But this place is real, and I’m really going up there to see it for myself.
/> The door gave way with just a slight push. It was wedged shut on my first visit, but since we’d loosened it, it now opened easily. I had the comfort of knowing that it would only take a few steps before I’d emerge in the magical world beyond. Sure enough, the shadows lasted only a brief moment, and the next thing I knew, I was out on the roof.
I didn’t imagine it. It really happened. I’m really here.
My breath froze in my chest as I walked to the center of the tile, then rotated slowly around. Everything was exactly as it was that night: the waterfalls of cascading flowers, the sound of the river splashing cheerfully in the background, and even the fur blanket we’d made love upon was still there. Two human-sized imprints in the center served as a permanent memorial to the night when we gazed up at the stars.
I knelt down beside it and ran my hands over the soft, furry material. Never in my life had I experienced such passion, such adventure. That night was pure magic, impossible to replicate or forget, at least for me.
Now, I absolutely knew we’d been there; the remnants of our impression on that fabric was the tell-tale sign. As I gazed at it, I remembered the contours of his face, something I’d taken in in great detail during our night of dancing, kissing over dessert, and making love beneath the stars.
A silent sob ripped through me as I sank down on the edge of the blanket, careful not to disturb the telling imprints on the other side. The chilled air around me seemed to sink into my very bones as I realized with sudden despair that I was never going to enjoy such a night again.
No matter how badly I wanted it, no matter how hard I tried to make it true, the magic had faded, and the prince had turned back into a frog. Now, he was just a hollow replica of what I’d seen before, just a man and not at all the dreamer who’d swept me away, not at all the charming prince of the city.
Chapter 22
I was livid. Robert had thrown me off my most prestigious cases. This was payback. He was mad that I wouldn’t accept his advances.
Asshole!
He even took the week off of work, said he was working from home so I couldn’t even talk to him. I needed my cases back pronto, so I needed to make things right.
“So what do you plan to do?” Madison asked.
“Up the stakes in his little game. I’m going to shock the hell out of him by showing up at his house.”
“That will shock him all right.”
“I just want to talk to him and apologize, and then get my cases assigned back to me.”
“Easy peasy. And if doesn’t work, I have some blackmail material on him.”
“You do?”
“He banged a married woman. Got the security footage to prove it. So take the tape with you.”
“No. I think we can talk this thing out.”
It wasn’t easy to dig up the home address of Robert Alistair Cross III, even with Google’s help. The man was basically British royalty, so all of his personal information was carefully kept out of the public’s hands. Fortunately, I’d recently befriended the keeper of the keys.
Madison’s eyes lit up when I told her my plan, and she was thrilled beyond belief, even though her role in it would be very small. Together, we rode the elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, I hid in the corner, and she strode confidently toward Beverly, the senior partner’s master secretary.
“Bev, we’ve got to talk,” my partner in crime began briskly, angling the poor woman automatically away from her desk. “See, my dear, something’s been eating at me for the last three months, and I just can’t keep it inside for another second.”
I leaned forward, curious to find out where Madison would go with such a conversation, and I saw Beverly’s eyes grow wide. Sure enough, my friend never failed to disappoint.
“It’s about the fountain.”
The secretary seemed to light up with surprise at that, and I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but fortunately, Madison was on the move.
“I mean, just look at it!” She scrunched up her nose in disgust as she paced briskly around the corner to see it for herself, with poor Beverly right on her heels. “Decadent, extravagant, so ridiculously superfluous... The thing just reeks of bad taste, doesn’t it?” With that, she spun around suddenly and placed her hands firmly on her hips. “The point is, I want one.”
Another wave of laughter choked my throat, but I knew I didn’t have a second to lose. Before the doors could close, I darted out of the elevator and hurried toward the absent receptionist’s counter. According to Madison, Bev kept hard copies of all the employees’ personnel files in a little drawer, a treasure trove of info on everyone from the janitor to the CEO. I needed Robert’s address, and that was the only way I knew to get it.
“You, uh... Do you really want a fountain for the sixtieth floor?” Beverly asked in disbelief as I began pilfering through her desk, desperate to find the hiding place. “I suppose that’s all well and good, but what does it have to do with me?”
Madison tossed her white-blonde hair back and glanced discreetly over Beverly’s shoulder to see how I was coming along. “Well, you’re in charge of the décor, are you not?”