Love in the City, an erotic romance novel

by Hall, Heather

  Giorgio led her back to the conference room as the others waited awkwardly by the front desk. He closed the door. “So this is where you work, oh mysterious one.”

  “Mmmhmm,” she said, nodding. She felt too shy to make eye contact with him at the moment since she had purposely not told him where she worked.

  He reached out to gently touch her chin, bringing her face up to meet his. He stepped a little closer. His cologne was melting her brain cells it was so manly and intoxicating. She noticed the dark chest hair peeking above his open shirt collar. She felt her knees go weak. He lifted her chin a little more. “Well, your secret’s out now.”

  She stared at his full lips as he spoke. Hers parted.

  “So, I get to know a little more about you,” he continued. “That’s progress, even if by happenstance. It seems we keep getting thrown together.”

  She looked into the endless blue depths of his eyes, boring into her. She took a deep breath and nodded. “So it seems.”

  “What are we going to do about that?” he asked as his hand went to her shoulder, touching her ever-so-slightly.

  His touch felt electric. She stepped in just an inch closer to him. It was as though she was gravitationally drawn to him.

  He leaned down as though he was about to kiss her, when his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. He grunted his displeasure at the timing. “Sorry,” he said.

  She nodded, flustered and her mind racing at the sudden turn of events. This day felt all topsy-turvy. She needed a drink. Badly. She’d be calling Sarah as soon as she was off work.

  Giorgio read the text that came through, his expression turning to a deep frown. “I’m really sorry, but this is urgent. I’m going to have to go. I’ll call you as soon as I can. I would like to take you for dinner,” he said as he let his gaze drop for a moment to the open V-neck of her blouse. “If you’re still interested that is.”

  She felt her skin tingle. “But we might be working together,” she teased. “Won’t that complicate matters?”

  “Only in a most interesting way, in my opinion,” he said, his full lips curving into a sexy smile. He looked deep into her eyes. “I’m game if you are.”

  His blue eyes were mesmerizing. She was pretty sure he could get her to agree to just about anything at the moment. “I am,” she said, breathing heavier.

  It seemed for a moment that he was going to try to kiss her again, but then he remembered where they were. He pointed to the door. “Bernard’s probably going to come knocking any moment now. He would have received that text, too.” He gave her a hug instead. His strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel tiny and very feminine. She reached up and placed her hands on his back. She felt his strong muscles and wide shoulders and masculine scent. Her heart pounded.

  “See you soon, Anabelle,” he whispered in her ear. He then winked at her.

  “See you soon,” she repeated, smiling at him.

  He nodded and hurried out.

  She stood there, trying to absorb the moment. I sure hope so, she thought.

  Chapter 7

  That night after work, Anabelle picked up the phone and called her best friend. “Sarah,” Anabelle said, “it’s me. I hope you don’t think I’m crazy, but I need your help.”

  “Sure, with what?”

  “I need your reporter skills. There’s a problem I’d like you to investigate.”

  “Of course,” she said. “Are you in trouble?”

  “Not me, someone else.” She hesitated. She wasn’t altogether sure if she should be doing this.

  “Who then?”

  “It’s about Giorgio’s business,” she said.

  “Say what?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it over the phone, can you come over?”

  “Yeah, of course, you’ve got me curious. I’m just having dinner, can I come by in about an hour?”

  “Sounds good, thanks,” Anabelle said.

  “See you then,” Sarah said and hung up the phone.

  Anabelle decided to make some notes while she waited. She sat down at her computer and did a search for negative news on Tsar Enterprises. She found over a dozen instances. All recent. All saying similar things. All anonymous.

  Sarah came by as promised. The two friends lived only a short distance from one another in Brooklyn. Anabelle gave her a hug, then showed her inside.

  “Hey, Jasper,” Sarah said as she leaned down to pet him. “Looking as handsome as ever.” He purred at the touch of the familiar person.

  “So,” Anabelle said, “before I fill you in on things, I need you to promise to keep this confidential for both business reasons and because I haven’t told Giorgio I’m doing this.”

