Memories flashed through his mind. Heather had been his first serious girlfriend. Well, as serious as a high school girlfriend could be anyway. Though he suspected their breakup had been more devastating for her than she had let on. Then again, it was high school. What did he know?
There had been other women since Heather, but they all sort of blurred together in his mind. Not Heather. She wasn’t a blur at all. Even now he could see her laughing hazel eyes. Her freckles. Those braces she had sported all through middle school.
They had both been so similar. All through his childhood he had been the awkward, bullied nerd. Meanwhile, geeky, shy Heather Monroe had been his childhood neighbor. His only friend. Hell, she had even been his first kiss back when they were in middle school. A sloppy, awkward kiss that he could never forget because she had smiled right after it. A stupid party game.
Then, he’d had a growth spurt in high school, played sports, and the dynamics of his social life changed. Girls had started to pay attention to him. But Heather had paid attention long before the growth spurt, and they briefly dated. She’d been the one to encourage him to follow his dreams of getting into tech. Hell, he had even lost his virginity to her. That’s probably why he’d always remember her. What a night that was.
“What are you smiling about?”
Linda’s voice dragged him from his thoughts. His media relations officer had stepped back into his office.
He cleared his throat. “Nothing.”
“Xander has left the premises,” Linda said. “So, I can let in the first interview candidate in if you’d like.”
“Yes, do that. Let’s get this over and done with.” It was going to take weeks to train someone to keep up with him. That’s probably what peeved him off more than Xander being a turncoat.
Minutes later, the first candidate stepped into his office and introduced herself. Simon sat across from her, glancing over her resumé. Nothing stood out, but she still seemed like a solid enough candidate. After conducting the short interview he led her out of his office, promising to get in touch if he decided to hire her.
As soon as he resumed his seat there was a knock on his office door.
“Come in,” he said as he scribbled down notes about the interview he’d just finished.
His eyes still focused on the notepad on his desk, he heard the office door swing open. The sound of high heels clicking on the floor made him look up.
Holy. The woman walking into his room was a knockout. Long legs. Auburn hair tied up in a severe bun. Glasses perched primly on her delicate nose. A splash of freckles on her face. She didn’t look like a model or anything. It was just...something about her.
She had a natural beauty that no enhancement could ever improve upon. She reminded him of a librarian. All business. No nonsense. There was a chilly air about her. Her hazel eyes reminded him of a cool autumn day. But then her eyes flashed, revealing that beneath the chill, something hot smoldered underneath.
Beauty aside, her looks weren’t the reason his heart had suddenly stopped. To Simon, looks were often irrelevant. What was relevant was the fact that he recognized her. Standing right in front of him was Heather. His Heather.
He got to his feet and walked over to her. Took her soft, warm hand in his and shook it. “It’s you.” The touch of her hand sent an unexpected jolt of electricity through him. He almost lost his train of thought. “What have you been doing with yourself all these years?”
Heather’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry?”
Simon paused. “Heather? Heather Monroe?”
She pursed her lips and pulled her hand back. “Actually, it’s Heather Hall.”
“You don’t recognize me?”
“Of course, I do.” She laughed. “You’re Simon Diesel. There might not be many public photos of you, but just about anyone would know you on sight.”
“What high school did you go to?” he asked.
“Roosevelt Prep.” She pulled out a print out from the folder in her hands. “It’s right here on my resumé.”
He frowned. Roosevelt Prep was one of the most elite high schools in the city. It was where people with money sent their children. Growing up, his parents had absolutely no money, so he had never had a hope in hell of going to a school like that.