He flashed a dazzling smile and said, “Nice to meet you, Stephanie. My name is Colin- where are you headed?” Stephanie hesitated a second before she said, “I have to meet someone about a contract, but I can’t find the café.” Colin pointed at a small building and said, “There you go. It was absolutely lovely bumping into you like this, Stephanie. Maybe I’ll see you around?” Stephanie nodded enthusiastically and said, “I hope so.” He smiled again and said, “I hope so too,” before walking away. Stephanie saw Elizabeth approaching the café so she hurried over but just before she entered she turned to catch a last glimpse of Colin. Elizabeth noticed and said, “Was that Mr. Caraway you were speaking to?” Stephanie shrugged and said, “I don’t know; he said his name was Colin.”
Elizabeth looked at her as though she were mad and said, “Yes, Colin Caraway, of Caraway Industries. He’s terribly charming isn’t he?” Stephanie nodded, still thinking about his smile, as Elizabeth led her to a table and started talking about work hours and salary. Stephanie just nodded along, not really paying attention, her thoughts still drifting between Nate and Colin. She couldn’t wait to get home and call Natasha to tell her all about it. Stephanie grinned as she imagined Natasha’s reaction; she’d urge her to get right on it. She just couldn’t stop smiling; she certainly didn’t feel like a miserable person anymore.
*****
Stephanie was serving her last drink of the day when somebody cleared his throat. She turned to find herself looking straight into a pair of piercing green eyes. “Hi there,” said Nate, looking incredibly well-toned in the golden light of the setting sun. “Hi,” Stephanie said breathily, trying very hard not to stare at his abs, but failing miserably. “I was wondering if you’d like to get a bite to eat,” he said, smiling at her so that she felt her knees go weak. She nodded and he said, “When does your shift end?” She turned and checked the clock behind her and then said, “Give me fifteen minutes?” Nate nodded, his deliciously wavy black hair moving as he did, and said, “Sure, I’ll come get you.” He walked away, and Stephanie surreptitiously checked out his rear end, turning pink, and fanning herself. She quickly ducked behind the bar and pulled out a small mirror from her bag, hastily fixing her hair. She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eye makeup. She reapplied her lipstick, sighing at her reflection.
“It’s unfair, you know,” Natasha said over the phone, “it’s your second day on the job and already a gorgeous beach god has asked you out. I’m stuck here with accountant Carl and banker Bill.” Stephanie laughed and said, “Firstly, he didn’t ask me out; he just asked to get a bite to eat. Second, he isn’t a beach god; he’s a country club god.” Natasha groaned and said, “Great, that means he’s rolling in money. Gosh, Steph, he could solve all your financial problems.” Stephanie turned pink and then, “Shut up, Tash; oh my god, here he comes. Gotta go,” she hung up on Natasha and smiled as Nate approached. Sadly, he had pulled on a shirt, but he still looked as gorgeous as ever as he said, “Ready?”
Stephanie nodded and hurried out from behind the bar. “I’m so hungry.” she said, “Where are we going?” Nate smiled and said, “Yeah I thought you might be, you’ve been working all day. Let’s grab some seafood, ok?” He nodded towards a little restaurant within the club, and Stephanie smiled even as she felt a disheartened. Maybe he really had only asked to get a bite to eat and this didn’t mean anything else. She twirled a strand of hair nervously as Nate raised a hand to greet someone just outside the restaurant. “Let’s go,” he said, and Stephanie followed. The place was crowded for a weekday and Stephanie looked around for an empty table. They found one and Nate smiled as he sat opposite her and she remembered just how handsome he was.
“So Stephanie, tell me about yourself,” Nate said once they had ordered. Stephanie sat up, letting go of her hair as she said, “Not much to tell, really.” Nate shook his head and said, “I don’t believe that for a second.” Stephanie smiled and said, “Well, I just graduated from-” but before she could finish, Nate’s phone started to ring. He glanced at the screen and said, “I’m so sorry, but this is a very important client and I absolutely must take this call.” Stephanie smiled a strained little smile and gestured towards the phone as she said, “Please.” Nate got up from his chair and wandered off into a corner, leaving Stephanie to drum her fingers absently on the table, waiting for him to return. As beautiful as the man was, Stephanie was bored already in his company and she wished he would just take her somewhere else, somewhere a little more private.
