“There’s a public restroom down the hall. Go in there and clean yourself up, and then you’ll feel better. They’ll understand. It could happen to anyone,” the woman said kindly.
Chloe managed a tight smile. “Thanks, I’ll do that.”
She went to the restroom and tried to clean up the best she could. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a thing she could do about the shoe. She thought about removing the tights but decided to leave them on. At least then they would be able to see that she’d made the attempt to look professional. She took the elevator up to the third floor, expecting that Marsh Interiors would be located in one of the suites. When the elevator door opened, however, she stepped out and found herself standing in an impressive reception room done in pleasing neutrals with metal accents and a rough-hewn hickory floor that was a weathered gray. Marsh Interiors took up the entire third floor. She approached the reception desk.
The look on the receptionist’s face said it all when she looked at Chloe’s ragged appearance.
Chloe straightened under the scrutiny and put on her best professional voice. “I’m Chloe Kensley. I’m here for an interview. Unfortunately, I’m a little late. As you can see from my appearance, I had trouble getting here.”
The corner of the girl’s mouth began to twitch like she was trying hard not to laugh. Chloe felt like crying. “I’ll tell Mr. Singleton that you’re here. Have a seat.”
Luckily, the waiting room was empty. Her knee was bleeding again, and it was starting to throb. Fifteen minutes later, a man in his early thirties stepped out of the one of the inner offices and walked in through the back of the reception area. From the way the woman at the desk jumped to attention, Chloe guessed he must be pretty important. He was the no-nonsense type with his closely cropped dark hair and hard jaw. He looked at Chloe, and his steel eyes locked with hers, sending a chill through her, making her hot and cold at the same time. How ridiculous she must look, sitting there in a stained suit, barefooted and holding her shoes in her hands. Her only thought was Please don’t let this be the man that’s supposed to interview me.
His eyes narrowed, and he turned to the woman, ignoring Chloe altogether. “Yvette, I thought you said Chloe Kensley was here.”
Chloe swallowed hard. She stood and switched the shoes to her left hand before extending her right hand to him. “I’m Chloe Kensley.”
* * *
When Chloe shut the door to Hank Singleton’s office, she felt like she’d just closed the door on her career. Hank Singleton, the owner of Marsh Interiors, hadn’t given her any slack in her fifteen-minute interview that should have lasted an hour. She could tell that the idea of her losing a shoe on the way to the interview was beyond comprehension as far as he was concerned. She doubted if any of her answers to his interview questions had penetrated that negative halo he’d formed when he saw her standing there barefooted. He’d only given her portfolio a cursory glance and then snapped it shut. Who could blame him? It was still wet from when she dropped it.
Chloe looked down at her stocking feet and shook her head. It was the first time she noticed that her big toe was sticking out. No wonder Mr. Singleton thought she was a coot. She would have laughed if tears hadn’t been so close to the surface.
As she walked past the receptionist’s desk, the girl looked up. “Are you a size seven?”
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.”
“Your shoe size. It looks like we have about the same size feet. I have a pair of sneakers that I use to go walking on my lunch break. You’re welcome to borrow them if you would like.”
Chloe couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears of gratitude welled when she reached for the shoes. “Thank you so much. I was wondering how I was going to get home barefooted. I promise, I’ll bring them back.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome. You have a lovely accent. Where are you from?”
“South Carolina. I just moved here a few days ago.”
“Welcome to Salt Lake, and good luck on your job hunting.”
* * *
Chloe decided to take the stairs on the way out to avoid being seen wearing a suit with a pair of sneakers. Eager to escape, she yanked open the door at the bottom of the stairs and ran head-on into a man rushing in. They collided, knocking her portfolio and purse onto the marble floor, scattering the contents.
The man was the first to regain his composure. “Miss. Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching. I’m late for an interview.”
His remark stunned her. Was he interviewing for the same position? The irony of the situation was too much, and she burst out laughing. The next minute, they were both on their hands and knees, trying to retrieve her things. He raised his blonde head, and she found herself staring into a pair of startling blue eyes.
“Did you do this?” He held up one of the pages from her portfolio.
“Yes, I did.”
“Wow. This is great. The color combinations are magnificent.” The man stood and helped Chloe to her feet.
“Thank you.” A sense of pleasure warmed her. The man had noticed her work. It had been a long time since anyone had complimented her on anything, and the fact that he was noticing something that she took great pride in was especially gratifying. Her mother’s caution to be wary of strangers echoed in her mind.
“Do you have time to get a soda or something? There’s a little restaurant not too far from here. They have the best Italian cream sodas in town.” He took hold of her arm and started steering her toward the door.
“I really have to go … besides your interview …” Before she could finish her sentence, the two were standing on the sidewalk, and he was flagging down a taxi. At least it had stopped raining.
He looked down at the sneakers. “New style?”
She smirked. “Long story.”
“Good, you can tell me about it over sodas.”
“Wait. I don’t even know your name.”
He gave her a dazzling smile. “Garrett.”
She smiled back. “Chloe.”
