Struck by Love

"Dammit!" Laura said as she spilled her coffee on her light floral blouse. She hadn't seen the crack in the sidewalk as she was juggling her bag and coffee cup, trying to keep up with the foot traffic. "Just great. I hate Mondays," she mumbled to herself as people hurried past her on their way to work on this bright, sunny day. She silently scolded herself for trying to cram a last-minute errand in before work. She carried on as she reached into her bag to pull out a napkin. She tried to wipe the coffee off, but only succeeded in rubbing it in further.

Not looking up from tending to the stain, she bumped into a man, hard.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, but then realized she had spilled more coffee, this time on him. "Oh no, I'm so sorry." Automatically she reached out with her napkin, already half-stained with coffee to wipe the coffee off of his suit sleeve.

The man intercepted her hand.

She looked up, expecting to see a disapproving frown and to be chastised for not watching where she was going by a busy, impatient New Yorker. Instead she saw a warm smile. He took his reflective aviator sunglasses off to reveal piercing blue eyes, which were framed by thick lashes. His dark, wavy hair had what looked like an undone, messy look, but purposely-styled. She inhaled sharply. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Her mind went blank.

"I tried to dodge you," he said, "but you were kind of careening down the sidewalk." His deep, rich voice was kind, and he had a trace of humor in his expression .

Laura was momentarily stunned as she took in the face of the man who held her hand. He had to be over six feet tall with broad shoulders and an exotic-looking complexion. He had high cheekbones and wide-set eyes. His teeth were white and straight and he had luscious full lips. He was sexy as hell.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still holding her hand gently.

She realized she was just standing there staring at him wide-eyed. She turned several shades of red. "Yes, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I-I should get going." She was even more embarrassed now that she was so flustered. He was going to think she was an idiot. She had to go before she embarrassed herself even further. She pull her hand away and dropped the coffee cup on the sidewalk. The lid popped off and the coffee spilt all over his shoes and hers.

"Okay," he said, laughing and taking a step back. "I'm getting a coffee bath this morning."

"Oh no, I am so sorry...again." She thought she would die on the spot.

She fumbled through her bag to find more napkins. She always carried a pile of them for spills. Kind of like moms do, but she didn't have kids. She hoped one day she would, but her prospects hadn't looked too promising.

He laughed again. "Really," he said, his voice deep and gentle, "it's fine. I can clean up at my office. That's better than here on the street."

Passersby dressed in expensive suits glanced at them, snickering at the sight of the coffee fiasco.

Laura was dying of embarrassment. She already felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb working in Manhattan. But she had been determined to find a career there. It was her dream. But here she was causing a scene. Maybe she'd never fit in, she thought. "Okay, again, I am so..."

He cut her off, "No more apologies. It was a simple accident." He grinned at her, the amusement sparkling in his intensely blue eyes. "Listen, my office is right in there," he said as he pointed to the gleaming skyscraper they stood in front of.

"Angelo, morning!" a young man called out as he waved. The man glanced at Laura, then down at their shoes. She saw him try to hide the grin on his face as he turned his head and walked into the shiny building.

Angelo? she thought. Man, even his name is sexy. Her heart was beating fast in her chest.

"Morning, Bernard," he said. "See you upstairs."

Laura bent down to pick up her coffee cup and lid from the sidewalk. At least getting rid of the evidence would make this less of a spectacle. She tucked her shoulder-length straight auburn hair behind her ears.

Angelo quickly bent down to help her, taking note of the hint of ample cleavage that showed through the V-neck of her floral blouse as she leaned over and her shapely legs and hips as her skirt sneaked up a little higher. He looked back at her chest. "You, um, have a spot there," he said, pointing at her blouse.

She looked down. The big, brown stain was plainly evident on her blouse, right where her nipple would be. Dear God, she thought, can this get anymore embarrassing?

"Yes," she said, "I got myself before I got you." She went to try and brush the stain off some more, when it dawned on her that she was rubbing her breast in front of a total stranger. Then she also realized how revealing her blouse was at this angle. She stopped suddenly, feeling terribly self-conscious.

"I'd offer to help you with that, but I think maybe it's something you should do," he said, grinning at her.

She gave a nervous giggle and turned even redder.

"I am a gentleman," he said as he grabbed the coffee cup and lid before she could, as she was trying to balance her big purse and work bag. "Allow me," he said. He put them in one hand, which she noticed were big and masculine looking, but well manicured, then held out his other hand to help her up.

"Um, thank you," she said. She took it, and he helped her stand up. His hand was warm and strong.

"It's my pleasure to aid a damsel in distress," he said, then tossed the items into a nearby wastebasket.

She then noticed his dark grey suit. It looked expensive and finely tailored. Boy, did she know how to make an impression.

