Alex bristled. “Your cousin’s going to get her ass fired if she keeps poking her nose into other people’s business.”
“She’s just watching out for me,” Tisa said.
“She’s a receptionist,” Alex countered, “and as a Stone employee, she should be following company protocol and not releasing private information.”
“You didn’t have such a problem with company protocol the first time when I came to meet Margarita for lunch,” Tisa said sweetly. “You got my number before I even made it to the front door.”
Alex recalled when they had met almost six months earlier. Tisa, dressed in a come-fuck-me leopard print dress and matching heels, had been standing reception, waiting for Margarita to finish a call before going to lunch. She had been talking on her phone just as Alex strolled into the building, but it slipped from her hand and skittered across the lobby’s polished marble floor to land spin-the-bottle fashion at Alex’s feet.
He hadn’t been paying much attention until he noticed the approaching endless legs, swiveling hips, and the ample breasts straining from a cleavage deeper than the Grand Canyon. Grabbing the phone, also clad in a leopard print cover, Alex held it hostage, handing it over only when Tisa agreed to text him her number.
“Memory problems, querida?” Tisa asked, studying Alex’s angst-ridden expression.
Alex flinched, wondering if Nora had heard the endearment. He was about to glance back at her when he heard Nora quietly talking on the phone.
“Look, Tisa,” Alex said. “This isn’t the time or place for this. I promise I’ll call you later.” He made a show of swiping at his forehead with the back of his hand. “Damn heat’s getting to me. Let me see Nora off so I can get home and jump into the shower.”
Tisa’s eyes lit up.
Nice move, moron, Alex thought, wanting to kick himself on the spot.
“Now that you mention it,” Tisa said with a big smile. “It is pretty hot. My pusa could do with...”
“So, why don’t we connect later, Tisa?” Alex interrupted, praying that Nora didn’t understand Spanish. “I really have to get going. Talk later, okay?”
He turned and quickly walked away before she could respond, but noticing that Nora had wandered off to continue her call, realized that she hadn’t even witnessed his tense exchange with Tisa.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief ... at least for now. As he sneaked a glance over his shoulder at Tisa stalking off to the parking lot, the angry wiggle of her hips warned him that a major tropical storm was brewing. He would have to have a talk with Rick and kick his friend’s ass for bailing on attending the wedding. At least Rick could have been a point man to keep Tisa distracted. Things were becoming too intense with her, and not in a good way.
He returned his attention to Nora. As he approached her, she ended her call and looked up at him with an apologetic smile.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I was just about to ask you the same,” she said, glancing at a receding Tisa. “Your client doesn’t seem happy. Almost looks like you were having a lover’s quarrel.”
“What?” Alex asked, feigning surprise. “Oh, that? It was nothing. It’s not always smooth sailing with all clients, you know. Everyone has an opinion.”
“You seem to have quite a few of those,” Nora said with a Mona Lisa smile as they turned to walk toward the parking lot.
“You know how it is,” Alex said as nonchalantly as he could. “Everybody wants to be your client but they expect you to be their slave.”
“Sounds uncomfortable,” Nora said.
A vision of a leather-clad Nora brandishing a whip unwittingly flashed into Alex’s mind. Imagining her voluptuous thighs encased in fishnet stockings tapering into high high leather boots, he quickly squelched the thought. The last thing he needed was to explain why his zipper was suddenly straining.
Eager to change the subject, Alex pretended to glance at his watch. “So tell me more about your advertising background.”
“Well, where do I begin,” Nora replied. “After graduating from Vassar I found myself flooded with job offers. I didn’t want to waste time playing corporate musical chairs so I settled for Branston and Barnes.”
“They’re pretty big guns in the advertising world,” Alex said. “What made you decide to change sides?”
Nora giggled, the action so endearing for a moment that all he could do was stare at her angelic face. Sensing his attraction, she looked at him with intrigued curiosity and more than a little interest.
