He quickly sent her a message.
Can you talk?
What was he doing? He didn’t even know Amelia. And the last time they spoke, she seemed upset with him. Why did he even want to talk to her?
An answer came back.
Yes.
Do you mind if I call you?
Go ahead.
Damian dialed the phone and waited for Amelia to pick up. “Hey, sorry it’s so late,” he said when she answered. “Let me know when you want to get off the phone.”
“I’m okay,” she said. “What did you want to talk about?”
“First, I should apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to upset you. You probably don’t like the thought of me closing down the newspaper since you grew up in a small town. But I decided not to close it down, so I think you’ll be happy.”
“Good.” She paused. “And second?”
Damian ran his hand through his hair. “I guess I just wanted to talk. I’ve had a strange day. But I always seem to talk about me. How about you? What did you do today?”
“I actually spent the day with a man.”
That was not what Damian expected to hear. He sat back in the chair. “Oh.”
Amelia sighed and something rustled. “But things are complicated.”
Great. He thought Amelia was looking for a relationship, and now he finds out she’s already in one. Why does he even try? “Complicated, how?”
“I don’t know. We’re not dating if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Okay, that was good. He picked up his pen and clicked the end. “I’m glad to hear that.” He didn’t want to know more about the man, but his curiosity got the better of him. “How do you feel about him?”
Amelia was silent. Damian stood from his chair and walked to the window, disappointment settling in him. “I see.”
“It’s not that simple. I shouldn’t have even brought it up. Pretend I didn’t.”
Damian chuckled despite the bad mood that was threatening to overtake him. “Come on, now. You can’t do that. I don’t want to start something with you if you’re interested in someone else.”
“This is weird talking to you about this.”
“I think it’s healthy.”
“Believe me, it’s not.” He could hear a smile in her voice.
Damian pulled the curtains closed and sat on the bed. He didn’t want to ask, but it came out anyway. “Do you love him?”
Amelia didn’t answer for a few moments, and Damian held his breath as he waited. Finally, she whispered, “Maybe.”
“Well, I can’t compete with a man from your past.”
“That’s just it. He’s not from my past. I just met him.”
“Wait, you just met? And you’re in love with him?” Warning bells went off in Damian’s head. What kind of a woman was he talking to?
“You’re right. It sounds insane. It is insane. I’m insane. It’s not love. It can’t be. And he doesn’t feel that way about me anyway, so it’s not a concern. I’m going to ignore the kiss and move on.”
“Wait, you kissed him?” This was getting worse.
“It didn’t mean anything.”
“How can you kiss a man but not have it mean anything?” Maybe getting all this out was a good thing. Maybe he needed to stay away from Amelia.
She blew out a breath. “You’re right. What did you do today? I’m sure you didn’t kiss someone you barely know.”
Damian’s mouth went dry and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Uh…”
“You know what? Never mind. I think I need to get some sleep. I’m feeling drained.”
“Wait. I’m sorry. I’ve upset you again. I shouldn’t have rushed to judgment. I was hoping we’d get to meet. Maybe next weekend?”
Amelia sucked in a breath and then started coughing. “Sorry,” she choked. “Just a second.” It sounded like she set the phone down and left the room. He waited for her to come back on the line.
After what seemed like forever she came back on the phone. “I will be out of town next weekend. Sorry.”
“That’s fine. Maybe we can connect when you get back to New York.”
She paused. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too. Thanks for talking with me tonight.”
“Good night, Damian.”
He hung up the phone and stared at the screen. That had been a strange conversation. But in the end, he was more intrigued by Amelia than before. But as he closed his eyes and pulled the blanket over him, it wasn’t Amelia who filtered back into his mind.
Chapter 19
Kat tried to ignore the waves of nerves in her stomach as she sat behind the front desk. She’d come in so early, Fred hadn’t even arrived yet. She started the coffee and sat at her computer waiting for the bomb to drop.
Fred entered through the back. He stopped short when he saw Kat. “You’re here early.”
“Just wanted to get the day started I guess.” Not really. She wanted to skip over today altogether.
“Huh.” Fred hung up his coat and sat down.
The clicking of his keyboard was the only sound in the room. Kat grew anxious and opened up her email box. Another email from Doctor Yong sat in her inbox.
Dear Miss Philipina,
I have ordered the box of snacks you wished me to. I hope you will be patient as it takes a while for things to ship to me. I hope you are in good spirits today. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Doctor Bryon Yong
Good. She’d get the photo she wanted soon. Better start on a new one. She clicked to scan through her incoming emails. One caught her attention and she opened it.
Sorry for this unexpected message to you. I am Mr. Brady Marvel, a Security Manager at the Dayton International Airport, Dayton Ohio, USA. During a recent routine check at all Storage Units at the airport, I discovered an abandoned shipment in your name which was on Transit to your city but was intercepted by the Dayton International Airport Security for lack of proper clearance papers. The consignment was scanned and discovered to contain valuable cash between US$4.5Million US Dollars. The consignment was placed on hold until proper clearances are provided by a reliable Government source.
