That small, insistent flicker of desire hadn’t left him, even though he’d done his level best to avoid being too close to her as they’d settled into a routine together. But he hadn’t been able to do anything with the steadily growing need to protect her and the baby.
Nikolas filed it all away as he walked into the AAG. It was time to put his game face on, and mooning over Nova and her “little alien” as she liked to refer to the baby wouldn’t do. Even if he’d increasingly taken to calling the baby “little alien” in his mind, as well, and thinking about what the kid would look like when he or she arrived.
He’d even caught himself searching online for a crib and baby furniture the other night after she’d gone to bed.
Focus, Slater. Scary self-help guru now, baby shopping and imaginary diaper duty later.
A woman at the front desk greeted him as he walked in. He took in the wide-open, well-lit lobby and the sayings of affirmation, like “Life your best life” and “Your drive for spiritual enlightenment starts here,” that lined the walls. He even saw a sign that read Keys to Your Happiest Life, with ten daily affirmations written beneath it.
While he wanted to give the place some credit—anything that tried to help people find the strength within should be applauded—there was just something so palpably false about the surroundings. The pseudo psychology seemed overdone and the environment was so calm and sterile as to suggest a brightly lit funeral parlor.
“Welcome to the Affirmation Alliance Group. How may I help you?”
The voice belonged to a pretty blonde who manned the front desk of the center. She had bright blue eyes that made Nikolas think of an angel and her smile was equally warm and bright.
Nikolas moved closer to the desk and put on his most professional smile. “I’m Nikolas Slater. I have an appointment with Ms. Anderson.”
“Micheline is in a session right now. Can I get you anything to make you comfortable?”
Nikolas could have sworn something dark flashed in those baby blues as the woman took his measure, but it was gone as quickly as it came and all he was left with was the vague sense of having been flirted with. Which was silly because she’d not moved from her place behind the desk, nor had she touched him. And she’d hardly said anything suggestive. And yet...
He shook it off. Whatever was going on in this place, he’d come with a set of expectations of bad dealings and fake facades, and it wouldn’t do to add a layer of paranoia on top.
“I’ll wait then, thank you.”
Nikolas moved away from the desk and kept his gaze on the welcome center. He made a show of reading the various affirmations but was also using the time to get a gauge on the building’s security. He could see several cameras positioned in various corners, ensuring anyone who entered would be recorded.
Once again, not something to overtly get concerned about. Businesses couldn’t be too careful and closed-circuit cameras were a way to ensure they had a solid record should anything happen on their property.
The blonde moved up beside him, her big eyes wide as she spoke. “I’m Leigh. Leigh Dennings.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Leigh. Nikolas.” He extended his hand to shake hers, allowing his hand to linger briefly on hers. The move was subtle and not overtly creepy, but when she gave him a broad smile, it reinforced that sense that she was lightly flirting.
“Why don’t you come with me, Nikolas? While you wait.” She gestured toward the large affirmation poster he’d seen when he walked in.
“This is what we’re all about here at the AAG. Here. Let me show you.” She extended a hand and pointed, game show style, at the list of ten affirmations that ran from top to bottom. “Everything is about being your best self. Living your very best life.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. And a noble cause, too.”
“Oh, yes. Micheline is such a guide for all of us. She teaches us all in her ways, encouraging love of self as a pathway to love of others.”
Although his initial impression had been that the pretty Leigh was relatively sharp, he was starting to wonder. She did not quite match the description of the spacey AAG woman Nova had met in the parking lot, but there was definitely a bit of brainwashing going on here.
“How long have you been a part of the AAG, Leigh?”
“Two years.”
“And before then? Are you from Arizona?”
“I don’t talk about the time before then.” For once he heard something other than blind devotion in her tone. Disgust? Fear? He heard both when she spoke once again. “I’m a different woman now.”
Nikolas sensed that focusing on Leigh’s time before coming to the AAG would shut her down, and he needed the opposite. “It sounds like you found your home here.”
“Oh, I have. I most certainly have.”
An image of his strong-willed mother filled his mind’s eye, and in the back of his mind he heard her teasing voice. My silver-tongued boy. You always know just what to say.
He’d never hoped for his gift to work more than at that moment. “You look very familiar to me. Do you spend much time in Mustang Valley?”