  Sarah readily agreed.

  Anabelle trusted in her best friend’s integrity. They took a seat on the sofa. She then filled her in on Giorgio happening to come to her work to inquire about hiring Kinetic for a marketing campaign as well as details of the problems Tsar Enterprises was facing.

  “Wow, small world!” Sarah exclaimed. “That’s crazy!”

  “Tell me about it, I nearly fainted from the shock of seeing him standing there.”

  “And he didn’t know where you worked?”

  “Nope,” Anabelle answered, shaking her head.

  “Maybe it’s fate,” Sarah suggested.

  “Or maybe it’s just that our businesses aren’t that far from one another.”

  “Such a romantic,” Sarah said, sighing. “Listen, I hate to say this, but have you considered that some of this might be true?” Sarah asked.

  Anabelle looked at her in surprise.

  “I guess not.” She paused, framing her thoughts. “You don’t actually know much about this guy and you’re probably not seeing things too clearly if he’s as good-looking and charming as you say.”

  “But he seems so sincere,” she said, frowning. Her feelings were becoming even more confused. “I don’t get that vibe from him. Besides, you’re the one who encouraged me to get to know him.”

  “I know,” she said, nodding, “but Anabelle, seriously. You’re feelings have been all over the map since you met him. You think he’s a player, now you think he might be sincere, you think he’s too good for you, then you think he’s into you. What do you really know about him?”

  Anabelle didn’t answer. She pursed her lips.

  “Exactly. Not much.”

  “But, he said he was going to call. I was planning on going out to dinner with him. I kind of want to.” That was a little white lie. She really wanted to.

  Sarah gave her a kind smile. “That’s fine. Just be careful with this guy. There’s a chance he could be up to all kinds of no good. I hope not, but the super rich play by their own rules, you know.”

  Anabelle nodded her head, then sighed and leaned back. “Wine?”

  “Definitely.”

  She got up and opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio, pouring them both a generous glass. She brought them over and handed one to Sarah.

  Sarah held her glass up for a toast. “To keeping our wits about us where men are concerned.”

  They both giggled as they toasted and took a sip.

  “Alright, let’s see what you have so far,” Sarah said as she pulled a notepad and pen out of her purse.

  “Remember, total confidentiality on this. I’d probably get fired if Raquel knew I was doing this and Giorgio may not be too pleased either to have me nosing around in things outside the scope of the marketing campaign, even if it’s to help.”

  “You got it. I’m in professional reporter mode. You can count on my secrecy and discretion.”

  “Thanks. I trust you.” Anabelle proceeded to show her a copy of what Bernard had given Kinetic, showing the original article and subsequent negative comments and accusations.

  “Interesting. Someone’s really out to paint them in a bad light. This is kind of exciting, it’s like private detective work,” Sarah said, as her reporter brain kicked into high gear. “I would imagine there could be a nu
mber of explanations for who might be out to get them.”

  “But how can we find out who by reading anonymous comments?”

  “By shortlisting who would have the most to gain by discrediting that company. Maybe a rival firm, a disgruntled employee, someone who was fired recently, someone who lost money on an investment. It could be any number of reasons this person or persons is out to harm them.”

  Anabelle nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “I’ll start digging as soon as I can, seeing what information I can find out about Tsar’s recent history, any problems that have been reported, any lawsuits, dismissals, reported losses, etc. By tying those kinds of events in to what the commenter is alleging, I should be able to narrow the scope and at least come up with a shortlist of potential culprits. I’ll let you know what I find.”

  “Thanks,” Anabelle said, “you’re a good friend. I’ll admit this is actually helpful to me, too, to get a sense of who this guy really is.”

  “Now you’re starting to think more clearly,” Sarah said. “Good.” They clinked their glasses again. “Have fun, but be careful. And tell me everything.”

  “Deal!” Anabelle said.

  Chapter 8

  The next day Anabelle arrived for work on time, Coffee Haven coffee in hand.

