“So, do you want to tell me what has you so upset?” Landen asked as the car slowly moved through the rain-soaked streets.

“Nothing that matters,” the waitress shrugged without looking at him.

“Well you’re upset,” Landen replied not taking his eyes from her. “So, I think it matters, Ms?”

“Kate,” she replied as she finally looked up at Landen. “My name is Kate.”

“Nice to meet you, Kate,” Landen replied, as he offered her his hand. “I’m Landen Murphy.”

She stared at his hand for a moment, before she slowly reached out and took it.

“Now, would you like to tell me what happened after I left?” Landen asked giving her a questioning look.

“That guy,” she replied as she finally allowed her eyes to meet Landen’s once more. “Elliot. He said I wasn’t right for The Voodoo Club. He yelled at me and told me just to leave. He said that the money I’m owed for tonight, will be used to pay for your new shirt.”

“He fired you?” Landen exclaimed, and instantly he could feel a wave of anger bubble up inside him. “Well, that’s not happening…”

“It’s fine, really,” Kate insisted as she gave him a worried look. “Honestly. I don’t even know why I’m that bothered. It’s not like I even liked the job. The place was filled with nothing but spoiled, privileged assholes who thought they could act how they wanted because…”

She stopped mid-sentence when she realised what she was saying, and her face burned with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” she said, unable to look at Landen once more. “I really can’t seem to do anything right tonight.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” Landen said knowing that what she said wasn’t actually wrong. There are some clientele of The Voodoo Club that behaved like spoiled, privileged assholes, who thought they could do what they wanted, because Daddy would pay to fix whatever they broke. They were the same assholes that Landen had always made a point of staying away from when he was there. “You’re not wrong.”

“It’s not my place to judge anyone,” Kate sighed as she glanced up at Landen quickly. “And maybe it was for the best that Elliot fired me. I would have never felt comfortable working in a place like that…”

“Then why did you take a job there in the first place?” Landen asked, unable to hide his curiosity. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“That’s a long story,” Kate said with a shrug. “And one you really don’t want to know.”

“Well, I have all evening,” Landen said with a smile, and raised his eyebrows hopefully. “Maybe, I might surprise you.”

“Believe me, my story is not that interesting,” Kate replied with a smile, but Landen could see she wasn’t comfortable with the conversation. Still, he liked it when she smiled. It was simply stunning, as was she. He found her completely captivating, he really would’ve liked to get to know her better. He’d never felt more drawn to any other person in his entire life, than he was drawn to her.

“So,” he said as he watched her closely. “What will you do now?”

“I’ll find another job,” she sighed, and Landen could see a look of worry in her eyes and he instantly felt a stab of guilt shoot straight through him. He knew it was kind of his fault she lost her job and now he felt responsible in some way for her. Though, if Landen was truly honest, he knew that his interest in this strange girl, ran a little deeper than just guilt.

“I know this great little coffee shop,” Landen said, knowing he needed to take the chance while he could. He didn’t want his time with her to end, and he knew that it was about to end shortly. “It’s about ten minutes from here. I don’t suppose you would like to get a coffee with me?”

“Thank you, Landen,” Kate replied and gave him a sad smile. “I’m grateful for the offer, but I’m not really the girl you want to take for coffee. I’m not the girl you want, period.”

“And what makes you think that?” Landen asked, surprised by her response.

“Because my life’s a train wreck,” she replied as the car pulled to a stop next to the curb. She glanced out the window before she turned back to Landen. “And the last thing a guy like you needs is to be caught up in my drama. Believe me; it’s best if I just go home.”

“A guy like me?” Landen asked, surprised by her response. “Do you mean a guy who would go to a club like The Voodoo Club? A spoiled, privileged asshole?”

“No!” She replied quickly as her face flushed with embarrassment once more. “Not at all. I mean…you know what, it doesn’t matter. It was a kind offer and I’m grateful, but I’d rather just call it a night.”

She reached for the handle of the door, but Mike opened it from the outside for her, before she could open the door herself. She hesitated before she climbed out. Instead, she turned back to look at Landen. She gave him another smile, but this time it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Thank you for the ride home. I really am sorry I ruined your night,” she said and smiled again.

“On the contrary, I think you made my night far more interesting,” Landen replied returning her smile, before she climbed out of the car, and hurried up to the glass doors of the building in front of her. When she reached the door, she swiped her key card in front of the panel on the wall, before she pulled the door open, then she glanced back at the car one more time before she hurried in through the door.

Landen sighed as he settled back into his seat as his driver pulled the car away from the front of the building. He had no idea who Kate was, but he sure as hell was going to find out. This thing between them was still unfinished, and Landen was not giving up that easily.

“Good morning, Landen,” Nikki, Landen’s assistant, said as he hurried down the softly lit corridor to his large corner office on the top floor.

His company, Cole, Murphy, and Finch owned the top five floors of one of the largest buildings in the Bay area, and Landen loved that his office had the most stunning view of the Pacific Ocean.

