by Tricia Saxby
Karen had tried, although unknowingly, to fill that void with her care and concern all those years ago. And he’d panicked and run again. Would he ever stop running?
He looked out at the lights below him. Boring. He’d seen it all. That initial euphoria of seeing and doing something new was gone. He hadn’t realized how much he missed that feeling.
A flashing red heart on one of the billboards caught his eye. Valentine’s Day. He’d forgotten about the commercialized day of love for some and bitterness for most. Well, he didn’t have any plans. Tomorrow he’d order flowers for the office. An extra-large bouquet for Natasha—she’d expect nothing less.
And Karen. The thought of wining and dining her appealed to him more than taking this photography gig. Leo moved away from the window. Yes, he liked that idea. A lot.
He dialed the number of one of his favorite restaurants and made a reservation. Leo couldn’t wait to ask her.
»»•««
“You did not.”
“Come on, Karen. He’s a great guy.”
Karen had agreed to meet her roommate, Mike, for lunch at their favorite little café overlooking Central Park. Over bowls of mushroom soup and fresh French bread, he’d spilled the beans. She’d been set up on a blind double date for Valentine’s Day.
She scooped some soup onto her spoon and blew on it before sipping. “I know you don’t remember much about our high school days, Mike, but I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh, I remember,” he started as he pulled a chunk of bread off the loaf and dipped it in his soup. “Especially since I was the unlucky bloke who had the nerve to ask you in grade eleven.”
Karen’s head tilted back with her laugh. “Ah, yes. Poor Mike.”
The café was full of people squished around tiny tables. The hum of conversation was loud, so to hear anything from the person sitting across from you required raising your voice. The smell of freshly baked bread, rosemary, and coffee beans filled the air, and the waitress kept up with the chaos with good spirits. This was not a place to come for peace and quiet. This was where Karen liked to come to get energized and lost in a New York experience.
“The four of us will meet at the house after work tomorrow.”
Karen rolled her eyes and let out a world-weary sigh. “And where are we going?”
“That is mine and Paul’s surprise for you ladies.”
“Paul? Do I know him?”
“He’s a colleague of mine.”
Karen’s eyes narrowed as she sat back in her chair. “Is he going to be a boring stiff then?”
Mike choked down the soup in his mouth. “What?”
“I mean, you’re an exception to the rule, but most lawyers—”
“Stop worrying. I hang out with Paul all the time. He’s fun.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “You’ll like him.”
“Fine.”
They ate the rest of their food in silence. Why did the idea of a double date upset her? Mike would never set her up with some jerk he didn’t know. There would be four of them, so if things didn’t work out, there would be a safety net.
If she were honest with herself, she couldn’t get Leo out of her head. That morning half a dozen bouquets had come to the office and were placed on random desks, none on hers. Natasha’s bouquet was stunning, with blood red roses and red lilies interspersed with baby’s breath. Everyone knew who the flowers had come from. Karen knew it was a grand gesture to make sure no one felt left out, and she appreciated that.
Yet for some reason she took offense that nothing special had been on her desk. Each day the obvious hints were dropped in front of her that she didn’t mean anything to him anymore. She’d have to figure out how to be okay with that, and step one was to accept this date and move on.
“It’ll be more than fine, Mike. Tell Paul I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“Excellent.” A mixed look of surprise and happiness on his face had Karen laughing again.
“And I’ll be good, I promise.”
“That’s what I was worried about.” He sighed his relief as he tossed down some cash to pay for the meal.
»»•««
Karen placed her coat on the back of her desk chair and took a sip of her latte. The energy that hummed through the office was contagious, and she couldn’t help but smile. Sunshine peaked through the slits in the blinds and cast rainbows on the walls from the prism that hung in the center window. Someone had taken all the flowers and put them in the foyer near the elevator. The floral scent overwhelmed the small space, but visually it was gorgeous.
“Hey, you busy?”
Leo sat on the corner of her desk. His gray shirt stretched across his shoulders and tapered down to his waist. Karen’s fingers itched to trace his abs. He should not have been allowed to dress like that at work. She refused to let her gaze linger too long on his legs in those jeans.
“I…uh…no. Got back from lunch a few minutes ago. What’s up?” Good save. She gave herself a mental high-five, even though her cheeks burned with embarrassment at having been caught checking him out.
“I want to go over those corset prints with you.”
Taken aback, Karen held onto her coffee cup with shaking hands. “Why?” Her question came out harsher than she’d wished. “I mean, why with me? Isn’t that something you and Natasha have to do?”
“I haven’t had a chance to show her these ones yet. I thought you and I could grab some coffee and take a look.”
“Already have the coffee.” She lifted her cup up to show him. “Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll make you a cup.”
Leo turned up his nose. “Office coffee? Are you serious?”
“You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, hiding her smirk behind her coffee cup.
“Can you get away?” His golden eyes held her in place and time slowed down. He covered her hand with his. His hands were a mixture of rough calluses and smoothness, and oh, they were so warm.
“I’d love to—”
“Karen. Ms. Vale wants these prints filed in the next hour, and then she wants you to go and get her dry cleaning.” Stacey dropped a huge pile on her desk before sauntering away.