"Does Coffee Haven make a good brew?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, the best I've found around here," Laura replied as she straightened her skirt and blouse out. She was bummed she wouldn't get her cup of coffee this morning. She didn't have time to go back, she was already going to be late for work. She had also lost the five dollars that coffee had cost her.

Nothing in Manhattan was cheap.

"We have some good coffee up in my office," he said, "why don't I replace what you lost?"

She looked up at the building. "Where do you work?"

He pointed at the name over top of the grand entranceway.

Holy crap, she thought as she read the sign. "Tsar Enterprises?"

"Angelo Tsarkopolis at your service," he said, giving her a playful half bow.

A wave of intimidation washed over her as she connected the dots. That was his family's company. She realized he was likely one of the wealthiest men in Manhattan. She found herself backing up. She was even more self-conscious now of her modest clothing, shoes and bags, none of it was designer. Then she took note of all the people heading into that building. All dressed to the nines and then some. She felt very out of place. "Oh no, I couldn't," she said, realizing the world he came from.

"I don't bite, I promise," he said, grinning at her. He held out his hand.

She looked at it, so inviting. She bit her lip. "I-uh, I'd love to, but I really need to get going. I'm going to be late for work." She was completely flustered as she brushed her flyaway hair out of her face.

His face showed disappointment. "Perhaps another time," he said, nodding. "Call me here if you'd like to come by for that replacement coffee. I'm easy to find."

"Sure," she said, gazing into his blue eyes, which felt like they were immobilizing her. Wow, she thought, I could get lost in those. "Another time." She broke her gaze and straightened her bags on her shoulders. "Bye." She turned around to leave.

He took note of a shapely bottom and smiled. He was instantly charmed by her slightly awkward, but adorable mannerisms. "What's your name?" he called after her.

She turned back, taking in all six plus feet of him, standing there with confidence. She blushed again. "Laura." She turned and left. Walking away slowly. She didn't want to, but she felt compelled to.

"Pretty name," he whispered. "Pretty girl."

She turned back around. He still stood there watching her, admiring her curvy figure. He waved. "See you again, Laura."

She smiled and waved, feeling shy and out of place. "Bye." She kept walking, a huge grin spreading across her face. Her temperature had spiked and she felt an electric buzz going through her. What an Adonis, she thought. Then she mentally kicked herself. Only in my dreams...

Unknown to her, he kept watching her until she crossed over a couple of blocks, and then disappeared out of his sight.

After work, Laura met her best friend Sarah at their favorite lounge, Painter's Cove in Brooklyn. It was a cozy little place with live music and murals all over the walls, which were painted by local artists. Laura loved the place.

It was their neighborhood haunt. The drinks weren't too expensive and the people were friendly and welcoming.

Not like the places in Manhattan, where they felt the heat of condescending, disapproving looks for not being up to snuff. The two 28-year old friends had tried it once, but had felt very uncomfortable with the rest of the patrons. The women looked like they came straight of the fashion magazines they were so done up and wearing expensive designer clothes and shoes. They were also stick thin, unlike Laura's and Sarah's curvier forms. The girls also got sticker shock once the bill came. It was $20 plus tip for each of their glasses of wine. Way out of their budgets. Since then, they had stuck closer to home, where they fit in and didn't have to worry about being judged for their modest wardrobes and decidedly non-model like few extra pounds here and there.

"Hey girls," the bartender waved, "good to see you! The usual?"

"You betcha, Barry," Laura said.

Barry was the 31-year old owner of Painter's Cove. He was an artist and guitar player, too, but since it was hard to make a living as either one, he did the next best thing. He opened a place where artists and musicians could come hangout, leave their mark on his walls and talk about their craft amongst friends. It was a home away from home for the people who went there, and for Barry, it was his actual home. He lived by himself in the loft above the lounge.

Sarah and Laura grabbed one of their favorite tables, which was against the wall and half way between the bar and the small stage.

"So," Sarah said as they sat down, "did you ask boss lady about a promotion or getting paid for your overtime yet?" She flipped her long, partially braided sandy blonde hair over her shoulder. She had pale, slightly freckled skin and a hippie vibe in how she dressed and kept her hair.

Laura shook her head. "No, Raquel was in an extra bad mood today. I didn't dare."

"You've got to speak up for yourself, you know," Sarah said, shaking her head. "She's never going to respect you unless you do. Especially in the advertising world, you need to sell yourself. Just like any other product you guys market."

"I'm not very good at that. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't think she's ever going to respect me anyway, I can tell she doesn't really like me,"

Laura said.

"Don't say that, she only needs to realize what a valuable asset you are. You just need to prove yourself."

Barry came over carrying a tray with their wine. "Here we go, ladies."

He set the glasses down, his thick, chestnut brown ponytail falling over his shoulder as he did.

"Thanks, Barry," Sarah said, taking her glass. "Just what we need after a busy day.

