Tamala Callaway
Hostile Contact
by
Tamala Callaway
“Hostile Contact”
Copyright (c) 2012 by Tamala Callaway. All rights reserved.
www.tamalacallaway.com
ISBN – 13: 978-1481031554
ISBN – 10: 1481031554
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.
Book cover design by Jeff Todd, ToonIt Up! Graphics - www.toonitupgraphics.com, copyright 2012 Tamala Callaway. All rights reserved.
Published by Tamala Callaway in the United States of America
1. Fiction / Romance / Suspense/ Thriller
2. Fiction / Adult Content
11.25.12
Hostile Contact
by
Tamala Callaway
Tamala Callaway
More novels by Tamala Callaway:
SuperNatural Novel Series
~ New Beginnings
~ Love Crazed
~ Commitments
~ Past, Present & Future
~ Destined
~ The Second Generation part 1 & part 2
*Blending fantasy with a dose of reality*
Visit http://tamalacallaway.com for more information and upcoming writing projects by Tamala Callaway.
Prelude
When Symóne is faced with a stranger infiltrating her life, she finds herself wondering just whom can she truly trust? Much of the evidence is pointing to her best friend and a new man that's pursuing her,
...leaving her confused and afraid.
With the danger proving to be more serious than she had first believed, Symóne has no choice but to put her trust in the one person she wanted nothing to do with.
Chapter 1
“Why don't you watch where you're going, freak!” Symóne snarled as she bent down to pick up her phone and keys from the pavement.
Almost getting trampled by unaware patrons of the outdoor shopping center, she quickly drew her hand and phone from under a foot that was coming down at a speed that would have surely broken her fingers.
The man stumbled to steady his balance after withdrawing his foot from the path that would certainly cause damage to her. “I'm sorry Miss. I honestly did not see you there,” he spoke as he fumbled to catch his own phone and the tablet that he was busy web surfing on to notice her in his path.
He stopped and faced her, suddenly intrigued with her full rustic tan glossed lips, baby blue eyes, and strawberry blonde short bobbed hair cut that framed her artfully freckled face. When she looked up at him, he drew in a deep breath and began to smile. However, the scowl on her face was that of a woman damaged by a hardened heart.
“Whatever! Get out of my way!” she snarled angrily and brushed past him. Her lime green platform heels pounded the sidewalk in steady clacks, headed toward the coffee shop.
inside the candy shop when she turned back to see if he was still there. He exhaled a heavy breath when she continued her stride, then turned to enter the glass doors of the coffee shop.
Since there were eight people ahead of her in line, she looked down at her phone and tapped the screen to start a text. It didn't light up, so she pressed the button to open the start screen. It's dead? She thought to herself as she continued to press and hold the start button to get any activity. She growled to herself and popped the back of the phone case off and pulled out the battery then reinserted it. The phone glowed to life, but took a moment to restart to the menu screen. By the time she was able to pull up her best friend's name to begin a text, she was at the counter.
“Um…I'll have a medium black coffee and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Oh, and don't fill it to the rim,” she rambled, then looked down and started her text. Where the hell are you?
“That'll be five, eighty-three please,” said the clerk.
Symóne pulled her wallet from her purse and fingered through a stack of bills until she found a ten. She pulled it out and handed it to the clerk who was already ringing up a payment. Her face hardened in confusion as the young girl handed change to the person behind her.
Symóne turned to see who had paid her bill and gasped with an appalled look at the man who had bumped into her only moments earlier.
“I figured I owed you that much, since I apparently ruined your day,” he stated with raised shoulders in an apologetic yet hopeful gesture.
Her eyes narrowed as her jaw clenched, then she turned to retrieve her coffee and bagel. When she turned to walk away from the counter, she paused momentarily beside the guy, “I can buy my own damn breakfast, thank you!” she snapped and stepped to one of the bar tables, then set her coffee and bagel down to put her wallet back in her purse. She angrily added sugar and flavored cream to her coffee, stirring in the mix then placing the top back onto her cup.
The man stepped up to the counter to face a highly irritated clerk that frowned at Symóne for her lack of appreciation and her very rude behavior.
“Some people,” she grunted with a sympathetic look for the man.
He shrugged, “She's just having a bad day. I'll have a mocha with extra cream please,” he smiled at her, while handing her a five dollar bill. “Keep the change,” he told her as she turned to make his drink then handed it to him.
“Have a nice day, and come again,” she smiled at him. He nodded and turned to walk outside and realized that the angry woman had taken a seat in one of the bar stools at the table and was heavily engrossed in a texting conversation.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat. She didn't look up, but he could tell that she had heard him, but fully intended to ignore him.
“Excuse me—Miss?” he called politely.
“What?” she snapped without looking up.