  “Morning, Jennifer,” she said brightly.

  “Hi, Anabelle,” she said in a funny tone. She had a huge smirk on her face. “So, care to fill me in on the handsome Mr. Tsarkopolis?”

  Anabelle blushed. “Um, not yet. There’s not really anything to tell at this point.”

  “That’s a load of crap if I ever heard one. Spill it, girl,” she said, shaking a finger at her.

  Anabelle hesitated. “Not yet. But soon. When there’s something more to tell.” She gave her a playful wink, and then started to head towards her desk.

  “You’d better!” Jennifer called out after her. “Inquiring minds want to know!”

  Anabelle chuckled. She took at seat at her desk, turned on her computer and took a long sip of coffee. She savored it for a moment. The perfect blend.

  Just then, Raquel came sauntering by. “Anabelle, I need you to pull some information for me.”

  Again, no good morning, no how are you. Anabelle silently fumed. “What is it?”

  “I want everything you can find news-wise on Tsar Enterprises. Go back at least three years.”

  Anabelle’s face flushed at the mention of Giorgio’s company.

  “I spent last night poring over the documents they left me. I’m getting quite familiar with the company. I want to prepare even further for my meeting tonight.” Raquel gave her a sly grin.

  “Meeting? I didn’t know about…”

  “It doesn’t include you. Just Giorgio and I.” She let the words hang for a moment for effect. “I invited him to dinner at my favorite French restaurant, Chez Sirène. To talk about business of course.” The tone of her voice was challenging, pointed.

  Anabelle was speechless. “Shouldn’t I…”

  “It’s just me and the client. No need for your involvement. This is the big league now. Just the experts. Talking about important, more private matters.”

  The color drained out of Anabelle’s face.

  “See to it that you have that information on my desk no later than 4 p.m., earlier if you can.” She gave her a smug sidelong glance and walked away in her sky-high Louboutins.

  Anabelle noticed her outfit, a form-fitting chocolate brown Herve Leger dress with a deep neckline and a black blazer over top. She was sure the blazer would be coming off at dinner. And Giorgio hadn’t mentioned this to her. She felt left out. But then she reminded herself that they hadn’t even been out on a date yet. It’s not like he was her boyfriend or anything. Then her mind started wandering off, wondering what he did in his evenings. Who else he might be seeing? Whoa girl, she scolded herself. You’re getting way ahead of yourself.

  Still she couldn’t help but feel threatened by Raquel’s latest move. She had seen her overt gestures around Giorgio. She knew that this evening’s dinner was about more than just business. At least for Raquel. She was taking him to one of the most romantic and expensive restaurants in Manhattan. Maybe Giorgio would call her today. Say that he wished she could come, too. That maybe they could get together for coffee afterwards.

  Anabelle focused on the work, but it wasn’t taking her mind off of anything since it was all about Giorgio’s company and helping Raquel prepare for her intimate dinner for two. She was frustrated. She hated feeling so small, so insignificant.

  Jennifer stopped by to make small talk during a coffee break, but Anabelle wasn’t in the mood to talk and cut the conversation short. She didn’t want anyone else knowing the potentially humiliating situation she was in. A low-level employee pining after a wealthy client, while her boss held all the cards.

  The hours passed by in agonizing fashion as Anabelle bitterly prepared valuable information to help Raquel help herself to Giorgio. She chided herself for even considering this guy. They hadn’t even gone out on a single date yet and she was already in turmoil. Not a good sign.

  Finally, 4 p.m. came and Raquel called her into her office. Anabelle brought the just-finished file she had put together with her.

  “Is that it?” Raquel asked, reaching out for the file.

  “Yes, everything I could find over the last three years.” Anabelle noticed that Raquel had reapplied her Chanel perfume and touched up her makeup for a more dramatic evening look. Her lips were now painted a deep red. Her hair brushed to a smooth, silky shine. She had put an expensive tennis bracelet on and changed her earrings from studs to sparkly drop earrings. Anabelle noticed a slight shimmer of bronzing powder across her chest as well. She was really pulling out all the stops to make an impression. And she knew for what. Her stomach was tied in a knot.