She was just thinking this when the waiter arrived with their food. He placed the dishes on the table and Stephanie thanked him before picking moodily at her plate. It was hot and her thighs were sticking together as her shorts rode up. She ordered herself a nice, cold drink as Nate returned. “I’ll have the same,” he said to the waiter before sitting down. He flashed Stephanie a dazzling smile and said, “Sorry about that- now where were we?” Stephanie shook her head and pointed at the phone, “What do you do?” He chewed thoughtfully before he said, “Well, I buy companies.” Stephanie waited for him to say more but he didn’t, so she asked, “And then what do you with them?” A little more chewing later, Nate said, “Then I sell them off. I break them off into smaller parts, or I merge two; I don’t know, depends on the companies.”
Great. His job sounds about as exciting as mine. Stephanie thought as she stirred her drink with a little paper umbrella. Nate’s phone started to ring again and he once glanced down apologetically, when Stephanie said, “It’s alright- take it.” He got up again, and just as he moved away from the table Stephanie spotted another familiar face- Colin. Stephanie ducked behind a menu but it was too late. He made his way straight to her table and said, “Hi- um, I don’t know if you remember me from yesterday…” he trailed off as Stephanie resurfaced from behind the menu and said, “Of course, Colin, isn’t it? How are you?” She extended a hand out to him, very businesslike, and he glanced at it for a second, hesitating before he took it. “Yes, Colin. How are you Stephanie?” She fanned herself a little too aggressively as she said, “I’m good. I’m good, how are you?”
He smiled and said, “I’m well, thanks. You seem to be in the middle of something,” he gestured at the other plate of food opposite Stephanie. “Oh…it’s a…it’s a client of mine. We were discussing some work stuff and thought we’d get a bite to eat.” She wasn’t sure why she was lying, but before she knew it the words were rolling off her tongue convincingly. Colin followed her gaze and said, “Oh, is that Nathan Forster? You work with him?” His tone was so admiring that Stephanie smiled and said, “Yes, Nate and I bump into each other at my job a lot.” She fanned herself harder, trying to understand why she was creating this huge messy web of deceit. Colin smiled and said, “Well, you’re clearly busy, so I’ll leave you to it, but if you’re not too busy tomorrow night, would you like to go to dinner with me?” Stephanie nearly spilled her drink as she sat up straighter and said, “Yes, I would love that.” She fumbled around in her bag and pulled out a pen, scribbling her number on a napkin as she said, “Call me,” and then handed the napkin to him. He smiled and left just as Nate returned.
*****
“Was that Colin Caraway I saw you speaking to?” Nate said as he sat back down. Stephanie sipped her drink and nodded. “We’re trying very hard to get ahold of Caraway Industries, but he’s not looking to sell.” Stephanie smiled and said nothing, and Nate furrowed his brows, peering at her face as he said, “Are you okay? You look a little flustered.” Stephanie nodded quickly and stood up, “Yeah, I’m just gonna run to ladies’ room, be right back,” she flashed him a quick smile before running off to the bathroom where she stood in front of the mirror and took a few deep breaths. An elderly woman looked at her and said, “Are you alright, dear?” Stephanie smiled at her and said, “I’m fine, thanks,” dabbing at her face with a paper towel. She didn’t know why she was freaking out like that; she hadn’t lied to Colin, not really, and she wasn’t dating Nate so why did she feel so guilt
y?
The rest of the meal was rather uneventful and she hugged Nate goodbye as she breathlessly said, “I had a nice time,” before quickly walking into the parking lot. She checked behind her to make sure he wasn’t following and then unlocked her car and climbed in. She opened the dashboard drawer and pulled out a small flask she kept hidden there. Elizabeth had forbidden her to drink on the job, and since the woman watched Stephanie like a hawk, she had to come up with other ways to get her daily alcohol fix. Stephanie pressed her lips to the opening of the flask and chugged, feeling sweet relief flooding her even as the vodka stung her throat and brought tears to her eyes. She only had a sip or two, keeping in mind that she had to drive home, and she was putting the car into reverse when someone tapped on the window.
