by Marie Astor
“Whoa! Who said anything about marriage?” Claire was genuinely startled by Jake’s question. “We’ve only been dating for a few months.”
“A few months? Hello! It will be a year two weeks from now.”
“Looks like someone has been keeping track.”
“Well, someone has to if you’re too oblivious to do it yourself.”
“That reminds me. I have to get David an anniversary gift, but I have no idea what to buy him. The man literally has everything.”
“That should be a no-brainer. All you have to do is wrap a ribbon around yourself, and I’m sure that David will be pleased as Punch.”
“Big help you are.” Claire shook her head. Jake was a notorious tease, and she would not give him the satisfaction of being embarrassed by his silly innuendos.
“Well, I’m a man and that does give me some credibility when it comes to picking gifts for other men, but do as you wish.” Jake grinned. “Has David mentioned anything about what he wants to do for your anniversary?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, I’m sure it’s going to be something really special. He might just pop the question. That’s what I would do if I were dating you.” Just then, Jake’s brown eyes locked with hers, and Claire looked away.
“What are you talking about, Jake?” Claire pretended not to hear Jake’s last comment. “It’s way too soon. I love David, but neither of us is ready to settle down.”
“It’s never too soon to claim a good woman.” Jake sighed. “If I could ever meet one, I’d settle down in a jiffy.”
“Yeah, like you’ve ever had any difficulties in the dating department,” Claire quipped. Jake Walker had been Claire’s office mate for almost a year, and she had heard plenty of dating stories from him. At five nine, Jake Walker was all charm and suaveness. What he lacked in height, he made up with warm, brown eyes, a devilish smile, a rock-hard body, and last, but not least, an incredibly sharp wit and intelligence. Maybe too much intelligence, Claire thought. Having been privy to Jake’s dating escapades for almost a year, she had come to the conclusion that Jake’s choice of physical characteristics in women contradicted the demands of his mind.
“Quantity doesn’t always translate into quality.”
“Save me your womanizing woes,” Claire grinned. “I’ve got to get back to work.” With that, she turned her attention to the drawings on her desk. If she were not careful, she could easily whittle away the day chatting with Jake.
Claire frowned over her current project – a renovation of an office interior. It was her task to design a more efficient layout, so that the greatest amount of cubicles could be fitted within the twenty floors of office space. To say that this was not the most exciting assignment of her life would be an understatement, but it still had to get done before the deadline. Her favorite projects were when she got to work on exterior design. A few weeks ago, she had finished drafting drawings for a twenty-story addition to be built atop a Manhattan brownstone. Air rights had become the hottest commodity in Manhattan. When structurally possible, it was a much cheaper option to build a sub-structure on top of an existing building rather than demolish the old building and re-lay the foundation, and it made it a lot easier to get the building permit. But lately, with the recession lingering on, new construction projects were few and far between, and Claire was getting more and more interior design work on her desk. Not that she minded. She was lucky to be doing what she loved. Well, most of the time, and she was employed by the most prestigious architectural firm in New York.
“Any big plans for tonight?”
Startled by Jake’s voice, Claire looked up at the clock. It was almost six o’clock. She had been so intent on rearranging cubicles in AutoCAD that she lost track of time.
“Just dinner with Amber.”
“Amber…” Jake lowered his voice to a husky baritone, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’ve heard so much about this hot PR friend of yours. When am I going to meet her?”
“I think you’ve got enough conquests as it is.” Claire reached for her bag. The truth was that she was protecting Jake for his own good. She had no doubt that Amber and Jake would hit it off. The only problem was that Amber’s interest in men changed faster than a streetlight.
“All right then, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake logged of his computer and rose from his seat.
“See you tomorrow.”
Claire stayed behind, reasoning that it did not make sense to go home, since she was supposed to meet Amber at seven and the restaurant was only a few blocks away from her office. She figured she might as well go on with slating cubicles and rearranging doorways. For the next hour, Claire lost herself in the methodical rhythm of her task.
It was so quiet in the office that the ringing sound of the telephone made her twitch. Once she recovered her composure, Claire smiled at the sight of David’s number on the caller id.
“Hey.”
“Hey, honey. You’re still in the office? They are working you too hard. Maybe I ought to have a word with your boss.” David’s voice chimed in the receiver.
“Look who is talking. You’re working all kinds of hours at your job.”
“Yes, but I’m a man. Men are supposed to work hard; we aren’t much use for anything outside the office.”
“Well, I would certainly disagree with that.” Claire smiled, thinking that there were quite a few uses she could think of for David outside the office, a number of which involved her bedroom. “And have you forgotten that this is the twenty-first century, or have the last eighty years of women’s lib been lost on you?”
“All right then. Have it your way. What do you have planned for tonight?”
Claire’s heart lurched at the thought that David might come over. Immediately, she started thinking about washing her hair and the pretty slip she had bought in a SoHo lingerie shop on Sunday.
“Having dinner with Amber. Would you like to join us? It was supposed to be a girl’s night, but I’m sure Amber could make an exception.”
