By the time I returned to the Business Community, my feet ached and the sun was beyond the dome of the Commons. The workday was almost over and I walked against the flow of businessmen and women exiting the elevator.
Another man followed me inside. He pressed twenty-two and turned to me. “Where to?”
“The same,” I said.
He grinned as the elevator doors closed. “Are you Charlotte Evans?”
“Yes.” I shifted from my left foot to my right, trying to ease the ache. “How did you know?”
“We’ve all been waiting to get a glimpse of you.”
“All?”
His smile came easily again. “Just a few of us from the team that’s been working with Mr. Moore.”
“Right. And I missed the meeting.”
He shrugged, and there was an easy way about it that set me at ease. “It was a tentative meeting at best. Mr. Moore said he wasn’t sure whether or not you wanted a tour first.”
It hadn’t looked like a tentative meeting with them standing in the lobby waiting for me. But Finn was the boss, and I doubted people questioned him when he said he needed to move around schedules.
“So you’ve been working on this project with Mr. Moore?” I asked.
God, it felt so strange to call him by his last name. To consider him my boss. He’d exuded much of the same confidence when we were younger, but we were always on the same level or even fighting for the lead in our relationship. And now he was my boss.
If I said yes to the job.
“I’m Tucker, by the way.” Tucker reached out a hand and I took it as the elevator neared our floor. “And yes. It fell in my lap in a manner of speaking, but I’ve been here since almost the beginning. But now that we’ve moved into the building and you’re here…I’m kind of in between jobs. Or I will be shortly.”
The elevator dinged and we stepped out. Leslie still sat at the front desk. She gave us a warm smile, though it seemed more aimed at Tucker than me.
When I walked to her desk, I reached out a hand. “I’m Charlotte, since I didn’t properly introduce myself earlier.”
She eyed my hand before taking it.
“And I’m sorry,” I added, offering her the smile I should have given earlier. “For being rude when I first got here.”
Tucker lifted his eyebrows but didn’t say a word. He tucked his hands in his pockets and waited.
“Apology accepted,” Leslie said. Her smile turned warm, and I was relieved she didn’t seem to expect an explanation. “How did you like the tour?”
“This place is a work of art. I didn’t even get to see it all, but I…” I glanced to the glass paneling but didn’t spot Finn inside. “I’m looking forward to seeing more.”
Which meant I was taking the job. Which meant I had to tell Finn. Which meant…we had to set rules. Boundaries. No talking about the past. In fact, no talking about anything that didn’t involve work. Easier said than done when he seemed more than willing to discuss what had gone on in our relationship.
“I’m glad.” Leslie stood and stacked a few papers before settling them in a file. “Almost ready.”
Tucker nodded, looking relaxed as he leaned on the surface. It hit me that they might be an item. I didn’t know either of them well enough to ask.
Instead, I gestured to Finn’s office. “Is Mr. Moore in?”
“He is,” Leslie said. “You can head on back.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said to Tucker as I walked to Finn’s office.
He echoed the sentiment before the door closed behind me. The sound of running water caught my attention and I looked to the mini bar along the wall on the opposite side of the office near the table.
Finn stood with his back to me, hands under the water at a sink and his neck arched back like it was the nicest thing he’d experienced all day. I was anticipating the same feeling when I finally got to take off my heels.
“Hi, Charlotte,” Finn said, still facing the sink.
“Professionalism.”
His deep voice filled with amusement when he said, “Ms. Evans.”
Better. I waited for him to turn. When he did, he snatched a hand towel off the counter. His tie was loose and his collar unbuttoned. Only a glimpse at his throat had my mouth going dry. I used to kiss him right there, in the hollow. Or run my lips just under the hard line of his jaw, brushing the slight spray of stubble. I’d never done that with Mark. Or maybe only once or twice, way back at the beginning when I believed he was who he said he was.
“How was your afternoon?” Finn asked, tossing the towel aside. He kept his distance, leaning against the counter with effortless grace.
“Productive. I walked through most of the third sector and talked with a guy named Curtis, from security. He agreed about a centralized location just as we had discussed. The restaurants around the rim of the Entertainment Community are more than happy to deliver to Housing, so I think we ought to provide their menus in each of the apartments. We could also—”
Finn chuckled and I broke off.
“What?” I asked.
“I forgot how consumed you get,” he said. When I frowned, he shook his head. “I meant that as a compliment. You jump in and do it all. It’s…”
He didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t want him to. It was black and white. Either I was doing my job or I wasn’t—and if I was planning on staying, I was going to do my job.
So I came right out with it. “I’m taking the job.”
He pushed away from the counter and gestured to the table. “Let’s discuss.”
