Sarah knew that was the reason that she was sent. It was all just like her last job, where she had all of these great ideas, but it wasn’t part of her job. Her job was a tiny crevice that entailed the accounting and financial services that the company offered. She was supposed to make it better, somehow. Sarah had many ideas, but it wasn’t what they wanted to hear.
Instead of quitting like she had the last place she worked, Sarah had learned to grin and bear it. So, when they sent her off to a conference for the weekend, she just smiled and picked up all the extra money being sent her way for doing it. That’s what she was worried about, nothing more.
She checked into the hotel, even though she could have stayed home and drove in daily. It wasn’t that far away. It was all because Sarah liked hotels, and she liked that the company was paying for it. The place was nice, and she checked in and got her things unpacked before she made her way down to the main event. There were people everywhere, and she was there to mingle. It wasn’t the sort of mingling that she would have liked to have been doing, but Sarah was sure that there were going to be drinks, so she was going to be okay with it. A drink would make it right and make it all easier to tolerate.
Sarah was at the bar, talking to the bartender that was trying to flirt with her. She was having a good time so far, though it might have been how strong the drinks were coming out that made her think that.
“I think you are trying to get me drunk.”
Sarah giggled and hoped that it wasn’t true. She could already feel she had a good buzz. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed to get everything out of her mind. It was killing her inside, really it was. Her mom being sick, her job sucking, it was all coming to a head, and the booze was helping. She couldn’t think straight or maybe it was because she wasn’t thinking about it at all.
“Well, you know, Sarah, I get off in a couple of hours. If you can wait for me…”
“See will be engaged elsewhere.”
Sarah heard the deep voice behind her, and she felt like it was a little familiar. She didn’t know where she’d heard it before, but her mind was racing to find the answer. She knew that there had to be one. When she turned around though, Sarah didn’t recognize who it was. She wanted to recognize him, though. He was gorgeous and it took her a minute to take all of him in.
The man was tall, really tall, and he had this look on his face, like he knew her. He looked at her with these devilish emerald-green eyes, like he knew her very intimately. Obviously, she knew that wasn’t the case. Sarah would remember a man like that. His dark brown hair was peppered at the temples with grey, that matched the suit that he was wearing. The man looked good, really good, and he filled out his suit even better.
“How do you know my plans, sir?”
“Oh, Sarah, I heard that voice and knew that it was you. I am hoping that I will be the engagement elsewhere. I would like to speak to you.”
Sarah’s mind was whirling. The guy was grinning at her in the strangest way. She wasn’t going to answer him until he told her why he was looking at her like that. It made her nervous, and Sarah didn’t know what to think. His voice was familiar, too, but where did she know it from? Why did she think she knew him and feel this strange connection to him almost immediately?
“Who are you and how do you know me?”
“I’m hurt that you don’t remember. We spoke almost every day for weeks. You would think that you would remember the man that you abused on the phone that whole time. Every day, twelve thirty like clockwork. I miss those calls and that sharp tongue of yours.”
Sarah was turning red. She knew who he was, and her eyes were taking in the large arms, handsome face, ultra-manliness that she wasn’t expecting. Kelly, an old co-worker, had showed her a picture of him a while back, but he was so much more in person. He was almost unrecognizable, and Sarah was sure that she was going to faint. He remembered her.
“Harold?”
He smiled. “I am glad that you remember me now.”
“You, um, you are not what I expected. I had this vision of you in my head and you are not it.”
“Is it disappointing?”
Sarah clicked her tongue and refused to answer. He knew damn well that he was easy on the eyes. The write-up on him that she’d read did say that he was a very active bachelor, and Sarah could see why. He was too damn handsome for his own good, and he looked so much younger when he smiled. In the picture that she had seen of him, he was scowling horribly, and she decided that she definitely liked him better that way.
“No, it isn’t cause for a disappointment at all. I guess I am disappointed that I could be so wrong.”
He just smiled again or continued to. He was taking all of her in, feasting on the flesh that was exposed to his view. It made her nervous to think about it. It was hard for Sarah to do much more than stare back at him. There was a weird hum between them, and she didn’t know what to say. The drinks were buzzing in her blood. That had to be why she was so hot. There was no other cause.
“I think I need a bit of fresh air.”
Sarah started to walk toward the outside balcony, so that she could get her breath back. Sarah wasn’t used to reacting the way she was, and she was sure that a few minutes out of his company, she would be able to pull herself back together.
Instead, though, Harold grabbed her drink off of the bar, said something smart to the bartender, and followed her out to the balcony. Other couples were there, and it looked like they were out there to get some privacy. The view was different, and it was only when Harold was so close to her that Sarah started to realize that it was the last place they should be. Since she didn’t want to look neurotic for wanting to leave in the hurry she wanted to, Sarah tried to hold the smile on her face. She was trying hard to focus, but it was rather impossible.
All of his attention was on her, and Sarah was sure that there was nothing that she could do to get it off of her. It was impossible to look away. All she could do was look up. The man’s eyes practically glowed in the moonlight. He was just smiling at her in the same way again. It made her feel like a gazelle, and he was a lion. It was an animalistic look for sure.
“Wow, it is crazy to meet you here and for you to hear me and recognize me. I didn’t think we would ever speak again.”
“That would have been a shame. I have a lot that I would like to talk to you about. I am glad that we ran into each other.”
Sarah didn’t know how much of the coincidence she could believe. It just seemed a little incredible to think that out of all the places he could be, the billionaire businessman was there at the business conference. It was pretty big, granted, but Sarah was suspicious of it.
