I’d finally made a name for myself and I was feeling good about it. I’d waited until I was in the black for two years running, before putting on my success cap. But now this shit was threatening to put a damper on my joy.
I realized that when I got my picture in the papers, hers was not the face I wanted next to mine. So that’s what this little trip was about. I needed to get away to clear my head. Mom had overridden all my objections. And trust me there were plenty.
After the initial knee jerk okay let’s do it. I’d come to my senses by the next morning and called the whole thing off. Mom had had a fit, there were tears involved, and I was the cause of all her grief. I hadn’t exactly backed down, but I’d decided to let the dust settle, instead of causing any more heartache.
But now with the wedding fast approaching, it was do or die time. I’d tried once more to call it off, had even sat down with Brittany and told her I wasn’t ready, but once again, mom had stepped in and undermined me.
There was only one thing I was sure of at this point. There’s no way I’m marrying this girl. Shit, just the thought of it makes me ill. Just as I was about to head out the door to do some last minute shopping the phone rang.
“It’s me.” I locked up behind me and walked to my waiting car where the driver was standing with the door already open.
“I’ve got some not so good news sir.”
“And what would that be?” It was one of my junior executives. A young man with great promise and potential. One of the only people I trust these days.
“The Swenson merger, they’re waffling. You might have to cancel that trip, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be right there.” Shit!
I headed back to the office instead of going shopping and called my pilot on the way to cancel the trip for tomorrow. It wasn’t like I couldn’t go whenever, it was more the need to get the hell out of the city now before my mother stifled me with her shit.
2
Chance
I got to work doing what I do best and worked my team into the ground for the next two days. I had maybe three hours of sleep within that time. That’s why when I first saw her I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. That or this wedding shit was finally making me crack.
Have you ever seen someone so beautiful that you had to possess them? That face in the crowd that stood out and called to something inside of you; something so primal you felt it in your very depths?
That’s what happened to me the first time I saw her. I don’t know how I did it, it should’ve been impossible from my penthouse office. Maybe it was the blood red dress, or her honey gold skin in the sea of pale pink shoulders, or the head full of wild curls. Whatever it was it had drawn my eye and held me captive until she was out of sight.
I felt like I’d lost something when she turned the corner and disappeared, and wondered how I could get down to the street in time to find her, but knew it was hopeless. Would she be there tomorrow? Will I see her again? I have to.
The feelings were so strong I stumbled backward to my desk and fell into my chair. What the fuck was that? My dick was actually hard and I had her image captured in my head. I hadn’t even seen her face, not really.
It was just something about her body, the way she moved. Or it could just be fate, something I never really gave much credence to, but what else could it be?
I wasn’t even supposed to be in the city. Right now I was supposed to be on a beach in the Caribbean somewhere sipping on overpriced drinks and losing myself in the sun and surf while coming up with the right words to dash my mother’s dreams.
I put all of that aside and concentrated on the lady in red. My life was a damn cliché now. I wasn’t willing to leave our meeting to chance. Somehow I knew I had to find her, had to see her face to face.
I could wait for tomorrow in hopes that she would walk by below again, but sudden inspiration hit and I picked up the phone and made a call.
I headed down to security after they assured me that what I wanted could be done. They cued up the video from the front of the building. Our cameras had a panoramic view of the street. No one questioned what I was doing, and I didn’t stop to ask myself why it was so important. I just knew I had to find her.