“You look great today, though, and that necklace is beautiful. Where’d you get it?” I say to Amelia with a wink.
“Thank you,” she says, blushing, “I got it as a gift.”
“Oh, I see,” I say, with a wide grin, and she laughs softly.
“From your boyfriend?” I probe, trying to get something.
Blushing, she only replies with a nod.
“Cool,” I comment, nodding.
I walk into my office and bounce straight onto my chair. But the feedback I receive shocks me. I had gotten used to the new seat. Perhaps I will have my secretary have this one changed too.
I have only been seated for a few minutes when Amelia walks in to announce Dan’s presence and an impromptu staff meeting.
I walk into the conference room almost the same time as every other person and take my usual seat between the twins.
Dan’s voice echoes through the room almost immediately as everyone settles down.
“Good morning everyone, it’s great to be back. Thank you for the good wishes and the gifts; they were all well received, thank you. Special kudos to Katie Campbell and my personal assistant for keeping the house in order while I was away. Thank you all for supporting them too. So, now that the formalities are over, I’d like to announce to you that Flash Spot did not stop running in any way. In fact, this year, Flash Spot is doing something spectacular. In the spirit of giving, Flash Spot will be holding a fundraiser in collaboration with a charity organization... Why is no one making any noise?” he asks energetically.
The entire room burst out clapping and whooping just then, everyone choosing their own style of expression–a heart-warming sight, I must confess.
“Thank you, thank you,” Dan speaks over the noise, dousing it. “So, the fundraiser will be held in two weeks, and it will be held here in our building. So get your dresses, your tuxes, or your dates ready, people, we’ll be having a cocktail party!”
The clapping starts again, this time louder and accompanied by exciting murmurs from different angles.
“Okay. Any questions?” Dan asks, and a few hands fly up.
“Is attendance compulsory for this party?” someone asks.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Dan says loudly.
“If for any reason, you won’t be available, you will have to send a letter to my office stating your tangible reasons. Is that clear enough? Next question?”
As Dan continues to answer further questions, I let my mind wander off to what dress I will be wearing for the party. Seeing as I will most probably come with James, the date box is already automatically checked on my own list. I’m pretty sure Charles, on his own end, will be invited as a special guest, seeing as his assistance will make a big difference.
“Alright, then. Meeting dismissed,” Dan says happily as he looks around at the thrilled faces around the table.
After dismissing everyone, Dan signals for me to stay back and personally commend me for not proving him wrong for trusting me with the company affairs. He then speaks again about the charity fundraiser and asks that I try my best to spread the message of the cause to as many philanthropists I know–which would mean Charles Clifford, of course–and then says, “keep up the good work” before dismissing me too.
On my way back to my office, I remember my decision to hand James’ file over to someone else. First, I will have to look for someone I can trust to be capable enough and then find a suitable reason to offer to Dan as to why I want to switch clients. It’s a lot to think about, but it’s worth it. Very much worth it.
I arrive at my office to find that I already have missed calls from James. I try to call back, but when I get directed to his voicemail, I decided that I might drop by his place later on and get to see him too. But until then, I will concentrate on my work and try to get used to my simple office again.
My thoughts go back to the cocktail party Dan had mentioned, and how it had reminded me of the dinner, I had attended with Charles as his date. The night had been epic, and I had felt first-hand the experience of nobility. Not that I hadn’t expected it to be great ordinarily, but it had turned out way cooler than I expected, right from the location, to the décor to the security and then to the guests.
The theme had been “fire and ice,” and I had gone wearing a blue sequin dress that I had felt so proud of. Charles had chosen “ice” too, and he had appeared completely “iced”–right from his light jewelry to his tuxedo. His mum had been elated to see that her son had come with a date, and it felt like she was showing us off to everyone who had cared to look. Just as Charles had said, he didn’t bother to introduce me with anything other than my name, and if his mum cared, she hadn’t shown it. For one night, I had felt royal-like one of them.
Towards the middle of the event, though, Charles and I had gone our separate ways, and I had mingled well, so well that I had surprised my own self by the number of friendly people I had talked and given my cards to that night.
Charles, on the other hand, had first wandered around looking bored until somewhere along the line, he had stuck onto a very pretty young lady, and I could sense that the love match had been lit. If anything, Charles does deserve to find a wonderful person to love him. He is a good man, and he deserves it. When I had asked who the lady was, later on, he had said she was a childhood friend he hadn’t seen in a long time, and I had smiled at how beautiful their love story would be if they decide to create one.
The fact that everyone around me seems to be falling in love or romance or whatever makes my heart swell. I love to see it.
I decide to call Charles right then to inform and seek his presence and assistance for the fundraiser before I forget, and Dan skins me alive.
“Hey, Charles.”
“Hi, Katie. How’s your day going?”