Stephanie jumped in her seat and turned to find a familiar face peering into the car. She rolled down the window and shakily said, “Colin!” He smiled and she felt as though she might melt straight to the bottom of the car, “We keep running into each other, Stephanie. I think it’s a sign.” He looked beautiful, even in the dim lighting of the musty parking lot, and Stephanie found herself smiling back as she said, “It must be.” Colin straightened up and said, “I won’t keep you much longer, but I had to tell you I’m really looking forward to tomorrow evening.” Stephanie had to keep herself from biting her lip as she said, “Me too. I’ll see you then,” she rolled up the window and waved to him before speeding out of there, feeling the blood rush to her head as she felt giddy and excited.
Stephanie walked into her apartment to find Natasha waiting for her in her living room. “How did you-” Stephanie said, pointing at the door, and Natasha waved her hand dismissively as she said, “I have a key, babe. Had one for nearly a year now.” Stephanie rolled her eyes and put her bag down on the kitchen counter as she said, “Why am I not surprised?” Natasha leaped off the sofa and propped her elbows on the counter, fluttering her eyelashes at Stephanie as she said, “So?” Stephanie shrugged, deliberately avoiding her friend’s eye as she busied herself with getting a plate out of the fridge. Natasha clicked her tongue impatiently and said “So- tell me about your date with the wildly handsome rolling-in-money eligible bachelor of the year, Nate.” Stephanie rolled her eyes again but smiled as she said, “It was nice.”
“Nice?” Natasha scoffed, “A trip to the mall is nice; where’s the wild sexual intrigue? The passionate lovemaking and elaborate rendezvous stuff?” Stephanie shrugged and said, “There wasn’t any of that. We had some seafood and then I hugged him goodbye; it was nice.” Natasha pouted and sat back on the sofa, “You mean to tell me I drove all the way here just to hear about some damn salmon and a hug?” Stephanie laughed and offered her some pasta as she said, “What can I tell you? These millionaires aren’t as flashy as they seem. But something did happen…” she trailed off, thinking about Colin absently until Natasha threw a napkin at her and said, “What?” Stephanie turned a little red as she said, “Well, another guy asked me out to dinner tomorrow night; did I mention Colin to you?”
Natasha squealed and said, “Another millionaire? Is Colin the guy you ran into at the café? Baby Blue Eyes?” Stephanie nodded and said, “He walked up to me literally in the middle of my meal with Nate and asked me out. Nate was on the phone and Colin just- I don’t know, I guess he saw a chance and he took it. It was pretty ballsy for someone who looks so mild and sweet.” Natasha let out a low whistle and said, “Wow, two millionaires just two days into the job? That sure is damn lucky. I mean, are we to expect marriage proposals in a week? Am I going to be your bodyguard now, fending off rich men who want you to inherit their estates?” Stephanie laughed and then suddenly stopped as she said, “Oh gosh- what will I wear?”
*****
“Steph, I’m warning you, if I lose my job over this-” Natasha called out through the door but Stephanie interrupted and said, “I’ll guard it with my life, I promise.” Inside the bathroom, she fingered the silvery purple fabric and quickly slipped it on over her head, feeling it slip past her skin like butter. It fell to her ankles and Stephanie tried to look at herself in the small mirror but he couldn’t get a proper look and she headed out. “Stephanie I really think we shouldn’t be-” Natasha was wringing her hands nervously but she stopped the moment she laid eyes on her best friend. “Oh my God, Steph- you’re gorgeous!” She turned the large full-length mirror towards her and Stephanie saw her own curvy frame sheathed in the flowing evening gown and blushed at the compliment, believing it to be true as she admired her reflection.
