Resolution: First Kiss

by Callahan, Kelli

  Copyright © 2019 by Kelli Callahan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

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  About the Author

  “I think I’m just going to go back to the sorority house.” I looked at my watch and sighed. “I don’t do parties.”

  “You’re a Mi Alpha Alpha girl now—of course you do parties.” My cousin, Lexi, looked over at me like I had just told her the Earth was flat. “Have some champagne.”

  “I don’t know.” I took the glass apprehensively.

  “Brittany, you’re in college. Loosen up.” She sipped champagne from her glass.

  “I’m trying.” I lifted the glass to my lips and took a tiny sip.

  “Brett’s here! I’ll be right back.” Lexi noticed her boyfriend walk through the front door and immediately starting pushing her way through the crowd so she could get to him.

  Probably not. Most of the time you abandon me after you drag me to these things.

  Lexi was in love, and when Brett walked into a room—I was the last thing on her mind. It didn’t upset me. I understood. I wished I had someone who could captivate my attention like that. Mostly, I just wanted someone looked at me the way Brett looked at Lexi. It was clear that they had something real, despite the fact he was a professor at Oak Ridge University, and she was a student when they met. It caused a bit of a scandal when people found out they were together, but that didn’t stop them. I think Lexi liked being the center of attention. I preferred to fade into the background whenever possible and stay out of the spotlight. It was more comfortable that way, even if it was pretty damn lonely.

  “You don’t look like you’re having any fun.” Abby, one of our sorority sisters, walked up to me.

  “I was thinking about leaving.” I grimaced and shrugged.

  “Do you want to go outside with me and smoke this? You won’t be bored after that.” She held up a joint—or at least I assumed it was since she was always high.

  “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I lifted my glass of champagne. “This is about as wild and crazy as I get.”

  “Boring…” Abby rolled her eyes. “Okay, well I’ll be out back if you change your mind.”

  Lexi was busy with Brett, the rest of my sorority sisters that came to the party I was at were trying to sink their teeth into whichever guy—or girl—that they wanted to spend the night with, and I was standing there alone. I decided that it was time to go. I could watch the ball drop on television from the comfort of my bed, just like I did most years that I stayed up late enough to see it. It wasn’t like the party I was attending was an official Mi Alpha Alpha event. I was free to go at any time. I put down my champagne glass, pushed my way to the door, and finally made it outside.

  Now to find a ride back to the sorority house.

  I pulled out my phone and loaded my Uber app. There was a wait due to the number of people that needed rides on New Year's Eve. The bus station wasn’t far, and it would be a lot faster than waiting for someone to pick me up, so I started walking in that direction. I started wishing the heels that matched my dress was designed for comfort after a couple of blocks because they were beginning to make my feet hurt. I could also feel my pantyhose getting bunched around my toes. I walked over to a building with a sign that said Remington on the side and used the wall for support as I made a quick adjustment. It didn’t make my feet stop hurting, but it felt a lot better.

  Okay, I should be able to make it to the bus station now.

  Before I had a chance to start walking, a long black limousine pulled up to the curb. The driver hopped out and lightly jogged to the back door. As soon as the door was opened a man stepped out and started walking towards the building I was using as support. My eyes were drawn to him immediately. He was—he was gorgeous. He towered over me, even in my tallest heels, and looked like he belonged in a catalog instead of a city street. He was wearing an expensive suit that stretched across broad shoulders and a thick chest. I could even see an outline of his left bicep pressed against the fabric of his suit. Ripped was an understatement—he looked like he could bench press the limousine he stepped out from.

  Wow!

  I expected him to walk right by me without a single word. I mean, why would he notice me? A man that attractive, with his incredible physique and a jaw that looked like it cut through glass—he probably dated celebrities and models. He walked towards the door of the building with purpose, without even turning his head in my direction—until he was right beside me. He paused, his head slowly turned with a perplexed look on his face—and his eyes—oh god, his eyes were practically piercing. They looked like they could see right into my soul. They made me feel like I needed to take a step back—or stagger back—just because the look aimed in my direction.

  “Are you going to the party at the top of the Remington building?” He motioned to the sign next to me.

  “Um, no.” I felt my words getting trapped in my throat, but I squeaked out a reply. “I was just walking by.”

  “Oh.” He nodded. “Well, now you’re going to a party.”

  It wasn’t a request or an invitation, and it was merely a command—one that I had never felt more compelled to obey. He took a step towards me, grabbed my hand, and started walking towards the building again with me following along—even though I had no idea why. Alarm bells tried to go off in my head. I was letting a strange man—no matter how attractive he was; he was still a stranger—lead me into a building. I reminded myself that some serial killers were beautiful, but we were already through the front door before I had a chance to collect myself.