“Frankly, I think I had gotten too used to the director’s luxurious life that I had forgotten how it feels to have a normal office again. This place feels so small, and now I’m wondering how you must have felt the first time you walked in here,” I say, and he laughs.
“Yes. It did feel small, but then, I also understand that not everyone needs a large office. So why waste space?” he says, rationally.
“True,” I reply.
“See?” he says.
“Anyway, why did you call? What’s going on?” he inquires.
“Nothing really,” I start. “It’s just, do you remember the fundraiser I told you about the other time? The one that had left me feeling paranoid?”
“Yeah, yeah. I do. What’s up?”
“Well, Flash Spot wants to invite you as a special guest of honor. An official invite will be sent to you, of course, but I felt the need to let you in on it first, know if you’d even be interested at all, so we’re not pushing it down your throat,” I say matter-of-factly.
“It’s a charity, Katie. Of course, I’m interested. I already had plans to look it up since the day you even mentioned it to me, invite or no invite. So it’s fine. Thanks for honoring a special guest title. I’m flattered,” he says slowly.
“Are you kidding? We are the ones honored to have you on our guest list at all. Thank you very much,” I say, and he laughs modestly.
Deciding to add a little spice to the call, I digress from the topic before the conversation can progress further.
“So, how’s it going with you and that childhood friend of yours?”
“Diana? We haven’t exactly gotten around to talking a lot. Just like George, she’s in charge of her family business, and that means very little free time. I doubt there can ever be any spark anywhere,” he says plainly.
“Oh. Well, we never know,” I say encouragingly.
“Now you’re starting to speak like my mother. Just let things be,” he says.
“Anyway, I’ve got to go now. Let’s talk some other time,” he says conclusively.
“Yeah, sure. Enjoy the rest of your day,” I reply before I hang up.
I look at the to-do list I had put on my table and pi
ck up a pen. Inform Clifford about the fundraiser invitation. Check.
James:
I hurriedly open the door to let Katie into my house, eager to share my good news with her.
“Hey, I’m glad you dropped by tonight. I have some good news to share,” I say in a rush.
“Alright, shoot. I’m all ears,” she says skeptically.
Ignoring the look on her face, I narrate my meeting with my coach and all that he said.
“Wow. Big baby steps. I’m so happy for you,” she says frankly with a glint in her eyes as she walks over to pull me into a hug.
“Thank you,” I reply as I move my lips to touch hers in a soft kiss. But she takes hungry control, and I return the energy, leaving us both panting playfully.
“As it stands, it looks like your new publicist will not even have to do a lot of work. Everything is almost all sorted out,” she says.
“Are you still bent on letting go of my file?” I ask dejectedly, burying my face in her chest.
“I’m sorry. But it’s something I have to do. It’s for the best. You know I only ever want the best for you,” she says with a smile as she fondly pulls my cheeks.
“Hmm,” I grunt.
“Anyway, no need to ruin the mood. You just took a step towards your grand comeback today, and it needs to be celebrated. So, open up za wine chests, baby!” she says dramatically.
“Give me a moment, senorita,” I reply, playing along as I move along to get a bottle of wine and glasses.
My cell phone buzzes just then to announce an incoming message. Too caught up in my want to hurriedly get the wine glasses, I place my phone on my couch. Messages can wait till later. Right now, it’s just Katie and me.
Katie:
James arrives soon enough with the glasses, and we make many toasts playfully, stopping only when we get tired. Deciding that I am not ready to go home yet, I decide to spend a little more time with him. In the worst-case scenario, I’d sleepover at his place and leave at first light tomorrow morning.
With this in mind, we start by doing a few cooking experiments we find online, but we give up soon enough and move on to his video games room, where I thrash him in one of his favorite games, much to his surprise, and even much more to mine but I didn’t tell him that.
Unable to take the courage to have a rematch of the game with me despite that I knew he is a far better player than I am, he gives up on the games too, and eventually, we settle for a nice Netflix and chill moment without the popcorn.
I lay curled up on his large bed, in his big, warm arms as we convert his room to a cinema. After a few backs and forth minutes, we eventually agree on a romance movie.
Halfway through the movie, we lose concentration and get absorbed in one another. One slow kiss and then another, until the fire, ignites and I lose all of my self-control.
As I move to unzip his trousers, he holds my hands to stop me, and I look at him through horny eyes.
“Sure you want to do this?” he asked in a gentlemanly manner, visibly trying to hold himself back despite that I could sense his own arousal too.
Replying with a nod of my head and my quick hands, I unzip his trousers completely and get rid of them with his assistance. I feel the last bit of his self-control resolve break just then as he releases himself completely to his hunger and clothes go flying.
“My Katie, so so beautiful,” he whispers into my ears, sending a tingle to every nerve in my body as he trails his mouth downwards slowly as the loud volume from the movie overshadows our moans, and we make sweet love under the light of the television.
