CHAPTER 6

Stefan watched confusedly as Sasha stormed out of the coffee shop. What the hell just happened? He thought being honest was a good quality, but it obviously was not in all situations. He really wanted to see her again, especially since he couldn’t stop thinking about her since Friday, a feeling as foreign to him as applying himself to his work.

Shaking his head he drank the last bit of coffee before he pushed away from the table. Billy the ball cap as Sasha had succinctly called him, wasn’t getting any more jobs from Stefan, especially if he freaked people out rather than remained invisible.

Why was Sasha so concerned about being kidnapped? The idea confused him almost as much as her reaction to his private investigator. He had only asked Billy the ball cap to follow her, not to find out more information about Sasha. Maybe he should’ve asked for that instead.

Stefan made a split-second decision to follow Sasha. If he didn’t remedy this now, he would never see her again.

His long legs ate up the side walk as he headed in the direction Sasha went. A few yards ahead he could see her tiny frame rushing ahead. Her long hair fluttered in the spring breeze as she moved ahead. The skinny jeans she wore hugged her butt perfectly and the pinstripe top she wore accentuated her waist. She was a few inches taller with the girly high heels she wore; she looked like a sexy little minx as her legs zigzagged frantically to get away from him.

Stefan increased his pace, keeping his eye on her the whole time. She turned a corner onto what he was sure to be Broome Street and Stefan increased his pace to a jog. He caught up with her just as she was about to head into an apartment building.

He took a deep breath and touched her shoulder.

She flung around fist clenched ready to swing, fury shining in her beautiful brown eyes.

“Whoah!” Stefan said stepping back holding up his hands.

“You again? Didn’t you get the bloody message? I’m not interested in psychopathic stalkers!” Sasha spit at him before she turned around again and headed for the apartment doors.

“Sasha, please…” Stefan didn’t know if it was his words or the desperate tone of his voice, but she turned around and glared at him.

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have put Billy the ball cap on your tail.” Stefan couldn’t help but smile at saying the words out loud. Billy the ball cap actually suited his private detective.

“I should’ve called again. I just didn’t want to chance you blowing me off. I couldn’t stop thinking about you and needed to see you again.”

Sasha watched him without saying a word.

“I’ll make a deal with you.” Stefan raised his eyebrows. “If you haven’t thought of me at all since Friday, please go head step into that building and I’ll promise you’ll never hear from me again. But if you did, at least once… Please don’t go. Let me take you to dinner and make up for the mess I’ve made of things. One dinner? If you decide after dinner that I am the stalker psychopath you pegged me to be, you can go home with a clear conscience.”

Something flickered in her eyes as she watched him.

Stefan pushed ahead. “What if Friday night was more than just hormonal? What if I’m actually a nice guy that just screwed up? Big time?”

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “BIG TIME!” She said holding her hands as far apart as possible.

“Major screw up. Noted and trying to remedy it.”

“One dinner?” Sasha asked with narrowed eyes.

“One dinner, and you can pick the place.” Stefan said moving closer.

“If I’m not back in five minutes, that means I’ve decided you are a psychopathic stalker and I want nothing to do with you. Wait here.” She pointed to the spot he was standing and rushed into the apartment building.

It took every ounce of Stefan’s will not to follow her inside. She disappeared into an elevator and Stefan glanced at his watch.

What he should actually do is just walk the other way. She seemed like a lot of work and Stefan had never had to work for a date before. But something made him stay in place. Maybe it was the fire in her eyes, or the way her hips had felt in his hands. Either way he wasn’t sure, but found himself standing in the same spot five minutes later.

The elevator opened and Sasha stepped out. She had changed from her pinstripe top to something sexy and black for the evening. The heels she had click-clacked with down the street were replaced with comfortable black leather flats.

“One dinner,” she said as she joined him on the sidewalk.

Stefan smiled as he took her hand; one dinner was all he needed.

 

 

The restaurant was dimly lit with a small candle lantern in the center of their table. The menu boasted a variety of gourmet dinner options.

