by Judith Leger
Heart racing, Caitlyn struggled to control quickening breaths. This physical reaction had become normal for her during the last four years at the very mention of the illusionist’s name. From the moment she had turned on her television that warm summer night four years ago and caught one of his performances, she had developed a strange dislike for the handsome Welshman.
Her heartbeat would speed up, sharp twinges would shoot through her middle and heat often soared through her veins to the degree she had to sit down and fan her face. She refused to call what she experienced an infatuation, and she didn’t believe in love at first sight. She didn’t believe in that overrated emotion at all. All her life, she had seen the results of that sappy feeling. Her mother and father had cared about her so much they both lost her to the system and never came back to claim her. Honestly, she didn’t know what love comprised, but it certainly wasn’t what she experienced when seeing the illusionist.
She was tempted to take Marcy up on her offer, but she resisted. When she answered, she kept her voice even, refusing to allow her emotions to show. “I can’t believe you’ve fallen under that guy’s spell.”
“Everyone has. I thought for sure you would too, but–”
Caitlyn interrupted her. She didn’t want to open a conversation concerning Shay Evers. “Thanks for the invitation, but no. If Kramer doesn’t do what I know he will, I want to go home and relax in a hot bubble bath. Given a choice between Shay Evers and suds, I’ll take the suds.”
Without meaning to, she mentally compared her tub filled with warm water and brimming with bubbles to meeting and speaking to the superstar. An image of Evers reclining in the tub appeared in her mind, his dark hair shining in candlelight, a lean hand raised, beckoning her to join him. She straightened, fighting the sudden heat pumping through her veins. “Listen, I hate to cut you short, but Kramer doesn’t like waiting.”
“Oh, sure thing,” her friend said. “Call me in the morning so I can fill you in.”
Caitlyn agreed with a laugh and placed the receiver on its cradle. No use putting it off any longer. She needed to accept the fact that after she left Kramer’s office she would probably have to start job hunting. After a deep breath she stood, locked her purse in her desk and tugged at the hem of her business suit jacket.
With her chin up, she headed for Kramer’s office. The labyrinth of the newsroom outside her cubicle stretched in front of her. Desks and hinged partitions sectioned the area for the reporters and other employees. The huge room, flanked on one side with windows, smelled of burnt lint from the heating unit. The unit didn’t do a great job keeping the chill out, but the sheer number of the bustling news people kept the temperature bearable. When she reached the far end and came to a short hallway, she slowed. Kramer’s office was the second door to the left.
For a moment she considered how she would respond if he laid her off. Not good. She gritted her teeth as pride forced her forward. Her knock landed harder than she intended, stinging her knuckles.
She’d worked relentlessly on her college degree in mass communications just to become a reporter. She wasn’t going to exit this job with meek submission. Her inner strength had sustained her through the time social workers removed her from her parents’ house and placed her in several foster homes. She’d been bounced around, but she’d never allowed the fear of the unknown to show.
Even at this moment, her fear remained hidden. She wasn’t about to let Kramer see any weakness in her now. She swiped her damp palms over the sides of her jacket, hoping he wanted to compliment her and not lay her off.
The low response through the door tightened her nerves. The knob twisted under her palm, and she pushed the door open. When she crossed the room, the burnt smell from the furnace heating the building sharpened in the enclosed space. Her eyes burned. Afternoon sunlight poured from the windows behind the manager’s desk and filled the office. She stared for a second at the shiny spot on top of Mike Kramer’s bald head, amazed at the slickness of the surface.
“Reiley. Take a seat.”
Caitlyn tried not to stare but after not seeing her boss for a few days, she had forgotten his size. The middle-aged manager’s abdomen ballooned from an excessive habit of fast food and more than a few beers. The buttons on his white shirt strained for freedom. With him sitting forward, his belly nearly flowed over the edge of the desk. He filled his chair like a packed sardine.
