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Hot tears stung in Heather’s eyes. She impatiently pounded the elevator button. “Come on you stupid thing,” she hissed through clinched teeth. Why the hell was this elevator so damn slow?
She wiped tears away from her cheeks, mad at herself for having this reaction in the first place. What was it about seeing Asher again that filled her with so much sadness and stress?
His eyes had lit when he’d looked at her and been filled with a deep hunger that made her tremble. It wasn’t a fearful tremble. Her body reflected that same heat back at him. But she was scared. Scared of falling into the same poor behavior that made her unhappy in romantic relationships. Asher Quest was dangerously handsome, thus making him a threat for Heather’s already sensitive and on guard emotions.
She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself before she got to her apartment. If Stephanie saw her so upset, she would undoubtedly become concerned and make a fuss until Heather confessed what was wrong. She smiled thinking of her friend. That’s just the way Stephanie was. She was a loyal friend and cared more about other people’s happiness than her own.
Heather brushed the tears off her cheeks and attempted to figure out why she was so upset in the first place. She had blown off Asher for the second time in a row. There was no way on earth he would try to pursue her again. She had missed her window of opportunity, and hindsight was a bitter view of 20/20 clarity. The same sexy man had been thrown into her lap twice and she’d run away both times! What was wrong with her?
She pushed the door open and walked inside to the sound of music playing on the radio. Heather watched Stephanie as her long blonde ponytail bounced around as she danced with a mop in her hand.
“You should try out for a dance team,” Heather quipped as she placed the grocery bag on the counter.
Stephanie spun around and placed a flattened palm to her chest. She gripped the broom with her other hand and stared at Heather through surprised eyes behind wire rimmed glasses.
“You scared me,” she breathed.
“Sorry,” Heather chuckled. “I didn’t mean to get in the way of your solo.” She rolled her wrist through the air. “Please, continue. Just pretend I’m not even here.”
Stephanie gave Heather a glance and playfully tossed a dish towel at her. “Thanks, but the show is over. I’ve raised the price of tickets and you can’t afford it.”
“Very funny,” Heather said as she began pulling a few canned goods, milk and bread out of the grocery bag.
Stephanie studied Heather as she carefully crossed over the damp kitchen floor to the refrigerator. She placed the milk and a pack of string cheese inside the door and closed it again.
The hairs on the back of Heather’s neck prickled. She felt Stephanie’s eyes focused directly on her.
“What?” She said without turning around. She was afraid if she made eye contact with her roommate the floodgates would open again.
“Have you been crying?” Stephanie asked.
Heather sighed. There was no hiding anything from Stephanie. Her intuition was like a radar always pointing at the truth.
“Yes...” she trailed off softly.
“Why?” Stephanie’s voice peaked with alarm.
“I ran into Asher Quest again,” she admitted.
“Where?” Stephanie cupped her hand over Heather’s shoulder.
“He was waiting for me, outside of our apartment building on the street.”
Stephanie’s face twisted. It was as if she was trying to formulate a reasonable response. “I can’t decide whether that is totally creepy or insanely romantic as a gesture,” said.
“Join the club,” Stephanie rested her head in her hand. “I’m so confused.”
“So, what did you do?” Stephanie asked.
“I was so surprised to see him that I told him I had to go. I ran into the building and he didn’t try to stop me or follow me.”
“Oh, Heather...” Stephanie’s voice was pitying.
“I’m my own train wreck,” Heather said with snide mockery aimed towards herself.
“No, you aren’t.” Stephanie gently rubbed her back.
“The truth is, my stomach flips when I think of him. My heart stops when he looks at me. I know that’s crazy but, I feel like I’m making a mistake by continuously blowing him off.”
Stephanie gave her a knowing gaze. “I think you have your answer without even realizing it.”
Heather rolled her eyes. “You’re going to tell me to follow my heart, aren’t you?”
“Yep.” Stephanie nodded proudly.
Heather groaned. “I guess it’s time to use my connections as a Production Assistant at WKBW to find him? Say I’m sorry?”
Stephanie shrugged, but the light in her eyes said she agreed. “Now who’s the stalker?”
