by Kali Argent
“Miss Winters, congratulations.” Mr. Rufio shook her hand, his aged skin soft and wrinkled against her palm. “I was highly impressed with your presentation, and I hope to see more out of the box thinking like that. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. You’ve earned it.”
He adjusted his crimson tie and smoothed back his white, thinning hair at the temples. Without another word, he nodded, and simply walked away. Taken aback by his abrupt departure, Starla could do nothing but chuckle under her breath as she strolled back to her office, trying her best not to jump and skip in excitement.
“Congratulations,” James said, coming up beside her as she neared her door. “I guess it really does help when everyone in the office wants to sleep with you.”
Stopping in her tracks, Starla turned to face him as a hollowness formed in her gut. “Excuse me?”
“I saw that ad,” he continued, his usually soft features transformed by anger and jealousy into sharp, hard angles. “It was amateurish, childish.”
“It was for a toy store, you ignorant ass,” she countered, too outraged by his accusations to be diplomatic. “Of course it was childish.”
Indignation spurred her on, but inside, she wept. Though they’d never been very close, had never really spent time together outside of the office beyond lunch breaks, she’d thought of James as a friend. To hear him spout such hateful things at her hurt.
“Wait.” Her feelings aside, something he’d said, something in his tone, left her suspicious. “How did you see my ad?” She’d purposely chosen a campaign that wouldn’t launch until after the presentation for the sole purpose of secrecy. “James, what did you do?”
She already knew, could see it written all over his thin, angular face, but she wanted him to say it. She wanted him to admit to his greed and pettiness.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“Why?” she asked, more heartbroken than angry. “Why would you do that to me? Erasing my files, infecting my computer, locking me out of my accounts. What did I ever do to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” James repeated, turning his back on her. “And even if I did, you’d never be able to prove it.”
Watching him walk away, the gravity of his offense crashed down on her, blanketing her in a wave of sadness. With a heavy heart, she entered her office to retrieve her purse, coat, and laptop. Thankful she’d been given the rest of the day off, she headed for the one place she knew she could break down without judgment.
Neverland.
~
“Your billboard ads are up all over the city,” Starla mumbled, poking at her salad with the plastic fork. She’d barely touched it otherwise. “They’re very striking and should gather a lot of attention.”
Turner finished the last bite of his ham and cheese sandwich and cleaned his fingers on the paper napkin. He’d known something bad had happened the moment she’d stepped through the doors of Neverland, but he hadn’t said anything. When she was ready, she’d tell him, but the longer her melancholy persisted, the more impatient he became.
“Darlin’,” he said when he couldn’t take it any longer, “I can’t slay your dragons if you don’t tell me where they are.”
Dropping her fork into her salad, Starla looked around the deli and blinked, almost as if she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there. “I got the promotion,” she answered after a while, but her voice held none of the excitement he expected. “Mr. Rufio made a big announcement in the office, and he gave me the rest of the day off.”
“That’s great. Congratulations, but I can’t say I’m surprised. You work harder than anyone I know, and you deserve it.”
Starla nodded. “I do.”
He waited, but when she didn’t say anything else, he reached across the table and took her hand. “So, about those dragons?”
“James,” she mumbled. “His name is James. We’ve worked together since we were both interns, and he was—or I thought he was—my friend.”
“But he’s not?” She wasn’t making much sense, but Turner figured she’d get there in her own time. “I take it he didn’t agree with your promotion.”
“That’s stating it mildly.”
“Did he say something?” God, it was like pulling teeth. “Did he make a scene?”
“No, not so much.” A weary sigh escaped her parted lips, and she squeezed his fingers. “He’s the one who’s been messing with my computer and my files. He didn’t come out and admit it, but I know. Unfortunately, he’s right, and I have no way to prove it.”
She couldn’t, but Turner just might be able to work some magic. “Hey, we’ll figure it out, okay? Nobody messes with my girl.”
Though he meant what he said, his phrasing may have been a tad theatrical. He couldn’t care, though, not when it brought out the first real smile he’d seen from Starla since the incident.
“I’m sorry I dragged you away from work. After everything happened, I couldn’t think of anyone but you. I just…I needed to see you.”
Her confession warmed him, and his heart pounded a little more insistently against his sternum. “Don’t ever be sorry for that. I always need you, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“Do you have plans for the day? Meetings perhaps?” she asked.
“Nope.” Being the boss did have its perks. “Why?”
Starla sighed, her blue eyes darkening with sadness once again. “Take me home.”
Neither of them spoke as he gathered the remainder of their lunch and tossed it into the nearest receptacle. Nor did they speak on the walk to Turner’s Explorer. While he tried to make conversation on the drive to Starla’s house, she responded with only short answers or distracted nods.
They spent the rest of the day curled up together on her sofa, watching reruns of some sitcom from the 90s. He’d never seen it, but after the first hour, he seriously had to question how it had lasted nine seasons. Starla didn’t offer much in the way of conversation, but sometimes, she’d laugh at the television, and after a while, she seemed more thoughtful than upset.