  “Wait.” I regained my senses and pulled away. “I don’t think I want to go to a party. I just left a party so I could go home.”

  “Sorority girl—Oak Ridge?” He turned towards me.

  “Yeah…” I nodded in surprise.

  “Then you should love parties.” He motioned towards an elevator nearby, and I saw a well-dressed couple walk by us. “Especially this one. It’ll be fun.”

  I wasn’t going to be alone with him in the elevator, and that seemed relatively safe. I couldn’t deny that I was intrigued. The woman who entered the elevator purse was wearing a dress that looked like it cost more than everything in my closet combined. Her jewelry did. She was a bit younger than her date, who was a distinguished older man who kept a hand on her once they were in the elevator. The mysterious stranger held the door to make sure it didn’t close, and I slowly walked inside the elevator. The doors closed and that was it—I was on my way to a party with someone I didn’t know. It was exciting, but at the same time, it was also kind of scary.

  “You were almost late for your party, Mr. Remington.” The man in the elevator chuckled under his breath.

  “They never have a problem starting without me.” The mysterious stranger beside me shrugged.

  Wait… Remington? Like the name on the building?

  The elevator took us to the top floor and came to a stop. The door opened, and the woman stepped off. The man who was with her motioned for me to exit next. I walked through the doors and waited. It was a pretty lively party, and everyone looked as well dressed as the couple we
rode to the top floor with. They headed towards the festivities immediately and grabbed two glasses of champagne on the way.

  “This is your party?” I looked towards the elevator as he exited.

  “It is.” His lips curled into a half-smile. “I’m Bradley Remington.”

  “Nice to meet you—officially.” I nodded. “My name is Brittany Grant.”

  “Well, Brittany. Would you like a drink?” He motioned towards a server that was approaching us with a tray.

  “Sure.” I nodded and took the glass. “So, why did you invite me to your party?”

  “My business associates are always trying to set me up with someone at these things. The price of being a bachelor.” He shrugged and sipped his champagne. “I won’t have to worry about that since I showed up with a date tonight.”

  A date huh?

  “Barely…” I grinned and looked down for a second. “Do you always just grab your dates off the street on the way in?”

  “Only if they catch my eye.” He winked at me. “I need to make my rounds and mingle. I’ll catch up with you in a little bit.”

  Bradley walked towards a group of people that seemed to be well on their way to getting intoxicated and began to talk with them. I found a spot near the edge of the crowd and just tried to blend in. I felt slightly out of place and while Bradley was beautiful, finding out that he only brought me to the party so he could point me out as his date didn’t seem to indicate he had any real interest. He pointed to me a couple of times as he interacted with various people and I struggled not to blush when they looked my way. After about twenty minutes, I was ready to make my exit as soon as I could find an opening. A couple of people near me moved towards the elevator, so I tried to follow along behind them so that I would be closer to it.

  “You’re not thinking of leaving are you?” Bradley walked up to me and smiled.

  “I was considering it.” I nodded. “It looks like you’ve got everything under control. Everyone thinks you brought a date, so you should be in the clear.”

  “I suppose so.” He looked towards the crowd. “I’d like it if you stayed though.”

  “Why?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “So I can get to know you a little better—hold that thought, someone just arrived that I need to talk to.” He sighed and left me standing by myself again as he walked away.

  He certainly seems to be popular…

  After Bradley left me standing alone for the second time, I pulled my phone out of my purse and glanced at it. A few of my sorority sisters had replied to a group text that was sent earlier in the evening by Stacy, the head of our sorority. I reread it, letting the words resonate in my head.

  Remember, ladies. Do it. Whatever you want to do. Wherever you have wanted to go, whatever you want to try, to taste, to feel, to live…do it. This is going to be our year.

  There were a lot of things I wanted to do—lots of things I wanted to try. The problem was, I didn’t even know where to begin. I always dreamed of growing up, meeting a nice guy, and experiencing all of the magical moments from the romantic movies I loved. Real life hasn’t been anything like the fantasies on the screen. I had only been on a few dates, and while the guys seemed nice when I met them, it was clear they were only interested in one thing once they got me alone. It indeed wasn’t the beginning of a beautiful romance—and based on what I had seen so far, it didn’t look like Bradley Remington was going to bet he one either.

  I don’t think he’s going to be the first guy to kiss me, so I might as well go home.

  “Mr. Remington, I was hoping that we would have a few minutes to talk about the proposal I submitted last week.” An older man named Jon Stevens tried to pull me away from the crowd.

  “Jon, this is a party—lighten up. Make an appointment with my secretary for later this week, and I’ll be glad to sit down with you.” I forced a smile, one that I hoped would be reassuring.

  “Okay.” He nodded. “But if you get a few minutes…”

  “You’ll be the first to know.” I patted him on the shoulder and turned away before he could see the annoyed expression form on my face.

