturbing blue gaze.

  ‘Yes, that was a greatly improved performance. But try not to rest on your laurels. You still have a long way to go.’ She glared at him again and returned to her seat while the other students watched their exchange curiously. In that brief interval of time the change of heart she’d experienced towards him had well and truly vanished. Nicholas Cavanaugh was as arrogant and unsympathetic as he’d always been.

  Emily spent the rest of the morning in a black mood, more than happy to go to work that afternoon. She tried to reassure herself with the knowledge that Nicholas was only teaching them for one semester, but when she realised that one semester constituted another twelve weeks of lectures, her heart sank in dismay.