“Never mind,” he stepped around her table and started out the door. He glanced back and she looked back down at her phone and continued to text back and forth with someone. The sidewalk was fairly congested and somewhat dangerous to walk and drink at the same time, so he decided to take a seat at one of the outdoor bistro tables to finish his drink before heading to work. He pulled the strap to his laptop case over his head and placed it in the chair next to him and lay his tablet on the table. He then began to scroll through his emails. He was half way through his mocha when a shadow towered over him.
“Why did you do that?” she demanded.
“Do what?” he turned to look up at her.
“Pay for my breakfast?” she still spoke with dryness, careful not to implement any emotion.
“I told you, because I bumped into you and ruined your day,” he replied kindly. Apparently, he wasn't easily intimidated by rude behavior and this intrigued her.
“Well…thank you, and…sorry for being so rude in there. Enjoy the rest of your day,” she added and turned to walk away.
“Wait…” he called out to her.
“Don't push your luck,” she replied snidely without pausing her stride. He was able to watch her for a long time as her lime green platform heels stood out from the rest of the crowd. She crossed at the walkway to get to the other side of the shopping plaza and met up with another woman. This woman was a few inches taller than her with thick blonde shoulder-length hair. The two of them stood and talked for a few moments, when suddenly they both turned to look back in his direction. He played it off by dragging his fingers across the
screen of his tablet, seemingly engrossed in his emails. He took a chance and looked back up at them, but they were gone. As his eyes roamed the plaza for a glimpse of the lime green heels, he realized he'd lost sight of her. He drank the last of his drink and stuck his tablet in his case and draped the shoulder strap across his torso, then started toward the executive building that he worked in and went inside.
“Good morning Trevor, I mean…Mr. Harrison,” the receptionist chimed with a smile.
“Morning Roni,” he smiled in return as he passed her desk. He continued to the elevator and the door opened just as he reached it. He and a few other associates stepped on and the doors began to close.
“Hey, wait!” a woman's voice called out, but the door had closed. She turned and approached the front desk on a mission.
“Excuse me, Miss?” she got the receptionist's attention.
“Yes, may I help you?”
“Who was that guy in the navy blue suit that just got on the elevator?” she panted, almost out of breath.
Symóne was more than a little irritated with her friend's behavior. “Faye! Oh my goodness, seriously? You are so embarrassing!” she complained, just before the receptionist answered.
“Who, Mr. Harrison? He's one of the partners of the firm on the 21st floor. Harrison and Moore, attorneys to the rich and famous,” she rattled proudly as if this should be information that any breathing human being in the state of Texas should be aware of.
Faye snapped her neck back in the direction at Symóne with a scowl on her face. This much she had guessed, just from the quick glance she had caught of him while Symóne was complaining about the presumptuous jackass that bumped into her, who then had the audacity to buy her breakfast as a peace offering. Symóne rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders completely unimpressed and started back toward the exit of the building.
“Okay, now that you know who he is, we're late for work. Let's go!” Symóne demanded as she walked off, leaving Faye rushing to catch up with her.
“Do you have any idea who that is?” asked Faye.
Symóne snorted, “Yes. Attorney to the rich and famous. I heard her and…who cares? I sure as hell don't,” she snapped.
“I do, that's who.”
They both rushed to get to the next building to catch the elevator to the 12th floor. Symóne and Faye increased their pace and caught the next set of open doors just before they closed. On the way up, Symóne looked down at the sound of someone's shoe tapping on the floor of the elevator and followed the attached legs up with her eyes until she stopped at Faye's scowling face.
“What?”
“You really need to lighten up. Stop being so stuck up!” Faye folded her arms across her chest.
The doors opened and they entered a lobby that led to their department which housed a horde of cubicles. Symóne stopped in front of hers and spoke in angry whispers, “The last time I lightened up with a man, he took everything I had, including my heart and stomped it into the ground. He emptied my bank account and left me for an eighteen year old!”
“Okay, so that was just one Jackass. Not every man is like that,” Faye tried to get her friend to see reason.
“If you want him, be my guest. I, however, don't need another headache! Now drop it and get to work before you get the both of us in trouble,” Symóne snarled through her teeth.
Faye sighed and turned to walk two rows over and three cubicles down and sat at her desk.
Immediately, the phones began ringing as the girls started their day of handling technical support for an electronics company where the hours passed by quickly. Before they knew it, lunch hour was upon them and Faye came to retrieve Symóne to head down to the lobby to eat. The restaurant there served the best toasted flat bread sandwiches and they always shared one and each got a fruit smoothie to wash it down.
They sat at one of the tables and chatted about their plans for the weekend.
“Okay, so there is going to be a live band at Club Ridley tonight. I am officially on the market and am looking to get some action,” said Faye.