Landen hired Nikki the first day he was named Junior Partner of the company, which was then just Cole and Company. He knew Nikki from when he was an intern in the District Attorney’s office, and when he came to work at Coles, he insisted that she had to come with him.

She was a year younger than him, but she was probably the smartest, wisest person Landen had ever met. He knew that he was great at what he did, but he knew that a big part of his success was in no small part down to Nikki too. The fact that she was drop dead gorgeous didn’t hurt either, but she was more like a sister to Landen, so there was never anything romantic between them.

“Good morning, Nikki,” Landen said as he set down a double chocolate mocha, with whipped cream on her desk and gave her his most charming smile. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m good,” she said as she stared at the coffee for a moment before she looked up at Landen and gave him a knowing grin. “What do you want me to do?”

“What makes you think I want you to do anything?” Landen asked with a shrug of his shoulders, but he knew Nikki could see right through him.

“Because, Landen Murphy,” she said with a grin as she picked up the mocha and brought it to her nose for a sniff. As she breathed in the warm, chocolatey aroma, a contented smile spread across her face, but she quickly pulled it back, before she looked up at Landen once more. “I know you better than you know yourself. You always bring me this devil drink whenever you want me to do something a little outside my job description.”

“I need a favor,” Landen admitted, knowing there was no point in dragging this out any further. “But for the record, I have brought you those disgusting drinks without wanting something before.”

“Yeah,” Nikki said as she stood up, her coffee still in her hand. “But that was usually because you were sorry about something, even if I wasn’t supposed to know you were sorry. Like I said, I know you better than you know yourself.”

“Okay, Wise Ass,” Landen chuckled as he nodded towards his office. “In there though, I would rather keep this on a need to know basis, and trust me, the other people in this office do not need to know.”

Landen headed into his office and set his briefcase down on his desk before he slipped off his suit jacket. Hanging it up before he took his seat behind the desk.

“Close the door,” Landen instructed Nikki as she followed him into his office. She turned and closed the glass door behind her, just as she was instructed to.

“This must be something big,” she said as she made her way across the office in her ridiculously high heels, though she made it look like she was almost walking on air.

“How do you walk in those things?” Landen asked as he looked from her shoes, up to her pretty face.

“It takes a lot of practice,” she grinned as she sat into the seat in front of the desk. “But you know how much I love my shoes.”

“I do,” Landen chuckled as he leaned forward, and rested his elbows on the desk in front of him.

“So,” Nikki said looking Landen in the eye. “What’s the problem, Boss Man?”

“I need you to find a girl for me?” Landen said unsure if he was making a mistake or not, getting Nikki involved in this, whatever this was. “Well actually, I need you to find out as much as you can about this girl.”

“Okay,” Nikki said with a nod, and Landen loved that she knew not to ask for a reason why. Instead, she opened her notebook and looked at Landen expectantly. “What’s her name?”

“Kate,” Landen replied and watched as Nikki began to write.

“Kate what?” Nikki asked as she looked back up at Landen.

“I don’t know,” Landen replied with a sigh, knowing that he really was asking for the impossible to be done.

“Then how am I supposed to find her?” Nikki exclaimed as she gave Landen a confused look.

“Well, I have an address for her,” Landen explained as he handed her a piece of paper with the address he dropped Kate off at, the night before, on it. “And she works at The Voodoo Club, well she did. I might have gotten her fired…”

“YOU GOT HER FIRED!” Nikki exclaimed a little louder than she had meant to.

“It was an accident,” Landen quickly replied. “And to be honest, I am not sure whose fault it was, but that asshole Elliot Granger fired her anyway.”

“Ouch!” Nikki replied, and Landen could tell that she knew Granger had made a huge mistake.

“I will take care of that piece of crap,” Landen hissed as he sat back in his chair. “But I really need you to find all you can about this girl. I need it as soon as possible.”

“I’m on it,” Nikki said as she took a sip of her coffee before she stood up. “And thank you for my coffee.”

“You’re very welcome,” Landen replied with a smile before Nikki turned and headed out of his office.

Landen sat for a moment and wondered if he was doing the right thing. The last thing he needed in his life was more complications, but there was something about this girl, something that told him he needed to help her.

Pushing up from his desk slowly, he turned and walked to the floor length window that covered the entire outer walls of his office, staring out at the city below.

He didn’t know why his thoughts were so consumed with Kate. Admittedly, she was possibly the most stunning woman he had ever seen, but Landen knew it was more than that. Everything about her told him she didn’t belong in a place like The Voodoo Club. She seemed too smart and together to be a waitress in a private nightclub.

What does that say about you? He thought to himself miserably. Maybe that’s why she didn’t want to go for that coffee, and who could blame her. Why would any woman be interested in someone who frequents a pick-up bar, like The Voodoo club?

Landen wondered if maybe he should just let this go, but there was a story there, he knew it, and it was in his nature to seek out the truth, whatever it might be. A feeling in the pit of his stomach told him, this girl was in trouble, and for some reason, Landen believed that he owed it to her to help.

