Page 12 of Access

She didn’t realize until then, she’d been holding her breath. As he called her name, she exhaled, and her shoulders relaxed. Her admirer’s voice was instantly recognizable. I know the man behind the curtain. She slowly pushed open the heavy door and peered through the space as it widened. His dark, majestic presence gazed down at her. “Mr. Alex Drake, the great and powerful wizard of Igz?”

“Yours truly,” he responded, leaning his head against the door. The moment stilled as she adored his tender expression. She calmed, feeling his gaze wash over her before fixing back to meet her stare. His eyes were dark and vivid, inviting her in, yet piercing deep within her. The two of them were locked, neither trying to evade the overpowering and inexplicable draw.

Considering the time, Alex broke the spell.

“Is everything okay? Are you still getting dressed? I was—” he glanced at his watch, seeing the seconds hand sweep across. The face of his watch blurred as his waist came into focus, and he noticed his tented pants trying to make her acquaintance as well. “Uh, going to show you something, but if you don’t come out soon, we’re going to miss it.” He slipped his hand in his pocket, exuding a casual pose as he worked to adjust himself. Apparently, dragging his Louisville slugger to an inconspicuous position would take a little more than a sleight of hand. Madison pretended not to notice, but was grateful to conceal the tingling emanating from her core.

Madison’s expression was mixed as she fought her mouth’s insistence to delightfully pull to a smile. It wasn’t just a polite attempt to let him think she hadn’t seen his eagerness. She strained to hide her teeth, likely resembling a well-crafted hobo disguise. But her behavior was easily misconstrued as putting on a game face.

“You seem concerned. Is it because of our first encounter?”

Madison couldn’t take it any longer, and started walking off, but called back, “No, of course not. You were amazing. You really saved me, and Joe.”

“I mean the time before that.”

Madison was curious, but preoccupied. “What time before that?” Realizing her smile was winning the tug-of-war, she ducked through the corridor. “Sorry, I just ... I need a moment to freshen up. I’ll be right back.” She vanished abruptly, and Alex stood there. He reluctantly unbuttoned his blazer and loosened his tie, the acts of a man working out a way to let her off the hook. If she needed it.

“Look, I know I kind of just sprang this on you, and if you’re uncomfortable at all—” His gallant effort to put her at ease was cut short by the recognizable sounds of spitting in the sink. Hmm ... I usually expect that after a bit more intimacy, he mused.

Madison popped out from the corridor, looking much more relaxed. “Sorry, I had small smudge of thin mint I needed to get off my teeth and I didn’t quite hear you.” Her smile returned, and Alex stood taller, mirroring her cheerful gaze.

“Thin mint, huh? Well, I think you may have missed a spot.” Alex brushed the ball of his thumb to the outer edge of her bottom lip, wiping a nearly indiscernible smudge of chocolate from her mouth. Madison remained statuesque between giggles, letting him finish. He followed the gesture with a ridiculously exaggerated display of diligently examining his thumb and suckling it ever-so-slightly clean. As one eyebrow raised, Alex asked, “Who’s your supplier?”

Madison didn’t want to rat out Ted. “Oh, I’ve got friends in high places.” She realized the preposterousness of the comment, considering to whom she was speaking.

“Do you now?” His eyes lit up playfully maniacal. “Then it must be Ted.”

Madison wasn’t sure exactly what to say, but had the sneaking suspicion there was nothing she would know about his company that he didn’t already know. “If you know, then why is he so secretive?”

“Because he sells a crap ton of cookies that way. Forbidden fruit and all. Seriously, he and his daughter outsell everyone else in the troop by three-to-one. Let’s take you for example. How many boxes did you buy?”

Madison was shy to admit she’d been played. “Six ...”

Both eyebrows shot up his face. “Six?”

“... teen. Sixteen, actually, but he cut me a deal.”

Alex’s smirked spiritedly. “Soon you’ll be outbuying me.”

“Well, I’m a sucker for a great deal and a good cause encased in mint-chocolatey goodness.”

His brow arched, and he leaned in. He confided in in a deep, authoritative tone, “Be leery of a Ted in sheep’s clothing ... and watch out for his poker game.”

“Noted.” Madison agreed, filing the information away for later.

Alex returned to the task at hand, delighting in his insistence. “Seriously, I need to know how to lure you out of here.” He coyly looked left, then right, before tilting to her ear with an offer. “I could prop you on my shoulders if you like?”

Madison’s astonishment was tempered by intrigue. “That! That right there. How do you know that? Nobody knows that.” Madison’s arm-fold was still light and loose. His demonstrated and uncanny knowledge of her fueled a curious fascination. As he rebuttoned his blazer, she recognized his confidence in them departing shortly.

“Let’s just say I’ve got friends in high places too.” He said this gently and in an odd way, sentimentally. His elbow leisurely winged out, inviting her to take it.

Giving in, she unlocked her arms and opened her stance. She enjoyed the chance to glide her hands around his arm, nestling them in the inner-crease of his elbow. She clung to his bicep as she strolled with him out of the room. “The way I figure it, either you’re a mind reader, or ...”

“Or?” he asked, slipping his warm hand over hers.

“Or you’ve paid way too much getting information on me that’s absolutely worthless. Possibly bribing all the moms in my hometown. Although they wouldn’t need much enticing. Your smile and a bit of pass the prosecco, and those ladies would sing like the cast of Mamma Mia.”

“Well, now I feel like I’ve missed an opportunity. And information always has value.” They stopped at his office door. “I’ve built an empire recognizing that things others think are worthless might, in fact, be absolutely priceless ... like this.”

---