I didn’t argue, even though I was ready to get somewhere more comfortable. To take off my shoes, take a bath, open a bottle of wine—no champagne—and relax. I didn’t care if my mind stayed on work, but I definitely wanted off my feet.
I sighed when I sank into the cushioned chair. Finn sat across from me, his lips curving in that knowing way of his.
“You must be exhausted. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No. I’m ready to settle in for the night, so I’d like to make sure business is out of the way.”
A muscle worked in his jaw, but he only nodded. “Of course. You know the details of the position—an on-site manager of sorts. All the kinks have to be worked out by the time we have our grand opening. Everything.”
“Do I get my own office?” I asked.
He relaxed in his chair, swiveling to cross his ankle over the opposite knee. “Of course. Yours is to the right of Leslie’s desk, just down the hall. It’s got a nice view and—”
“It’s up here? So close to yours?”
He grinned. “We like to keep things cozy around here.”
“Funny. I’m assuming it’s more out of practicality. But what about the rest of the team?”
“Just the crew in the office downstairs,” he said. “And most of them were only here until we launched the soft opening. I’ll be here until the project is complete to oversee things until it’s final.”
Of course. Not just because his company financed projects like this, but Finn liked to be in the thick of things. After all, it reflected on him and his family and his company.
“Leslie is my assistant,” he continued, “and—”
“Leslie,” I said.
He nodded. “Yes, I call her by her first name. And she’s not the only one. So if you don’t want to stand out, you could relax your professionalism rule just slightly. Charlotte.”
“Mr. Moore,” I answered, “you’re welcome to call me Charlotte. But I’ll stick with the more professional side of things for now.”
I already had to work in the same building as the man. Keeping him at as much of a distance as possible was necessary. At least until I could stand to be around him without feeling the crack in my heart. It had almost mended. Almost. Keeping my distance, moving on…I thought it had been enough.
But the next several months were going to be a test. I had to prove to myself I could be my own person.
Finn leaned in, eyes the shade of cobalt, and trapped my gaze in his. “I’m glad you said yes.”
Yanking my gaze away, I checked my watch. “I am, too.”
It was the escape I was looking for. And now I needed an escape from this room before things got too friendly.
Before I could stand, Finn’s hand came out, capturing mine on top of the table. I tensed, my chest tightening. Not because he’d overstepped the boundaries, but because it had come out of nowhere. No warning and I was trapped.
“You need to let go of me now,” I said, voice low and firm.
Finn withdrew his hand, but his gaze still seared mine. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I gritted my teeth. “Too late.”
His face clouded over. I’d taken the stab at him more because I was afraid, not because I wanted to hurt him. But I saw that it had—and part of me wondered why. He’d made the choice to end our relationship. He’d made his choice to move on so quickly, so fully. To go out that same evening and make out with some random girl from the bar. He’d made lots of other choices, too, and didn’t seem to care that he’d hurt me. So why did it matter now?
I got to my feet, even though they protested. I was tired now. I needed the evening to regroup. Finn seemed to recognize that immediately, and he stood as well, abandoning what he was about to say.
“Your apartment has been prepared,” he said. “Fully furnished, as we discussed, and—”
“Hold on. You already have a place for me?”
He looked confused. “Of course. Where were you planning on staying tonight?”
“A hotel.”
His breath released in a sigh. “I have something more comfortable than that.”
I indulged him by riding up to one of the nicest suites in Housing, but once we walked in the door, I stopped and shook my head. “No.”
Finn swiveled, his silhouette shadowed by the light coming from a large bank of windows. “No? It’s one of our nicest—”
“No.”
Finn returned to my side, propping his shoulder on the door frame. His lips curved. Any trace of the hurt I’d inflicted had vanished. “Is it because I live up another floor. Almost like…neighbors?”
Because I felt bad about what I’d said earlier, I gave an exaggerated shudder. “Don’t remind me.”
He laughed. “Please don’t tell me that’s the only reason. You’re saying ‘no’ to 2,500 square feet. Four bedrooms. Five—”
“Don’t say anything else,” I said, holding up my hand. “First of all, that’s ridiculous. And who would want to clean all that—”
“A maid.”
“Finn,” I said, exasperated.
He grinned when I said his name. “Does this mean we’re friends?”
Shit. I hadn’t meant to do that. Calmly, I continued, “We’re not at work now. Things don’t have to be so formal.”
“Then let me take you to dinner.”
“More formal than that,” I argued, stepping out the door. “I’ll stay at the hotel tonight and figure out an apartment tomorrow.”
“Charlotte.”
He followed me to the elevator. I turned and lifted my eyebrows.
“Tell me the problem,” he said.