“Would you mind if I took your photo?” Alex blurted. “You really look stunning in that costume.”
The unexpected comment brought them both to a moment’s pause, but Nora simply smiled with unflappable grace.
“Sure. Why not?” she said. “Had I thought it of, I would have taken pictures of everyone in their costumes. This really has been the most delightful day.”
Not wanting to prolong the awkwardness he felt, Alex quickly snapped a photo of her.
“Can I email it to you?”
“Of course,” Nora said. “Let me type my address out for you.”
Nora reached for his phone and input her email address, the scent of roses a delicate aura surrounding her. Alex inhaled it; the fragrance very different from the headache-inducing spices and florals Tisa was so fond of.
“There you go,” she said, handing the phone back to him, their briefly brushing fingers sending a thrill through Alex he hadn’t felt since sneaking through his father’s porn collection in high school.
He copied himself on the email and sent it as they continued toward the parking lot.
“So, we were talking about your decision to come over to Stone.”
“Oh yeah. Well, it wasn’t so much a decision,” Nora laughed. “More like an assault by your father.”
Alex blinked at her in surprise. “Dad told me you left because you weren’t being challenged enough.”
“I wasn’t, but your father is a very resourceful man. When he found out I was considering other offers, he borrowed that famous line from The Godfather and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“Dad always was a crafty bastard,” he said, immediately wondering just how much he had offered Nora. He made a mental note to discreetly hit up his contact in HR and find out.
“I don’t know about crafty,” Nora said, “but definitely persistent. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer. Honestly, I’ve never felt so flattered!” She laughed. “I can only imagine how he must have courted your mother.”
“Well, you’ll definitely be an asset to the company,” Alex replied, unable to take his eyes off of her. “Dad’s really particular about staff. Borderline anal, actually.”
“I’m very dedicated to my work,” Nora said. “I’ve always been creative, but I do tend to get bored quickly so I prefer a challenging, fast-paced environment. Your company is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Walking past the stately, ivy-draped manor flanked by dancing fountains and formal gardens, they approached an adjacent parking area with only a few guests milling around the remaining cars. Alex scanned the area but found no sign of Tisa’s candy apple red Mustang.
“Dad said he mentioned something about the Langley campaign?”
“He did run that by me,” Nora replied, “but at the time you were still in Prague. More likely I’ll be tackling the Carter campaign first.”
“Well, I’m looking forward to working together,” Alex said with a smile.
He did a double take when Nora approached a sea foam green hybrid that matched her eyes.
“Nice car,” he said, pokerfaced.
Nora gazed at him with a teasing smile. “Makes more sense environmentally and for city driving than a GranTurismo, don’t you think?” she said, glancing toward the low-slung beast parked in the most remote corner of the lot. “I bet the mileage and the maintenance is a nightmare.”
“It’s strictly for the clients,” Alex said. “You know what tho
se Middle Eastern boys are like. You can’t very well pull up at the airport in a Taurus.”
“Really? I didn’t know we had any clients from that part of the world,” Nora said without batting an eye. “Your dad updated me on current campaigns, but I could always research past campaigns to better acquaint myself...”
“That won’t be necessary,” Alex interrupted. “I’d much rather walk you through our current projects rather than waste your time on past campaigns.”
“A man of the moment, are you, Mr. Stone?”
“If that means I’m always open to new challenges, Ms. Meyers, then I suppose I am.”
“Am I one of those challenges?” Nora asked.
Gotcha.
“A creative mind is always a challenge,” Alex replied, making a show of checking his watch. “That’s the secret of Stone Advertising’s success.” He paused to flash a dazzling smile at her.
“Nora, it’s been wonderful meeting you, but I have to run. Can I have your address, so I can pick you up later?”
“I’ll text it to you when I get home,” Nora said with a grin. “Phone battery’s running low and I also really need to get going.”