“But I can’t,” Karen finished, and she sat back in her chair with a weary sigh.
Leo’s cell phone beeped an incoming text. “It’s Nat,” he said as he read it. “I have another shoot tonight. Wanna come along? I could use your insight.”
Karen’s heart raced with excitement. Another chance to put her touch on designs being used in the Fashion Week shows made her giddy.
“What is it this time?”
“Fur coats.”
“Hmm…” Luxurious furs. Not much to be done there. But it would be more time with Leo. After her big freak-out episode in the washroom earlier, she’d realized she needed to be in his good books. He’d stuck up for her in Natasha’s office. She could imagine how helpful he’d be if they weren’t at each other’s throats all the time.
“Okay, I’m in. Where is it?”
His fingers flew across the screen of his phone. “The Rockefeller Center ice rink.”
“Wow. Haven’t been there yet.”
Leo looked up from his phone. “Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so.” Karen started to sort through the pile on her desk.
“Well, then this will be quite the adventure.”
“There won’t be any adventure for me if I don’t get this done.”
“Right.” Silence stretched between them, clarifying the mundane sounds of a photocopier and a phone ringing nearby.
“What time shall I meet you?” Karen asked as she grabbed her latte and took a small sip.
“Six. I can pick you up at your place.”
“I’ll still be here.”
Leo ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Six o’clock out front?”
“It’s a date.”
Leo smiled and sat his cute little behind back on the corner of her des
k. “A date?”
“Well…it’s a figure of speech.”
“Of course.”
“It is,” she huffed and waved her hand, causing a few prints to fly off the pile and onto the floor. “Dammit!”
Leo and Karen hunched down at the same time, knees touching and their faces only a breath apart. “I can get them,” she whispered, her breath shallow and wispy.
“So can I.” His eyes darkened to the color of molten honey as his gaze dropped to her lips. She licked them and he growled. The sound excited her, and she started to tremble.
“Leo, I…”
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, and the connection was lost. Standing, he extended his hand and helped her up. “Here you go.” He handed her the prints and stepped back. “See you at six?”
Karen nodded and watched him leave. Sitting back down, she willed her pulse to its normal rhythm. How had that happened? That was not what she’d had in mind when she’d told herself to get in his good books. They’d almost kissed. At work. In front of a bunch of gossiping busy bodies. That couldn’t happen again.
She tackled the pile of prints with a vengeance and spent the next hour alphabetizing and going back and forth to Stacey’s desk asking for each binder as she needed them. Stacey wouldn’t let anything off her shelves or out of her line of sight. By the time she’d made the cold trek to the dry cleaners, Karen’s body ached, and she had to fight to keep her eyes from drooping closed.
The store was busy. People were dropping off and picking up garments, and some were chatting near the window, prolonging the inevitable—having to go back outside. As she waited for her turn, an incredible exhaustion took over and her nose started to drip. Digging in her purse for a tissue, she didn’t see the two women who walked in.
“If it ain’t Miss Goody Two Shoes.”
Karen looked up and saw two women she worked with who were Stacey’s BFFs and rented out the space around the water cooler. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember their names. She’d improvise.
“Well, if it ain’t Barbie One and Barbie Two.” She noticed their scowls and blew her nose.
“What are you doing here?” Barbie One asked as she ran her hand up and down her mink stole.
“My job.”
“Yeah, well, you took our Stacey’s job, and she’s miserable.” Barbie Two clicked the gum she chewed then blew a big bubble.
“I’m the intern. I do all the menial tasks for everyone, including your Stacey, as per Ms. Vale’s strict instructions. Right now, I am here to pick up her dress.”
Barbie One sauntered up to Karen so they were only inches apart. “Look, you might know and say all the right things, but you will never fit in.” Her gaze dragged over Karen’s body slowly, and through the layers her skin burned and sweat kicked in.
“And short hair is sooo last year,” Barbie Two chimed in. “What’s with the brown streak anyway? Makes your hair look dirty.”
“Why do you insist on wearing clothes that hang on you? We know you have no figure, but really,” Barbie One added.
“Enough!” Richard rushed from behind the counter and stood beside Karen, his hands gesturing wildly. All of this seemed to be happening from miles away. Because she was sweating, her body cooled rapidly and shivering kicked in. Her heartbeat roared in her ears…and she was twelve years old again, but not alone. This time she had a friend.
“You will apologize to Ms. Allen, and then you will leave my store and never come back. If I so much as see you walk by my window, I will put in a personal call to Ms. Vale and have you both fired faster than you can say ‘tacky.’”
Karen would’ve laughed at their feeble attempts at an apology, but she was in awe of Richard and what he’d done for her.
“Thank you so much.” Her voice was shaky, and her tired eyes started to burn.
“You are very welcome, darling. I hope this does not cause any issues for you at work.” Even if it did, Karen knew she’d be okay. One word from her to Richard, and the Barbie twins would be out of a job. She swiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. Her first bully protector was a world-famous dry cleaner to the stars and her first New York friend.