  Raquel did a quick scan through the file. “This should do, thanks.” She looked up and gave her a big, fake smile. “I may be a little late coming in tomorrow, but I’ll be here. We can follow up on next steps when I get in.”

  Anabelle felt sick. The reference to coming in late was a definite dig. She wanted to cry. “Okay,” she managed to say, her voice going hoarse.

  Raquel grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the door, hair and hips swaying. “I’m leaving early. I have some things I need to do before my meeting. Have a good night,” she called out breezily as she walked away, waving her hand without looking back.

  Anabelle stood there. She listened as she heard the powerful engine of Raquel’s candy apple red Porsche Carrera fire up. The engine growled as the car pulled away and she heard it rev as Raquel sped off.

  Those with power and means, and those without, she thought. Sullen, Anabelle didn’t want to stay at the office any longer either. She grabbed her purse and coat to head to the subway. To go home alone to have dinner with her cat. Her phone hadn’t rung.

  Chapter 9

  Anabelle slept fitfully that night. Her phone never rang. She had waited so long, hoping it would ring, that it was too late to call Sarah by the time she finally realized that Giorgio wasn’t going to call. How did he think it was okay not to call her under the circumstances? With her boss brazenly hitting on him? she wondered. She was tied in knots. He obviously didn’t care.

  On one hand, she dreaded going into work that morning, and yet on the other, she was anxious to get there to get a sense of where things were at. She walked past Coffee Haven. She hesitated, considering going in, but decided to keep walking out of spite. He probably wasn’t in there anyway, she told herself. Just keep walking and don’t let them make a bigger fool out of you.

  She reached the office and went around back to see if Raquel’s car was there. It wasn’t. She set her shoulders and tried to quell the upset feelings that were gripping her. She’d definitely be calling Sarah tonight. She’d give her heck for encouraging her to consider a date with him in the first place because of how much misery this was already causing her. She’d chide h
er about how it was the worst idea in the world to entertain such a fantasy.

  Jennifer said hello to Anabelle as she came in. Anabelle did her best to muster a smile and a cheerful hello, but she could tell by Jennifer’s expression that she hadn’t been all that successful. Sensing her gloomy mood, Jennifer didn’t try saying anything else to her.

  Anabelle sat down at her desk. A stack of work waited for her, but her focus was shot. She mostly stared at walls, her desk, her monitor, and her phone, which wasn’t ringing.

  Around 10:30 a.m., she heard the rumble of a sports car engine. Raquel. She swallowed hard.

  Raquel came sauntering in, sunglasses still on. She didn’t say anything to Anabelle, only nodded in her general direction.

  Anabelle’s imagination ran away with her. This day was going to be torture.

  The day passed by slowly. Raquel barely spoke to her. She said nothing of how her night went and Anabelle didn’t have the courage to ask. Her pride wouldn’t allow it either. At this point she didn’t want to know. It couldn’t be anything good. Giorgio still hadn’t called.

  Finally, it came time to leave. Anabelle had stared at the phone in anger and hurt so much all day she expected to see it half melted. It just sat there. Indifferent to her plight. She quietly left the office, not speaking to anyone, and headed home. She picked up a couple of slices of pizza on her way home. She didn’t have the energy to cook.

  She got home, fed Jasper, ate her pizza in silence and then plopped down on the couch, scrolling through channels. Nothing grabbed her. Jasper curled up beside her, happy with a full belly. She went to pick up the phone to call Sarah and complain to her what misery she was in, when it rang. It startled her. She startled Jasper.

  “It’s okay, boy, sorry I made you jump.” She placed a comforting hand on his side as she picked up the phone, expecting it to be Sarah. “Hey,” she said.

  “Anabelle?” the man’s voice said.

  Her voice caught in her throat.

  “Hello?” he said.