“THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this incredible opportunity, and I hope to meet all of you later on this evening. Take care everyone.” Harrison McCoy lifted a hand in a wave and gave the people a small, but professional wave.

He’d nailed the opening speech he had painstakingly written for this very moment, and he could already tell that there were people eager to chat with him. And as successful as his speech had been, he just couldn’t stop thinking about the woman he’d met earlier on the terrace; too bad he hadn’t gotten her name. He’d scanned the crowd for her numerous times throughout his talk, but hadn’t seen her. Maybe she was still up at the terrace; he made a mental note to go check when he had a chance to get away again.

Harrison stepped back from the mic and headed off the stage. As expected, he was swarmed by people as soon as he walked around the corner and into the main room. He shook their hands and exchanged pleasantries and information, quickly and accurately answering their questions. While his mind was on the woman from earlier, he knew that he needed to gain some new contacts if he wanted to maintain his success.

“Mr. McCoy?”

“Yes?” Harrison stepped forward to meet one of the last people in the group who had swarmed him. He reached out and shook his hand, noting the strong grip that he earned in return. He had always liked a good handshake; it spoke of confidence and high self-esteem.

“My name is Jeff Byrne, and I just loved your speech. I heard you mention using algae for alternative energy in your business background; are you still pursuing that?”

“Harrison McCoy; good to meet you, too. And yes, I absolutely am. It may not be great for business right now, but I’m really trying to look ahead into the future.”

“I like that, that’s smart. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. Tracey, my wife, is just over there at one of the tables. Would you mind giving up a bit of your time to discuss some investment options?”

“Yes, of course! I’d love to talk to you both. Lead the way.”

Harrison followed the older gentleman through a small crowd of people; when Jeff gestured to a table where a woman in dark red was seated, Harrison approached her and held out his right hand. “Hello, I’m Harrison McCoy; your husband commandeered me over here.”

She chuckled softly and reached out to take his offered hand. “Tracey Byrne; it’s a pleasure.”

“Likewise. I really appreciate your interest in what I’m trying to do.” He sat down across from Tracey, even as Jeff seated himself next to his wife. “It’s a big risk, so it’s nice to know there are investors out there willing to take it with me.”

“Damn right we are. I’ve seen a few companies here and there that promote sustainable living and energy, but none of them are as committed as they’d like us to believe. Would you mind telling us a little more about what you do and what you’re all about?”

“Well, I won’t lie to you: I’m in this to make money, just like you are. In the same breath, though, I’m even more interested in a future. And if something doesn’t change in the next ten years or less, there likely won’t be a future for any of us. My old mentor once told me that we can’t feed the earth with money; haven’t forgotten that since he passed away.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your mentor – that’s rough.” Tracey offered Harrison a comforting smile. “But it’s true. I focus heavily on fundraising for kids and those less fortunate, and with the price of everything rising higher and higher, a lot of people just can’t sustain themselves. I see it and hear about it every day, and it just breaks my heart. So even though I’m not as involved in the investing process as Jeff is, I’d still love to be a part of the whole information-sharing process.”

“Definitely. I try to be as transparent as possible with all of my investors and clients. How about we set up a time to meet, say next week? And we can sit down without all of this kafuffle everywhere.” Harrison gave his eyes a playful roll and gestured to the crowd.

“That sounds perfect. I’d love that, Mr. McCoy.”

“Agreed, I’m in.” Jeff gave the younger man a cool smile and shook his hand again in the same confident manner as he had the first time.

Tracey shook Harrison’s hand next, then tugged out her card and passed it to him. “This has both our numbers on it. Why don’t you stop by our place next Tuesday at noon?”

“Sure.” Harrison took the card and slid his own across the table to her. It had his name, number, and fax number on it; the background was white, and there were a myriad of angular blue designs slashing across it at various angles. It looked high tech, like the kind of card a successful businessman would have. “I’ll see you both Tuesday at noon. You two have a pleasant evening.”

Just as the two left, Harrison felt the telltale buzzing of his phone – another text. Expecting a client or potential investor, or maybe someone from one of his companies, he was surprised to see the name Marissa Bowman. She was a supermodel he’d hooked up with a few times over the last month or so, no strings attached. Exactly the way he liked it.

It appeared she wanted him to come over to her place for some ‘play time.’ He very nearly responded immediately, but thoughts of the woman on the terrace made him pause. Even though he hadn’t seen her here over the last hour or so, busy doing speeches and mingling, she could still be up there.

He weighed the phone in his palm and looked down at the text again. Marissa was, as always, very risqué and blunt about what she wanted, and he could feel his body growing hot just from the thought. Palms growing sweaty, his temples felt like they were pounding with his heart beat, and his suit suddenly felt far too small.

Just go, damnit, he thought to himself. Get out of here and go wrap that woman around your body until the sun comes up.