Chapter Five
Leo picked Karen up at six o’clock sharp from work. She thanked Robert as he held the door open for her and she slipped inside the cozy limo. She sank into the seat with a sigh, savoring the bliss of being off her feet.
“Rough afternoon?”
Karen turned to look at Leo through her droopy eyelids. “You could say that.”
She watched as his gaze roamed her face. “You do look a bit pale. Are you sure you want to come along? I can get Robert to drop you off at home.”
Karen closed her eyes and turned her head back. “You won’t give up on the driving-me-home angle, will you?”
Leo huffed and passed her some prints. “I can find where you live easily enough. Now go through these and tell me what you think.”
He was smooth. Karen sat up straight and cleared her throat. She focused on the first image and gasped. It wasn’t a picture of the gorgeous model in the teeny-tiny corset; it was a picture of her lying on a beach towel reading.
“I don’t understand.” Her voice came out as a whisper.
“Tell me what you see.”
She saw a scrawny, unfashionable girl pretending to be a model.
“Try again.”
Karen bit her lower lip and chanced a glance at Leo. His eyes flared, and his mouth was set in a deep frown. She’d spoken her thoughts out loud again.
“Umm…I see a girl reading a book…”
Leo grabbed the prints out of her hand and tossed them on the seat across from them. “Are you purposely being obtuse?”
Karen inhaled sharply. “Of course not—”
Leo took hold of her wrists and urged her toward him so she was pretty much sitting on his lap. “I don’t know this girl you speak of. The girl I know is funny and witty and doesn’t take crap from anyone.”
“That may be the girl you knew.”
“What happened to her? To you? I see glimpses of the old you when you fight with Natasha, but then—”
“But then it takes a lot for me to keep pretending to be strong, and unfortunately you’ve seen me at my worse. I’m pathetic.”
“Never, but different than my memories.”
Karen slid off his lap and moved to the seat where he’d tossed the prints. “Maybe I was never like that, Leo.”
“I don’t believe it.”
She passed the prints back to him. “What do you see?”
He scanned the picture on top for a long time then handed it back to her. “I see a young, beautiful woman full of love and dreams. I see how enthralled you are in that book even with all the chaos going on around you. You’re relaxed and carefree as if you really were on a tropical holiday. But I also see confidence in your pose and a little bit of fun in the way you have your ankles crossed and the tip of the beach hat.”
Karen’s gaze strayed to the image he’d created in words. It sounded fabulous…and fake. “You didn’t show these to Ms. Vale, did you?”
Leo sighed and leaned back in his seat. “No.”
“Good.” She nodded her head once in confirmation.
“She’s seen the other prints.”
Karen held her breath. Why was he being so mysterious? “And?”
He sat forward, his focus on her. “And she didn’t even notice the adjustments.”
She wanted to jump for joy. She’d known it would work. “Did she like them?”
“Very much,” he grumbled.
“Okay, Mister Grumpy Pants. Why does it sound like you aren’t happy about that? We stayed overtime to get this done right.”
“She took full credit for it.”
Ouch. “That sounds like Natasha Vale.”
“Doesn’t it bother you at all?” He crossed the small space and turned to face her. Their knees touched, and a jolt of awareness ran up her leg. Long limo rides were n
ot a good idea with this man, as the close confinement played havoc with her sanity.
“A…a…bit,” she stammered. She made the mistake of looking him in the eye and gasped. He looked like he wanted to devour her.
“And?”
“And…if this little costume save keeps her from flipping her lid and firing me, then the secrecy is worth it.”
The lust in his eyes disappeared. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Losing my job is not ridiculous.” Anger burned in her chest. “You never have to worry about self-preservation. You always got what you wanted and you still do. You will always be the Golden Lion.”
Her cheeks burned as she stared out the window. She spotted the Rockefeller Plaza street sign and knew they were close. She gathered her purse close to her side and placed her hand on the door handle.
“Karen, please. You misunderstood me—”
“No, I didn’t.”
The limo stopped. She didn’t wait for Robert to open the door for her. The cold air was refreshing after being cooped up in the limo. People moved past her at a brisk pace and jazz music boomed out for all to hear. Couples and young kids skated around the ice rink. Laughter rang out, and the aroma of coffee and hot dogs from nearby vendors filled her nostrils. This area of midtown Manhattan emitted a happy vibe Karen couldn’t help but notice.
“The crew is set up in the far corner.” Leo stood behind her, his hand on the small of her back, and the warmth radiated through her jacket. The feeling soothed her.
He guided her through the crowd to a secluded spot near the water fountain. A canopy was set up, with chairs for the models getting hair and makeup done. Space heaters were situated in each corner, and a coffee station near the back called out her name. With a cup in hand, Karen made her rounds. She had to admit the teams she’d worked with this week were a dream compared to the usual high-maintenance ones she normally got assigned.
The fur-themed photo shoot featured ankle-length and mid-thigh coats with bikinis underneath. A pale mint backdrop draped in green shamrock balloons, emerald streamers, and lots of faux diamonds was situated in front of the fountain. Green tinted water completed the St. Patrick’s Day theme.