03

Two interns scrambled out of her way, their eyes round and alarmed. Audrey likes to think they were running errands hurriedly. And that it’s not her stiff poker face that has given them the impression she was a spin-off of Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada.

She pushes through the doors of her office and marches inside in sky-high heels. She expelled a breath as she gracefully sinks behind her organized desk. Fresh out from the weekly story updates, she needed five minutes after her next meeting.

Her team has given her a brief rundown back at the conference room and she knows this month’s issue is going to come together as planned. Sassy will reign the newsstands like it does every month. Audrey can’t possibly take the credit to the magazine’s success though.

It’s not her.

It’s the amazing, independent women in her floor. So far, her Relationships department is Sassy’s pride. Aimee, Alexis, Violet and Julie (her new columnist) are the darlings of the magazine.

Kylie enters her office, disrupting her thoughts. « Here’s your coffee. » She laid the to-go cup on her desk.

She murmured her thanks and sipped on her coffee, hoping caffeine will dissipate the remains of her hangover. It’s been a long time since she’d been the staggering kind of drunk. She felt hungover even when her walk of shame was supposed to be one day ago.

Kylie stares at her wide-eyed, cheeks flushed.

She shot her a questioning look.

Her assistant smiles awkwardly and gesture at her neck. « You might want to adjust your turtleneck. I can see a little, um, » she trails off.

Audrey tugged at the collar of her turtleneck dress. Not only was she left with drunken memories. She had love marks too.

« And Audrey, there’s a man in the lobby, » Kylie says quietly.

Her brow arched. « Let security usher him out. » She turns to her computer.

Kylie fiddled uncomfortably. « It’s Vren Parkinson. He specifically asked to see you. Right now. »

Audrey almost choked on her coffee. She fisted her hand and place it over her mouth to stop an embarrassing cough. « Tell him to leave. »

« I did. He said it’s an emergency. He kind of needs to talk to you. »

She narrows her eyes on her assistant. « Tell him I’m not available. »

« I already told him that. » Her hand went behind her head as she fidgets with her purple hairscarf.

Audrey felt a cold breeze wrapping her in a spiral of anxiety. She had fuzzy recollections of the guy in the hotel room she so hastily fled from. They were blurry.

Fine by her.

Vague means forgettable. Harmless and blurry. And she needed to forget them all. Yes, utterly doable on her part.

But now the guy is at her lobby. How is she going to keep them harmless and blurry ?

« He says he just needs a minute of your time. »

A minute to finally rest her mind thrown out the window for a chat with her one-night stand.

Great.

Just Greeaat.

« Ask him to leave, » she monotones. Her eyes flick to her assistant with finality.

Kylie nods and headed to the door.

Audrey shakes her head, grabbing her coffee, phone and planner. She has a meeting in five minutes, and she prefers to be early. Punctuality is her specialty after all. She waited in the conference room… in vain. Because Amanda Knightly has cancelled in the last minute.

She takes in a calming breath through the nose. She’s been trying to get her to do a cover shoot for Sassy but as a highly on demand model of the industry and a friend, Audrey has nothing to worry about not getting the deal.

Just then, she receives a call from Amanda, sending her apologies and also feeding her to her doom. Apparently, a « good friend » called and asked if he could trade places with her because he badly needed the appointment.

And before she could wrap her head around the idea, the doors of the conference room had already given way to the « good friend » in his dark suit.

Audrey clicked her tongue, pursing her mouth into a stiff line.

Vren Parkinson walked across the room toward her. The dark mane of hair was no longer disheveled like the last time she’s seen them. His baby blue eyes latched on hers, holding her steady as he rewards her with an I’m-gorgeous-and-I-know-it smile.

The bastard.

He’s gorgeous, all right. All six feet of him.

But that doesn’t mean she’ll let him get away that easy for blindsiding her.

« You must be the good friend Amanda has given this appointment to. I’m still contemplating whether this is unprofessional of her or just so rude of you. » Out of manners, she stands up and offers her hand to shake.