“Hey,” Nikki said as she stuck her head through the doorway to Landen’s office. Landen looked up at his assistant, and smiled as he rubbed his tired eyes.

“It’s after seven,” he said as he closed down his laptop and slumped back into his chair. “What are you doing still here?”

“I wanted to finish up one or two things,” Nikki replied as she walked into the office and closed the door behind her once more. “Have you got a minute?”

“For you, Nikki,” Landen said as he stifled a yawn. “I’ve got two.”

“So, I looked into this Kate girl,” Nikki began as she sat down in front of Landen’s desk. Landen knew by the look on Nikki’s face that whatever she had to say, he wasn’t going to like.

“And,” he replied impatiently, not wanting to drag this out any longer.

“Well, I don’t know who you met last night,” Nikki said as she set the paperwork she was holding in her hand, down on Landen’s table. “But there is no Kate, Catherine, or any version of that name that lives in that apartment building. I also contacted the club. They said it’s the policy of the club to keep their staff anonymous, so they wouldn’t give out any details. They did, however, tell me that last night there was a new casual worker there, it was her first night, but she has since been released from duty, and they have no contact details for her.”

“But I saw her going into that apartment building,” Landen said as he picked up the paperwork from his desk. He quickly read down through the names that were listed as owners, and or occupiers. Most of the people on the list were men, and the two women that were on the list were older women.

“I called everyone from the list,” Nikki continued. “None of them knew any Kate, and they all said they didn’t have any female guest staying with them at this time.”

“I don’t get it,” Landen sighed as he set down the paperwork, and sighed. “She had a key card. I saw her go into the building.”

“I believe you,” Nikki said as she gave him a reassuring smile. “But whoever she is, she clearly doesn’t want to be found, because she has someone lying for her.”

“Okay,” Landen sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes once more. “You should head off for the night. I’m grateful for your help, Nik.”

“You should call it a night too,” Nikki replied, as she stood up. “You look tired. You’ve had a long week. It’s Friday; go home and try to get some rest.”

“Okay, Mom,” Landen said with a laugh as he stood up and slipped his laptop into his briefcase. Nikki turned, walking towards the door, but she stopped when she reached it and looked back at Landen.

“I know you wanted to find this girl,” she said in a soft voice. “I don’t know why, but knowing you, it’s for some noble cause. But, maybe there is a reason she doesn’t want to be found. And maybe it would be best if you let this one go.”

“Thanks, Nik,” Landen replied and gave her another smile. “I’ll take what you said into consideration. I promise.”

“Good,” she replied, smiling once more before she turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Landen stood there for a moment thinking about what his assistant had said. Maybe there was a reason she didn’t want to be found. Maybe that was the same reason she gave him the brush off the night before.

Either way, without knowing who she was, Landen knew there was nothing he could do to help her at that moment. He needed to accept that this time, he just had to let this one go.

He picked up his jacket, slipping it on, before he grabbed his briefcase from his desk and headed for the door.

As he rode down in the elevator, he knew he needed to push this girl from his mind. He had no way of finding her unless he sat outside the apartment building, and even then, he couldn’t be sure that she even lived there.

He sighed as he stepped from the elevator, knowing that there was nothing more he could do.

“Mr. Murphy,” Martin, the night watchman called out as Landen made his way across the marble foyer. “Do you need me to call your driver, Sir?”

“No thanks, Martin,” Landen said as he gave the man a grateful smile. “I think I’m going to walk this evening. “It’s such a beautiful evening out.”

“That it is, Sir,” Martin chuckled as he gave Landen a wave. “Have a good weekend.”

“You too, Martin,” Landen replied as he headed out through the glass, revolving doors and out into the cool night air.

Landen always loved the city after a storm, the heavy rain the night before had certainly cleared away the cobwebs. Landen had lived in D.C. and New York, but to him, there was nowhere else in the world he felt at home, than San Francisco

He had loved growing up here, and when he lived elsewhere, all he ever thought about was coming home. He loved the big city feel San Francisco had, but felt it also had the old charm of long ago.

He thought there was no other place in the world with as much character and charm as San Francisco. He loved that he got to call it home.

By the time he reached his apartment, almost thirty minutes later, Landen felt tired. He dropped his briefcase and his jacket on the sofa, as he made his way across his living room, to his huge kitchen that was at the far side of his apartment.

He opened the fridge and saw the dinner, Carla, his housekeeper had left for him in the chiller, but instead of going for the plate, he grabbed a bottle of beer instead, twisted off the lid, then headed back out to his lounge.

Flopping down on the sofa, he picked up the remote, switching on the game he knew was on tonight.

Landen kicked off his shoes and sunk down into the chair before he brought the beer to his lips, taking a long sip.

Kate suddenly crashed into his mind again, and he hated that he would be left with so many unanswered questions about her.

He rested his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. He felt so worn out. Before he knew it, sleep had claimed him, and his dreams were filled with images of the pretty brunette he knew he would never see again.