“Wine?” Stefan asked as the waiter approached their table.

Sasha glanced at the menu before looking up to meet his eyes. In the five minutes she had gone up to her apartment, she had done something to her eyes as well. They appeared sexy and smoky and Stefan was having trouble taking his eyes of them.

“I’d like the white wine and the Chicken Paillard with Pancetta and Sage.” Sasha said confidently.

Stefan smiled approvingly; normally his dates knew nothing about wine and left the choice to him. This was a woman that knew what she wanted and didn’t think twice about ordering food in an upscale restaurant. Intriguing, Stefan thought.

“We’ll have a bottle of your 2015 Chardonnay from Napa Valley and we’ll both have the chicken.” Stefan said before handing the menus back to the waiter.

“Certainly, sir.” The waiter answered before leaving them alone.

“Well this is awkward.” Sasha said before she laughed quietly.

“I’m sure the fact that I had Billy the ball cap follow you has nothing to do with that.”

“Ha-ha.” Sasha said dryly.

“Once again I’m sorry; I didn’t think he would freak you out. Anyway, if it makes you feel any better I didn’t ask him to get any information on you.”

“Really, I think you should stop while you’re ahead, otherwise I might just leave before dinner is served.”

“Right. Swift change of subject. So, did you grow up in New York?”

“Yes.” Sasha answered swiftly.

“Why didn’t you answer my text?” Stefan bolted out the next question.

Sasha looked him straight in the eye before answering, “I learned about your reputation.”

“My reputation?” Stefan asked confused.

“Yes, apparently you’re quite the player.”

Stefan shrugged. “I’m single; I’m young and as far as I know that isn’t a crime.”

“Let’s just say your reputation could harm mine.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Stefan asked feeling offended.

“My father is JB Morris.” Sasha said before taking a sip of the wine the waiter had just poured.

The name rang a bell but Stefan couldn’t immediately place it. “Wait, your father is JB Morris as in New York Senator JB Morris.”

Sasha nodded and kept his gaze, Stefan knew his reaction was being assessed.

“Right, now the kidnapping fear makes sense. Shit, now I’m really sorry about Billy the ball cap.” Sasha smiled at him. “I promise not to tarnish your reputation with mine.” Stefan flashed a charming smile and could only hope he could keep his promise.

“So tell me a little more about yourself Stefan Kelson, or should I ask Billy the ball cap?”

It was Stefan’s turn to laugh. “No need. Nothing to tell really. My family has a number of businesses in New York and I work at one of them.”

“Which one?”

“FACE Magazine.”

“What? You work at FACE Magazine?” Sasha burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Stefan asked confused.

“I just really didn’t peg you as the type. What do you do there?”

“I’m kind of in management, although I make a point of being there as little as possible.”

Sasha frowned. “Why? Don’t you enjoy it?”

“No. I hate it. But my father has this condition that if I don’t work then I don’t have access to my trust fund. And the guy above me, Roman, he’s a real dick. He tries to belittle me around every corner because my dad gave me the position.”

Stefan expected sympathy. He didn’t expect Sasha’s honest answer. “I don’t blame him, he worked for his position and you just got yours handed to you. And you’re making it easy for him by hating it. Why don’t you rather focus on proving him wrong?”

“What? How?” Stefan asked confused.

“Stefan, face it: you got the position because of your father, so instead of proving everyone right that your father just nudged you in, prove to them you belong there. Be a part of the team, an important part. That way they’ll start to respect you and stop hating you.”

“Hate’s a strong word.” Stefan said wondering if the whole staff at FACE didn’t hate him.

“It might be, but it also may be the right word.” Sasha said bluntly.

The waiter bought their food and Stefan watched as Sasha started cutting her chicken and took a bite. He had never thought of his situation like she had just explained it, but maybe she was right. He was shoe-horned into the position, that’s why nobody liked him. But how was he going to pretend to like a job he hated?