I open my eyes what seems like hours later to see his handsome sleeping face first. We had fallen asleep in each other’s arms after the most perfect night of my life. I trace his jawline lightly with my finger, and I feel my heart swell for having bagged this man for myself. Sitting up naked on his bed, I look at his neon alarm clock and find that it is still quite early in the morning, but not too early for a bath if I still want to drop by my house before going to work.
I drag myself off the warm bed with plenty of reluctance and walk into James’ closet to pick up one of his big shirts for myself and head for the living room where I had left my bag to pick up my face wipes, tiptoeing so as not to wake James.
I ransack my bag for my wipes and find them on the second search. As I pick them and turn to leave, I catch sight of James’ phone still lying on the couch where he had left it the night before and decide to help return it to his bedroom. Remembering that I do not know exactly where I had tossed mine the night before, I overturn my bag to reduce my search time and find it safely at the bottom with no missed calls, no messages. Nothing. A major disadvantage of living alone; even when one gets kidnapped, no one will notice until the third day.
James’ phone buzzes just then, from an alarm, and I walk over to the couch to pick it up and turn it off before the noise travels far. As I turn off the alarm, I catch sight of a message highlight on the screen, which immediately sends my heart racing really fast.
I turn off the screen and turn it back on again to be sure it isn’t a spam message and that I had read it correctly the first time. But the message doesn’t change, and neither does the sender. Instead, it just seems to become clearer, and as I read it out loud, I fall onto the couch as my legs become weak.
The message read:
“I’m pregnant – Ruth.”
Book Five Preview
Chapter One
I open my eyes to my familiar and cozy room with a smile. My dreams I had of Katie had been warm and sweet with satisfying feelings.
I was lying on my front, my head half on and off the pillow, dozing, trying to remember parts of a dream I recently had. But after a moment, I had that vacant feeling that her side of the bed was empty. Usually, the senses you pick up on when someone is lying next to you, the subtle noise of breathing, the ruffling of bed sheets even when facing away from someone were notably absent. I turn my head to glance at Katie's side of the bed to give her a sweet good morning kiss and cuddle, but I only find cold, ruffled sheets in place of her.
Book Five Continues Here
About The Author
What started as occasional writing in my spare time, soon became a daily ritual and inevitable passion for creative writing for pure enjoyment.
I always find myself immersed in the world of writing. I keep it simple and direct. It is my way of getting my words to paper as my thoughts escape my consciousness. This is what drew me to romance writing and is why I find it to be so addictive.
I love conveying subtle messages and feelings, trying to capture the essence of what matters in a very visual and stimulating way. It's about taking you, the reader, on a wonderful journey to celebrate with the highs, identify the difficulties, and rejoice in the pleasures and euphoria as you turn each page of each books journey.
If you identify with this, I hope will understand and come to love my stories as much as love writing them. I hope you feel the magic, the delights, the tears, and the wonder of romantic tales.
For more information visit:
Amazon: amazon author central
Website: gracie-mae.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Gracie-Mae-Harding-Romance
Twitter: twitter.com/GracieMaeAuthor
Other Books By The Author
Captured In Time (Series)
Beatrice (Bea) is a typical young modern American girl of our time. She becomes caught in a time-slip and has fallen back into the 19th Century era while on vacation to the United Kingdom. This is a romantic tale that tells Bea's intriguing story, a 24-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, and her eventual encounter with John, a wealthy gentleman of 1835.
John is sick of the rules, expectations, and shallowness of high society. He is warmed and charmed by Bea's diverse background and her apparent innocence. Bea is totally lost and misplaced. She tries to adapt, but ultimately she is out of her depth with society's expectations, which is swiftly turning against her, and peopl
e take advantage of her naiveté in a century she was not meant to belong.
Can John help? Will he risk his own reputation? Does he really know what he's in for?
Captured In Time is a romance in the truest sense and can be enjoyed by any romance enthusiast.
UNEXPECTED (Standalone)
It started when two young students, Ashton and Raylene, were the closest friends growing up in their neighborhood. They have known each other from early childhood and always trusted and enjoyed each other's company and often spent time together in their family homes.
One day Ashton overreacted to a sweet message Raylene had written to him. A young Ashton became upset and bewildered by her feelings and openness about her affections towards him.
The truth was that he was too young to really understand and control his own feelings and emotions towards his best friend. He just wanted to be friends, so he decided it was best to keep his distance from her for a while.
Before he knew it, Ashton's family unexpectedly had to move out of the area within days. Neither of the two friends got to make amends and say their goodbyes, and they parted on bad terms.
After several years apart, Ashton has returned. Now a few years older, they have both moved on. It was no one's fault for their separation. But is there any chance they can be friends again? Raylene is happy and settled. Will his arrival cause more sadness and sorrow, or will he make up for the misunderstanding? Will Raylene let him back into her life?
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Centre Spot: Enemies to Lovers Book 4 Page 5