She came back to his mind, though, that woman he’d met on the terrace. He had so many questions, such as why he’d felt instantly attracted to her. And what were the chances that they both had an interest in graphic novels? While he didn’t trust her in the least, he almost found himself wanting to at least try. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt about a woman in such a way; normally, he’d just have his fun with them and cut them loose. It was much better that way. No one got hurt, no one had to feel awkward or betrayed. It was just...simpler.

All the more reason, he decided, to avoid the woman on the terrace. Setting his jaw, Harrison texted Marissa back:

I’ll be there in fifteen.

He turned off his phone before he could get a reply and pocketed it. With a quiet sigh, he pulled himself up from the table and headed for the main doors. Just before he got there, however, he caught sight of someone in a navy blue dress; it was the same style and cut as hers, and her hair was the same shade of brown. Even her posture looked similar, and he felt his heart picking up speed all over again. He changed direction and approached her from behind. A hand pressed into the top of her shoulder, and he felt her whole body flinch.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, but remember our conversation on the rooftop terrace? I said-”

That was as far as he got before she turned around. This was not the woman from the roof, and while her eyes were wide in shock, she was at least ten years older. She also wasn’t as beautiful, not as far as Harrison was concerned, and both of her ears were pierced. The woman he’d met earlier hadn’t had any earrings.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, you looked like someone else from a distance. Apologies, miss.” He gave her a smile that reflected his words and withdrew his hand. If she said anything in return, he didn’t hear her as he turned away and started to look at other people in the crowd. Some were filtering out while others were coming inside. Still more were mingling and talking amongst one another. A few over by the bar were getting far too drunk for an event of this prestige; it almost reminded Harrison of a bad wedding.

Where had she gone? He was sure he hadn’t seen her leave, but with all of the exits and people, it was possible to lose her in the crowd.

He tilted his head and gazed up at the stairs. All thoughts of Marissa faded as he walked up the stairs, hopeful in both his heart and his mind that the beautiful woman would be up there still. He didn’t expect her to wait for someone she’d only just met, but she had seemed so content up there.

When he reached the doors and pushed through them, his heart did a series of flip-flops. He found himself holding his breath while he searched for her, walking slowly to the chairs where he had first seen her; she wasn’t there. His eyes narrowing, brow furrowed, Harrison turned in a slow circle, looking for her without spotting her. She was definitely gone, and by the looks of things, she hadn’t left anything behind. It was as though she’d never been here at all.

Shit...”

The thought of going to Marissa now, with his mind so bent on locating this mystery girl, was far away, not even in the avenue of his plans. Not anymore. Instead, he stood on the edge of the terrace where they had been just an hour or so before, and folded his arms across his chest. There had to be some kind of connection between her and at least someone here. Otherwise, why even show up? It was then, in that moment, that Harrison remembered something:

When he’d first shown up, she had accused him of being sent by someone else. Someone, he was sure, she wanted nothing to do with.

“Hey, dude, I’m Brad... you seen my girlfriend?”

The drunken slur of a man’s voice broke Harrison’s concentration, and he eyed him from the side with only one of his eyes. “Not up here, buddy; it’s just me.”

“Hah! Well, you’re definitely not her. Though you are very pretty. Anyway... you sure you haven’t seen her? Blue dress, brown hair, smoking hot. Trying to avoid me all evening; what a bitch, right?”

He ignored the first few words that came out of the drunk guy’s mouth, but the description –as vague as it was– made Harrison wonder. This man was tall, muscular, and blue-eyed with blond hair. And he was certainly not someone he himself would want anything to do with. Could he be the one she had been trying to avoid?

“I haven’t seen anyone like that in a while. And not up here. Earlier I saw someone like that, though. She was up here, sitting right in one of those chairs.” He pointed to the lounge chairs.

“Aw, man. Yeah, that was probably her, I just tried to get a picture with her, you know? Nothing serious or anything, and she got pissed and took off on me. I’ve been looking for her forever, dude, you don’t know how much this means to me.” Brad started toward Harrison with arms wide open, a goofy smile on his face.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I really didn’t do anything.” He side-stepped the hug attempt and moved closer to the lounge chairs. “And if she was angry, maybe she left the event and went home if you can’t find her anywhere here.”

“Home... yeah... good call, bro.” He offered Harrison a quick thumbs-up before he turned and ambled his way back down the stairs. Hopefully he wasn’t driving; he could barely even walk straight.

A small, bemused smile quirked at his mouth, and he leaned a hip against the railing. The clues were rolling in strong, one after another, and now Harrison was 99% sure that this ‘Brad’ had been the one to drive the mystery girl from the event. And considering how he’d spoken, even drunk, he doubted that the guy was her boyfriend. She seemed to have much more class than that.

“I’ll find you,” he murmured into the breeze. “One way or another; even if I have to interrogate your drunk ‘boyfriend.’”