by Ashlee Price
Mia was like a breath of fresh air. For once, I didn’t think that I needed another drink. I wanted to sober up and remember her just the way that she was right then. It was hard to take my eyes off of her, but the coy smile that she gave me made me burn inside. Who was this woman?
“Thank you for seeing me, sir.’
“Please, call me Logan. I’m the president of the company.”
“Yeah, I know who you are.”
She didn’t say it like she was happy about it. It made me stop and reevaluate the woman in front of me. She was here for a proposal and all I could think about was taking her to dinner. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be thinking like that, but it was hard not to. How could I think about anything else when the dark pink pencil skirt that she was wearing was still in my mind?
Mia’s long, strawberry-blonde hair moved as she moved and I could see that she was nervous. She was going through her paperwork, and I saw her hands trembling as she tried to find the right piece of paper.
“This doesn’t have to be formal, Mia. That’s not how we do things around here.”
I’d been sure going into the meeting that I wasn’t going to be interested in working with a sanctuary or any kind of non-profit corporation, but now there was no way that I wasn’t going to at least hear her out. Mia looked like she was ready to flee at any moment, but that was the last thing I wanted her to do. I had to get her calmed down. It was like she was a little bird, and I was so afraid that she was going to just fly away. It was a strange feeling to have and I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t have to. I just knew then that I wanted more time with the beautiful, slight woman with so much presence.
Trying to calm her didn’t help, so I let her fidget for some time before she finally got herself pulled together enough to say anything. What I’d been expecting was not at all what I found in front of me, and I couldn’t help but smile at her and watch her intensely. I was still seeing her as I had when I first walked in the door. She was staring off into the city, as I had so many times before. It was like for a moment we were in the exact same position. I wanted to know more about her.
“Well, Logan, I’m here because our sanctuary is in dire straits. While I know that you’re a big company and don’t mess much with pro bono, we’re ready to pay a very large sum of money, all that we have left, if you can help us promote the sanctuary. Without some new people going through the doors or a few good fundraisers, the sanctuary is going to close and Chicago is going to lose one of the most important living exhibits of some of the most endangered animals of our time.”
She took a breath. Although she was nervous, and I thought she might faint at any minute, the fact of the matter was that Mia was passionate about this. I had never heard of the sanctuary, but I knew that I wanted to go there. I knew then that I wanted to help. Anything that she needed help with and was that passionate about, I was going to be more than willing to help her. It was not in me not to. I wanted to do anything I could to convince her of that.
“Well, go on. What’s going on with the sanctuary that you now need to get the word out? We’re all about helping companies get the word out, and it sounds like you have a lot to offer the city. I had my assistant do a little homework, and it looks like you guys have been around for a while. So what’s going on now that has put it in jeopardy?”
It was a question that I would ask every other business. It was my way of keeping them talking and learning what everyone wanted. I knew that I could help her, but I still wasn’t sure in which capacity that she needed help. More than that, I just wanted the beautiful Mia to keep talking, and she kept going quiet, so I thought that I would help her along.
“Well, I’m not sure, really. We’ve always had a lot of visitors from the city, but this last quarter or two has been different. While I want to say that it has something to do with the weather, I don’t know what it is. We’re a little ways from the city, and that doesn’t help when it is impossible to come visit us on public transportation. I don’t know. I think there are a lot of factors to think of, many of which can’t really be changed, but there has to be something that we can do.”
“So why does it have to be you?”
“Because I don’t want to work anywhere else. I love the people and the science, and more than that I love all of the animals. If the sanctuary closes, there’s no telling where they’ll go.”
I sat back. I could see that she was literally working herself up over a couple of animals and a sanctuary that didn’t even pull in a tenth of what my business made. She was not a client that was going to make me any money, and there was a part of me that knew that I should send her to one of the lower-level client reps and be done with it. If Mia hadn’t looked the way she looked, I would have taken a different approach, but the women in front of me was not someone that I could just ignore.
“So what you need is a good campaign to get more visitors to your zoo or you will have to close down?”
I was better with things that made sense. With all of her passion I was still trying to nail down what exactly was going on. She nodded her head like she was glad that I understood, and her face became full of hope that I would help her. I wanted to. I didn’t know if she would get the result that she wanted from it, but I knew that I would personally make sure that we promoted her cause as much as possible.
“Well, I think I’ll need more information before I can make a decision, Mia. I would want to know more about the organization and the people who run it.”
“Oh, well, of course. I kind of figured that you would want to know more. I’ve brought all of the paperwork I could find from the accountant, as well as a few printed pages from our website with more information about what we’re about and what we’re trying to do at the sanctuary.”
“That’s great, Mia, but I was thinking something a little more personal.”
Chapter 2 – Mia
“What do you mean, more personal?”
