by Lexi Aurora
“Well, may as well just get it over with,” she muttered. “Can’t stay here all night long.”
Smoothing out the front of her navy blue dress, she pushed back her shoulders and walked quickly through the open door. She moved down the stairs quickly, her gaze searching for Brad in the hopes that she would spot him before he saw her. When she reached the main floor, she saw him through the crowd; he was looking right at her with a pair of drinks in his hands. And he was smiling like an idiot.
Oh, hell no, she thought. Time to get out!
Wide-eyed, she backed up several steps, turned around, and hurried out the main doors. Her heart was thudding against her chest, not out of fear, but out of a desperate desire to avoid interacting with him again. She was practically jogging by the time she’d made it through the crowds and into the parking lot, and as much as she wanted to, she didn’t look back to see if he was following her.
“Definitely enough crazy for one night,” she whispered as she slid into her car. The engine rumbled to life, and thoughts of the stranger on the terrace began to overtake those of Brad. Who had he been? And why did he just happen to be up there at the same time as her? How was he so unbelievably charming? The questions piled on top of one another, endlessly growing; she would find the answers to those questions, she decided. One way or another, she would find out who had been on the terrace with her that night.
Chapter Two
“THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this incredible opportunity, and I hope to meet all of you later on this evening. Take care everyone.” Harrison McCoy lifted a hand in a wave and gave the people a small, but professional wave.
He’d nailed the opening speech he had painstakingly written for this very moment, and he could already tell that there were people eager to chat with him. And as successful as his speech had been, he just couldn’t stop thinking about the woman he’d met earlier on the terrace; too bad he hadn’t gotten her name. He’d scanned the crowd for her numerous times throughout his talk, but hadn’t seen her. Maybe she was still up at the terrace; he made a mental note to go check when he had a chance to get away again.
Harrison stepped back from the mic and headed off the stage. As expected, he was swarmed by people as soon as he walked around the corner and into the main room. He shook their hands and exchanged pleasantries and information, quickly and accurately answering their questions. While his mind was on the woman from earlier, he knew that he needed to gain some new contacts if he wanted to maintain his success.
“Mr. McCoy?”
“Yes?” Harrison stepped forward to meet one of the last people in the group who had swarmed him. He reached out and shook his hand, noting the strong grip that he earned in return. He had always liked a good handshake; it spoke of confidence and high self-esteem.
“My name is Jeff Byrne, and I just loved your speech. I heard you mention using algae for alternative energy in your business background; are you still pursuing that?”
“Harrison McCoy; good to meet you, too. And yes, I absolutely am. It may not be great for business right now, but I’m really trying to look ahead into the future.”
“I like that, that’s smart. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. Tracey, my wife, is just over there at one of the tables. Would you mind giving up a bit of your time to discuss some investment options?”
“Yes, of course! I’d love to talk to you both. Lead the way.”
Harrison followed the older gentleman through a small crowd of people; when Jeff gestured to a table where a woman in dark red was seated, Harrison approached her and held out his right hand. “Hello, I’m Harrison McCoy; your husband commandeered me over here.”
She chuckled softly and reached out to take his offered hand. “Tracey Byrne; it’s a pleasure.”
“Likewise. I really appreciate your interest in what I’m trying to do.” He sat down across from Tracey, even as Jeff seated himself next to his wife. “It’s a big risk, so it’s nice to know there are investors out there willing to take it with me.”
“Damn right we are. I’ve seen a few companies here and there that promote sustainable living and energy, but none of them are as committed as they’d like us to believe. Would you mind telling us a little more about what you do and what you’re all about?”
“Well, I won’t lie to you: I’m in this to make money, just like you are. In the same breath, though, I’m even more interested in a future. And if something doesn’t change in the next ten years or less, there likely won’t be a future for any of us. My old mentor once told me that we can’t feed the earth with money; haven’t forgotten that since he passed away.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your mentor – that’s rough.” Tracey offered Harrison a comforting smile. “But it’s true. I focus heavily on fundraising for kids and those less fortunate, and with the price of everything rising higher and higher, a lot of people just can’t sustain themselves. I see it and hear about it every day, and it just breaks my heart. So even though I’m not as involved in the investing process as Jeff is, I’d still love to be a part of the whole information-sharing process.”
“Definitely. I try to be as transparent as possible with all of my investors and clients. How about we set up a time to meet, say next week? And we can sit down without all of this kafuffle everywhere.” Harrison gave his eyes a playful roll and gestured to the crowd.
“That sounds perfect. I’d love that, Mr. McCoy.”
“Agreed, I’m in.” Jeff gave the younger man a cool smile and shook his hand again in the same confident manner as he had the first time.
Tracey shook Harrison’s hand next, then tugged out her card and passed it to him. “This has both our numbers on it. Why don’t you stop by our place next Tuesday at noon?”
“Sure.” Harrison took the card and slid his own across the table to her. It had his name, number, and fax number on it; the background was white, and there were a myriad of angular blue designs slashing across it at various angles. It looked high tech, like the kind of card a successful businessman would have. “I’ll see you both Tuesday at noon. You two have a pleasant evening.”