She unlocked her car, climbed in and immediately opened the windows. “I have to admit I’m ready to change into something cooler. I think the next wedding invitation I accept will have to be for a beach luau.”
Yet another image of a curvaceous Nora in a bathing suit flashed through Alex’s mind before he could control it. Here was a woman with dangerous curves ahead, not a stick insect, existing on sparkling water and lettuce leaves. He was willing to bet she didn’t have a single diet or weight loss pill in her medicine cabinet.
“I agree. This has been a rather interesting day though,” he replied, trying to quash his overactive imagination. He reached to shake her hand and relished the silkiness of her skin and the firm grip of her fingers. “It really has been a pleasure meeting you, Nora.”
“Likewise,” she said, shaking his hand. “And I’m certainly looking forward to the challenge of working with you.”
Alex stared at her, unsure whether her reply was a compliment or dare. “Don’t forget to send me your address. I’ll pick you up at say, six-thirty?”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
Nora flashed him a smile and then drove off. Alex watched until her car disappeared down the winding road leading to the gated entrance.
“Challenge, indeed,” Alex said with a thoughtful expression. “Bring it on, Lady Nora.”
He glanced at his phone and opened the email containing Nora’s picture. Staring at her reminded him of Botticelli portraits he had seen in museums, her ethereal face framed by a cascade of curly chestnut hair unique among the cookie-cutter straight styles he saw on practically every woman these days. Above everything else, it was her eyes that captivated him, their sea foam green depths somehow gazing into his soul.
Even as Alex drank in every detail of the photo from the alabaster perfection of her skin to the sensuous fullness of her face, he felt something shift within him, as though a long dormant emotion had awakened after a lengthy hibernation. The alien emotion stretched and flexed, rising from the remote corners of his psyche into the daylight of awareness.
Alex frowned in confusion. This wasn’t the Alex Stone he recognized. It wasn’t anyone he knew at all. So, why was he suddenly so eager to see Nora again?
Chapter Four
Alex wasn’t surprised at all to find himself in the broad, lushly planted neighborhood offering stunning views of the river with every turn. Driving down Nora’s secluded street, the peaceful evening resonated with the sound of chattering birds, distant lawnmowers and the hypnotic hissing of sprinklers.
The dreamy light filtering through trees gently swaying in a balmy breeze infused Alex with a sense of déjà vu, as if turning into this exclusive community had somehow directed him into a soft focus Norman Rockwell glimpse of days past.
Money and privilege lived here, discreetly displayed by gorgeous homes set back on huge, gated lots. The intoxicating fragrance of flowers, freshly mown grass and barbecues wafted in the air. For a moment, Alex had a flashback of long, lazy summers spent at the beach house, his carefree days as a boy soon to be swallowed by the competition of his modeling years, college and career.
With a wistful smile, he recalled building sand castles with his siblings, Marc and Savannah on the shore while his parents prepared a picnic on the sand. It had been a brilliant August day, the radiant blue sky merging with the shimmering ocean into infinity. Sailboats bobbed across the waves, and in the distance, the faint outline of a cruise ship slowly chugged across the horizon.
Alex recalled charging through the stinging coolness of the waves, boogie board in hand, feeling a sense of fun and freedom that he realized he hadn’t felt in far too many years. Launching himself onto the board, he had furiously paddled past the breakers, the roaring surf resonating in his ears. With the agility borne from many summers, Alex had pointed himself back toward the beach and rode the waves with a skill that would have made a seasoned surfer proud. He and his siblings used to compete, the three of them laughing and shouting through the water’s chilly bite, each trying to topple the other from their boards.
Where had those days gone? He wondered nostalgically. Back then, the competition was jut plain fun and not a cutthroat battle like it was in the world of advertising.
It was a bittersweet recollection, one that pricked Alex with a fleeting sense of melancholy echoed by the waxing and waning cries of children playing from an unseen yard. For a moment he was tempted to pull over and walk along one of the carefully tended paths leading toward the river. The glistening silver of the water played peek-a-boo through the trees, teasing him with glimpses of boats meandering by.