"Yes, thanks," Laura said.

He smiled at them, then glanced back at Sarah for just a moment. His brown eyes warm with affection. He quickly looked away. "Allow me," he said as he struck a match and lit the glass-encased candle on their table. "A little firelight for you."

"Lovely," Sarah said.

Barry looked at her and blushed. He nodded. "Your appetizers will be right up."

Laura and Sarah always ordered the same thing. Hummus and pita and edamame beans to start. Then they shared a plate of fettuccine Alfredo.

They were both trying to lose a few pesky pounds, so they had started ordering healthier appetizers, but couldn't yet let go of their favorite pasta dish. So they opted to share it instead.

"You know," Laura said, leaning forward and lowering her voice, "I think Barry likes you."

Sarah looked up in surprise. "Don't be silly. He's just being friendly.

He's nice to everyone here." She took a sip of wine.

"But there's something else when he looks at you," Laura said, "I can tell."

Sarah shook her head. "You're imagining things." She glanced over at the bar. Barry quickly looked away when she caught him looking at her.

"See? I told you," Laura smiled. "He's cute, you know, you should talk to him some time...alone. I'd bet he'd love that."

Sarah looked over at the bar again. Barry smiled at her. She smiled back. "He does have a nice smile, and I do love that long hair of his," she said, looking back at Laura. "Kind of makes me want to run my fingers through it." Her cheeks reddened and she took a deep breath. "I don't know...maybe. Anyway, enough about me. What about you?" Sarah asked.

"What about me?"

"Anyone interesting in the picture?"

"I wish," Laura said, then sipped her wine. "But I did have an encounter earlier today. Closest thing I've had to a date in a while."

Sarah leaned in close, holding her wine glass. "Do tell."

Laura told her about the morning coffee incident that had happened as she made her way to work from the bodega where she'd stopped for stamps.

"How embarrassing, what's your take?"

"But he was handsome?"

"Oh yeah, jaw-droppingly so," Laura said, smiling. "And rich. His family's company is Tsar Enterprises."

"What?"

"Yeah, Angelo Tsarkopolis. Gorgeous. Greek. Rich. I almost died."

Laura laughed.

"But you said he invited you in for coffee?"

"Well, yeah, but there was no way I was going to."

Sarah flicked her in the forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"What do you mean, what was that for? A gorgeous, wealthy man invites you for coffee and you just leave?" She flicked her again.

"Ouch, cut that out!" Laura said, laughing as she rubbed her forehead. "I had just spilled coffee all over myself, including my boob no less, as well as his expensive suit sleeve and very shiny, nice-looking shoes."

"And did he take note of where your coffee was so lasciviously spilled?"

"Yeah, he did. Pretty hard not to."

"Mmmhmm," Sarah said, grinning from ear to ear. "Then, there were sparks."

"Well, yes," Laura said, then cleared her throat. "But, I wasn't about to be paraded into his high-end office, with all his high-class staff wearing coffee on my very inexpensive blouse from Target, with everyone knowing I'd spilled it on him too. I'd already made enough of a fool of myself." She took another sip of wine. "I have some self-respect, you know."

"If a man is checking you out, he's not going to care about the rest of that. He'll be thinking of one thing. What you look like under that coffee-stained top." Sarah raised her eyebrows.

Laura sighed. "I would've probably ruined his image of me by more idiocy."

"Men have a one-track mind. Once anything remotely sexual is on their radar they can't think of anything else."

Laura took a longer sip of her wine, thinking of what her friend was saying.

Sarah tapped the table with her finger. "What you need is a sense of adventure. And risks be damned! You don't want to go through life racking up regrets and what ifs?"

"You're right. But it's not like I was prepared for that first thing on a Monday morning." Laura's voice was tinged with regret. "It happened so fast and I was just really flustered and Raquel has been on my case a lot lately. As it was, I barely made it to work on time. She made me work most of the weekend, too, so I was rushing around. I'm bagged. Probably one of the reasons I was so clumsy this morning."

"You know, I don't think making it to work on time is a life-goal that needs to pre-empt a chance encounter with a gorgeous man. We need to work on your priorities. Sexy men are number one."

Laura giggled at that.

"Did you at least give him your number?"

Laura shook her head and ducked another flick to the forehead. "He did ask for my name though. I only gave him my first name. He said to call him at work if I wanted a coffee to replace the one I spilled."

Another duck.

Barry came over carrying their appetizers. He smiled. "Here we go, ladies. For my two favorite customers." He set the plates down along with cutlery and napkins.

"I bet you say that to all your customers," Sarah ribbed him.

"No, only you...two," he said looking at her, quickly catching himself.

"I'll be back to check on you." He turned and walked away, placing a hand on his forehead.

"I told you," Laura whispered, grinning. "He's sweet on you. You should consider him."

