Page 13 of A Secret Chance
Chapter 6
HE RECOGNIZED HER THEsecond he laid eyes on her. There she was, sprawled out on the sidewalk, taken out by his clumsy assistant. She looked as good as he remembered, with the same freckles and dark hair that had glowed in the candlelight. But the eyes. He would never forget those emerald eyes, and he couldn’t believe that he had doubted himself the day before. The realtor was pretty and had similar features, but she wasn’ther.
He never had a problem talking to women, so when his tongue stopped working it was a shock. He was able to calm down slightly when it became obvious that she didn’t recognize him. If she had, the woman deserved an Oscar, or a spot on the poker tour, because aside from blushing, which he assumed was a flush of embarrassment for the sidewalk crash carnage, there wasn’t a glimmer of recognition in those pretty eyes.
When he left the outdoors shop, Thomas, Barry, and Nicole were waiting for him across the street, eight steaming coffees stacked high. “Come on,” Thomas shouted and waved impatiently.
He hesitated. He wanted to rush back into the store to see her just one more time, to tell her his name, to tell her how he knew her.Would it be awkward?he wondered.Hi, remember me? We had sex ten years ago at the heli-lodge. He would word it better, obviously. He played it again in his mind.Hi, by any chance, years ago did you work at a heli-lodge and make love to one of the guests?No. None of those options sounded good. At all.
He looked back one more time. It was a small town, and chances were good that he would run into her again. By then he would’ve figured out a way to explain to her who he was, and how they knew each other. He was surprised that she didn’t recognize him, but again, the last time she saw Baxter, he was a tree planter. Therefore, he looked homeless, complete with a rebellious beard and shoulder-length long hair.
He didn’t have time to think about it. He ran across the street to meet his team and hopped into the SUV. He had to put the woman out of his mind. He was now headed to what he knew was going to be the most difficult meeting of the entire mission. He had to get his head screwed on straight.
That woman did a number on him years ago, and it seemed that her power over him had only grown in strength. He had to put those green eyes out of his mind and get into business mode. Put your game face on, he said to himself. This lawyer is going to be tough.
Chapter 7
LAUREN’S BOOTS CRUNCHEDon the sidewalk as she hurried past the scene of the coffee crime and into her office. The spartan space worked for her. She preferred function over form, but today, she knew that the executives would see the threadbare chairs from the seventies, the old-style desktop computer, and lack of assistants as proof that hers was a second-rate operation.
She had done her homework though and knew that she had much more experience with environmental issues than their principal, and she also had the backing of the town council. Caldwell International was going to have to pull out all the stops if they were going to get their project passed through the council.
Lauren threw on her best blazer over the gorgeous green sweater and applied a fresh layer of Chapstick. She sighed as she flicked on the electric kettle. The Caldwell executives were going to have to settle for instant coffee after all.
She saw three shadows walk past the window, their shiny shoes visible beneath the blinds, and she took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing,” she thought to herself as the door swung open. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the first set of boots to step into her office – stiletto heels.
The blond stepped forward, “We have a meeting with Mrs. Bunkman at nine-thirty,” she said, reading off her phone. There were no pleasantries. The woman hadn’t even so much as looked at Lauren.
“It’s Miss Bunkman.” Lauren stood up and that’s when the woman’s eyes finally saw her.
“Oh, my God. It’s you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, I thought you were the secretary.” She seemed embarrassed.
After working so many menial jobs, Lauren knew what it felt like to be invisible; she despised it when people looked down on those in-service jobs. This woman thought she was a receptionist, and therefore, not important. “You’re sorry about the coffee, or thinking I was the secretary?” Lauren crossed her arms across her chest.
The girl’s face dropped.
