“Good luck for tomorrow,” said Scott quietly as he looked up at me, his kind eyes sincere. “Although you don’t need it.”
“Oh yes,” said Ethan, as he leaned around the eager brunette sitting on his lap. “Go get ‘em, Issy.”
“Aww, thanks guys,” I beamed. “You must be the nicest rock band in history.”
“Hey, Issy, you prick tease! Where do you think you’re going? You’re bringing that mighty fine, hot body home with me tonight and I’m going to take you on every surface, in every room of my place until you beg me to stop!” shouted Travis, just as the band on stage finished playing.
All eyes were on me as I smiled sweetly and called back “In your dreams, Trav!” and the room was filled with raucous laughter, with Travis laughing as loud as anyone. Even the band on stage was laughing.
“You know it! Wet, wet Issy dreams.” said Travis, as he thrust his hips suggestively. Then he turned to the small crowd of adoring fans and demanded to know which one of them would be taking my place. I shook my head as they all jumped up and down shouting “Me!”
Back at our apartment, I removed my vampish make up and brushed out my hair, trying not to dwell on the meeting in the morning. Angel appeared, showered and dressed in pj’s, holding two mugs of hot cocoa. I took one and we clinked the mugs together and sat back on my bed, agreeing how great the boys’ band had gotten.
As I lay down in my bed a short time later, one of the band’s ballads was quietly going around my head. It was perfect relaxation for preparing for sleep and I was grateful for Angel’s stipulation that Chad didn’t stay the night with her. I soon drifted off to sleep.
I awoke earlier than usual the next morning, realizing that my hand was between my legs and that the image of the mystery man from The Orion Building was burned in my memory, behind my closed eyes. I realized that my heart was beating quickly and that my nipples were hard. Have I been dreaming about him? My cheeks burned as I realized that I had.
I stumbled into the bathroom and straight into the shower. As I stood under the powerful jets of water, my thoughts strayed back to the mysterious, sexy stranger. How could he have disappeared so quickly? What was he, the Phantom of the Opera or something? That thought made me shiver and then I recalled those dark eyes that seemed almost menacing when I first looked into them. His angry curse in that almost brutal tone, flashed through my mind and I wondered who would get so angry just because someone had accidentally bumped into them. No rational person would, I was sure. The image of the Phantom dressed all in black began to form in my mind and I shivered and turned up the heat of the shower. Perhaps he was just a phantom of my imagination. I never expected to run into anyone in the building whilst wearing my rock chick outfit - I’d hardly looked like a professional interior designer. I began to hope that I had imagined our meeting. But how could I account for the half hour that I was missing? I sighed and began to wash my hair and the rich berry scent chased away any dark thoughts as I showered.
“Argh! I hate my hair sometimes!” I moaned as I attempted to wrestle my long locks into a smooth chignon for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.
“Here,” chuckled Angel as she breezed into my room. “Let me help you.”
Ten minutes later, I stood admiring my perfect chignon in the mirror. “Oh thank you, thank you, Angel,” I smiled as I felt my tension begin to leave me. “That is amazing; look how sophisticated I look, and how my hair shines! How do you do it?”
Angel grinned as she took a bow then she stood next to me as I continued to critically assess myself in the full length mirror.
“Are you sure that I should wear the pantsuit and not the dress?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes and sighed in mock annoyance. “You look amazing in either but that pantsuit fits like a glove and screams elegance and expensive tailoring. Take confidence from how good you look, how good your designs are and how talented your new assistant is.”
I grinned at her in the mirror. “Modesty suits you madam,” I joked.
We got to the office earlier than we needed to but I wanted time to go over my designs again before I went up to the 15 floor. An image of midnight blue eyes flew unbidden into my mind as I unlocked the door. I shivered and had to shake the image of my mystery phantom from my head. I couldn’t risk any distractions today.
Half an hour later, Angel did her best to calm my nerves as she accompanied me to the elevator. “Don’t worry,” she said pushing my design plans and samples into my arms as the elevator doors began to close. “I’ll man the phone until you get back.”