So he could fix it. That was how it worked, right? Even in college, his family had money, and it was always, “Tell me the problem and I’ll fix it.”
“I’m the eyes and ears of this place now,” I said. “I need to be experiencing Oasis like everyone else. I’d like an apartment that allows me to do that. Something…right in the middle, I think. An average apartment is plenty for me.”
Finn scratched his chin. He had a short spray of dark stubble developing, and it took off the edge. He looked more approachable this way. Reachable. Like those lazy Saturday mornings in his apartment when nothing else had mattered.
“It makes sense,” I continued, shaking the thought.
“All right, give me a minute.”
Before I could answer, he paced away, entering the suite again and talking into his cell phone. He spoke in a rush of words, most of which I couldn’t make out. I checked my own phone and was relieved to find no messages or texts. I’d wrapped up my life fairly securely back home in Portland. Fewer and fewer texts came in and fewer and fewer phone calls. I liked living low-key, even keeping to myself. The last several months had taught me the less I had going on in my life, the easier it was to manage.
The easier it was to wind down at the end of the day and believe I’d moved past everything that had gone on with Mark. For once in my life, I felt almost…safe.
“Tenth floor,” Finn announced when he stepped out of the apartment again.
We rode the elevator in silence, but when we got out, it already looked less high-scale. There were doors to a few other apartments. Finn led us to the second one on the right as the elevator dinged behind us.
A young man dressed in a suit and tie walked over with a plastic card and passed it to Finn. “Sir,” he said.
“Thank you.” Finn nodded at him. “I’ll let you know about that other thing.”
The man smiled at me, his eyes lighting. “No problem.”
What other thing? I didn’t get the chance to ask before the man returned to the elevator, leaving me alone in the hallway with Finn again.
Finn blew out a breath of laughter. “Some things never change.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He was checking you out. You still turn heads.”
I chuckled, turning away so he didn’t see the flush on my cheeks. “You sound like you’re eighty. He was just being polite. I’m sure it’s his job.”
“To be polite? Yes. To check you out? No.”
I gestured to the door. “Come on, my feet are killing me.”
Still smiling, he slid the key into the slot and the door opened. It smelled fresh inside, like someone had just cleaned. “There are five layouts in the apartments in both towers,” Finn said. He stood aside so I could enter. “I’m sure you read about that and discussed it during the interview. This model has two bedrooms, two bathrooms—and I couldn’t let you go without a balcony. For the view.”
I wandered inside, took in the modern furniture in the living room, gas fireplace, flat panel television set, all tied together in cool beige tones. Nothing over the top, but enough of a neutral foundation to make it my home.
Finn followed me to the kitchen, talking as we went. “Granite countertops, double oven—in case you picked up baking or cooking somewhere along the way.”
“Didn’t happen.”
He nodded. “No problem. Two restaurants in the hotel as well as several in the Entertainment Community. There’s a market in Main as well—and I imagine you already spoke with them about deliveries.”
I allowed my lips to curve in a smile. Of course I had. Details were my thing. Main was in the third community and housed essentials like the grocery store, a post office, and pharmacy, among other things.
Finn propped his arm on the counter. He looked as comfortable here as he had in his office. As he had in the gigantic suite upstairs. “How do you like it? Need to see the bedrooms, too?”
My smile slipped. “Not with you.”
He touched a hand to his chest. “I swear that wasn’t meant suggestively at all.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“You bring it out in me.”
His words settled in. He brought it out in me too, even in the short time I’d been around him. It was inevitable. I’d even prepared for it because I knew that charm well. He had that special personality, the kind that drew everyone else in. It was the main reason I’d fallen so hard for him so fast.
But now, I couldn’t tell if he was being himself or flirting. Maybe he couldn’t do one independent of the other.
“I’m being as professional as I can,” he murmured as if reading my mind.
But when he stepped closer, I shook my head and stepped back. “Try harder.”
“We’re going to have to talk about this sooner or later.”
I swallowed and turned, feigning interest in the view. It was stunning. It would have been more stunning from ten floors up, but I was sticking to my guns—at least for now. This was the best place for me. My voice was painfully even when I said, “There’s nothing to talk about.”
He was silent long enough I glanced over my shoulder. He hadn’t come any closer, and I was grateful. He let the comment drop and instead pulled out his phone. “So, will this apartment be suitable to your needs?”
“It’s perfect.”
He typed in a message, hit send, and tucked his phone away. “Then I should let you get settled. I’m assuming you have a bag in your car.”
I nodded.
“I’ll have it sent up and have them pull your car around to the Housing garage. Would you like me to make arrangements for movers to bring the rest of your things?”
