by Hunter, Faye
Contents
Title Page
Books by Faye Hunter
About
Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3 ~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6 ~ Chapter 7 ~ Chapter 8
About Faye Hunter
Copyright
Hello Treasure
By Faye Hunter
Originally published as part of the Love is… anthology
Copyright © 2014 Faye Hunter
ISBN: 978-1-926505-00-8
BOOKS BY FAYE HUNTER:
THE FYREFLY SERIES - Romantic Suspense
Prep Her - Coming Fall 2014!
THE CASTLE O SWINGER SERIES
A Tease (Story 1)
Ascent (Story 2)
Masquerade (Story 3)
A Taste (Story 4)
The Complete Castle O Collection - A Tease, Ascent, Masquerade & A Taste
STAND ALONE
His Fantasies Indulged
Hello Treasure
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Follow Faye Hunter online at:
http://faye-hunter.com
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
HELLO TREASURE
Love is… a timeless connection.
Celia Huxley is single and about to turn forty. Depressed and lonely, she wants nothing more than to work some overtime and ignore the rapidly approaching milestone birthday. Everything changes on the eve of her birthday when a mysterious red letter invites her on a romantic adventure.
“Hello Treasure”
The unsigned letter is the first clue of a treasure hunt, but this isn’t any normal treasure hunt, someone has spent a lot of money and time trying to get her attention. New designer clothes, spa visits, posh hotels and luxurious pampering - each clue offers more spoiling than the previous one. As she solves each riddle and follows the clues, the one thing she struggles to solve is the identity of her secret admirer.
But she's having one hell of a good time as she tries to figure it out.
CHAPTER 1
"But you can't make me leave!" Celia's voice entered a fevered pitch as she paced in front of her boss's desk. "Honestly Steve, I have so much I need to do, I can't take the time right now. Maybe later. In a month or two."
Smiling, Steve leaned on his desk, crossing his arms, pen tapping against his bicep. "Sorry, Celia. HR is firm. You have way too much banked holiday time. You need to use it, effective immediately. Don't worry about the current campaign. The team can carry it for a week while you take some time off to recharge your batteries."
Celia flopped into a chair, her long hair falling out of her bun in wispy trails that hung well past her shoulders. "I don't need to recharge my batteries. My batteries are fully charged. Amped up. Ready to go." She resisted the urge to pout but the last thing she needed right now was time off. What she needed was to stay busy. Really busy. Maybe even putting in some overtime. What she didn't need right now was time on her hands.
"No one is saying anything about your work ethic or energy. This is strictly a policy from HR requiring that staff need to use their vacation time and can only carry over a limited amount. HR has been very lenient with you in the past. You know that, but they're putting their foot down." Steve cleared his throat, his dark eyes studying her face. "And I have to agree. You really need to take some time for yourself. Do something other than work. You have gone from campaign to campaign, often putting in tons of over overtime, without taking any breaks. When was the last time you took a day off?"
"I… I took time for a medical appointment last month," Celia stammered.
"That was only a few hours. I'm talking about actual time off, not an extended break. A few days. A true vacation from the office. I had HR pull it up. It's been over eighteen months since you took any vacation time. And that was only two days."
Celia's forehead wrinkled, her gaze flicking to the ceiling as she thought for a moment.
Had it really been that long?
"This isn't personal, but speaking as your friend, you need to do this." His eyes softened as he considered her face. It occurred to Celia that he was quite handsome in a button down suit kind of way, and for a moment she wondered how they had both ended up alone. She could only assume it was the job that had kept them too busy over the years to find love. His voice brought her focus back into the office. "I don't want to see you burning out. Take some time to do something special. Deal?"
Tipping her face down to study her hands, Celia blinked rapidly to hide the tears threatening to spill. She didn't have anything to do outside of work. There was no one at home waiting for her. Her fortieth birthday was looming before her and she was facing it alone. At least at work she had people around her and could feel valued and needed. Facing her fortieth birthday was depressing enough. Facing it alone, at home, with no distractions was going to be torture.
"There is nothing special for me. My life is about work. Please, just let me postpone," Celia pleaded, her hands interlocked over her heart.
"I'm sure you can find something special to do. HR mentioned the big four-o is coming up. I'm betting there will be a few surprises in store for you," he laughed softly and winked at her.
What? He never winked. Celia's brow wrinkled as she stared at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.
"I mean you are a very special woman. A woman I consider to be in her prime who is about to have a very special day. So as your friend, and boss, I insist you take time off to celebrate. Do something special. Something wild and crazy. Understood?"
Celia frowned. Special? In her prime? Steve was known for being a little awkward when it came to women, and if she didn't know better she might have thought he was flirting, but that wasn't possible. He was her boss. Her friend sure, but boss first and foremost.
She didn't have long to dwell on his weirdness though. When she got home and checked the mail, weirdness hit a whole new level.