Rounding a bend, he approached a lovely white antebellum house flanking a cul-de-sac. Draped by willowy trees and immaculately manicured rose gardens, it rose like a vision from Gone with the Wind. As Alex pulled up to the elaborately designed wrought iron gates, he was compelled to simply sit and stare.
He was startled when the gates suddenly trundled open. Dressed casually in pale green capris and a billowing floral top that celebrated her ripe curves, Nora walked toward him along a circular drive flanked by carriage lights. With her chocolate curls flowing past her shoulders, she was a sight so stunning that Alex couldn’t help but grin like a teenager about to go on his first date.
Nora’s smile illuminated her face as she approached the car. Alex lowered the partially open windows.
“Good evening, noble Sir,” she quipped.
“My Lady Nora, it’s such a pleasure to see you again.”
They exchanged a laugh as Nora got into the car.
“I see you brought your trusty steed,” Nora said. “Will I need a safety harness?”
“No,” Alex replied with a smile. “I promise I won’t exceed Mach 2.”
“Very well, captain,” she replied, laughing.
Alex tried not to react, but her proximity and the scent of her soft lilac perfume incited an adolescent awkwardness in him that literally had him fumbling to reverse the car without riding over the curb. He felt as self-conscious as he had during his driving test in high school, glancing at the examiner’s face to gauge whether he was passing or failing.
“That’s a beautiful home,” he said, turning into the street. “I’ve never driven through this neighborhood before. I feel like I’ve slipped into another dimension.”
“Belongs to my grandparents,” Nora said. “They’re in Europe for three months so they said I can stay here as long as necessary until I find my own place.”
“My mother would love this.” Alex replied. “A reminder of home.”
“The South is beautiful,” Nora said. “My grandparents lived in Charleston for many years. When they moved here they decided to recreate the home they lived in.”
“So why look for another place?” Alex asked. “I can’t imagine city congestion and g
ouged prices is something that would appeal to you.”
He paused as the evening light cast Nora’s face in a sublime glow. Her eyes pulled him into limpid green depths, her full, luscious lips turned up in a slight smile. He was seized so suddenly by a desire to kiss her that he had to physically pull himself back.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said, carefully watching his expression. “I love it here, but it’s far too big for one person and I keep thinking that I have to check in at the front desk every time I step inside.”
Alex laughed. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about poor service.”
“That’s right,” she said, pointing to herself. “I take my complaints straight to upper management.”
“Grandparents don’t have a housekeeper?”
“Ah, the venerable Mrs. Grosvenor,” Nora said somewhat tongue in cheek. “She comes in a couple of times a week to make sure I haven’t disturbed the natural order of things. Crafty woman. It’s never the same schedule, though I’ve asked her several times to let me know in advance when she’s stopping by. She refuses to use a cell phone and manages to startle me every time she shows up.”
Alex roared with laughter. “Oh, my God”, he cried. “Is she by chance related to Greta Vance? I’ve always suspected she was one of hell’s minions sent to Earth to torment me.”
“I’ve always wondered if tormenting the living is a prerequisite for housekeepers these days,” Nora said. “As a child, I remember her always giving me the eye when I played anywhere near the Baccarat crystal. I suspected she was some kind of ninja in disguise moving among us mortals.” She giggled. “Sometimes if I really wanted to aggravate her, I would move a couple of pieces just to see if she noticed.”
“And did she?”
“Of course! The woman was equipped with a human radar.”
“Were you the only troublemaker?” Alex asked. “What about your brothers and sisters? Or were they better behaved?”
“Nope, just me I’m afraid,” Nora said with a hint of wistfulness. “Mom had a difficult pregnancy with me. After two more miscarriages, the doctors recommended she stop to safeguard her health. There was talk of possibly adopting, but it never panned out.”
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