“I’d love to, babe, but I’m stuck at the office. Tell you what. Once this deal closes, I’m all yours.”
“I’ll remember that, and I’ll hold you to your promise.” Claire forced her voice to sound light despite the letdown.
“Have I ever not kept my word?”
That was the thing about David Lawson Claire loved most – he never made promises he could not keep.
“Nope and I don’t expect you to start now.”
“I won’t. I’ve got to go. Bye, Claire. I love you.”
“Love you too,” Claire replied after a moment’s beat. Telling David that she loved him was still new to her. Of course, she had been smitten with him ever since they started dating, but it was not until recently that the two of them had openly voiced their feelings for each other. Each time David told her that he loved her, she still felt giddy with disbelief.
An hour later, Claire was walking down Fifth Avenue toward DB Bistro, a French restaurant, where she was supposed to meet Amber for dinner.
“Hi, there.” Amber rose from the barstool.
“Hey.” Claire reciprocated Amber’s air kiss.
The hostess promptly ushered them to a secluded table by the far wall that could easily sit four.
“Prime real estate,” Claire observed, noticing the packed restaurant.
“It’d better be – I’ve agreed to do their PR campaign.” Amber’s public relations firm had really taken off over the past few years. Of course, the fact that her father was one of New York’s most prominent attorneys helped contribute to her success, but so did her work ethic and her gorgeous looks. At five nine and one hundred and ten pounds, Amber could have easily been a model or a movie star, but she turned to business instead, reasoning that while good looks did not last, money and influence did.
The waiter came by and took their drink orders – a lychee martini for Amber and a passion fruit Cosmo for Claire.
“By the way, I meant to thank you for bailin
g so early from the Metro opening.”
Claire did not fail to notice the sharp sarcasm in Amber’s voice.
“Amber, I’m sorry. David was really tired and he wanted to get going…”
“Forget it. I was only pulling your leg. It would have been nice to get a few pictures of the celebrity couple, but I still managed to get that Yankees pitcher who just got signed on and several Calvin Klein models, so I guess that should do it. Speaking of Calving Klein models….” Amber’s eyes brightened.
“You didn’t!” Claire shook her head, remembering the hunk Amber was dancing with at the party.
“Yes, I did. And if you were not dating one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, you would too.”
“So, is this another fling, or do you think there might be romance in the cards?”
Knowing Amber’s track record, the question was rhetorical in nature, but Claire decided to ask anyway.
“Only time will tell.” Amber smiled mysteriously as she opened the menu.
“Oh?”
“He’s taking me out to dinner tonight.”
“He must be special then.” Claire picked up the menu. Usually, Amber only went out with powerful suit types in public.
“He is, actually,” replied Amber after the waiter had brought their drinks.
Taken aback by the seriousness of Amber’s tone, Claire looked up.
“Gee, Amber. That’s great. Tell me more about this mysterious stranger.”
“Well…” Amber shifted in her seat, sipping her drink. “At first I thought he was just another model. You know, hot body, no brains. But then we started talking, and Adam seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Smart too. He majored in acting, but he couldn’t make a living with that, so he turned to modeling and got signed on by Calvin in less than a year. Oh, and he also minored in philosophy.”
When it came to men, Amber had always been eclectic: one month she could be dating an investment banker, the next a marketing executive, and the next, a struggling comedian. Good looks were the only requirement that Amber’s exes shared. But a modeling philosopher was a first, and Amber had always been a sucker for originality.
“I think I might be falling for this guy,” Amber announced after they had placed their orders with the waiter.
“Excuse me?” Claire’s drink almost spurted through her nose. “You’ve only just met him. How could you possibly fall for him? You don’t know anything about him.”
“Come on. Are you telling me you don’t believe in love at first sight?”
“No,” Claire’s voice was firm. “I don’t. I believe in mistakes at first sight.”
“What about David, though? Didn’t you fall for him right away?”
“Absolutely not. Well, sure, I liked his looks. You’d have to be crazy not to, but I wasn’t going to start liking him until I got to know him better.”
“Are you telling me that you’re rationalizing love?”
“You could put it that way if you’d like.” Claire nodded, deciding not to mention the fact that for someone who had a new boyfriend every month, lust would be a more appropriate term.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Amber frowned, after the waiter had brought their appetizers.
“What?” Claire innocently dug at her pate.
“You’re thinking that I don’t know what I’m talking about. You’re thinking that I’ve never really been in love.”
“Well, have you?”
“Once.”
“When was that?” Claire frowned. Given the fact that they had been friends since middle school, she was fairly certain that she had witnessed all of Amber’s relationships, and all of them had been brief.
“In my senior year, during study abroad.” Amber looked away. “And I never felt the same away about another man since. But I think that Adam just might be a game-changer. Here’s to love.” Amber raised her glass, making it clear that the subject was closed for now.
“Just don’t rush into it, okay? Get to know him first.”
“Oh, Claire, where is your sense of adventure? You’ve got to loosen up a bit.” Amber finished the rest of her drink.
