Catherine

"Earth to Catherine." I snapped out of my own trance, and looked up to see Rose leaning on my table. I've been tapping my pen on the desk for I don't how long, thinking about the man who will be sleeping in the next room, starting tonight.

She's been talking non-stop about some science fiction she just read since she entered my office. With me acting like a lost lamb, I was almost late for my meeting with an author.

Old Bradley didn't cooperate and decided that he'd stop four blocks away from my supposed meeting. I just sat down on my chair when the moment the person I was meeting entered the café. It always fascinated me that when I look at an author's eyes, he or she knows the story on how the book was made. It got awkward when we started discussing about promoting the book, and her history on writing romance novels.

"Dear, it's like reading porn but with a better plot." She said as I tried not to blush.

Merideth Jacobs was a sweet woman. She and her husband got out of the army and got married.

Sometimes I wish I could've just married and lived on a farm. But I stopped myself from even thinking about it.

Who knows what might happen next. God seems to have a close ear with Damon being His "proof".

After my meeting with her, I went straight to my office and wished Bradley well as he was being towed to the experts.

"Yeah, I'm listening." I told Rose while flipping through a manuscript I found in front of our office building. I just didn't have the heart to throw it away. Someone had taken his time to express and type his ideas, that it would be a waste if it was thrown as garbage. The author seemed so sure on what he's writing and that's saying a lot. Cupid's Guide on Catching.

"Okay then, what were we talking about?" Rose raised an eyebrow, and sat on the edge of my desk. If I was a somebody else, I'd definitely ask her out. She was...uh how would men describe her? Ah. Yes. Hot.

"Uh, about Terrans and something about uh...avatars...?" She got off the desk and sat down on the chair in front of me, the table in between us.

"No Cat. We were talking about you getting a boob job." I looked up too quickly it felt like my neck was going to snap. My...my...front is just fine.

And they don't hurt that much when I run. Rose knows that I have this mission to make guys understand that as much as most girls like big breasts, jogging hurts. Sure it's fun to see them wiggle-jiggle, but it really feels like someone put jelly on our chest and connected it with our flesh. Of course I never actually have told a guy about this since, (their words) I was too intimidating to conduct a conversation with. So Rose was kind of the only friend I have.

She laughed before her face turned serious, then worried.

"I was kidding. Are you alright? I know your ex was kind of hot and all, but I thought you said he's a whiner. If I knew that you're going to be like this, I would've dragged you in a strip club with me the moment you pulled the plug." She took my hands and looked at me.

"And why the strip club?" I would've had a heart-to-heart talk with her if she didn't mention that part. She grinned and got up.

"You just got out of a relationship with a whining loser. Male strip clubs have hot men who can dance. No talking, just entertaining. What more could a woman ask for?"

I can't help but laugh. Leave it to Rose to be the perverted one. I placed the end of my pencil at my temple, pretending to look I was considering it.

"Aside from a lot of thrusting action on stage? A couple of sexually transmitted diseases, I believe." She was laughing so hard now. Imagine a classy woman, dressed in a suit, laughing her heart out on an editor's office. Yup. That's her.

"I only told you about entering a strip club Cat, not leaving with one of the strippers." I grinned.

"Oh I'm sorry, you'd leave with two."

She looked at me like she can't believe I just said that and I instantly regret it.

"Rose I'm so sorry. Plea-" I didn't get to finish what I was saying when she laughed again. Sighing in relief, I relaxed on my chair.

"Where's all that spunk coming from? Maybe breaking up with Glen did you good. To whom do I owe this sudden change?"

Finally! I can tell her about what happened this morning.

"Well there's-" I paused when someone knocked. I told her to come in and a blonde head peaked in.

"Miss Catherine there's a...a..." I frowned when she started stammering. Noticing that her cheeks were stained pink. Ashley Stevens' was one of the interns who usually talked about me with her friends on the bathroom.

How do I know this?

By staying inside the cubicle I was using when they started talking. I was about to leave when I heard their voices, and me as their topic. It would've been embarrassing if I confronted them like in the movies. I'm too awkward for confrontations.

The door was opened and I suddenly got up from my chair.

"What are you doing here? How'd you know where I am?"

***

The person who opened the door entered the room with a smile on his face. He looked like a predator staring at his prey.

"I told you I'd pick you up, didn't I?"

I cannot believe this man. Sure working hours were over but...but...

"You can leave now Ashley." Not leaving eye contact with him, I could almost feel the disappointment she felt. He did turn around to give Ashley a smile and the girl was hot by global warming she looked like she was about to melt. And it didn't miss my attention when she made the gesture of putting her hand near her ear. Ah, the universal call me gesture.