“Natasha, I promise won’t let anything happen to the dress. You can return it to the boutique tomorrow morning. Your boss won’t even notice.” Stephanie spoke in a reassuring voice and Natasha nodded. “And if anything does happen, I will buy it off you- full price. Okay?” Natasha bit her lip and said, “Okay.” Calmer now, she started to gush over the dress and how it looked on Stephanie. “If the rich, fancy guy doesn’t get blown away by this, you can change my name.” Stephanie smiled, unable to contain herself and twirled a little, giggling like a schoolgirl as she did. Once she had changed back into her regular clothes, Natasha packed the dress up and helped Stephanie sneak it out without being seen.
At eight o’clock, Stephanie was putting the finishing touches to her makeup when the doorbell rang. Natasha had lingered under false pretenses, but Stephanie knew she only wanted to catch a glimpse of Colin. She ran to answer the door and Stephanie heard Colin’s hesitant voice say, “Hi, I’m here to pick up Stephanie?” She smiled and put on her earrings as Natasha said, “She’s almost ready, why don’t you come in? I’ll take those,” there was a faint rustling of paper and then Natasha burst into Stephanie’s bedroom carrying a large bouquet of roses. “Oh my God, Stephanie!” she whispered, “He’s perfect,” she shook the bouquet in Stephanie’s face and then said, “Hurry up, and I’ll entertain him ‘til then.” Stephanie gathered the roses in her arms and inhaled the sweet smell before she gave her reflection a last admiring look and headed out into the living room.
Colin stood up the moment he laid eyes on Stephanie and he breathed, “You look beautiful.” Stephanie smiled shyly and took his outstretched hand as she said, “I’m really glad you’re here.” Colin cleared his throat and glanced at Natasha, who had propped her elbows onto the kitchen counter and was watching them intently. Stephanie laughed and said, “Colin, this is Natasha- she’s my crazy best friend, and I’m pretty sure she was raised by wolves, so excuse her social shortcomings.” Natasha winked at Colin and said, “You two kids have fun now,” in a singsong voice before disappearing into the guest bedroom. “Good night, Natasha,” Colin called out before he led Stephanie out the door. “My driver is waiting for us downstairs,” he said when they were in the elevator, and Stephanie looked at him and asked, “Where are we going?” Colin smiled and said, “My favorite place in the whole city.”
Colin waved his driver away and opened the door for Stephanie, himself, helping her in so her dress wouldn’t get crumpled before hurrying over to the other side and climbing into the car. It was an old-fashioned saloon car with expensive-looking upholstery. They drove off, and Colin turned to Stephanie, making small talk that snowballed into earnest, pleasant conversation. It was easy talking to Colin, with his easygoing smile and his mild manners, and Stephanie was thoroughly enjoying herself as she told him stories of her failed job searches and her time growing up in small-town Virginia. The car pulled over and Stephanie turned to the window excitedly, stopping short as she said, “This is your favorite place in the whole city?”
They were parked outside an abandoned building with nobody else in sight. Stephanie turned to Colin and said, “You didn’t seem like a serial killer at the club. At least let Natasha know when you murder me.” Colin laughed and said, “Do you trust me?” and somehow, as Stephanie looked into his beautiful eyes, she did. He took her by the hand and led her out of the car and into the building. The place was old and musty, but Stephanie could tell that it had been grand once. The
y went up a winding staircase with dust-covered carpeting and emerged onto a landing just outside a pair of large double doors made of heavy-carved wood. “My grandfather owned this building in the fifties, and it was one of the places to be, especially if you were a left-wing intellectual or a celebrity. He would entertain people like Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe.” He looked around at the crumbling, decrepit place fondly.
“I visited this place often as a child, but by then it had already fallen into ruin. I saw it in pictures though, and it was spectacular; since then I’ve just been obsessed with it.” He pushed open the double doors out onto a balcony and Stephanie gasped. There were fairy lights strung up all around the terrace and two chairs sat facing the most breathtaking view of the skyline. Between the chairs was a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Oh my God, Colin,” Stephanie said, her voice muffled as she pressed her fingers to her mouth in amazement. Colin gestured for her to take a seat, and she did as he closed the doors behind them and sat down in the chair next to hers. “Does your grandfather till own the building?” Stephanie asked, and Colin shook his head as he quietly said, “No, I do.”
Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection Page 20
