Page 7 of Capturing Clint

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Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Chrissy had to leave unexpectedly during the break due to an illness with her mother. And although thoughts of Clint came and went over the years, it would be some time before they’d set eyes on one another again.

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Fast forward ten years…

Chrissy had been going over details of several clients with her assistant, Zac, while they strolled through the Bridgestone Museum of Art in Tokyo. Their trip proved to be very worthwhile. Not only had they conducted business with a local colleague of sorts, but they also secured items for several clients back in the States.

Chrissy was the driving force behind her business “Pristine by Christine” an architectural design studio in Denver, Colorado. And Zac was her not-so-silent business partner, seeing as he was the initial bankroll in their venture.

“Chrissy, sweetheart, time to kick butt.”

“Zac, I don’t want to kick butt,” she whined. “I want to conduct business as professionally as possible and be done with this.”

“Darling,” Zac drawled. “You can never be done with this. It’s your life.”

Chrissy loved Zac’s tenacity, his feisty attitude, and his playful spirit. They met at Metro State College in Denver after Chrissy returned home years ago from Boise. After taking two years off to help her family deal with her mother’s cancer, she returned to school to get her degree in design. She and Zac bonded like nobody’s business.

And it was nobody’s business but theirs.

They grew very close and had even attempted a sexual encounter out of pure loneliness. But the attempt only proved to Zac what he’d really known most of his life—he was gay. Luckily, they could laugh about it now. Chrissy took on a sisterly role after that, keeping them focused on school and their eventual business partnership.

“I know,” Chrissy said as she returned Zac’s comment. “I’m just ready to take a break. We’ve worked nonstop for two weeks, and there’s more to Japan than just business. I want to take advantage of that before it’s time to go home.”

“Agreed. Now, let’s do this so the fun can begin.” Zac wiggled his brows.

“My little Chihuahua,” Chrissy teased, earning herself a pinch on the rear and a playful growl. Without shoes, she was a good five inches taller than Zac, standing at five-nine. Today, in her heels, the height difference was comical.

“Now, now, my Amazon warrior. Careful how you treat the help.”

“Oh, Zac, stop. You know you’re more than that to me.”

“So, it wasn’t just my money you were after?”

Chrissy chuckled. “Well, there was that.”

They carried on, ready to meet their colleague. Zac led Chrissy into the room where they would conclude the sale of a piece of artwork. They noticed a gentleman there who clearly was not the man they were supposed to meet.

Chrissy admired his lean build, approving of the way his khakis molded to his behind. His glossy black hair was neatly trimmed, showing a tanned neckline. His forearms were tan as well, his hands resting casually in his pockets.

Chrissy watched the stranger turn upon hearing their arrival. She gave a slight gasp as their eyes met, which caused Zac to reach for her.

“What is it?” Zac looked at Chrissy, then back to the stranger who stood motionless.

Clint Jessup!Chrissy’s mind screamed, the recognition instantaneous after all these years.How can this be?

She watched his eyebrows lift in curiosity and wondered what he must be thinking. Evidently, he didn’t recognize her, given she had no glasses, no braces, wavy, layered hair, and a bit more curves. As her mind swirled, shemusteredthe strength not to faint right then and there.

“Hello,” he said cautiously. “I’m sorry, am I not supposed to be in here?”

Zac spoke up, as it seemed Chrissy was too stunned to do so. “You’re fine. We were just expecting someone else, a business associate of ours. He should be here any moment.”

“Good,” Clint returned. “I didn’t want to cause a stir.” He looked at the still-silent Chrissy. “Am I causing a stir?”

“You most certainly are,” she replied softly without thinking before quickly slapping a handoverher mouth. She watched Clint’s lips twitch in amusement.

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