Just as the two left, Harrison felt the telltale buzzing of his phone – another text. Expecting a client or potential investor, or maybe someone from one of his companies, he was surprised to see the name Marissa Bowman. She was a supermodel he’d hooked up with a few times over the last month or so, no strings attached. Exactly the way he liked it.
It appeared she wanted him to come over to her place for some ‘play time.’ He very nearly responded immediately, but thoughts of the woman on the terrace made him pause. Even though he hadn’t seen her here over the last hour or so, busy doing speeches and mingling, she could still be up there.
He weighed the phone in his palm and looked down at the text again. Marissa was, as always, very risqué and blunt about what she wanted, and he could feel his body growing hot just from the thought. Palms growing sweaty, his temples felt like they were pounding with his heart beat, and his suit suddenly felt far too small.
Just go, damnit, he thought to himself. Get out of here and go wrap that woman around your body until the sun comes up.
She came back to his mind, though, that woman he’d met on the terrace. He had so many questions, such as why he’d felt instantly attracted to her. And what were the chances that they both had an interest in graphic novels? While he didn’t trust her in the least, he almost found himself wanting to at least try. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt about a woman in such a way; normally, he’d just have his fun with them and cut them loose. It was much better that way. No one got hurt, no one had to feel awkward or betrayed. It was just...simpler.
All the more reason, he decided, to avoid the woman on the terrace. Setting his jaw, Harrison texted Marissa back:
I’ll be there in fifteen.
He turned off his phone before he could get a reply and pocketed it. With a quiet sigh, he pulled himself up from the table and headed for the main doors. Just bef
ore he got there, however, he caught sight of someone in a navy blue dress; it was the same style and cut as hers, and her hair was the same shade of brown. Even her posture looked similar, and he felt his heart picking up speed all over again. He changed direction and approached her from behind. A hand pressed into the top of her shoulder, and he felt her whole body flinch.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, but remember our conversation on the rooftop terrace? I said-”
That was as far as he got before she turned around. This was not the woman from the roof, and while her eyes were wide in shock, she was at least ten years older. She also wasn’t as beautiful, not as far as Harrison was concerned, and both of her ears were pierced. The woman he’d met earlier hadn’t had any earrings.
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, you looked like someone else from a distance. Apologies, miss.” He gave her a smile that reflected his words and withdrew his hand. If she said anything in return, he didn’t hear her as he turned away and started to look at other people in the crowd. Some were filtering out while others were coming inside. Still more were mingling and talking amongst one another. A few over by the bar were getting far too drunk for an event of this prestige; it almost reminded Harrison of a bad wedding.
Where had she gone? He was sure he hadn’t seen her leave, but with all of the exits and people, it was possible to lose her in the crowd.
He tilted his head and gazed up at the stairs. All thoughts of Marissa faded as he walked up the stairs, hopeful in both his heart and his mind that the beautiful woman would be up there still. He didn’t expect her to wait for someone she’d only just met, but she had seemed so content up there.
When he reached the doors and pushed through them, his heart did a series of flip-flops. He found himself holding his breath while he searched for her, walking slowly to the chairs where he had first seen her; she wasn’t there. His eyes narrowing, brow furrowed, Harrison turned in a slow circle, looking for her without spotting her. She was definitely gone, and by the looks of things, she hadn’t left anything behind. It was as though she’d never been here at all.
Shit...”
The thought of going to Marissa now, with his mind so bent on locating this mystery girl, was far away, not even in the avenue of his plans. Not anymore. Instead, he stood on the edge of the terrace where they had been just an hour or so before, and folded his arms across his chest. There had to be some kind of connection between her and at least someone here. Otherwise, why even show up? It was then, in that moment, that Harrison remembered something:
When he’d first shown up, she had accused him of being sent by someone else. Someone, he was sure, she wanted nothing to do with.
“Hey, dude, I’m Brad... you seen my girlfriend?”
The drunken slur of a man’s voice broke Harrison’s concentration, and he eyed him from the side with only one of his eyes. “Not up here, buddy; it’s just me.”
“Hah! Well, you’re definitely not her. Though you are very pretty. Anyway... you sure you haven’t seen her? Blue dress, brown hair, smoking hot. Trying to avoid me all evening; what a bitch, right?”
He ignored the first few words that came out of the drunk guy’s mouth, but the description –as vague as it was– made Harrison wonder. This man was tall, muscular, and blue-eyed with blond hair. And he was certainly not someone he himself would want anything to do with. Could he be the one she had been trying to avoid?
“I haven’t seen anyone like that in a while. And not up here. Earlier I saw someone like that, though. She was up here, sitting right in one of those chairs.” He pointed to the lounge chairs.
“Aw, man. Yeah, that was probably her, I just tried to get a picture with her, you know? Nothing serious or anything, and she got pissed and took off on me. I’ve been looking for her forever, dude, you don’t know how much this means to me.” Brad started toward Harrison with arms wide open, a goofy smile on his face.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I really didn’t do anything.” He side-stepped the hug attempt and moved closer to the lounge chairs. “And if she was angry, maybe she left the event and went home if you can’t find her anywhere here.”