CHAPTER 2
"What the hell?" Celia lifted a large, bright red envelope from of the pile of bills and flyers. Flipping it over, she checked for some sign of who it was from but found it mysteriously blank except for her name and address. Walking into the kitchen, she tossed the rest of mail on the counter and ripped the red envelope open.
With a piercing shriek she jumped back dropping the envelope as glitter burst from the paper in a sparkling cloud that powdered the tiled floor as it settled throughout the kitchen.
Hand over her racing heart, Celia started laughing as she bent over to pick up the envelope. "Okay, evil, evil person. You win. Thanks for giving me a heart attack." She ran a finger along the glitter in the grout between the floor tiles. The glitter stuck in the rough texture. "How the heck do I clean this up?"
With a sigh Celia stood up. She would call her best friend, Kayla. She had four girls and her house was always covered in glittery stuff. In fact, she'd always had a sparkle thing. Even in high school her face and clothes were perpetually covered in glitter. It was an obsession for her. She probably knew how to clean it up. In fact, she was probably the evil person behind the envelope.
Moving over to the sink, Celia carefully pulled the letter out of the envelope, shaking it until all the loose glitter fell off the paper.
Her breath caught as she started reading.
Hello Treasure,
Your big day is almost here,
forty is nothing to fear.
Once we dreamed of this day,
as the one when we would stay.
To celebrate let's have some fun,
a scavenger hunt on the run.
Want to know who I am, treasure?
Follow the clues with careful measure.
>
I brought a sparkle to your day,
now go and see your friend, 'kay?
Celia's eyebrows pinched together in confusion as she read through the words again. Flipping over the paper she found one more line.
P.S. No, I'm not a poet, and all my clues and rhymes will suck. Take this as fair warning. I hope you won't hold it against me. Ready to play?
"What the hell? Actually, who the hell?" Celia announced into her silent home. Propping her hip against the counter she turned on the water to wash the glitter from the sink. As the sparkling water swirled down the drain she read the letter for a third time.
"Well, I can figure out the last part. Guess I'm calling Kayla." But her call went to voice mail. She left a quick message and hung up. As she stood drumming her fingers on the counter, trying to decide what to do, the phone rang.
"Hey, sorry 'bout that. Was talking to the girls' coach. There's always some drama with that woman." Kayla's words raced down the line so quickly Celia couldn't get a word in. "So, I was actually going to call you, but was waiting until later. What are you doing home so early?"
"My boss is forcing me to take some vacation days," Celia huffed. She still felt raw about the forced exile from her office, even with this new distraction.
"Huh, well, you should. I mean you never take time off or go on vacation." Celia tried to interject but Kayla kept talking. "Anyway, it's a good thing you have some free time. You need to come over here. Someone left a parcel for you on my doorstep. I already checked. No return address, and it's wrapped in red paper. Tried shaking it but it didn't make any good sounds. Do you have a special someone you need to tell me about? Huh?" Her friend's giggling prods made Celia smile and laugh.
"Um, no. Not that I'm aware of."
She had to admit, now she was curious, and maybe a little excited. It was a mystery, and nothing in her life had been exciting or mysterious in a long time.
"Do you know what this means?" Kayla squealed so loudly, Celia had to pull the phone away from her ear. When the piercing screech stopped she tentatively listened again.
"What?" Celia asked.
"You have a secret admirer!"
CHAPTER 3
Kayla's house was a sea of chaos cloaked in pink and glitter. She rarely visited her friend at her home. Usually they went out for drinks. Celia understood why, the noise level and constant activity of four girls under ten years old was a painful assault on her ears. If she had to face it every day, she would need to drink too.
Sitting at the breakfast bar, Celia examined the tile floors noting the massive amounts of glitter ground into the grout.
Maybe Kayla doesn't know how to clean up glitter, she realized with a sigh.
A squeal pierced through the craziness followed by Kayla bursting into the room. She carried a red package about the size of a shoe box over her head like a trophy. Three of her children scampered and jumped around her, all eyes on the box.
She set it in front of Celia as a moment of hushed silence fell on the room and all eyes focused on the box.
Celia stared at it with its fancy lace bow and flowers decorating the top. A sniff and stroke with her fingertips told her the flowers were real. The only marking was her name, 'Celia Huxley', in beautiful, hand-written calligraphy. After seeing computerized versions so many times, Celia appreciated the artistry behind the letters. The work was intricate and stunning. In a world where children didn't even learn cursive writing anymore, seeing calligraphy was special and reminded Celia of a time when she was a teenager and took a calligraphy course. Her work had never been this beautiful, though.
"Who would do this?" Celia asked.
"I have no idea, but it beats the wine and appies I was going to surprise you with tomorrow. Come on, open it." Kayla, with her bright blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail looked much younger than her years as she bounced up and down. Fidgeting excitedly with her mini-me blonde girls.
Celia slipped a finger under the wrapping and popped the tape off. Setting the paper carefully to the side so the flowers wouldn't get damaged, she turned back as gasps erupted around her.