I knew as soon as I said it that it was going to come across as rude. I just didn’t understand why he would say something like that. More than that, I didn’t know what it meant, and that bothered me. The whole time I was talking, Logan had a strange look on his face, a smile that was hard to look away from. He was so handsome, and it was hard to think straight when he was looking at me like that. Finally I looked down at the papers in front of me, waiting for an answer to my question. What was it that he meant by more personal? Surely it wasn’t what I was thinking, the thing that made me shiver inside with the idea of it.
“I meant that I would like to see the sanctuary.”
I sighed a little and admonished myself for working myself up like that. Of course he wanted to see the place. That was not unusual. He certainly wasn’t thinking along the lines that I was, and I could feel my face getting red from the assumption of my mind and where it had gone. What was going on with me?
“Oh, well, we’re open from ten to five most days. I can arrange for you to come around any of those times and give you a tour around the place. Then you could see why it is so special and why you should help us. Not only will it be a good deal for us both, but I really think that it could show your business in a good light as well. People are getting more interested in companies’ commitment to the community, and I think that the sanctuary is a good place to start.”
I hated that I sounded so desperate, but I was willing to do almost anything to keep the job that I loved so much. I couldn’t think of my life anywhere else, and I didn’t want to. I knew that I could get a job at the zoo with my best friend Jane, but it wouldn’t be the same. There I would be one of many, whereas at the sanctuary I had the floor. I was able to make decisions, and the owners trusted me and respected me. Those were not things that I was going to just go out and find at another job, and I knew that.
“I think you’ve convinced me, but I’d like to see the place that makes a woman like you so passionate about life. I don’t think I’ve ever been that into anything, and I have to see
what it is that moves you, Mia. Will you take me?”
“Right now?”
When he nodded his head, I was a little dumbfounded, and to be honest, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I knew that the sanctuary was closed for the day, but I could make an exception. I didn’t know if I wanted to, though, because of how I was feeling. I didn’t feel like myself at all, and I wasn’t sure that I liked the way I was feeling at the moment. I felt like I was going to come out of my skin just from a few looks across a boardroom table. It didn’t bode well for being alone with him for any large amount of time.
“Is that a problem?”
I shook my head that it wasn’t. “No, of course not. But the place is closed for the day. We could do it first thing in the morning, if that would work for you.”
He was shaking his head that it wouldn’t do. “I have meetings all day tomorrow. I hate to say it like this, but it might be today or never. I have a lot going on here, Mia, and I would like to help you, but I can’t help you if I don’t get a real feel for your business. I have to know what you need before I can give it to you.”
God, the way he looked at me made me melt inside a little. I was shivering in the seat. I don’t think that he knew how he was talking and how it could be taken, but then again, I was sure that I was taking everything the wrong way. It was hard not to. My mind was so far from where it was supposed to be that it was seriously hard to function.
“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking. I know you’re a busy man. I can work something out this evening if you’d like.”
He told me that he would like it very much, and again I thought he was talking about something that I wasn’t talking about. I felt like everything he was saying had an innuendo attached to it, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. I knew that he was getting up from his seat, though, and soon he was waiting expectantly for me at the door. I was apparently not going to get any time to get myself together. If Logan was available now, what else could I do but use the time to get him to agree? That was what I was there for, after all.
“I think you will really like the place, Logan. If you’ve never been there before, you’re in for a treat.”
“I already like everything that I know about it.”
I looked back and saw the way his blue eyes were piercing into mine. It was hard not to be a little bothered, so I turned back around before I embarrassed myself further than I already had. There was something about the way he was so close to me when we walked that made me sidestep. I was starting to legitimately think that he was going to be worried about my sobriety. I felt almost drunk, and I knew that it was because of his close proximity. Men like Logan were far too handsome to be around people like me. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and the elevator ride downstairs was torturous.
“Are you okay, Mia?”
I assured him that I was, even though I was becoming quite sure that I was going to lose it at any moment. Why was he standing so close to me? There was plenty of room in the small elevator, but it was like he was trying to take up all of it.
“I’m fine. I guess I just wasn’t expecting you to want to see the place.”
“I’m very thorough.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to see that. I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Trust me, Mia. It’s a very good thing.”
Chapter 3 – Logan
“Are we the only ones here?”
She looked back at me and kind of smiled. It was like what we were doing was wrong and it was a secret between the two of us. I liked being her coconspirator, and it occurred to me that she most likely hadn’t done anything like this before in her life. She struck me as the kind of woman who played by the rules. I liked that she was willing to break them for me. It made me wonder what other rules I could talk her into breaking for me.
“Everyone is usually out of here by six. Ryland may still be here, but I’m not going to take you to that side of the sanctuary.”
