CHAPTER 3

 

VIOLET

​

I’M A LITTLE LATE GETTING GOING THE MORNING AFTER WHAT I think—no, I know—qualifies as the best one-night stand I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve had that many. It’s not always the smartest thing to do, safety-wise. Plus, I know practically everyone in town. Don’t want my favorite restaurant ruined because I slept with the bartender.

​

But this was a little beyond no-regrets territory. I actually felt a connection to this guy. One of those we-must-have- known-each-other-in-another-life kind of things. Not that I believe in that nonsense, but I don’t know how else to explain the ease between us. And once we got our clothes off, the fireworks.

​

Chemistry, I guess?

“Your dog’s eating my flowers, Violet!”

Our neighbor startles me from my reverie. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. Skye, off!” The puppy cringes, poor thing. It’s not her fault I’ve just been standing on the sidewalk mooning off into space.

​

“Everything all right, dear?”

“Everything’s great. How are your tomatoes this year?” After a lengthy conversation about hornworms, I’m rewarded with a shopping bag full of still-warm-from-the-sun and smelling-like-summer Big Boys, but time is a-wastin’. “Shoot, I’ve got to get going.”

​

“Tell your grandparents I said hello.”

​

“I will. Let’s go, Skye.” Hustling my dog into the car, I do my best to push nagging worries about my grandparents to the back of my mind. They’re getting up there, and running their inn has become more challenging for them. I live in the carriage house apartment in the back, so I’m always there if they need me. Which, unfortunately, has happened more often of late. I keep finding cleaning supplies forgotten in the oddest places, for one, and the other day my grandpa must’ve mistaken the baking soda for baking powder, because the muffins at breakfast were inedible.

​

But right now, I’m determined to enjoy what life has served up for me. It’s a glorious summer morning, I’m sexually satisfied, and all my best friends are finally in one place again. Lance is in my rear view, and “I’ve got the best puppy in the world, don’t I?”

​

Skye agrees with the cutest little “arf” ever.

​

I may be late, but I still need my morning caffeine, so I stop by Deluxe and pick up a large cup to go.

​

After I make the turn from 23rd Street and park in my reserved spot at the front of the studio lot, I stop by the security booth.

​

“How you doin’, Miss Violet?” the older gentleman who works the day shift asks.

​

In the past, when I contracted with the Fowlers in New York to do background casting on a project-to-project basis, I only rented an office short-term. Now that I’ve got a show to cast for a full nine months, I’m in for a full year. “I’m awesome, Sam. Did you have a nice weekend?”

​

It makes his job easier if he knows I have actors coming for auditions, so after I hear all about his visit with his grand- kids, I fill him in on my schedule for the day.

​

Then I walk Skye over to a strip of grass so she can do her business one more time before we head inside to face the phones. “If there’s no chewing on the office furniture today, I’ll take you to the beach after work,” I tell her. “Maybe we’ll run into that cute guy from last night.”

​

As we round the corner of the long aluminum-sided building that houses various production offices, my imagination must be playing tricks with me, because a man that looks a hell of a lot like that cute guy from last night strolls toward us. When we get close enough that Skye lets out what is probably meant to be a warning bark but is really a high-pitched yip, the man stops.

​

Well, I’ll be dipped and rolled in cracker crumbs. It is him.

​

“Hey, Nate. Uh, what are you doing here?” I ask, doing my best to keep my tone even. He didn’t give off a stalker vibe the night before, but as Dani pointed out, my judgement with men isn’t the greatest.

​

His smile is as confused as mine is forced. “Uh, this is where I work.”

​

Skye barks at him again.

​

“Who’s this?” He reaches down to pet her, but she growls at him. Straightening, he meets my gaze. “Not friendly?”

​

“Usually, she’s very friendly. Enough, Skye.” I use the stern tone our trainer Lucy taught me. “Down.”

​

With a grunt that I swear sounds like a teenager’s “Fine,” she settles onto the sidewalk.

​

“I see you went with the suit again,” I can’t help but point out.

​

He frowns, making me wonder if he thinks I’m stalking him. “Yeah, suits are the only thing I packed appropriate for work.”

​

“Well, nice to see you again.” What exactly is the protocol for running into a one-night stand at one’s place of business? Pretend that he hasn’t seen me naked? That I don’t want to kiss that frown off his face?

​

When we both take a step toward the same glass doors, I almost choke on my own spit, I’m so flabbergasted. “You’re working in this actual building?”

​

He pulls a slim calendar from his breast pocket, consults it, and checks the list of office numbers listed on the sign over the doors. “I’m going to One-C.”

​

“One-C is empty.” In fact, I was hoping to be able to expand into it someday.

​

He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and holds them up. “Not anymore.”

​

“Huh,” I say, suspicion creeping back into my gut. “What a coincidence. That’s right next door to my office.”

​

After a somewhat awkward pause, he steps in front of me to open the door, gesturing for me to precede him.

​

“Let’s go, girl,” I say to Skye as we pass through. I catch a whiff of his aftershave, something spicy that brings up very detailed memories from last night’s tryst. Even though the AC is pumping cool air overhead, I can feel the heat of him as he follows me down the hall.

​

“Well, welcome to the building,” I say as I unlock my door. The phone’s ringing on the other side, so I give him a little wave. “I’ve got to get in there, but we should, uh... have lunch sometime.”

​

He stares at the sign over my door for a moment before saying, “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here.”

​

Before I can rearrange my face to hide my disappointment, he adds, “But yes, I’d like that.”