I have taken it upon myself as a Security Manager at the Dayton International Airport to contact you personally about this abandoned shipment. After the confirmation is made, I will go ahead with all negotiations with the airport authorities for the release of the consignment box to me as your representative so I can arrange for the delivery to your city.
Lastly, to enable me to confirm if you are the actual recipient of this consignment box, I will advise you get back to me as quick as possible and re-confirm your address and personal information so that I can be sure that the box is going to the rightful owner.
Regards,
Mr. Brady Marvel
Security/Inspection Manager
Kat grinned. This would be good. She clicked to respond.
Dear Mr. Marvel,
First of all, what an awesome name. Secondly, I am indeed shocked that a shipment of this size was found in my name. However, I do have a distant uncle who was known to send me large amounts of cash in strange ways, so it’s fortunate you have found my email address. I can’t believe he sent me between 4.5 million dollars. I’m wondering what it’s between, but that’s beside the point.
I will gladly send you my mailing address, my bank account information, and my mother’s maiden name so you can properly secure the shipment to me. I have the perfect thing I am going to buy with this money. A giant statue of Thor. I saw one just the other day and thought the 4.5 million dollar price was very fair.
Anyway, there is just one thing I need from you. I need you to send me your identification so I can be sure you are actually Mr. Brady Marvel, the security/inspection manager from the Dayton International Airport.
Please send this right away and I will confirm all information for you.
Regards,
Kat bit her lower lip. What name should sh
e use? She wanted to tie in the Marvel theme but didn’t know the comics very well. She googled Female Marvel Characters and found the perfect one. She got back to the email and signed her name.
Natasha Romanova
She clicked send and then glanced back at Lydia’s office. Her throat grew dry. Lydia was here already. Kat hadn’t noticed her come in. Her office door was open, but her blinds were closed so Kat couldn’t see in.
Kat swallowed and got up to fetch Lydia’s coffee. No words were exchanged as Kat set the mug down on Lydia’s desk. Lydia didn’t even look up from the mail she was sorting. Relieved, Kat scurried back to her desk.
Sarah walked in and unwrapped her scarf. “Man, it’s cold out today. I can’t wait for Christmas vacation. I’m so glad Mom lives in Florida. It’s sixty degrees there today.”
“Lucky,” Fred said without looking up from his computer screen.
Paul walked in and stamped the snow from his boots. “Who’s lucky?”
“Sarah’s going to Florida next week,” Fred said.
“Take me with you. I think my nose hairs froze while I walked in.”
Kat laughed. “You poor baby. You guys are wimps. I grew up here. This is nothing.”
The front door opened and Damian entered. He didn’t look at Kat as he walked by her desk and back toward Lydia’s office. Kat sucked in a breath. This was it.
She heard the deep baritone of Damian’s voice. “I need to speak with you. In private.”
The door to Lydia’s office shut and Kat strained to hear something. Anything. But all she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Then the door opened, and Damian stepped out. His face was a mask of stone as he walked toward the front door. As he passed by her desk, his gaze connected with hers. He nodded, then continued on, without a word. The door swished closed behind him, and that was it. He was gone.
Kat was simultaneously relieved and angry that Damian hadn’t spoken to her. Part of her didn’t want to talk to him, didn’t want to share a conversation while her co-workers listened to every word. The other part of her wanted to run outside and slap him for treating her like she was just a secretary. Like they hadn’t spent the weekend together, getting to know one another. Sharing personal things.
Ugh. How could she have thought that maybe she’d fallen in love with him? He was a world-class jerk. The seconds ticked by, and her anger grew. Before she could control herself, she marched outside. “What are you doing?”
Damian turned, startled, stopping in the middle of putting on his gloves. He blinked at her. “I have to leave town.”
She sucked in a breath as the wind froze her skin. “I don’t care. What was that in there? You, walking by like you didn’t even know me?” She hadn’t meant for it to come out so lame. She sounded pathetic, even to her own ears.
Damian’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to bring you into anything. I spoke with Lydia and said what I needed to. I’ll be back after my business deal.”
She hugged her arms to her. “And you weren’t even going to say goodbye?”
“It’s freezing out here.” Damian took a step toward her, shrugged out of his coat and slipped it around her shoulders.
Dang, why did he have to do something nice? It melted her anger. Now she just felt stupid, running after a man. And they weren’t even a couple.
Damian seemed conflicted. His gaze shifted. “Kat, I’m thankful for your help, but—”
“Stop.” Kat had heard enough. She didn’t need him to spell it out for her. She got it. He didn’t feel anything for her. The flirting. The kisses. They didn’t mean anything. She was a fool to think otherwise. “I get it.”
Damian swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”
Yeah. Right. She didn’t need his sympathy. She took off his coat and shoved it at him. “Don’t be. I understand. I’m just the secretary.”
He flinched. Good. She wanted to hurt him. She turned from him, but he caught her elbow, forcing her to look at him. “I wish things were different.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s the stupidest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She jerked her arm away from him and stalked back into the building. Her hands trembled as she sat back down and tried to go back to her computer work. She felt the stares of everyone in the office.
