With my hair semi-fixed, I moved to the hand dryer and angled the warm blast upward to dry it. Then, I sought out my phone from its place of security in the waistband of my skirt. Bianca should be on break right about now.
I dialed her number in two clicks.
“Hey, chick,” Biance answered on the third ring. “I have thirty seconds.”
“I strode into Sawyer’s office like I was the fucking queen, then I tripped over a chair leg and fell flat on my face.”
There was a crystal clear pause of silence, then Bianca erupted into laughter.
“Oh no. Oh honey, I’m so sorry. That’s amazing, but boy do I feel your pain.”
“What do I do,” I groaned, turning the hand dryer onto cold to keep the heat to a minimum. “Today is one of the most important days and I made a fool of myself, never mind all the work I’ve done to try and get him to notice me and how do I manage it? By falling at his feet.”
“Rich guys love it when a girl falls at their feet,” Bianca pointed out sweetly. “It took you six months to make an impression, and you went all in.”
“I don’t think so. He asked if I was okay but after that, he barely acknowledged it.”
“Lean into it, make a joke or something. Listen, I’ve got to go but I love you, and we can nurse your bruised ego later, okay?”
“Okay, thank you.”
“Love you!”
Hearing Bianca’s voice was enough to calm the flaring heat that wormed across my skin. Turning off the hand dryer, I glanced once more into the mirror and lightly fluffed my hair. It would have to do. I’d already spent too much time in here anyway.
Rushing from the bathroom, I was distracted. Bianca had made a good point. Sure, I’d made a fool of myself, but joking about it with Sawyer might be a good way to work it out if I even have a chance there.
I was growing a little tired of pining after a man who doesn’t even look at me.
“Oof—!”
All thoughts halted when I hurried around the corner and ran smack-bang into someone tall and solid. It was like hitting a wall, and for the second time today, I ended up on my ass with my head spinning and my palms throbbing.
“Oh goodness,” said a voice like deep honey.
“Ow,” I groaned, then I peered up at the man ready to give him an earful about watching where he was going. That fire died a quick death when I looked up into a pair of golden brown eyes set against dark skin and a dazzling, concerned smile staring down at me.
Oh my god.
I ran into Kane Lewis!
2
CALLIE
Kane was gorgeous.
I’d seen pictures of him, of course I had. I’d been researching him ever since Sawyer mentioned him. Those were photo-op pictures, though and they did not do him justice in the slightest.
He stood over me, his dark brows pulled together in concern. The cloud blue shirt gracing his shoulders really made the trickle of gold in his iris stand out, and his dark skin turned dark copper in the late afternoon sun. Black twists sat atop his head, and there was so much concern on his face that I was certain I must have knocked my head this time.
Died and gone to heaven, surely?
“I said,” Kane repeated, his words finally bleeding through my shock. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry I didn’t see you. You came around the corner so quickly that I didn’t have time to react.”
He was asking me if I was okay?
I blinked up at him, unsure of how to get my mouth to obey the thoughts rushing through my mind.