Vren wasn’t in the least bit fazed by her snarky remark. His smile stretched into a boyish grin. He takes her hand, not shaking it, just kept it in his palm and gave a light squeeze. « You should understand that I’m in desperate need to talk to you. »

« Given different choices like say, giving my secretary a call for arranging a meeting, might have make me understand. » Audrey pulls her hand back to her side and stepped back to the other end of the conference table.

Away from the charms of a notorious ladies’ man.

One night. It was just one night.

« Now that would’ve given you the choice to say no again, wouldn’t it ? » His head tipped to one side, his smile never wavering.

She inhaled a breath, her face impassive. « Okay, let’s get this over with, Mr. Parkinson. What do you want ? A trophy for hitting homerun ? Because you don’t strike me as a man who calls when he says he will. »

Vren chuckles. « Miss Danler, you don’t strike me as a woman who leaves her number either. »

She gave him a vacant look, refusing to take the bait.

He pinned her in his gaze. « I’m sorry to barge in so suddenly but I really need to know if you’re on the Pill. »

Audrey gripped the table. « Excuse me ? »

His dark brows lifted as if her response has given her away.

Or if it didn’t, maybe it was the tint on her cheeks – more like from the embarrassment to her answer.

Damn it !

She never had a male company since… ever. Yep, that long for her to even bother for birth control.

When his eyes broadened, it sent more colors to her cheeks having felt like he just read her mind.

« Look, Mr. Parkinson, I don’t see how this is an emergency. I have meetings. » Audrey started tucking her planner to her arm, juggling her phone and coffee with it.

« I needed to know because I might have gotten you pregnant. »

Her phone thudded back on the table when her hands shook. « What ? »

« We haven’t used protection. »

Her stomach twisted. « What do you mean we haven’t used protection ? You can’t be too drunk to not use one. »

« Well, apparently, I was. » He shrugged. How he still looked nonchalant after dropping a problematic news is beyond her.

She laid her planner and coffee cup back on the table, not trusting her now shaking fingers. « Is this some kind of joke ? »

Vren shakes his hand with a chuckle that might have fooled a great number of unfortunate women. « I wish. »

She propped her palm firmly on the table as her head spin. It was definitely a bitchy migraine combined with unprotected wedding hookup. Her knees felt limp but the second they decided to give out Vren fled surreptitiously – much to her dismay – across the room.

His arms went around her. Audrey never was in need of a knight in shining armor. If the little girl in her used to dream about that bullshit, she’s been buried six feet under ages ago.

« Hands off. » She pushes at his chest.

It didn’t budge him.

Not even an inch.

Vren Parkinson is decidedly resistible from across the room. But not when his arms are around her and the broadness of his chest is pressed up against hers. It didn’t help that he’s acting all gentleman and trying to steady her in her feet.

« Just let go, Mr. Parkinson, » she says more sternly this time.

Vren’s hands slowly retreated to his sides. « Sorry. » He clears his throat. « I just thought you were going to faint and might even be pregnant with my kid. »

Audrey could’ve strangled him right then and there for reminding her of a failed one-night stand. And the possibility of irreversible consequences. « Of all ridiculous things to say, you think that’s appropriate right now ? »

« I don’t know, I just thought I, » he trails off thoughtfully, « yeah, you’re right, that sounded awkward. »

She shakes her head, her fingers tracing the frown between her brows.

« I’ll be in contact, Audrey. »

Her eyebrow drew together. There’s no way she’s going to let him be in contact. Her phone gives her enough anxiety when it buzzes to let him terrorize her peace of mind too.

« Your assistant gave me your number. » He grinned as if he read her mind. It wasn’t just the grin that crawled under her skin. It was the mischievous glint in his blue eyes that he got to take a step ahead of her.

Audrey clicks her tongue, her arms folding across her chest. « Fine. » The gesture felt more like she’s visibly putting a shield on herself. She can tell that he’s taking every ounce of pleasure in every discomfort he’s able to inflict on her – however small.