When she fell asleep with her head on his chest, Turner took the opportunity to do a little digging. Easing out from under her, he positioned her more comfortably on the sofa and covered her with a light blanket. Then he took Starla’s laptop to the circular kitchen table and powered it on.
If this James guy was such an accomplished hacker, he wouldn’t be grinding away at the nine-to-five. Nor would he have needed to resort to such measures to sabotage Starla. Somewhere, he’d left his fingerprints. Somewhere, he’d left a trail that would lead right back to him, and Turner intended to find it.
~
It took the rest of the weekend and endless amounts of coffee, but by late Sunday evening, Turner finally found the evidence Starla needed to turn over to her boss. A small part of her, the part that still thought of James as a friend, felt guilty, because she knew he’d lose his job over this. The bigger, more pissed off part that had been hurt and betrayed, called it justice.
Turner had accompanied her to work on Monday morning, helping her present the information to Mr. Rufio, explaining technical aspects that she couldn’t. Surprisingly, they really hadn’t needed the evidence at all, since two other employees had come forward with the same accusations against James. While terrible, it did make Starla feel a little better to know she hadn’t been his only target. It hadn’t been personal.
Tampering with the company server had been James’ biggest mistake. Not only had he made it easier to recover evidence of wrongdoing, but it also fell under Illinois cyber laws. The guy wouldn’t serve any jail time for his crimes, but he’d have to pay a hefty fine, and he’d likely never work in advertising again, not if Mr. Rufio had any say. And since her boss was one of the most influential people in the business, she could easily picture James sanitizing garbage trucks for the rest of his life.
By the end of the week, things had mostly returned to normal,
though some chatter still circulated around the break room about James’ underhanded dealings. With her former friend out of the office, Starla easily ignored the gossip and settled into her usual routine. It would be another three months before the head of their marketing department retired and she stepped into his position. In the meantime, she had plenty of work to keep her busy.
With Turner in her life, and becoming a bigger part of it every day, she was slowly learning to balance her career and her personal life. He brought something to their relationship she hadn’t even known she’d been missing—fun. They never went to fancy restaurants or the opera. He didn’t take her out on romantic carriage rides, nor did he shower her with lavish gifts.
Starla missed none of those things.
In the time she’d known Turner, he’d taught her to appreciate the small things in life, the things that truly made her happy. She’d had the best slice of cheesecake Chicago had to offer from a lunch truck of all places. For the first time since childhood, she’d built a snowman. It hadn’t been a very good one, but she’d been sore that night from laughing so hard when the head had rolled right off and hit the ground with a thud.
To be fair, he had taken her to an art exhibit. She’d worn an elegant dress, while Turner had even donned a tie and jacket. Then, they’d spent the evening sipping apple juice and exclaiming over the artwork created by Mrs. Cramer’s second grade class. She’d even had the opportunity to meet one of the artists, the little sister of one of the teenagers who stocked the shelves at Neverland. Starla had the little girl’s autograph in a frame, positioned front and center on the mantle over the fireplace.
“And these are snow leopards,” Turner said with grand hand gestures, pulling her out of her recollections and into the present, back to their current, unusual date. “They’re…white…with spots.”
He was a dreadful tour guide, but Starla adored his enthusiasm. “Oh, spots! My favorite.”
“I accept your sarcasm, and I raise you an arched eyebrow.” Then he did just that, quirking his left eyebrow and frowning at her. “This isn’t as easy as it looks.”
The weather had turned mild, if only for the day, and they’d decided to enjoy the outdoors while it lasted. Starla had lived in Chicago, or at least in the suburbs, for most of her life, but she’d never been to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Turner being Turner, decided it was a travesty that needed to be corrected immediately.
First, he’d taken her ice skating, and he’d even bought her a hot chocolate afterwards. Then they’d returned their rented skates and ventured into the zoo while he attempted to tell her facts on the animals he knew nothing about.
“Look.” He pointed to the two, big cats, grinning as he watched them nuzzle each other. “They’re in love.”
“I know the feeling,” Starla mumbled, the words leaving her lips without permission.
Turner took her elbow, turning her until she had no choice but to look at him. “Starla? What did you just say?”
Anxiety washed through her, making her heart beat too fast and her stomach flutter, but she refused to be a coward. “I said, I know the feeling,” she stated a little louder, though her voice trembled at the end.
The smile she loved so much stretched Turner’s lips, and he tucked his hands into the pockets of her coat, pulling her to him. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he whispered before kissing her right there in the middle of the zoo. “I’ve loved you since the moment you walked into my office and started ordering me around. Besides, I already told you, I’m not letting you go.”
She really did want to know how he always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better and put her at ease. If she could bottle that, they’d make a fortune.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she answered with more confidence. “We have absolutely nothing in common, and I’m a nightmare when it comes to my work, but I’m willing to figure it out if you are.”
