I can do this, Raine thought to herself as she fished out a crisp $10 bill and handed it to the taxi driver.
She pulled down her fitted t-shirt and smoothed out her jeans before walking through the gate of the high rise building and pressing the button to alert the receptionist to release the lock on the door.
She smiled at the brunette woman as she finished up a phone call, raised her hand to signal that another one had come in and then looked up expectantly.
"Goodmorning," Raine said politely. "I'm here to see Mr. Brandon Roberts."
"Is he expecting you," the receptionist asked.
"Yes, he is," Raine lied hoping that he would be as happy to see her as she was to see him.
Brandon was an old flame of Raine's. Old being the pun of the day since Brandon was more than 20 years older than she was. With salt & pepper hair and thick glasses, he was a bit of a nerdy guy, exactly the type that Raine liked to seduce. Unfortunately she had not had the chance to sample Brandon's sexual skills yet. Something had gone terribly wrong when she met him a year before during a business meeting. One look at him and she knew that he was someone that she wanted to see again. The idea drove her to email him later that evening, thanking him for his time, a move she was sure would force him to think of her and ultimately keep her on his mind.
But things went terribly wrong when, after spending time with him socially, she realized that she had feelings for him. Whenever "those things" popped it, it was almost an instinct to sabotage any future with the person. Yes, Raine was a hit it and quit it type of girl, too afraid of being hurt to develop anything more. You can't be rejected if you reject them first, was and still is her motto.
Although she was definitely a head turner in the looks department, Raine had yet to experience anything close to love. She poured herself into her work, demanding more from her talents than most would because she figured that her success was one thing she had control over. She knew from experience that no matter how nice she was or how fantastic she was in bed, those things wouldn't guarantee a real love in her life.
"Mr. Roberts is ready to see you now," the receptionist chirped brightly.
Raine walked over to the elevator doors and stepped inside, holding her breath. The last communication that she had with him she had cursed him out and told him she never wanted to see him again. It was a bratty move that usually resulted in a permanent end to any future encounters but here she was, almost magnetized to him once again. He could easily brush her off as one of the lunatic stalkers he has had in the past, women were drawn to his easy going nature and he had been hurt many times before by women who demanded his time and acted outlandish when he was unable to give it.
As she stepped off the elevator on the 9th floor she shook her head and briefly thought of turning around to leave. After all of this time, she still didn't know if he really liked her or if she was just some stupid girl with a crush. Instead of leaving, her feet moved in the direction of his office and as soon as she rounded the corner, he was stepping outside to meet her.
They stood silently in the hall for a few seconds, their smiles speaking volumes as happy vibes bounced back and forth between them. "Come on in," he said and walked toward his office.
She followed him and sat down on the chair opposite his desk. She frowned at the emotions stirring inside her. He looked her over, offering appreciative comments about her looks, asking about her family and her career ventures. She only provided head nods as he questioned her, unsure of what her voice would portray if she dared to speak.
She looked him over, her body heating up as she watched him fumble with his cell phone which had just buzzed.
"What are your plans for the day?" he asked her.
She shrugged, still unable to speak.
