Chapter 6
Brooke
* * *
It was difficult to call him Officer Asshole when he looked at me like that, with the twinkle of interest that flickered in those eyes I found myself lost in, those eyes I tried not to look into.
Then I could feel his gaze on me as I walked away. I wanted to look back to see if he really was watching me, but I thought better of it.
Better to leave things up in the air. It created mystery. Besides, if he was actually a nice guy, I wouldn’t have come to the conclusion that he was an asshole.
It was just very annoying that I found him attractive, and I couldn’t pretend I didn’t feel the little flutters in the pit of my stomach when he looked at me.
We were like fire and ice—hot and cold, no in between, none whatsoever.
That was fine by me. The last thing I needed was a man in my life to make me crazy. Noah made me crazy enough, and he was just my best friend.
I was here to do a job. My mindset had to be right. I couldn’t just approach the tasks at hand with foolishness in my head. No. This one project could mean everything for me—everything.
I wanted to be a senior features editor. Whether that was atPeopleor not, it didn’t matter, as long as the job suited me. It would be so much better if I could travel.
That was what I liked about this project. It was the first one I’d been assigned to where I’d traveled and was on location. That part was exciting. I loved the prospect of going somewhere new and seeing all I could find there.
I was also so excited to meet Sally. I was heading to see her now for our first meeting. I was so excited I could burst.
The excitement rushed back in yesterday. I’d spent the weekend shopping, sorting out the house, and arranging a hire car.
The car arrived yesterday evening. A beautiful red Porshe that would get me around town in style.
I hopped in it with excitement and set off to see Sally.
* * *
Sally lived in one of the old colonial-style mansions on the other side of town.
I loved it and could envision the place in olden times when people dressed in period wear, gentlemen were gentlemen, and the ladies were southern belles.
An image fromGone with the Windcame to mind. Grams loved that film and had seen it at least twenty times that I knew of. We’d watched it together many times. It was no joke sitting through the four-hour film, but I would happily watch it with her. It was one of our things, and it helped when Dad was away. Jayce didn’t understand the power of allowing yourself to get lost in a favorite film.Gone with the Windwas one of those stories that had the power to transport you to a different time.
That was how I felt now, that feeling of escapism. It was nice, and Sally’s house bore some resemblance to the plantation house and land, Tara.
I was greeted by a butler when I rang the bell. The silver-haired man wore a suit and ushered me to the conservatory.
It was surrounded by beautiful ferns, mini yellow roses in pots, and climbing roses that had a blend of colors. The design was amazing, showing off the skills of the person who planted and took care of them.
I was a woman who loved flowers as much as the next, but I didn’t have the patience to care for them. All those details about how to cut and prune and what food to give them were lost on me.
I had a cactus and that was it—minimal water and care, but it still looked pretty, especially where I’d placed it in the bathroom.
I could definitely see Sally being the kind of person to care for flowers, though.
Gosh, I couldn’t believe I was going to meet her.
Sally had won five Olympic gold medals and had been appearing at the games since 1992, when she was the youngest member of the team. The following games had been in Atlanta, and that was the year that had made her famous. Of course, the people here went crazy over her medals—victory on home soil.
My dad had taken me to watch that event. It was one of the times we’d spent together and one of my fondest memories. It was just us. We’d come and stayed for the whole duration, seeing the opening and closing ceremonies, the memory of which still gave me goose bumps.
Sitting here in Sally’s home reminded me of the proud look on her face as she’d carried our country’s flag for the opening ceremony. She had almost looked prouder to do that than when she’d stood on the podium to receive her gold medal.