“I leave my socks in the couch cushions.”
Starla wrinkled her nose. “I know.” Not just in the sofa, either. She’d found his socks in the strangest places, including behind her television. “I swear a lot when I drink too much red wine.”
“You do,” Turner agreed. “It’s adorable.” He pecked at her lips again. “We’ll make it work. Have some faith, a little trust…”
Running a finger over the bubble in the center of her pendant, Starla began to laugh. “And stardust?”
“And stardust.” Turner leaned into her, bending to rest their foreheads together. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m going to love you every day until forever.”
Each cell in her body warmed and tingled, but words failed her. Tears welled along her lower lids, and the only thing she could manage to get through the constriction in her throat was, “I love you, too.”
EPILOGUE
“Thank you all for coming. We’re here tonight to celebrate the new imaging system that Vidal Labs and Technology is launching that will help detect cancer earlier, saving countless lives in the process. Because of this, we’re asking for all of you to donate tonight to help families who are fighting this terrible disease and to further cancer research, so one day we can find a cure. There will be people walking around collecting the donations throughout the night.” Their host and Turner’s friend, Drake Vidal, paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “I know most of you, so don’t be cheap.”
Placing his hand on Starla’s knee, Turner laughed because he knew Drake wasn’t joking. Glancing around the room, he recognized many of the guests, either personally or just by name, and he knew they could afford it. He’d certainly be making a sizeable donation. When Drake took Tessa’s hand and thanked his “fiancée” for putting together the gala, Turner grinned so widely, his cheeks hurt.
“Oh, that’s lovely,” Starla whispered to him. “They do look beautiful together.”
“You look beautiful.”
Her satin dress draped over one shoulder, leaving the other bare and oh so tempting. The gown wrapped across her midsection, cinching at the waist before flowing in ice-blue waves down to her ankles. The gossamer overlay sparkled in the flickering light from the candles floating atop the water that filled the vases of red roses in the center of the table.
It had taken a lot of coaxing and convincing on her part, but she’d finally talked him into a tuxedo, bowtie and all, with a metallic vest in the same shade of blue as her dress. Just before they’d stepped through the doors of the ballroom, she’d placed a simple, black mask in his hand and donned her own—a feminine charcoal number with silver filigree and ice-blue jewels.
“And you look very handsome yourself,” Starla complimented before leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Just a little longer and you can get out of the monkey suit. Promise.”
“Good. This damn tie is choking me.”
After dinner, Turner introduced Starla to a few people he knew, and some he didn’t, just to see the looks on their faces as they scrambled to recall his name. By the third time he’d left some poor soul gaping after him, Starla had caught on to his game.
“Come dance with me,” she urged, though she hadn’t been able to resist a roll of her eyes.
Music drifted through the ballroom, courtesy of the small orchestra situated behind the dance floor, the melody just as elegant as the rest of the room. Tessa really had gone above and beyond, but Turner had never felt more out of place. If it made Starla happy, though, he’d suffer for a while longer.
Offering her his hand, he bowed in a deep, sweeping motion. “Milady.”
“You are an idiot,” Starla said, laughing as she gripped his fingers, following him to the dance floor. “But you know something?”
“You love me?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“I love you, too.” He pulled her into his arms and began to sway.
Starla huffed. “Can I finish?”
“By all means. You were saying something about me being an idiot.” She did have a fair point, but at l
east she’d never be bored.
“You have terrible taste in television, your diet is atrocious, and you clip your toenails in the sink—”
Turner snorted, interrupting her again. “Wow, darlin’, if this is you complimenting me, I’m not sure I’d survive your insults.”
She just glared at him.
“Is there a point to all this?”
“Maybe.” Her button nose wrinkled, and her eyes creased in the corners when she smiled. “I’m getting there.”
God, Turner loved her laugh. To him, it was the most precious sound in the world. Starla still had her moments, times when she took herself or a situation too seriously, but she’d come a long way from the woman he’d met back in the summer.
“I’m sorry. Continue.”
“Oh, forget it.”
Turner pressed his lips to her temple to hide his amusement. Yes, he even loved her temper. “I really am sorry. I promise I’ll behave.” Dipping his head farther, he nuzzled the side of her neck. “Please tell me.”
“My point is that you may be flawed—we all are—but I’m glad I have you to slay my dragons.” Her voice wavered when she spoke, and she sounded a bit breathless. “So, I guess what I’m trying to say, Turner, is thank you.”
Standing straight, Turner looked her in the eyes and frowned. “What do you have to thank me for?”
The way he saw it, he should be the one on his knees, thanking her every day just for putting up with him.
The smile that graced her lips melted him right where he stood. “For being my hero.”
THE END
SERENDIPITY
Lean on Me
Stay with Me
Someone Like Me (Coming Soon)
For More Titles by Kali Argent, Visit:
www.kaliargent.com/library
ABOUT THE AUTHOR