“That’s my area,” Amanda says. “Feel free to come to me with any questions that might crop up. I’ve been here a long time.” She gestures to a hallway to the left of her desk, leading back into what I assume are offices. “That’s marketing down there. Phoenix Hale is the marketing director, and he’s a doll. And the CEO’s office is down here.”
“My aunt said Phoenix is really nice, though I haven’t had the chance to meet him.” I match her brisk steps as we enter the wide corridor to the right. “How long have you been here?” I ask.
“Twelve years,” she replies, pointing to an opening on our left. The nutty aroma of coffee fills the space, and my nose swoons. “That’s the coffee area and bakery. We have our own barista on this floor.”
“Wow. That’s a perk,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll definitely be taking advantage of that.”
“You want one now?”
Of course I accept, and we step into the space, which is open on both ends. The other side appears to open into the marketing hallway.
“Hi, Amanda,” a man says. He’s standing at the counter, tall and incredibly handsome, with dark hair and dimples. And he looks so familiar. But where have I seen him before?
“Phoenix, hi,” she replies cheerily before patting my bicep. “This is Mindy Espinoza. She’s your dad’s new assistant.”
“Phoenix Hale,” he says, holding out a hand for me to shake. I do, but I can’t stop staring at his face. Where the hell have I met or seenthis man? With the bespoke cut of his suit, I’m pretty sure we don’t shop at the same stores.
“Very nice to meet you,” I say politely.
His mouth quirks up on one side, and he seems to be inspecting me as well. “You look very familiar. Have we met?”
I laugh, relieved. “I was just thinking the same thing. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
He puffs out his chest. “I’m married to Jordie McNamara-Hale, the football player, so you might have seen me with her.” He winks. “My beautiful wife is quite famous.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a man look so proud to be married. It’s sweet, and a pang of jealousy strikes the center of my chest.
“That must be it,” I say, but that explanation doesn’t feel quite right. Seeing Phoenix gives me a swirly feeling in my stomach I can’t explain. Not attraction, though he is gorgeous. Maybe it will come to me later.
Amanda and I order our coffees from Ambrosia, the barista, and we stand around chatting with Phoenix about my aunt Lorraine and his daughter, Reece. And of course, his wife, who’s a tight end for the Houston Dragons.
“Just tell Dad if you want to come to any games. We have a private suite,” Phoenix says when he receives two cups of coffee. “Now I have to run. Charlotte will have my head if her coffee isn’t piping hot.”
“Who’s Charlotte?” I ask once he’s gone.
Amanda chuckles. “That’s his assistant, though she bosses him around so much we all joke that she’s actually the one in charge.”
“He does seem very easygoing.”
“He is. By the way, your coloring is amazing,” Amanda says as Ambrosia hands over our steaming cups. “Do you mind if I ask about your background?”
I get this question all the time. “My father was Latino, so that’s where I get my skin tone. Mama was Irish, and that’s where my red hair comes from. I guess my hazel eyes are a combination of both.”
We exit the coffee area and pass more office doors before taking a right when the corridor dead ends. Here, framed photos line the walls, and I inspect the faces as we pass. I’m impressed to see so manywomen in executive positions, though this is a cosmetics company, so I guess it makes sense.
My eyes flicker over a photo of Phoenix and then to the next one, where my feet stall. Amanda notices and stops too. She grins when she points at the pic. “That’s Phoenix’s twin.”
I swipe my brow dramatically. “Whew, I thought I was crazy there for a second.” I check out the silver name plate beneath to find that the twin is Dr. Helix Hale, and he’s Laboratory Co-Director and Co-Head of Research and Development. He wears glasses, but otherwise, his face is an exact replica of the man I just met. The next photo in line is of a woman, also wearing glasses and with the same title.
“That’s the other Dr. Hale, Nicolette. They’re married and run the labs together. They’re completely adorable,” Amanda informs me.
I move on to the next picture, and I swear, my heart almost falls out through my asshole and onto the floor. My fingers twitch with the need to touch his face, but I fist them at my sides. Brown eyes gaze at me from beneath stern eyebrows as my mind drifts back to seven years ago.
To our one perfect night. That’s what he called it.
And it was… until it wasn’t.
I can still remember every second of that evening. The way he rescued me in that nightclub. Our meal at Waffle House, complete with the requisite chaos one comes to expect with a late-night visit to that establishment. The conversations over greasy food and stout coffee.