For several moments, a calculating expression covered his ruddy face. The dark moustache over his upper lip twitched as he stared at a yellow tablet centered in front of him, his right fingers sliding back and forth along the paper’s edge.
She took another deep breath, mentally preparing her rebuttal should her job be threatened. With her back straight, she moved to one of the two chairs angled in front of the desk.
After she was settled on the edge of the leather chair, she glanced up and found Kramer still sat unmoving. Silence filled the room for several minutes. The faster the seconds flew by, the tighter her insides coiled. He had asked to speak to her. Now that she was here, he sat daydreaming.
She covered her mouth and forced a little cough.
Sharp gray eyes focused on her. “Oh, Caitlyn. Sorry, I still can’t believe this,” he muttered. “The sponsors will go nuts for a time slot.”
“Believe what?” She relaxed enough to scoot back in the chair and cross her legs.
“I received a phone call.”
When he didn’t continue, she leaned forward and studied him. His coloring seemed paler than normal. Two months ago, shortly after the station opened, he’d suffered a series of light heart attacks.
“Kramer, are you okay? Do you want me to call someone?” She half rose to go to the phone, but he motioned her to sit.
“No, no, I’m fine. Do you know Lance Parker?”
“The big-name agent?” Settling once more, she frowned. Everyone in Hollywood knew the name. He represented the best performers in film, stage and music. He even represented Shay Evers.
“What about him? Did he die?” She didn’t understand what Parker had to do with Kramer wanting to see her.
“No, he called me.” His gaze dropped to the tablet in front of him. “He wants you.”
Chapter 3
Caitlyn stared, her mind turning and twisting the words. Every path they traveled failed to reveal a reason why Parker would want her. When she spoke, she tried to keep her tone even and under control. “Excuse me?” The high pitch in her voice as she answered clearly told her she’d failed.
Kramer’s head jerked toward her, and he frowned. “Not you, personally. Seems Shay Evers is his client. Evers saw your piece on money-saving coupons and liked it. He wants you to interview him.”
A gasp escaped her Caitlyn leaned forward, mouth open, staring hard at her boss. “He saw what?”
With a shake of his head, Kramer snorted. “You know where you interviewed…”
She waved a hand back and forth to stop him, and then grimaced. When had Evers watched that segment? The piece wasn’t a fine example of her work. Her racing thoughts came to a slow stop. Doubt raised its ugly head. Winning the lotto seemed more possible than what Kramer had just told her. Every top name reporter sought a coveted interview with the illusionist, yet none had succeeded.
Now Kramer expected her to believe Evers’s agent had requested she do the segment? She never dreamed her boss was capable of playing such a horrible trick on her.
Her temper flared, causing heat to rise to her face. “Is this a joke?”
“No joke.” Kramer pushed away from the desk and stood. He picked up the notepad, moved to her side and handed the tablet to her. She focused on the top page.
Stubby finger pointing at the writing on the page, he explained, “You were the one chosen over every reporter in the world to do the interview. Everything’s set. You leave in the morning in one of his private jets to go to his home in Wales. I’ve decided to send Blake with you to oversee the filming. You two work well togeth
er.”
“You’re serious.” Surprise returned, battled with her temper and won.
“Dead.”
“I can’t believe it. Do you realize what this means to my career?” She smiled as the realization struck her, and she gazed at the words written on the paper. There, in Kramer’s bold script, was the charismatic performer’s name, then a double slash followed by her name. When she glanced up at Kramer, a glint from the window caught her attention. She shifted her head to the right.
Through the glass, a billboard attached to the side of a building refracted a ray of sunlight. Her mouth dropped open as she stared into the deep amethyst of Shay Evers’s eyes. Blackness formed around the edge of her vision. From a distance, she heard Kramer speak.
