Okay, so maybe I was looking his way, but I was most certainly not staring! And if it was anyone's fault, it would be my own for not looking both ways!
Stupid pompous ass!
Jeans, top, shoes, that was about all I remembered from my outfit before I was stomping out the door to my car. I threw my purse onto the passenger side and plopped down into my seat to start the car. Just my luck. The thing was completely dead; it wouldn't turn over, and there looked to be no lights that I had forgotten to turn off. I let out a scream of frustration before I picked up my phone and called a cab. Sure I could have popped the hood and figured out what was wrong on my own, but I would have no clue what I was looking at and I far beyond the point of being patient with anything as my pissed-off-meter was off the charts.
And if I was going to do what I intended, I needed to do it now, before I lost my steam to say what I intended. Within fifteen minutes a yellow cab pulled up in front of the house, and after I climbed into the backseat there were just two words I could get out.
Through clenched teeth the words, "Harrison Towers," was all I needed to say to send me directly into the world I wanted to avoid.
The yellow cab stopped in front of the twenty-story high building I knew to be Stefan's. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't help but keep tabs on him. In my mind, I had convinced myself that I needed to know where he was, so I could avoid him at all costs. Until yesterday that plan had worked wonderfully.
I paid the driver, took a deep breath and marched into the building. There was a flurry of people coming and going, but I paid no attention to any of them.
In the center of the room was an expansive desk with two beautiful women, go figure, sitting behind it. One caught my eye and smiled with a vacant expression.
"Good morning, how can I help you today?"
My head shook and I narrowed my eyes. "Where is Stefan?"
The woman opened her mouth to say something, but stared at me as if I was some kind of monster.
"Oh, erm … Mr. Harrison?" she clarified, trying desperately to regain composure.
I thrust my hands onto my hips. "Yes, where the hell is he?"
Her mouth gaped open as she fiddled with the phone in front of her with her eyes never leaving me. Just for effect I tapped my foot against the expensive marble floors.
The older of the two women put a hand on her shoulder and stood to look toward me. "Do you have an appointment, ma'am?"
I let out a sardonic laugh and rolled my eyes. "Trust me, he knows I'm coming." She opened her mouth to argue with me when a phone rang at the desk. Both women stopped staring at me and immediately looked to it. I'd be willing to bet my yearly salary that phone was Stefan's private line.
"Hello, Mr. Harrison," I heard her faint cheery voice answer. I knew it.
"Oh." The woman's cheeks suddenly grew bright red. I couldn't hold back my smirk. She glanced my way and nodded once. "Very well, sir."
When the phone was back on the base I spoke up. "Now, again, where is he?"
"Take the elevator to the top floor; Mr. Harrison is expecting you."
"As I said."
It wasn't until I was ascending in the elevator that I realized what I was actually doing. Seeing Stefan for a brief moment was infuriating and addicting. No matter how much I should have, I hadn't been able to look away. Yet now everything was about to smack me right in the face and I didn't know if I was ready for it. There was a loud 'ding' before the doors opened; another receptionist's desk was the first thing I saw. The equally gorgeous red haired woman behind the desk looked almost terrified as she looked at me. She stood and quickly pointed a finger down the hall.
"Mr. Harrison is waiting for you."
"I'll bet he is," I replied as I stomped all the way to the end of the hallway where the only door stood cracked open.
Without a second thought I pushed it open and slammed it shut behind me, partially to keep me from turning to run the other way. That was when I looked to the obnoxiously large wooden desk and saw the face I've had memorized since the first moment we met. I felt the air rush from my lungs as if the mere sight of him had the power to take my breath away-instead it pissed me off even more that this man was having this effect on me. Despite my bubbling rage I couldn't help deny the tension engulfing the room and that stunning face staring back at me.
Blue eyes alit with amusement, a smirk on his tantalizing lips and his feet kicked up on his desk. His long fingers tapped the face on his ostentatious watch as he slowly scanned me from head to toe.