“Katherine,” Lydia said, her voice echoing. “I’d like to speak with you.”
Lydia’s cold tone made Kat cringe. Great. She was dead. Kat stood and went to face the music. She walked to the back of the room and entered Lydia’s office.
“Close the door.” Lydia looked up from her desk and gave Kat a death stare.
Kat did as she was told.
“One thing. I asked you to do one thing.” Lydia’s voice was low. At least she wasn’t yelling.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t—”
“I know.” Lydia gripped the sides of her chair so tight her knuckles went white. “And now things are all messed up.”
“He said he wasn’t going to close the newspaper.” Kat was hoping he kept his word.
“He isn’t. At least not right now. But that’s no longer your concern.”
Kat’s palms grew sweaty. “Why?” she asked, her voice small.
“Because you’re fired. Pack up your things. I want you out.” Lydia made a motion with her hand.
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me. I asked you to do one thing, and you deliberately disobeyed. I can’t work with people I don’t trust. Now leave before I call the police and have you escorted out.”
Kat blinked back her tears. She was not going to cry. She burst out of Lydia’s office and quickly walked to her desk. She didn’t have much, but she gathered it up and grabbed her coat. Sarah sent her a questioning glance.
“I got fired,” Kat said.
“What?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“I doubt I’m at liberty to say. Maybe you should ask Lydia.” She choked on the last few words, then hurried from the building before her tears could start in earnest. She sat in her car, the heater on high, and let her emotions surge.
Fired. How humiliating. And right before Christmas. What was she going to do? She needed the income. She couldn’t lose her childhood home, and all the memories it held. It was the last connection she felt she had with her momma. Tears fell onto her coat as she gripped the steering wheel, still sitting in the parking lot.
She wiped her eyes. Better get to looking for a new job. Maybe Pizza Hut was hiring. She put her car into gear and steeled herself for a day of rejection. She didn’t have time to wallow in her self-pity.
Chapter 20
Damian sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Negotiations had gone well. They had IMB in the bag. He should feel elated, but for some reason the victory was flat. Thoughts of Kat kept flashing into his head and he couldn’t stop them. It had been three days since he’d left Pleasant Hollow, and all he could think about was Kat.
Stupid.
Why did he always fall for the ones he couldn’t have? Kat was everything he’d ever wanted. She challenged him. She made him think. And the chemistry between them was undeniable. Yet, his life was in New York, and she’d never leave her small town. It just wouldn’t work between them. He had to stop thinking about her.
Chuck entered his office. “Great job on the IMB deal. I knew you could do it.” He grabbed a chair, flipped it around, then sat on it backward. Damian hid a smile. That was Chuck. He didn’t care what anyone thought.
“We pulled it in together,” Damian said.
Chuck slowly nodded. “We did.” He rested his arms on the back of the chair.
When Chuck didn’t make a move to leave, Damian studied him. “Need something else?”
“Just wanted to check in with you on how things were going. You’ve been different the last few days.”
Damian raised his eyebrows. “Different? How?”
“Distracted. That’s not like you at all.” Chuck eyed him. “You met someone, didn’t
you?”
How did Chuck do that? Damian exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s that obvious?”
A wide grin spread across Chuck’s face and he hit the back of the chair with his hand. “Ha. I knew it. Who is she?”
Damian shook his head. “I can’t get her out of my head. She drives me crazy, and yet, there’s something so likable about her.”
“Sounds like love to me.” Chuck looked extremely pleased with this. He’d been almost as bad as his mother, trying to set him up.
Damian chuckled. “We just met.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t take long.”
Damian slowly nodded. Chuck was right. He was definitely attracted to her. But in love? Probably not. He just couldn’t get his mind off her. That didn’t mean he was in love, right?
“It was Privileged Singles, wasn’t it?”
Damian froze. Sure. Amelia. That’s who he should be pursuing. That’s who he could actually date. And he did like her. He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“Great! I knew you’d find someone on there. When do I get to meet the woman who has you this flustered?”
Was he flustered? Damian didn’t like that. He’d better get his head in the game. “She’s out of town this weekend.”
“Well maybe after Christmas.” Chuck stood and slid the chair back into place. He patted Damian on the back. “Congratulations, man.”
After Chuck left, Damian twisted his chair around and stared out the window at the skyscrapers. The sun was setting, reflecting off the glass. Amelia. He hadn’t checked in with her in a while. He should call her. Tonight he’d check in with her.
His phone rang and he picked up. “This is Damian.”
“How did things go today?” His mother’s voice seemed strained.
“Fine. We closed the deal with IMB.”
“Good.” She exhaled. “Are you still going back to Pleasant Hollow?”
He was tired of this argument. “Yes.”
“Why don’t you leave well enough alone? You’ve already opened old wounds. You know how this pains me.”
He gripped the chair rest, his anger surging. “Pains you? I have a sibling I never knew about. How do you think that makes me feel? You can’t just pretend he doesn’t exist.”
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