I picked up on something when she said his name, something that I didn’t like to think of, but it was pretty obvious to me that she didn’t want to see him at all. It made me a little protective of her, and I stood closer to her as she tried to get her keys in the lock. Her hand was slightly shaking and I finally offered her some help with it. Mia wouldn’t meet my gaze, but she gave me her keys and waited for me to unlock the last gate to the sanctuary.
Now, to be honest, I couldn’t have cared less about looking around. It certainly wasn’t something that I did on a regular basis, but it was the only thing that I could think of to get more time with her. I had been so eager to get out of work, but now I was making my day even longer. That was not like me at all.
I knew that I was walking indoors, but it felt like I was outside. Mia took her time before putting even one light on. It was clear that this wasn’t the first time that she had been here after hours. It was like I was in the middle of a routine that no one else got to see.
“So what do you do here, Mia? Do you work in the office?”
She looked back at me and kind of smiled, but didn’t really answer my question. I still wasn’t sure what position she had in the company. She could have been the secretary for all I knew. All I really knew for sure was that she was beautiful and had more passion for this place than I did in anything that I had ever done.
“No, I’m a zoologist. I’m studying these animals to see if there is something that science can do to make sure that they don’t become extinct. That’s why it is so important. We’re trying to bring these creatures back from the brink, and we need places like this to learn and develop new ways to help them.”
“You really care, don’t you?”
Mia looked at me as if I had asked if she liked breathing air. “Of course I care. Why else would I be here? What a waste life would be if we did something that we didn’t care about.”
What was it about her that made her care so much? It was hard not to get caught up in her excitement. I asked her to show me her favorite part of the place.
“Well, that’s easy. I will introduce you to Rocy.”
I didn’t know who or what that was, but I was going to follow her anywhere. The signs should have told me where we were going, but I was too busy following her swaying hips and round backside. The way she shook them from side to side was hypnotizing, and it was hard not to lose myself in the moment. I heard something about staying back, but I wasn’t paying much attention. I was too focused on the woman ahead of me to really hear what was going on.
Not hearing Mia was one thing, but I definitely heard the loud roar that greeted me when I walked unknowingly into an enclosure.
“No, Logan! You really need to stay out there. Rocy doesn’t know you, and she isn’t too fond of new people. You’ll have to give her time before you come in here with her.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I saw it. The large cat was not anything that I wanted to be around, and though I could see the beauty in the animal, I couldn’t for the life of me fathom what Mia thought she was doing in there with it. Fear gripped me when I saw the large cat start towards her.
“Wait, Mia!”
She looked behind me and smiled. I thought she had lost her mind as she waved me back and shut the gate that was standing between me and her. I didn’t know what to say, but I felt helpless as I watched the large cat stalk her from behind. I was sure that it was going to pounce on her at any moment. I was just waiting for the flurry of claws and teeth and blood that I was sure was about to come next.
What came next shocked me more than anything else about her. Instead of being afraid as I was, Mia just sat down cross-legged on the ground and the cat rubbed up against her. When it circled and laid its head on her lap, I was sure I was seeing things. What was going on in front of me couldn’t be real, it just couldn’t be.
It was, though, and the woman in front of me was becoming even more of an enigma. I watched her with fascination as she pet the large animal’s head like it was her hous
ecat instead of the Amur leopard that the sign proclaimed it to be. It just didn’t make sense to me, but I could see that this was as natural to her as making money was to me. Who was this woman?
“This is Rocy?”
She nodded her head and smiled. “Yeah, she’s my favorite animal here, and I thought that you would like her too. You can come to the gate and she may let you pet her.”
I didn’t want to seem afraid of the idea, but there was nothing in me that wanted to touch the animal. It wasn’t a natural thing to me. It was something that shouldn’t be done. The cat was a wild animal, and the woman that had her do her bidding was starting to take on some wild aspects as well.
After a time, it became clear that I wasn’t going to go in there. Instead of pushing it, Mia finally pushed the cat away from her in an alarming way. I couldn’t believe that it moved away without much of a fuss.
“I will come back and see you later, Rocy. No treats today.”
Mia looked back and patted the large cat on the head before she went to the door that I was standing in front of and came out of the enclosure. I was in awe of Mia, and although she wasn’t really paying much attention to me, there was a light in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before. She was excited to be out of there. There was no fear in her, only a sense of abandon that again I was jealous of. In that moment she was not the quiet and shy girl that I had first met in the boardroom an hour ago. Something in her had changed, and it somehow made her even more beautiful than I had thought before.
“That was, you’re…” For once in my life, I was at a loss for words. Mia was grinning at me, and she looked back once at the cat before we walked into another part of the sanctuary. There was no way that I was going to remember how to get out of the place, because all of my attention was on her. I liked the way she was coming to life, and I could tell that the sanctuary was a magical place. I was feeling the same way that she was about it; for a moment, I got swept up in it too. Throughout the rest of the tour, all I could think about was seeing her again – and soon.
