Page 12 of Steel Beauty

She turns to go, and before I can think it through, my mouth acts without my brain’s permission. “Is the set director here today?”

She freezes mid-step, glancing over her shoulder with a glimmer of surprise in her expression. “Is everything all right with the suite?”

I scramble for something to say, my mind racing. “Yeah, yeah—everything’s fine. I was hoping to make a small request.”

Her smile falters for a second, but she recovers quickly, professionalism sliding back into place. “Of course. I’ll see if she’s available to speak to you.”

The suite feels smaller than I remember. I try to settle into the leather chair, but my nerves won’t let me sit still. I shift, stand, pace the room, listen for footsteps in the hall or the other side of the dating suite.

The minutes crawl by, dragging my anticipation with them. Even if she’s here, what if she’s not interested in chatting with some bloke who can’t get her out of his head?

I rub the back of my neck and force myself to sit. Deep breath, Alex. Keep it together. You’re acting like a nervous schoolboy, not a grown man.

The door to the other side of the dating suite opens quietly, and the moment I hear her voice, my heart jumps to attention like it’s just heard the starting whistle.

“Hello, Caesar. How are you?”

Her words come through smooth and warm, wrapped in that soft Southern drawl. It hits like a balm, settling the nerves simmering under the surface. There’s something in her easy, honeyed cadence that makes everything around me fade just a bit.

I pause long enough to steady myself. “I’m good. Yeah, good.”

There’s a brief pause before she speaks again, her voice slightly slower, careful. “Is there something not to your liking? Your client experience specialist said you needed to speak to me about a change.”

Every word I’ve rehearsed vanishes. “About that––” I feel like an idiot. “That’s not exactly true.”

There’s a beat of silence. “If there’s an issue with the suite?—”

“No, no. The suite’s perfect.” I fumble to get the words out, wishing I sounded smoother. “I just… the truth is that I was hoping to talk to you again.”

A brief silence follows, and for a moment, I wonder if I’ve overstepped.

“You wanted to talk tome?” The words come soft, edged with curiosity and a hint of caution.

“Yeah.” Nerves buzz under my skin. “I said I had a request for the suite because I wasn’t sure if it would be against company policy for staff to have a personal chat with a client.”

She pauses, long enough to make me wonder if I’ve crossed a line. “I don’t think there’s a policy regarding that. To my knowledge, it’s a non-issue.”

“So we’re good then?”

“I believe so.”

Now that I’m calmer, I settle back into the chair. “You made things easier last time. Talking to you helped.”

“Oh, what a lovely compliment. I enjoyed talking to you as well.”

I’ve always been a confident guy, never one to stumble over my words, especially with women. But there’s something about her that has me second-guessing everything I say, like I’m a teenager with sweaty palms and a crush. She’s got me feeling a certain way. And as unsettling as it is, I kind of like it. That odd flutter is a reminder that not everything is predictable, and some things are still worth chasing.

“So Charleston… are you married?”

Her laughter is light, almost playful. “No, Caesar. I’m not married.”

“Are you dating anyone?”

“Not at the moment… which is funny, right? I work for a matchmaking service, but I’m not in a relationship.”

A smile tugs at my lips, and I’m glad she can’t see me grinning like an idiot. “I don’t know. Sounds like the classic case of the cobbler’s kids having no shoes.”

She laughs. “I figure the right relationship will come along when it’s meant to. I guess I think it’ll fall into my lap or something like that.”

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