“Good luck,” said Symóne, taking another bite of her sandwich.
“You really should loosen up and get your feet wet again Symóne. It's been what…three years since Brent broke your heart?”
“It's been two years, eight months, three weeks, and four days. No thank you, I'm better off alone,” she rejected.
“Damn Symóne, why are you keeping up with the exact time and day? It's done, time to move on girl.”
Symóne sighed as she took a small sip of her fruit smoothie, then looked to be in thought of her next comment.
“Look Faye, I have moved on. I have worked hard to rebuild everything I've lost, and now I want to get to work on starting my own Interior Design business. I have to be able to rent office/store space, find an investor, and fill the store with design ideas. Not to mention, advertise and build a clientele. I really don't have the luxury of trusting another man to set me back another three or four years on my dreams,” she complained. “I'm only going out with you, because I really need a night out to de-stress. Not to find a man. You do your thing and I'll do mine.”
Noticing that their co-workers were all getting up and heading back upstairs, the girls took their trash and disposed of it in the trash receptacle and followed the crowd back to the second half of their work day.
Five o'clock came and everyone packed up to leave for the day. Symóne removed the headset and placed it on the hook on the wall next to her computer and shut down her system. She picked up her phone and grabbed her purse and started for the elevator in such a routine type behavior, that she needn't look to see that Faye was right behind her.
The girls reached the lobby and headed outside to walk the very long sidewalk to the parking lot where they were both parked. As they passed Trevor Harrison's building, Faye gazed through the wall of windows hoping to catch a glimpse of him so that she could introduce herself and Symóne. There was no sign of him and Symóne sighed impatiently as she picked up her pace.
“What are you in such a hurry for?” asked Faye.
“I'm tired and I have some research to get done. Not to mention a ton of laundry I need to get down to the laundromat before Mrs. Teal brings down her family of twelve's laundry and occupies all of the washing machines.”
“I told you that you were more than welcome to bring your laundry to my house,” Faye offered.
“And have to listen to your mom scream at your dad about leaving water rings on the furniture with beer bottles, then get in my business about how a young lady shouldn't be living on her own in this day in time? No thanks. I'll take my chances with Mrs. Teal,” she rejected.
“Well, the offer still stands if you change your mind,” Faye shrugged. “See you tomorrow night, be safe,” she waved as she got into her car and headed home.
Symóne dug through her purse for her keys but couldn't find them. She emptied everything on the hood of her car to be sure before having to head all the way back to her job to check her desk. Today was just not her day, so she threw everything back inside her purse and started back up the sidewalk.
As she came upon the coffee shop that she was in earlier, she thought that it was possible she'd left them on the table in there. She jetted inside and approached the counter.
“Excuse me, did anyone find a set of keys in here from this morning?” she asked the young boy behind the counter. He looked behind himself in a tote labeled lost and found and rummaged through it, only finding electronic devices. He turned to face her and shook his head no, then continued to help other customers. Symóne inhaled a deep breath and turned to leave but halted her advance when she saw the guy from earlier walking past the coffee shop. He was accompanied by two other men in power suits and they were heavily engrossed in what seemed to be a business meeting on the move. They continued down the sidewalk and she quickly rushed out and headed back to her building and went up to her place of work. The keys weren't there either and she le
aned back against the wall of her cubicle and raised her hand to her head in frustration.
“This is officially not my damn day!” she screeched. Figuring that she needed to catch Faye before she made it all the way home, Symóne rushed back downstairs and hurried down the sidewalk while putting in a call to her best friend.
“You're home already?” Faye answered her phone.
“No. I can't find my keys. Can you come back and pick me up?”
“Sure, but you're going to leave your car?”
“I have another set of keys at home. I'll get my landlord to let me in to get them, then I need you to bring me back to get my car,” she explained.
“You'd better be glad you're my best friend Symóne, or your crabby butt would be walking,” Faye chided her friend.
She found a place to turn around and headed back to the Plaza while Symóne went to wait by her car.
“What the hell?” she snarled. “What are you doing at my car?” she demanded.
“I tried to tell you this morning that you dropped your keys at my table, but you refused to hear me out,” he smiled.
“How did you know this was my car?” she snatched the dangling keys from his hand.
“I pressed the panic button on the remote and followed the siren,” he chuckled at the look of disbelief on her face. “I would have brought them to you earlier, but I don't know your name.”
She sighed, rolling her eyes at him as she unlocked her car and tossed her purse inside. Just as she was about to call Faye to cancel, she was already pulling up, smiling at the fact that the man she was chasing this morning was now standing by her best friend's car.
“I don't need a ride anymore. I have my keys now,” she dangled them in the air.
“So you're not going to tell me your name?” he asked, seeing that she was getting into her car without so much as a thank you.
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