They rode in silence until Garrett asked the taxi driver to stop in front of a quaint building. Garrett directed them to a cozy table in the corner of the crowded restaurant, and a few minutes later she was looking across the table at him, sipping on a vanilla soda. All she knew up to this point was that his name was Garrett and that he had the good sense to appreciate her drawings. He was immaculately dressed in a charcoal gray, pinstriped suit with a silk tie. His arresting eyes reminded her of sapphires, and his quick smile made her feel warm, despite her damp clothes.
Garrett took a swig of his soda. “Umm, that’s good. I love the cherry. How’s yours?”
“Very good.”
“It couldn’t be as good as the cherry.”
She laughed. “I don’t know about that. It really is fantastic.”
He held out his soda and turned the straw in her direction. “Here, try mine and see.”
Her eyes went wide. She didn’t want to drink after a person she’d just met, but she couldn’t think of a diplomatic way to turn him down. She took a drink. “Pretty good.”
“But?” he prompted.
A smile touched her lips. “The vanilla’s better.”
He made a face. “No! I don’t believe it. Let me try it.” He reached for her soda and took a long swig. A smile broke across his lips. “Okay, you win. The vanilla’s better,” he conceded, handing her back the soda.
He pointed. “You were going to tell me the story behind those shoes.”
“Believe it or not, I was just coming out of an interview.”
“An interview? You’re kidding. With those shoes?”
The laughter in his eyes was infectious as a grin broke across her face. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”
“I’m sorry, continue.”
She wrapped her hands around the glass and took another sip of the bubbly soda. “It seems that my roommate thought she needed my car more than I because she took it this morning without ask
ing, and I had to get a taxi. I was late for the interview, and it was raining. I ran out of the cab to the building; the heel of my shoe got caught on something, and I biffed it on the sidewalk.” She showed him her knee and hands. “See.”
“Ouch!”
“I’ll say.”
“You’re telling me that you interviewed with only one shoe on?”
“Well, I took off the other shoe. So technically, I was barefooted. You should have seen the look on that Singleton guy’s face when I tried to explain what happened. Of course, at the time, I didn’t realize my big toe was sticking out of the hole in my tights. I think the interview lasted all of fifteen minutes.”
Garrett’s eyes widened, and then he slapped his knee and doubled over laughing.
She wished she could think it was that funny.
After a minute, he regained his composure. “Where did you get the tennis shoes?”
“The receptionist took pity on me and let me borrow them.”
He laughed again. “That’s hilarious!”
She shook her head. “Well, it would be hilarious except I was counting on getting that job. Now, I’m not sure what I’ll do—probably high-tail it back home.”
Garrett shook his head. “Where’s home?”
“South Carolina.”
“Ah, the origin of that captivating accent.”
His eyes caught hers, and she felt warm all over. Then, he reached for her hand and held it in his. His touch was warm and not unpleasant, but the gesture completely caught her off guard, and she had to fight the urge to pull her hand away. It felt terribly inappropriate to be holding hands with a man she’d met only an hour ago.
“There’ll be other job interviews, I promise. But, we’re not going to worry about that tonight. I’m taking you to dinner.”
She withdrew her hand. “I—I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“You have to eat, don’t you?”
“Well … yes, but we just met.”
He leaned back in his chair and flashed another sparkling smile that caused her breath to catch. “It’s just dinner, Chloe. Come on and take a chance. Get to know me. What could be so bad about that?”
“I don’t know…” It was the first time she’d been alone with a man since Dan. And Garrett was so sure of himself—so charming.
“There’s this great seafood restaurant. They have the best shrimp remoulade you’ll ever taste, and their oysters aren’t half bad either.”
She wondered if now would be the time to tell him she didn’t like neither shrimp nor oysters. “Do they have steaks?”
“Yep, they do.”
There was a pause in the conversation. He was handsome, Chloe admitted, taking in his well-proportioned features and wiry frame—maybe even a little too handsome for her taste. She’d never been overly impressed with the pretty-boy types.
There was a hint of teasing in his eyes. “Say yes. Where else would I find another date with such interesting shoes?”
She laughed. “You’ve got a point, but I’ll have to go home and change first.”
He made a face. “Not the shoes.”
She smirked.
“Okay, change them if you must. I’ll pick you up at 7:00.”
“But, do you have a car?”
“Of course.”
“We took a cab here. I just assumed …”
He chuckled. “We’d only just met, and I seriously doubt that you would’ve agreed to get in the car with a complete stranger. The cab seemed to be the more logical choice.”
“Oh.” Heat crawled up her neck. He was right, of course, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about him being able to read her so well. Her eyes met his in a challenge. “And what makes you so sure that I’ll get in the car and go somewhere with you tonight?”
He reached for her hand and began stroking it back and forth with his thumb. “I’ll take my chances.”
* * *
Garrett insisted on accompanying her in the cab back to her house, even though she told him it would be easier to just give him directions for tonight. When she stepped onto the porch, she gave him a final wave and breathed a sigh of relief when the cab drove away. It had been an eventful morning, and she longed to plop down on her bed and relax for a few hours—after she and Darbie had a nice, long talk. Her Honda Fit was parked in the driveway. That meant Darbie was home. She tried the door, but it was locked. The TV was on. She pounded on the door. “Darbie! It’s me. Open up!”
