Page 53 of Snowflakes and Ice Skates

He took a step back until we were standing side by side and leaned closer. “Do you want to go somewhere quieter?”

Yes! I nearly shouted it but gave a single nod instead. I led him to the door and grabbed our jackets before cutting through the mass of people to Cora’s bedroom. I shut the door behind us and crossed to the far wall, where a door opened onto a balcony. “It’s pretty cold, but does this work?” I asked.

“Yeah, I can actually hear myself think.” He sat down on the small iron bench and scooted to make room for me. When I sat down, our bodies were pressed together from our shoulders to our arms and thighs. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and looked out at the alley below us. It wasn’t a glamorous view, but it was the most privacy we had available.

“It’s kind of a relief to get away. I wasn’t expecting everyone to actually show up.” I grinned.

He laughed. “That’s how it goes, isn’t it? Then the times you think everyone will come is when no one does.”

I laughed and nodded. “Of course.”

“I’m really happy you invited me.”

I turned my head just enough to look at him. “Me too.”

“Can I admit something?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Sure?”

“I just don’t want you to think I’m a total creep.”

My heart beat heavily in my chest. “Now I’m worried.”

He laughed and bumped his shoulder into mine. “No, I’m making it sound worse than it really is.”

“You should probably just tell me, ‘cause now wild scenarios are going through my head.”

His eyes held mine. “I was hoping I’d run into you again. The day on the elevator, do you remember?”

I nodded while holding my breath. He remembered that? He didn’t seem to recognize me the second time we met.

“I couldn’t believe the most gorgeous woman literally fell into my arms, and I hadn’t thought to get your name or anything. I figured you worked in the marketing department, but I had no way of figuring out who you were without walking around the floor like an insane person.”

I gasped. He was looking for me too? “Really?”

“Yeah. Everyone who sits around me knows I was looking for you, the beautiful girl in the blazer.”

I laughed. “The blazer?”

He nodded. “That’s what we called you. I couldn't believe it when you were in the elevator again. I froze. And then afterward, I was so angry at myself for missing another opportunity.”

“No way!”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “I was berating myself, but then you showed up at lunch, and I thought it was an actual miracle. I couldn’t believe my luck.”

I finally burst out laughing. His face twisted in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

“I was looking for you at the same time you were looking for me!”

He threw his head back in shock. “What? Really?”

I nodded. “I called you Goldie because of your eyes.”

His eyebrows shot up and a smile finally appeared.

“I was coming down on the elevator that day because I’d gone to the sales floor to see if you worked up there. It was serendipitous that we both got on at the same time. Once I knew the team you were on, my boss did recon work for me and found out from your boss that a lot of your team ate lunch on the second floor, so Cora and I gave it a shot.”

He watched me for a few silent moments before breaking out in a wide grin. “So you were stalking me too.”