Evers lay on his side in a field of purple pansies–his slender, leather encased legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. The white shirt draping his lean form gaped at the neck and fell in soft folds, exposing a large portion of his chest as he rested on one elbow. Long strands of tousled black hair floated in the wind around his perfect features. The picture, arresting and arousing, and obviously targeted for women, achieved its purpose. The smiling intensity in his purple eyes struck her to the core of her mind and left her breathless.
“The station’s ratings are going to go through the roof. Parker remarked about this being an hour-long documentary with you doing the report. We’ll have sole rights to it. The advertising alone will be astronomical.” His abrupt laugh sounded harsh and loud.
With a shake of her head, Caitlyn tore her gaze away from the billboard, yet when she blinked she still saw the image.
Kramer snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. “Are you listening, Reiley? You leave at four in the morning for Wales. Evers owns a place, and I mean a big place, there. Somewhere in the mountains. Refurbished an old castle. Heard rumors it’s like a faery tale castle. Plants and whatever all over. I’ve called Blake. He’ll go by accounting to pick up the paperwork and credit cards.”
Caitlyn shut her eyes for a moment. The thought of staying at Evers’s home thrilled her, but what if she did something stupid? The idea of falling under his spell did not sit well with her. She’d kept her deepest emotions concealed all her life. What if she couldn’t hide her attraction to him? So many women across the world were enamored of him.
She bit her lip, a frown tugging her brows together. Could she take the chance? Insecurity flared and for a moment she didn’t know what to do. She glanced at Kramer, hoping to find some guidance.
Her decision appeared, solid and firm, in the set of his jaw. She nodded and said with a forced smile, “This is great. He’s a fake. There isn’t any real magic, and I’ll prove it.”
Kramer’s eyes widened. “What did you do? Read my mind? Listen, Reiley, I don’t care if he’s fake, but I do care about what this means to this station.” He propped a generous hip on the desk before he continued. “Parker gave the station full authority with this interview. Didn’t even argue when I told him what I wanted to do.”
“Which is?”
“Reality or illusion? Shay Evers, the man behind the magic.”
Caitlyn studied him for a moment. “That’s good. This gives me leeway to find out the truth about his acts.”
“Thought you might approve. Come on, you need to start packing.” He stood, grasped her by the upper arms, forcing her to her feet.
“Go home. Now. Grab what you want to take. Go shopping for anything you don’t have. Charge it and put it on the expense account.”
He guided her to the door and opened it for her. “I’ll pick up you and Blake in the morning and take you to the airport. Three o’clock sharp. Bring warm clothes. And don’t forget to call me. Often. I want a daily update.”
The door clicked shut behind her, and she twisted around to stare at the knob. The word interview would have satisfied her goal to further her career, but the man she was selected to interview made this her first major assignment.
She tried to recall all she knew about Evers. He had shot to the top of the entertainment world four years before, and to date, showed no signs of falling. His performances were interlaced with his own music and lyrics. This music caught on and now it rang across the world. Caitlyn couldn’t think of a single place she’d gone where she hadn’t heard at least one of his songs.
All the tension drained from her body as she glanced at the tablet. For a moment, she stared at the name. She straightened and gasped.
Marcy.
Caitlyn had to let her friend know she changed her mind about the invitation. Tonight she would have the chance to observe Evers without anyone noticing. First objective on her agenda: call Marcy and, right after, do a search for any information about him she might have missed during the years. At least, now she could surf the web for him without waves of guilt washing over her.
She half-jogged to her desk. Dropping into her chair, she grabbed the phone and punched in Marcy’s number. “Hey, I changed my mind. It’s not too late, is it?”
“You wanna go?”
“Yes.”
“Sweet. Come by my place at five thirty. We’ll get ready together. I’m not letting you out in public dressed in one of those stiff suits,” Marcy said. “How’d your meeting go? It must have turned out okay for you to change your mind about tonight.”
Caitlyn grinned. “Yes, Kramer had some good news for me. I’ve been assigned a major interview. Listen, I’ve got a lot to do before five thirty, so I’ll see you then.”