“Home... yeah... good call, bro.” He offered Harrison a quick thumbs-up before he turned and ambled his way back down the stairs. Hopefully he wasn’t driving; he could barely even walk straight.
A small, bemused smile quirked at his mouth, and he leaned a hip against the railing. The clues were rolling in strong, one after another, and now Harrison was 99% sure that this ‘Brad’ had been the one to drive the mystery girl from the event. And considering how he’d spoken, even drunk, he doubted that the guy was her boyfriend. She seemed to have much more class than that.
“I’ll find you,” he murmured into the breeze. “One way or another; even if I have to interrogate your drunk ‘boyfriend.’”
Chapter Three
WHAT A RELIEF IT WAS to be home. Riley was doing her best to forget the events of last night because of Brad’s embarrassing attempts to get her attention. She was afraid to look, but she was sure that there were photos of the two of them all over the news. Her reputation as a ‘serial dater’ was unfounded and absolutely ridiculous, pushed by the media and nothing else. She’d been living with that same ridiculousness for years, and just told herself she was used to it; it was easier to tolerate that way.
That man, though, the one who had come up to the terrace, was still in her thoughts, too. She couldn’t stop thinking about his handsome face and the way he’d talked to her as though she was a regular person. Riley had always found that people treated her differently because of her father –a famous businessman who knew everyone in the world it seemed– but the guy she’d met hadn’t treated her that way.
Gods, Riley, she thought. Just focus on your work, you’re going to turn everything in late if you keep this up!
She rubbed her face with her hands, and sighed deeply. Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded, determined to keep everything that had happened last night out of her mind; she had work to do, and a lot of it!
An hour or so passed, and Riley was deeply immersed within her writing when the doorbell rang. She paused, the sound of typing ceasing, and listened. A rap on the door made her groan, and she pushed up from her chair. She was just getting into a groove, too! Why did life always have such bad timing?
“Coming, coming!” she called.
She smiled widely when she opened the door and saw her best friend standing there with a tray of coffee when she opened the door. Jessica Kenney was a screenwriter she’d met while attending university, and the two of them had been practically inseparable since they’d met.
“Hello! I brought coffee!” Jessica flashed a brilliant smile and held up the tray.
“So I see! Come in!” Pleasantly surprised about the coffee, Riley stepped aside to let Jessica inside. “I wasn’t expecting you... don’t you have a screenplay you’re working on?”
“Pfft! I couldn’t very well abandon my best friend because of work, now could I? You’re important, too, Riley. Now where am I putting this stuff?”
“Dining room. And I think you need it all more than me; the only time you get super chipper like this is when you’re over tired.”
Jessica laughed and placed the tray on the dining room table. She held up her hands in defeat and flopped down in the closest chair, her hands swishing back through jet-black hair. “Man, you know me way better than I do. I was up most of the night working on this stupid screenplay. I’ve started it over like five times already and still absolutely hate it. Which is why I brought what I have over to you in the hopes that you’d give me your totally honest opinion. No holding back.”
“Hah! I knew it.” Riley laughed and sat down across from her. “And I know the feeling, but you just have to push through. Make it work, you got this, Jess. You always do. How about you send it to me when it’s done? I have faith you’ve got this!”
“Yeah, yeah... I know. Anyway... before we ge
t into that, how was your night last night? I heard you had to go to some kind of event for cancer research or something?”
“Mmm. Yeah. It wasn’t that great, though, you know I hate those things. I only went because my parents were there, and I wanted to support them. They were so all over the place it was hard to really talk with them, but it looked like it all went well. There were so many people there. Including Brad of all people.” Her nose wrinkled. “Pretty sure the only reason he showed up was because he knew I’d be there. He tricked me into getting a picture taken with him, so if you see anything on the news or whatever... nothing happened. Just Brad being Brad.”
“Oi, really? What a loser. I mean, didn’t you only go on a few dates or something? And that was it? What’s his deal?”
Riley laughed. “Right? He’s obsessed with me or something, I don’t know.”
“So he should be.” Jessica smirked and touched Riley’s arm, and they both giggled. “So what else happened? Anything interesting? Or was Brad it?”
She felt a light flush rise to her cheeks, and she rolled one shoulder back in a half shrug. “Well... there may have been something else. Maybe. There was this guy I met up on the rooftop terrace.”
She raised both eyebrows as though she was interested, but then rolled her eyes a little bit. A sigh left her as she turned her attention to her coffee. After a long period of silence, she finally shrugged and side-eyed Riley. “And?”
Riley’s heart dropped, and she felt her lips pull down into a frown. “And...we actually had a really nice time. He wasn’t like other guys, he actually seemed to give a shit about things. About me. Like he didn’t care who I was or why I was there, he just wanted to hang out.” When Jessica didn’t respond, she added, “why are you acting this way? I thought you’d be a little happy for me at least.”