No response.
“Great!” There was no telling where that darn house key was. Everything was now a jumble in her purse. She knocked again. “Darbie! Can you hear me?”
No answer.
Left with no other alternative, she put down her portfolio case and started rifling through her purse. Finally she found it.
“Hi, Chloe.” Susan stuck her head out the front door of the house on the left. “Is everything all right?”
Chloe looked across the yard and gave her a strained smile. She hadn’t realized they were next-door neighbors. “I’m okay. Just having a hard time getting this door open.”
“I have an extra key if you need it.”
She jammed the key into the lock and turned it. “Got it. Thanks!”
“Let me know if you need anything.” Susan closed the door.
“Yeah, I need something. A new roommate,” Chloe muttered under her breath.
Susan stuck her head out the door again, making Chloe think for one wild second that Susan had heard her. “I’m making barbecue chicken tonight if anyone’s interested.” She closed the door before Chloe could answer.
The first thing Chloe saw when she opened the door was Beasty. “Hey, boy. Did you miss me?” He gave her an indifferent glance before sticking his nose in the air and prancing out of the room. “Good to see you too,” Chloe called after him. She put her things on the couch and began opening the blinds, one by one, allowing sunlight to flood the room. “Much better.” She was tempted to open the doors and windows to air out the place the way her mother did at home. That would certainly help rid the air of that stale pizza smell. She should’ve picked up some air freshener when she was shopping over the weekend. Beasty came back into the room. “Come here, big guy.” Chloe bent down and grabbed him before he could escape. His thick fur was soft against her face. “Good kitty,” she said, rubbing his back. As usual, he bowed up and let out an irritated meow. She put him back on the floor and gave him one last rub across the back before he darted off. “You are a beast,” she said.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that all she’d had to eat or drink all day was the vanilla soda. She went into the kitchen to make a turkey sandwich but stopped short when she saw the mess. The turkey she’d bought on Saturday was sitting on the counter, half-opened, along with the cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard. Chloe’s blood began to boil. She’d spent her own money for that meat, and Darbie thought she was going to let it sit out on the counter and spoil? First the car and now this! She stormed out of the kitchen and down the hall to Darbie’s room where she threw open the door. “We need to talk!”
It took her a moment to realize that Darbie was kneeling beside her bed, praying. Chloe’s face drained. Not knowing what else to do, she backed out and closed the door. Darbie had not even looked up.
“Chlooooeee.”
Chloe recognized the voice. It was Susan, in the kitchen. Oh no! Beasty!
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Where was that cat? She stepped into the kitchen and felt a wave of relief when she saw that he wasn’t in there.
Susan looked her up and down. “What happened?”
Huh? Chloe looked down at her skinned knee and ripped tights. In all of the commotion, she’d forgotten about her haggard appearance. “Oh, I fell getting out of a taxi this morning, but I’m fine.”
“Your knee.”
The blood had dried, matting her tights to the wound. “It looks worse than it is. It’ll be better once
I get it cleaned up.”
“You look a little pale.”
“Just hungry and tired,” she said as Beasty scampered into the room and brushed against Susan’s leg.
Susan raised an eyebrow. “The reason I came over is to talk to you about your cat.”
If Susan had knocked Chloe in the chest with a ton of bricks, it would not have felt any heavier. “I thought Darbie had told you about Beasty. If there’s a problem …”
Susan held up her hand. “Don’t be silly, I want to borrow him.”
“Borrow him?”
“I’ve seen signs of mice in the closet on the built-in porch.”
A clutch of anxiety went through Chloe. She’d almost lost Beasty at the rest stop. What if he were to somehow get out of Susan’s porch? She might never see him again. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she began, selecting her words carefully, so as not to offend her landlord. “He’s still getting used to being in this house. I don’t want him to somehow get out and get lost.”
Susan dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. “Oh, he won’t get out. I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”
Chloe could tell that any argument she could present would fall on deaf ears. “Okay, you can borrow him, but as you can see, Beasty doesn’t miss many meals, so I’m not sure how good he’ll be at catching mice. But you’re welcome to give it a try.”
Susan laughed. “Let’s hope there’s a hunter in you somewhere.” She scooped him up and took him out the door. “Ciao.”
Chloe stood there, shaking her head. After all the worrying she’d done about that darn cat, and Susan had known about him all along.
Chloe made herself a sandwich and was cleaning up the mess when Darbie came into the kitchen. Embarrassment rushed over her as she thought about how she’d interrupted Darbie during her prayer. She thought Darbie would call her on it, but Darbie simply said, “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“I have a test in my next class, and I was praying for help.” Darbie opened the refrigerator door and took out the milk and then cast a sidelong glance at Chloe. “What happened to you? You’re a mess.” She took a long swig right out of the jug.
When Darkness Falls Page 5