After placing the receiver on the hook, she faced her laptop and clicked several keys, typing out the superstar’s name for an internet search. The end results, though, left her with little more information than she already knew. All the sites she glanced through showed numerous photographs, but told her nothing about his personal life except to say he was a private person. There was never any mention of a love interest, no hint of a secret scandal hovering in his closet, nothing out of the ordinary.
Caitlyn shook her head. She’d take notes on the flight so she wouldn’t have to wing the most important interview of her lackluster career. This assignment could either make or destroy her, and she refused to allow the latter to happen.
She touched a small card taped on the left-hand corner of her laptop.
Trust in your own abilities–the force behind your goals. Take each day, one by one. Look for the strength in your soul and believe you will move forward, past tomorrow. Trust that all things will work out and believe you have the power to succeed.
This card with the inspiring words was her only concession to what she considered foolishness. As practical as the loafers on her feet, she stayed away from frivolous activities. Yet, this card with its sweet phrases reminded her to stay on track with her goals. Most of these she had completed, but the one large goal, to move out of the small interviews and into the larger, more serious ones, had passed her by.
Until now. She was on the right path, and she would not allow anything or anyone to stop her.
With one last glance at the notepad, she ripped out the page and pulled her purse from her desk drawer. The sheet fit perfectly over the laptop keyboard before she closed the lid. She wanted to keep the paper as a memento of her success.
She remembered what Kramer said about shopping. She’d purchase a few of the illusionist’s videos. Excited about the changes this interview promised with her future career, she glanced about her cubicle one last time. Laptop in its carrying case and with her head high, she left the newsroom without a backward glance.
Chapter 4
In an attempt to attract buyers, the video store played the current movie trailers for shoppers browsing in the mall. All the monitors in their showcase displayed the same clips. Caitlyn ignored the screens. She started to enter the store, when a white flash caught her eye, and she swerved toward the window.
The screens lit up with the opening to a Shay Evers performance. On stage, he paced back and forth speaking to the audience. Caitlyn smiled and tilted her h
ead as anticipation for the approaching interview built inside her. She savored the soft lyrical words spoken with a Welsh accent. Shay, with that gorgeous, sexy voice, asked the audience who among them believed in magic.
An unbelievable urge came over her to raise her hand. Surprised, she stopped the movement in mid-air and shot a look around, hoping no one noticed. Tearing her gaze from the screens, she marched into the store, determined to find some videos of Evers so she could study his acts. She refused to allow the thought of the man to distract her from the assignment. When the tall figure of a man appeared before her, she came to an abrupt stop. Blinking, she stared at his strong neck. Her gaze roamed over his strong jaw and ended at his laughing amethyst eyes.
Life sized, the cardboard cutout of Shay Evers stole her breath. His gentle, bewitching smile captured her senses. She leaned closer, and her gaze dropped to the sensual lines of his lips. Pulse pounding, she raised a finger and touched the curve. She pulled away with a jerk. The impression of being haunted by the illusionist crossed her mind. A strong premonition of someone watching her crawled over her neck, sending chills rippling across her shoulders.
“May I help you?”
Caitlyn jumped and turned to the sales clerk. A spiked-haired young woman stood with a customer-ready smile pasted on her ring-pierced lips.
“As a matter of fact, yes. I need some of his–” She pointed to the poster board. “Videos.”
At the clerk’s knowing look, heat raced up her neck and into her cheeks. When the salesgirl turned to lead the way, Caitlyn narrowed her eyes and grimaced at the poster. Frustrated but still curious, she wanted to discover what made her desire to reach out and feel the smoothness of his skin. His long silky-looking hair, his flawless skin–no, the reason behind her reaction centered on the sensuous sparkle in his gaze and the way he curved his sexy mouth into a smile. Combined, they pulled at her in an almost physical manner. She shook her head, attempting to erase the thoughts. Worry sliced through her. She had to remain in control tonight or she would ruin her chance for the interview.