  My life went from normal to extremely complicated the day my father decided to take early retirement and appoint me as the newest CEO of Remington Aeronautics. I always expected to end up in his chair—it’s what I had been preparing for my whole life. I just thought I would have a little more time before it happened. Becoming CEO meant that my life was under the microscope and that included the women I dated—not that I had much time. The main concern seemed to be that I wasn’t dating anyone, which meant every business associate with an eligible daughter thought we would be great together.

  Hopefully, I’ll have a break from that tonight since I managed to walk through the door with a beautiful woman at my side.

  “Speaking of which…” I looked around, talking to nobody in particular. “Where did she go?”

  I walked towards the edge of the crowd where I last saw Brittany last, and there was no sign of her. My eyes quickly scanned the room, and I finally caught a glimpse of her heading towards the elevator. I pushed my way to the exit and started walking a little faster once I was out of the crowd. She had already hit the button, and I saw the buttons flashing as the elevator made the way to the top floor.

  “Wait, where are you going?” I quickened my pace so that I could get to her before the elevator door opened.

  “I know you said you’d like for me to stay…” She turned towards me and sighed. “But, I can see that you’re busy. Surely everyone knows that you walked in with a date by this point.”

  “Yes, word has spread…” I chuckled under my breath. “You just want to go home and watch the ball drop at midnight on television instead of watching it live?”

  “I’m going to be watching it on television here…” She motioned towards one of the screens that were showing the countdown towards midnight.

  “Oh no.” I shook my head back and forth. “Come with me.”

  I walked over to the door that led to the roof and motioned for her to follow me. She hesitated for a moment, but then she finally started walking behind me. I took her hand as we walked up the stairs and when I opened the door to the roof, I saw her eyes light up.

  “See.” I pointed over the edge of the roof. “We have a perfect view.”

  “Wow!” She walked through the door and looked back at me with a surprised look on her face.

  “This is the tallest building for miles. It’s like being in the middle of Times Square without the crowd.” I walked over and poured two glasses of champagne from one of the bottles that were sitting on ice. “Although it will be a little crowded once everyone is up here.”

  “This is in an incredible view.” She took the glass of champagne that I offered her. “It’s—beautiful.”

  “It’s the second most beautiful sight I’ve seen tonight.” I sipped my champagne and smiled. “It doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

  “Stop it…” She blushed and looked down.

  “I’m serious.” I took her hand and nodded. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “Should we get back to your party? I’m sure all of your guests are wondering where you went…” She looked back towards the door, apparently trying to change the subject.

  “Let them wonder.” I shrugged. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

  It had been a long time since I've been smitten by someone I just met, but I felt an instantaneous connection with Brittany. I could tell she was a little shy, but that didn’t bother me. The few dates I had been on since becoming CEO of Remington Aeronautics felt like job interviews and were hardly relaxing. I missed the days when I was able to go out and have fun without wondering if the woman across the table was only with me because her father was trying to secure a business deal with Remington Aeronautics.

  We still had an hour before the ball officially started it’s descent to signal in the new year, so we sipped champagne and made small talk. Brittany told me a l
ittle bit about her life, what she was studying at school and her aspirations for the future. I gave her a brief overview of the path that led me to become the youngest CEO of Remington Aeronautics and how much I missed being able to sit down for a normal conversation with someone.

  “It looks like we’re about to have company.” Brittany looked towards the door as it started to open.

  “I guess I couldn’t hide up here forever.” I chuckled under my breath. “Oh, those are some of the clients that don’t need much attention. We’re good.”

  “I think I recognize them.” She tilted her head slightly. “Yeah, their daughter is in my sorority. They were at one of the events we held earlier this year.”

  “Do you want to say hello?” I looked over at her.

  “Nah, I’m good.” She turned back towards the view in front of us. “They probably don’t remember me anyway.”

  We continued talking as the roof started to fill with more people from the party. Eventually, I wasn’t able to hide by the ledge with Brittany because some of the people I didn’t see downstairs felt that it was necessary to make sure I knew they came. It wasn’t like I was going to be offended if someone skipped my annual New Year’s Eve bash, but they didn’t know that. My father was the type to keep a list and bring it up at their next meeting—he felt like he was snubbed if someone didn’t put in an appearance.

  I’d probably have fewer people talking to me if I was standing in Times Square watching the ball drop…

  Thankfully, I had already spent a few minutes mingling with most of the people at the party, so once the new arrivals had made their introductions, I was able to continue my conversation with Brittany. She was so easy to talk to, and even though she was still a little shy, I was seeing her sense of humor start to shine through it. It was so lovely to be able to have a rational conversation with someone that revolved around something besides Remington Aeronautics.