Several hours of searching and digging later, Heather nervously waited outside of Asher’s exclusive apartment building wondering how she’d get inside. A man wearing dark sunglasses and a maroon scarf just happened to be walking inside the lobby at the same time Heather arrived, so she didn’t have to ponder long. The man was so engaged in a heated argument on his cell phone that he didn’t notice Heather walk inside behind him.
She was in!
This was going better than expected. Two phone calls to connections at her job had gotten her Asher’s address. Traffic had been great on her way here. And, getting access had been a breeze. Maybe... maybe this was like a twist of fate or something.
She approached the desk in the lobby where a stuffy concierge gazed down at her with a patronizing stare.
“Can I help you?” He asked in a bored voice.
Heather took a deep breath. She had fully prepared a story in her mind and now it was time to put it in action. She kept her shaking hands by her side under the counter so the man wouldn’t see.
“I’m one of the new assistants to Asher Quest, but my agent didn’t tell me his room number.” Heather bit her bottom lip and waited. It wasn’t the best story, but it just might work enough to fool this guy behind the desk. “I’m supposed to meet him in ten minutes and I’d hate to be late on my first day.”
“Name?” He breathed out with arrogance.
“My name?” Heather shifted her weight. Part of her had wished the concierge would have just given her the room number and got on with his day. She shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy.
“Yes...” the man droned as he clicked the keyboard of the computer in front of him.
“Heather.” She nodded assertively, but her heart pounded with uncertainty in her chest. “Heather Venice.”
On the positive side, Asher would recognize her name, but would he let her upstairs? That part was still a muddy area. She had been a total jerk to him. She couldn’t blame him if he gave her the cold shoulder.
“Wait just a moment,” the man said as he plucked the phone off the receiver and punched in a number on the switch board.
“Mr. Quest? There is a woman here claiming to be your new assistant and she—” The concierge trailed off. “Mm-hmm,” he nodded. “Yes, sir. No, she has black hair...”
He sighed and hung the phone up. He stared at Heather with a smug expression cracking at the edges of his lips.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Quest says he is not expecting any new assistants today.”
“You didn’t even give him my name.” Heather wasn’t going down without a fight.
“I’m sorry,” the concierge repeated and gave her a snide glance as if he wasn’t concerned with this problematic confrontation or the outcome that it would have for Heather.
“Can you please call him back?” Heather insisted. “If I go back to the agency, I’m going to get fired. Just call him back and tell him Heather Venice is waiting for him downstairs.” She gave him a persistent stare until he surrendered.
“Fine,” he huffed and aggressively picked up the phone again. “Mr. Quest!” His demeanor instantly changed as he chimed into the phone. “I’m so sorry to continue to bother you, but a woman named Heather Venice is down here and very adamant that she speaks with you,” he said through clinched teeth.
Heather held her breath. The concierge nodded and said “Mm-hmm,” again, nodding this time. Heather could hardly stand it as she waited to see whether her determination would pay off. Dragging his gaze to hers, the man pursed his lips and sighed.
“Ma’am,” he said as if it pained him to lose this battle. “Mr. Quest is granting you access. Take the elevator to the penthouse suit. Use the code 1-1-3-4. It changes daily so don’t think you can sneak in any time you want.”
She ignored the implied insult. “Thank you.”
Heather beamed as she walked towards the direction of the elevator. Now all she had to do was try not to have a panic attack before she made it to Asher’s apartment. Her legs already felt like jelly. By the time she’d taken the elevator to the top floor and stepped out into the penthouse entry, her entire body felt weak. Had she made the right decision? Her heart beat a staccato inside her chest as she approached the door to Asher’s penthouse. She brought her hand up to knock but couldn’t force the motion into action. Squeezing her eyes shut, she steeled herself and knocked.
There was nowhere to run. It was just the front door and the elevator. Even if she did bolt, the elevator would never swallow her before Asher answered the door. Damn it. She swallowed down the butterflies inside and waited.
A woman came to the door. She had rusty colored, straight, shoulder length hair and a narrow frame. If Heather had to guess her age, would estimate it was probably a close range with her own. “Are you Heather Venice?”
“I am,” Heather nodded and shifted her weight. “I’m here to see Asher Quest.”
“Come on in,” the red-headed girl said with another smile. “I’m Tracy. Asher’s real assistant.”