On her way home, Claire thought about Amber’s words. Contrary to Amber’s opinion, she did have a sense of adventure.
Granted, she did not swing from the chandeliers, but then neither did she hide under the covers, Claire assured herself as she pressed the elevator button. Yes, maybe she did tend to play it a bit safe, but that was the way she liked things. One had to know where one stood; otherwise, all kinds of unpleasant things were bound to happen, and of all people, Claire had learned that not knowing your limitations was bound to bring you crashing down.
“Hold it!” The elevator doors were about to close when a muscular arm jammed them open.
Startled, Claire stared at the switchboard stupidly, unable to locate the “Door Open” button.
“Sorry about that.” The owner of the arm slipped inside the elevator. He was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that clung to his lean, muscular torso. His dark brown hair brushed against the nape of his neck. In one hand he was carrying a can of black paint and in the other a large paper bag. Two earphone wires swirled from his neck to his chest and over his taut stomach to the iPod that was tucked into the front pocket of his jeans. “Could you press twelve, please?”
“Sure.” Claire held her breath and lowered her eyes, hoping that she would not be recognized. There was no place like the elevator to illustrate the theory of relativity – an elevator ride that normally lasted only a couple of minutes now felt like an eternity.
The man pushed his back against the wall and exhaled as he unplugged his earphones, letting them hang on his neck.
“Crazy day,” he grinned at Claire. “Oh, forgive me. How rude of me. It’s Claire, right? I’m Alec – your new neighbor. We met before…”
“Hello.” Claire smiled tartly and felt her face grow warm in spite of herself.
“I hope I haven’t been bothering you with the music.” Alec smiled apologetically. “I’ve gotten these.” He motioned at the earphones.
“It’s fine, really.” Claire forced herself to ignore the distant sounds of tango that were emanating from the tiny earphones.
“I promise you it won’t happen again. I still can’t live down the fact that I woke you up on a Saturday morning. May I take you out for a cup of coffee, or better yet a drink to make up for it?”
Claire ignored the playfulness in his tone.
“No worries; it’s already forgotten.” She fumbled with her keys in order to avoid looking at his face. “So, you’re doing more painting?” She purposely fixed her stare on the can of paint.
“Just some finishing touches and then I’ll be ready to move in.”
“Good for you. Well, this is my floor. Good luck with the painting.” Claire bolted out of the elevator.
“Good night.”
Alec’s voice carried through the hallway as Claire fumbled with her front door lock. Finally, she got inside her apartment and slammed the door behind her.
God, that man is annoying, she thought and then bit her lip at the lie. Her new neighbor was anything but annoying, which was precisely why she was going to stay as far away from him as possible.
As he opened his front door, a smile glinted on Alec’s face. Despite her icy demeanor, he could tell that Claire was anything but indifferent about him. So maybe her current feelings for him gravitated more toward irritation than affinity, but it was still way better than indifference. He liked a challenge, and irritation was a good place to start.
Chapter 6
Claire stood on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Fifth Street, waiting for Amber and Lindsay to arrive. Only a week remained before her and David’s anniversary, and after countless failed attempts to decide on what gift to buy her wonderful boyfriend, she had decided to summon an emergency shopping session.
“I think David would love a nice watch.” Amber air-kissed Claire on both cheeks.
> “Hello to you too, Amber.” Claire shook her head. In her typical business-woman mode, Amber always zeroed in on the kill.
“What? You’re the one who called me, asking for help with ideas, so like the good friend that I am, I cancelled my morning meetings and rushed to the rescue.”
“You have morning meetings on a Sunday?”
“Not exactly; still, it was an important meeting.”
“Oh? Could it have anything to do with you missing in action ever since the Metro opening?”
“Yes, it could.” Amber giggled. “And I certainly was not missing any action – if you get my drift.”
“Loud and clear.” Claire wrinkled her nose. Amber never held back about her sexual escapades. “Adam, right? Or is there someone new already?”
“No, it’s still Adam. He is really growing on me.” Amber bit her lip, and her eyes turning dreamy. “But I pulled myself away from his gorgeous body to come and help you shop for David.”
“And I really appreciate the sacrifice.” Claire fought a smirk. There were few things Amber valued more than hot sex.
“So, getting back to the question at hand, what do you want to get for David? It’s not like you have much time. Your anniversary is only a week away.” Amber tapped her watch.
“I don’t know… He has everything a man could possibly want. I want to get him something really special, but I can’t think of anything.”
“Well, what about a nice watch?”
“David has ten watches, all top brands. I don’t think he needs another one.”
“I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything.” Amber pouted. “I have two pairs of diamond earrings, but I sure as hell would not refuse a third one.”
“David is different.” Claire smiled, thinking of her perfect boyfriend. The past week had more than made up for David’s previous absences. Since then, they had been inseparable, going out almost every night. Last night had been no exception. David had taken her to Le Bernardin and hinted that he had something really big planned for their anniversary. This afternoon David had an important business lunch, and Claire snatched the opportunity to go shopping. Their anniversary was on Friday, and she had to decide on David’s present today.