“No,” I said too quickly. “No, I don’t have much. Just a car full—and I....”
I didn’t finish. I didn’t want Finn to know how I’d been living the last several months. That I’d pared down my life to a car full of items to make the moves simpler. Things didn’t mean much to me anymore. Safety was more important. Feeling comfortable in my own home was more important. The rest would come eventually.
Finn’s eyebrows were knit together. He licked his lower lip, clearly prepared to question what I’d said. But he let that go, too, much to my surprise. “Well, let me know what else we can do to help. The company is glad to have you.” He walked to the door. “Welcome to Oasis, Charlotte.”
I offered him another brief smile, ignoring the flutter in my chest. I wasn’t sure whether it was Finn, the idea of starting over, or a little of both. “Thank you.”
He left without another word or another look, closing the door softly behind him. But when I heard a knock a moment later, I narrowed my eyes. I was not going to talk to him about this. No more work for tonight. And definitely nothing personal.
When I pulled open the door, I froze. Then angled my head. “Hey.”
The same man who’d brought us my key held an oversized basket. “Compliments of Moore Inc. Shall I bring it in?”
I let him into the apartment, following him to the kitchen. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said. He had to be at least three or four years younger than me. Maybe just out of college, with that fresh, optimistic look about him. “There’s a list of numbers in the basket as well, for your convenience. Whoever you need to reach in the office as well as the desk downstairs if you need anything. Don’t hesitate.”
I walked him back to the door, thanked him, and then dove into the basket. I found the list of numbers someone had typed up on Moore Inc. letterhead. Attached to it was a note from Finn.
Welcome to the family. Indulge in your favorite champagne tonight; we’ve got work to do tomorrow.
Finn
I pulled out the champagne, already chilled, and shook my head at the label. It was my favorite. Trust him to remember.
With a sigh, I removed my shoes and opened the bottle. Just what I needed.
My phone rang in the middle of the night, jolting me out of sleep with a gasp. I fumbled for my phone, nearly knocking it off the end table while registering at the same time it was 3:30 am.
Heart racing, I blinked at the screen. Unknown caller. I swallowed an irrational lump of fear. Mark didn’t even know where I was. But then…maybe that’s why he was calling.
Or it could be someone from home. An emergency.
I answered the call with a breathless, “Hello?”
Silence.
Nerves skittered through my stomach. “Hello?” I asked again.
The call disconnected.
I stared at the screen until it went to sleep. My heart still raced, and I closed my eyes, taking several calming breaths. It was just a wrong number. Just a…coincidence.
When I opened my eyes again, they didn’t feel tired. I wished I could go back to sleep, but I was wide awake now. I eased up in bed, leaning against the headboard. In the dark, I could only see a few shapes, the outline of furniture in my unfamiliar bedroom. A dresser, a chair, two end tables, and the shadowed doorway to my bathroom. I needed to familiarize myself with the place, get comfortable with where everything was located. I needed to feel like this was home.
This was my chance to start over.
I sighed. Wrong number. That’s all. It had to be.
The phone rang again and I dropped it on the comforter. I scrambled for the lamp, and light flooded the room.
The screen had the same read-out. Unknown caller.
Snatching the phone, I turned it off and got out of bed. I flipped on light switches as I walked through the apartment. Down the short hallway and to the living room. Phone still in hand, I yanked open the closet by the front door and drew down a box off the upper shelf. One I’d brought with me.
I set it on the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area and tossed open the lid. It was the kit that usually sat in my car, filled with tools and other items I thought I might need. I took out a flat head screwdriver and a hammer.
Prying the cover off the phone, I tossed it on the counter and then pulled the back off the phone. Inside, the battery and SIM card looked brand new. It was. I’d only had the phone for a few months after I’d changed my number again.
Mark had been able to trace me that way. Somehow.
Had he traced me here? Did he know where I was or only that I’d left town?
I couldn’t be too careful. I took the hammer to the phone. Who knew what kind of secret bugs or tracing devices people could use these days? The phone made a satisfying crack when I took the first swing.
Worried about the counter, I set a few towels under the phone and continued swinging. Once, twice, then two more times just to be sure. The phone sat in pieces on the towel, and a few plastic parts had escaped and littered the floor.
I dropped the hammer and rubbed my hands over my face.
I would not let Mark take this away from me. I’d just have to be more careful.
And I’d definitely need a new phone.
Leaving the mess on the counter, I turned off the lights as I returned to my bedroom. Sinking under the covers again, I left the light by the bed on and closed my eyes.
Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe…maybe I worried too much.
Turning on my side, I tried to relax. I’d take precautions anyway.
And when I got up again, I’d be too busy with my new job to be distracted by Mark anymore.