Rose was standing beside me now. I looked at her and I almost laughed when I saw how she examined him. Now here's the thing about Rose, she can talk about guys and their physique, but when an actual guy walks by, she just examines him with her eyes.

"Ooh Catherine Wright is this why you're not paying attention a while ago? Which strip club is it? I need me one of those." She whispered near my ear and my eyes widened before simply pinching her side.

My friend thinks Damon's a stripper.

I tried to keep a straight face when he turned back to us, a smile on his face. Rose approached her and smiled back, offering her hand.

"Rose Williams and you are...?" I almost rolled my eyes. It's the really hot ones that she says her full name.

So you're admitting he's hot now?

I shook my head, shaking the crazy thought away.

"Damon Grace ma'am." He looked past Rose, and smiled. Again.

I was tempted to smile back, but remembering that I had ruined make-up on our first encounter, and was under-dressed on the second, made me frown instead.

His expression quickly changed to a worried one and he let go of Rose's hand, picked up my bag at the side of my desk and stood at the door. He raised his brow at me like he was saying 'well?' I looked at Rose, still staring at my supposed to be 'distraction'.

Well if Damon's purpose was to distract people, it sure was working.

"I- We're going Rose." I had to say something or she's going to pop her eyes out. She looked at me and nodded. I'm not even sure if she understood, but I walked towards the door. Damon smiled at Rose one more time before following me out of the building.

I knew people were staring. Well who wouldn't. If you saw a hot guy carrying the ice princess' bag, who wouldn't want to look? I felt him touch my elbow so I had to stop and look at him. I looked around to see people staring. He just had to stop me on the lobby. I decided to look at our shoes instead.

I was feeling uneasy. It was usually just 'go to work, go home from work' for me. No chitchat with other employees or asking how their holidays were. My hands felt cold. I felt him put his hand on my chin, gently lifting so our eyes would meet.

"When we're walking, I want you to walk beside me. Not behind or in front of me. Okay, bonbon?" He was looking at me with such intensity that I just nodded and waited for him to stand beside me before I started walking again. I was about to turn towards where I parked Bradley when he held onto my elbow again.

"We're riding my bike." It was not even in inquiry where I can say yes or no.

"Excuse me, but I do not want to leave Bradley." I tried acting cold again. The mechanic was kind enough to bring him over after lunchtime and parked him a couple of cars away.

This man cannot tell me what to do. Except that one time at the lobby. That was one moment of weakness I was not proud of. That will never ever happen again. So he has to stop appearing like a teenager's pimple on prom.

"Bradley?" He frowned. I grabbed my bag from his hands, but he still didn't let me go. I rolled my eyes and pointed at my mini cooper at the far end of the parking lot. I felt him loosen his hold on me.

"That's Bradley." I turned to see him eyeing me. He wasn't laughing but I have a feeling that he was about to.

I was prepared to hear jokes about me naming my car. That's what Rose did when she found out. I had to listen to awful car puns after that. He didn't laugh though.

"You named your mini cooper, Bradley? Bradley...Cooper?" I nodded.

Then slowly, a smile made its way on his face.

I froze.

Holy shiznick.

I almost got on my knees right there on the parking lot to thank the big Guy for sending Damon my way. Instead I smiled back.

It was his turn to look frozen.

What did I do?

Now I was confused.

But then he placed his hands on my cheeks and stared right into my eyes. My heart beat picked up its pace, and I was staring back at him. I felt like fainting, my knees buckling.

That was when he closed his eyes and I exhaled.

I wasn't breathing the whole time he was looking at me.

"Your car can still be there tomorrow, Catherine." He took my elbow again and almost dragged me to where his bike was.

Oh so it's Catherine now.

I saw two helmets dangling on the bike handles and I almost smiled. He gave one to me as he put his on. I've ridden a motorbike before, but you know...the scooter kind.

How in the name of Santa do I get on this monster of a bike? He looked at me, probably impatient from waiting me get on. So I did what I was asked. Not really gracefully, but I managed. He took my hands and wrapped them around his midsection.

Okay Catherine. Breathe. Breat-good grace such abs. Much wow.

It was getting a little dark. I remembered the first time we met and I just had to ask.

"Why isn't your bike's headlight on?" I had to get my mouth near his ear, which was stupid. My helmet bumped with his. I was afraid to ask him since he looked mad after our stare-off, but I was relieved when he smiled after putting the tinted glass down (the one that protects your eyes) of his helmet. I frowned but was surprised when he did reply.

"I can see perfectly fine in the dark, bonbon." Before the bike shifted and I was sure that we were going to be caught for speeding or we're going to die trying.

Literally.

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