Even though the banter was lighthearted, Heather felt her cheeks blush with hot embarrassment. “Right...” she trailed off, unsure of what else to say. It was an awkward moment.
“If you just wait here in the studio, Asher will be with you shortly.” Tracy motioned towards a room with rubber looking walls that probably enacted some kind of sound proof barrier. There were keyboards everywhere.
Heather’s heart raced. It was an exhilarating moment to be in Asher Quests personal studio inside of his home, but she did her best to maintain composure on the surface.
“Thank you,” she nodded politely as Tracy skirted away down another hallway.
Heather fidgeted. She sat down in a black swivel chair, then stood up and clutched her purse tighter. Then she took the purse off her shoulder and placed it by her ankles. Then she walked around the room, finally landing by the window where she looked outside and saw the magnificent Chicago skyline. It was like a fantasy dream come true.
“Heather?” Asher’s voice penetrated her thoughts and crumbled her inhibitions. She spun around with a gasp.
Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say. Her lips were numb, her words, broken. “I’m... I’m sorry to, about... that I...”
His expression was emotionless, though a kiss of a smile pulled at his lips as she fumbled. He was laughing at her. Her heart fell. This had been a gigantic mistake. Pulling her lips into a tight line, she hurried to move around him, but he snagged her arm with a light grip as she tried to pass.
“Heather, wait. What are you doing here?”
She tried not to take his flat tone personally. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt. She was the one who denied him twice after all.
“I just came here to make things right with you,” she said.
“Make things right with me?” His eyebrows rose. “We don’t even know each other.”
Heather frowned. “I know, but...” she trailed off, stumbling over her own thoughts.
“Are you here to tell me to leave you alone again?” His voice was lighter, and she had the impression again that he was amused at her expense. Or maybe that’s just how her muddled brain was taking it.
“No.” Heather gave an apologetic wave of her hand. “I wanted to apologize for running out on you. Twice.”
A beat of silence stretched between them as he pondered her.
“How in the world did you even know where I lived?”
“I work at a local news station,” she admitted. “It wasn’t hard to find you.”
“I see.” He smiled now. “So, I guess we’re even in the stalking department.”
The dimple in his left cheek and relaxed expression in his eyes put her at ease.
“I guess so.” Heather adjusted the strap of her purse and took a step toward the doorway. “Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I won’t hold you up. I’m sure you’ve got a lot to do.”
She turned her back and wandered out the same way she came.
“Heather, wait,” Asher called her back.
Her heart was in her throat as she twisted back around to look at him. His eyes grazed up and down her body.
“Did you really come all the way here just to apologize?”
How could she explain that she didn’t really know why she’d hunted him down? She just had. “Yeah.”
His big hands moved to his pockets, his fingers sliding into them as he tossed his bangs from his eyes. The sleek, hard lines of his body looked delicious beneath battered jeans and a worn T-shirt.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night.” He cocked his head as if daring her to say no.
She didn’t plan on rejecting him a third time. Not after all this. Besides, they kept coming together as if drawn, compelled. Something. Like, it was just right.
Heather smiled. “How could I resist now?”
Asher gave her a wink and drifted closer to her. The waft of his spicy cologne hit her nose and caused a warm flush over her body. A pang started between her legs, deep and demanding. She held her breath; sure he was going to touch her. He was close enough that the heat of his body washed over her.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
She was breathless. “Okay.”
She hoped the nervous energy she felt inside didn’t show on her face, though her cheeks felt hot, her body on fire for one, simple touches of his hand on her skin. Before she could make a fool of herself, she brushed by him, gave a little wave and let herself out. The back of her neck prickled in anticipation that he’d follow her to the elevator, but he didn’t. And that was okay. She needed a minute to compose herself.
Safely outside on the bustling city streets, she called Stephanie.
“I did it,” she breathed. “I talked to him.”
“And?” Stephanie quizzed.
“Tomorrow night! I have a date with Asher Quest.” Even to say it out loud sounded surreal. Nervous excitement brewed in her belly.
What if this was a mistake? What if she was headed for another disaster? God, no. She wasn’t going to think about that now. She had a dress to pick out. And she needed her hair and nails done. Stephanie had her work cut out for her as best friend tonight.
Heather took a steadying breath. Thank goodness she had over twenty-four hours to prepare herself for whatever happened next.