Kayla's hand was over her mouth, her eyes as large as saucers stared, her other hand shook as it pointed. "Those are Pippy Berkley shoes," she said, her words ending with a squeak.
Celia's breath caught in her chest, a thrill warming her face as she lifted the lid with trembling hands. Pippy Berkley was a shoe designer that made the most exquisite, handcrafted shoes. Shoes that were favored by all the rich and famous fashionistas.
She peeled back the tissue paper revealing a black leather high heel shoe. Celia gasped, her heart hammering in her chest as she admired the most beautiful shoes she had ever seen. Cradling one in her hand like a delicate flower, she stroked the butter soft leather. With a trembling fingertip she traced the Celtic knot detailing etched onto the edge of the platform sole, then gently caressed a line of blue gemstones lining the heel that looked suspiciously like sapphires.
Sapphires had always been her favorite gemstone.
"Those are the prettiest princess shoes I ever saw!" One of the girls announced in a squeaky voice.
"I agree. These must have cost a fortune. Who would buy these for me?" Celia asked as she set the shoe down in the box so it wouldn't get any glitter on it. Lifting the second shoe she set them side by side revealing a note on red paper tucked down the side.
Opening the note, she read it to herself first.
"Well come on. Read it out. This is so exciting!" Kayla said, her arms around two of her girls as they leaned in with flushed faces.
Hello Treasure,
Another clue, another step.
It's been a lifetime since we met.
Friends come and friends go,
but true friends will always show.
Dreams were shared,
some fears bared.
Now the time has come,
for some riddle & rum.
"Riddle & Rum? That's the boutique store over on Clinton Street. Very posh and high-end. You better hurry, I bet they close at six and it's almost five now. Oh, I wanna come! I wish Scott was home so he could stay with the girls." Kayla reached out to stroke one of the shoes.
Celia's mind was racing as she rubbed her palms on her jean-clad thighs. Really expensive shoes and now a high-end boutique store? Who would do this? She had dated a few guys over the years, but never anything serious. She simply didn't have time, or maybe none of the guys had struck her as worth the time. Either way, she couldn't think of a single guy who would consider her his princess and worthy of this.
"Who do you think’s behind it?" Kayla interrupted her thoughts.
"I don't know. I haven't dated anyone seriously in years."
"Yes, but you have dated. Maybe one of the guys wants another chance. Come on, quick, before you leave let's make a list!"
Ten minutes later Celia stepped out the door, a piece of pink paper clutched in one hand with a list of every guy she had dated in the last ten years written in purple glitter pen. Any guy that seemed more likely to be behind the scavenger hunt had a heart after his name, all done in her friend's curly handwriting.
With her other arm she clutched her new shoes to her chest protectively.
Blowing out a breath, her head swimming with excitement and curiosity, Celia jumped into her BMW and drove the ten minutes to Riddle & Rum.
CHAPTER 4
She was so distracted and scattered she arrived at Riddle & Rum but couldn’t remember driving. Parking right in front of the doors she rubbed her temples with her fingertips. She needed to focus. The identity of her secret admirer should be obvious. She was a smart woman, she could figure this out.
Pulling out the list she considered the names. She couldn't imagine any of them doing this. Sure she had dated some great guys but she hadn't developed a very strong connection to any of them. In fact, most of them really only qualified as friends with benefits. Sometimes just benefits, she thought with a chuckle. The joy of being a succ
essful, independent woman, she felt confident enough to call the shots when it came to her sexual needs. She had found some great men over the years to help her meet those needs, but she was also comfortable meeting her own needs and didn't ever feel she had to rely on a man in that department. Or in any department really.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t intrigued by this flirtatious game.
Folding the paper, she tucked it into her purse along with the first and second clue. Grabbing the shoes—she was scared to leave them alone in the car—she stepped into the dusky evening.
At the door to Riddle & Rum she paused. A sign taped to the glass read: Closed for private event (Celia Huxley).
They closed down the whole store just for me?
A flutter of anticipation blossomed in her stomach. No man had ever gone to these lengths for her and it was extremely flattering. Smiling from ear to ear she opened the door. A set of chimes announced her arrival.
Two women raced over, smiling broadly. One was young, maybe twenty-five with a stunning body that she flaunted in a snug wrap dress and shoes that gave her at least another five inches in height. The other woman was older, a well preserved fifty, Celia guessed.
The older woman held out her hands as she approached, taking Celia's into hers. "Welcome to Riddle & Rum. You must be Celia." She looked over her shoulder at the younger woman. "She's just as gorgeous as he said! This is going to be fun." Turning back to Celia she led her across the room. "My name is Jackie and this is Lorelei."
"Um, hi." Celia laughed, her emotions bubbling over as if intoxicated. She felt silly and crazy. "So can you tell me who 'he' is?"
They stopped beside a wall of luxurious silk curtains.
Both women shook their heads. Jackie answered. "Nope. That's up to you to figure out. Oh, this is so romantic. I wish a man would do this for me! Can I ask what else has he given you?" Jackie's eyes were shiny as she clutched her hands together.
