I shake his hand, and Jordan does the same. “Sounds great,” I tell him. “I’ll contact the venue as soon as we leave here and have an answer for you later this afternoon.”
Damien nods happily. “Perfect. I look forward to hearing back from you.” He walks over to the door and opens it. “Do you need me to walk you out?”
“Oh, no.” I wave him off. “But thank you though. We know where to go.”
He says his goodbyes and heads in the opposite direction down the hallway. Jordan leans in close and whispers in my ear. “How much is in the envelope?”
My heart races excitedly. I slip the envelope out of my notebook and pull the check halfway out. It’s like the air whooshes out of my lungs the second I see the figures. I slap a hand over my mouth. “Holy shit. It’s half a million dollars.”
Jordan grabs her chest. “Oh, my God. This is insane.”
Quickly, I push the envelope back into my notebook and take a deep breath. I thought we made a lot of money from the Carolina Cougar party, but this one takes the cake. I grab Jordan’s arm so we can get out of there. What I really want to do is scream at the top of my lungs and do a victory dance. I’m just floored at how far Jordan and I have come in just over eight years.
Picking up my pace, I pull Jordan with me. “We really need to celebrate tonight.”
Her eyes widen at something to my side. “Ensley, look out.”
Just as she says it, I bump into someone on my left. Not only do I bump into him, but I accidentally step on his foot as well, losing my balance in the process. “Oh my God,” I gasp just as a firm grasp grips my arm to steady me. The man beside me smiles and loosens his hold on me.
“Glad I was here to catch you.”
For a moment, it’s like I’m frozen in time. His voice sounds so familiar, but I don’t recognize his face. “I am so sorry,” I apologize. “I should’ve watched where I was going.”
His dark blue eyes twinkle. “No worries.” Then he holds out his hand. “I’m Owen Jameson.”
I shake his hand. “Ensley Anderson, and this is my business partner, Jordan McMahan.”
He shakes her hand, as well. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you both. Everyone here is excited for the Halloween bash.”
“They should be. It’s going to be epic.”
Owen smirks. “I have no doubt. I’m sure I’ll see you ladies again soon.”
I’m too mesmerized by his voice to even respond. Jordan speaks up for me. “Yes, you will. Have a good day.” She squeezes my arm, and I follow her to the door. “Talk about gorgeous,” she says low. “He’s single too. I didn’t see a wedding ring.”
I roll my eyes. “That doesn’t mean anything. He could still be married, just not wearing a ring.”
She stops at the door and sneaks a glance over her shoulder. “Nope. He’s single. For some reason, he can’t seem to keep his eyes off you.” She opens the door, and before I follow her out, I take one last look behind me. Owen’s lips tilt up slightly in a sexy smirk, and he stares at me as if he knows me.
Why do I feel like I know him?2Owen“Good afternoon, Al,” I say as I step into the lobby of the building that houses Tri-City Media Group. Al, the manager of the concierge desk, smiles.
“I see you had a little run-in.” He nods toward the outside, and without even thinking, I turn and grin, remembering everything that happened a few minutes prior. I may have a scuff on my expensive shoes, but I don’t care, it was well worth it. I can’t seem to get the image of Ensley’s bright green eyes out of my mind.
I shrug. “It happens,” I tell Al. “And I’ll never mind a little scuffle with a beautiful woman.” I tap my hand on the top counter and walk toward the elevators, only to bypass them and head to the bathroom.
The men’s restroom on the first floor of the building is gray and steel. Manly colors, according to the interior designer the owner brought in to give the space a facelift. I’m not sure what the women’s restrooms look like, but the temptation is there to sneak in after-hours and look. The only issue is explaining to security when they catch me on camera entering a room I shouldn’t be in. I will say the bathroom is rather lovely. There is a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table with the most current magazines when you first enter. At first, I found this odd, and then my assistant informed me if I had a headache or needed to take a nap, I could use the “rest” part of the bathroom. The only thing is, the place isn’t soundproof or smell proof for that matter. So, if I have a headache, the last thing I want to do is be in here “resting” when someone needs to take care of business.