Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
I stand up straight and give her my “you better not ever” eyes.
“You won’t.”
“Oh, is my girl jealous?”
“Never.” I grab my wrap for the October breeze that snuck into the city over the last few days. “You know I don’t do good guys.”
“You forget I’ve seen that good guy, and I bet he could do you good.”
You’re telling me…
“Well, he won’t get the chance, will he?”
Stil has this way of just staring at me when she knows there’s more, waiting for me to give it to her.
“Stil, everyone would ask what he saw in me. What he’s doing with me.” I grab the bottled water from my desk. “I’ve never been that girl, and I’m sure as hell not starting now. We don’t fit. We make no sense.”
“You never know.”
I smile at her over my shoulder on the way out.
“And I never will.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Trevor
Haven.
The scripted writing on the office doorplate makes me smile. I never did find out what Sofie was up to. Guess I will today. A mahogany reception desk takes up a good portion of the cool-toned lobby. A man, slim, brown-haired, early twenties, is on the phone. He holds up an index finger, silently indicating that he’ll be right with me, and then waves me toward a set of sleek leather chairs. What’s with all the skeletal furniture? A guy as big as I am needs something wooden and sturdy. I’m afraid I’ll squash Sofie’s little leather sofa.
“How can I help you?” The receptionist runs his eyes up my legs and over my chest before finally reaching my face. “I’d love to help you.”
Well, this is awkward already.
“Um, hi.” I stand and approach the guy at the desk. “I’m here to see Sofie Baston.”
He glances from an iPad on his desk back up to my face.
“I don’t see an appointment.”
“Yeah, she must have forgotten to put it down.” I hope the smile I’m giving him is actually persuasive.
“Yeah, sure. That must be why she left for the day.” He rolls his eyes, but still looks interested. “You could leave a card with me.”
I don’t want to leave a card. I want…after three weeks, I’d just like to see Sofie. In a short time, I’ve grown to enjoy the way she layers sarcasm and testiness to hide what she’s really feeling. She may as well be using cellophane, that’s how apparent it is to me that she wants to explore what this could be between us.
“No card, but thanks.”
I’m headed toward the exit when a petite woman with dark, pink-streaked hair enters the lobby from the hall presumably leading to the offices.
“Gil, were those illustrations delivered?” A frown puckers her eyebrows together. “Sofie needs those for her meeting tomorrow.”
I hover near the door in case she drops information I may be able to use. She flicks a glance my way, looking away and then back again, eyes focusing on me.
“Have you been helped?” she asks.
“He was looking for Sofie.” Gil does air quotes, skepticism lining his otherwise unlined face. “An appointment that she must have forgotten.”
“I keep Sofie’s schedule,” the little lady says. “She didn’t have an appointment this afternoon.”
“Miscommunication, obviously.” I head for the elevators.
“Trevor?”
My name called behind me stops me in my tracks. I turn to find the lady smiling now.
“Trevor Bishop, right? I thought that was you.” She grins, gesturing for me to follow her down the hall. “Come on back.”
What happened? Am I missing something? Only one way to find out. Little lady leads me back down the hall into a spacious office decorated in shades of gray and green. She indicates another tiny chair that looks like it probably can’t hold me.
“So I finally get to meet you.”
I freeze, halfway down to the narrow seat.
“Finally? You obviously know my name.” My brows go up as I sit down. “And you are?”
“Call me Stil.” She sits on the edge of her desk, her sharp eyes taking in my shoes, gray slacks, and dark sweater. “You’re even better in person.”
“Excuse me?” I manage a quick, self-conscious laugh. She doesn’t hide the admiration in her eyes, but I don’t get an interested vibe from her at all. “How do you know me?”
“Sofie watched some of your talks.” Stil rolls her eyes and grins. “Actually a lot of them.”
I run my palms over my knees, keeping my face neutral so she won’t know how much that information pleases me.
“She did mention that.” I look at her like I fully expect her to answer my next question. “Where is she?”
Stil gives a husky laugh and wags a finger at me.
“Oh, no, buddy. I’m not that easy.” Her face drops any sign of amusement. “What are your intentions toward Sofie?”
“My intentions?” I run a hand over my closely cropped hair. “Does she have a dowry I should know about? Are we be betrothed now? What do you mean my intentions? I want to get to know her.”