"He is cute, and kind of sexy," Sarah said as she watched him walk back to the bar. "I'll make you a deal, I'll speak up if you do."

"What do you mean?" Laura asked, starting in on the salted edamame beans.

"Well, Mr. Rich and Handsome may not have your number, but you know his name and where he works and he said to call him. So call him."

Laura sat back in her chair and considered it.

"Is he married?" Sarah asked, grabbing a slice of the fresh pita bread and spreading some of the roasted red pepper hummus on it.

Laura thought for a moment, frowning. "To be honest, I didn't think to look. I was so embarrassed by fumbling and spilling my coffee everywhere. Plus he was so crazy gorgeous, I think my mind went blank."

Sarah made to flick her forehead again.

"Uncle!" Laura cried out. "Look, the whole thing was...he was a lot to take in. You wouldn't believe how good-looking he is. Straight out of GQ magazine, movie-star worthy looks. Seriously. I've never seen a man that gorgeous in real life. It freaked me out."

"You need help," Sarah chided her. "We need to work on your game, girl."

"Yeah, probably," she laughed. "But seriously, this guy would be light years out of my league. It was a nice little flirtation. Nothing more. Back to reality." She took a sip of her wine.

"Where's the fun in that?" Sarah challenged her, grabbing some beans.

Laura frowned, then focused in on the hummus and pita. She quickly stuffed her face before she could answer.

"That's it," Sarah said, crossing her arms. "You need help. My help."

She grabbed her purse and started fishing around inside. She took out a pad of paper and a pen, along with her iPhone.

"What are you doing?"

"I am a reporter, you know," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm going to do a little investigative work. Find out some Intel on Mr. Handsome and Tempting."

"You're a freelance journalist who writes Arts and Culture articles for the NY Indie Voice," Laura reminded her. "And don't go snooping around. It's pointless. I won't see him again."

Sarah sighed, giving her friend a withering look. "You won't if you don't know where to go or how to approach this. Or if you don't try." She took a long sip of wine. "For courage. Fortune favors the bold, and all that." She raised her glass.

Laura reluctantly raised her glass, too. They clinked glasses and both polished off their wine, giggling.

"So, celebrating something?" Barry asked as he walked up.

They looked at each other. Laura was giving her a look that said, 'say nothing'.

Sarah winked at her. "Laura met a gorgeous man today and she's too shy and chicken to do anything about it."

Laura gave her a good kick under the table.

"Ow," Sarah said, giggling again.

"I see, and so you two are plotting a strategy then?" he asked, looking amusedly from one to the other.

"If a strategy is to be plotted, it will be for both of us, since we're both single. Especially Sarah." Laura gave her a sly grin.

Sarah eyes went wide as she looked at her friend in disbelief. Her cheeks turned red.

"Actually, Sarah really likes artistic types, musicians, that kind of thing," Laura said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Does she now?" Barry said, smiling. "Well, you're in the right place then."

"Yes, she is," Laura said, "she definitely is." She received a swift kick to her shin.

Laura muffled a shriek.

Barry looked highly amused. "Would either of you like another glass of wine before your dinner comes up?"

"Yes, yes, please," Sarah said, now barely able to make eye contact with him.

Barry nodded, winking at them. "Coming right up, ladies."

They watched him walk away out of earshot.

"I'm going to kill you!" Sarah said between clenched teeth.

"Not if I kill you first," Laura said. "Besides, a deal's a deal."

"Fine," Sarah said, sitting back in her chair in a huff. "But don't rush me. These things need to approached carefully."

"What, love? Dating?"

"Men. And whatever it is you want to do with them," Sarah stated, giving her a sly smile.

Laura laughed. "Indeed!"

"Speaking of that, we should see what we can find out on your mystery man. I may not be a full-fledged reporter yet, but I bet I can find some juicy tidbits on him." Sarah's eyes flashed with excitement. "A guy like that, rich, handsome, successful, will have gotten press in this town. For sure."

"Maybe I don't want to know," Laura said, biting her nails.

"Stop that," Sarah said as she smacked her hand away. "You need to break that nervous habit."

"I know," she replied, now sitting on her hands.

Sarah was busy doing searches on her phone, while Laura waited quietly. She was certain whatever they would learn would only scare her off more. "Aha!" Sarah said. "Get a load of this. Angelo Tsarkopolis was one of New York City's Most Eligible Bachelors three years ago." She looked at Laura. "Boy, you do know how to pick them!"

"I didn't pick him. My coffee did. And this only freaks me out even more."

"Another thing we need to work on, your courage and self-assuredness."

Sarah scanned through the article, reading a passage aloud.

"Angelo Tsarkopolis is 33 years old...that would make him 36 now," Sarah commented, "and the eldest son of the Tsarkopolis family. He's a Senior Vice President in his family's business, Tsar Enterprises, which is a Fortune 500 company. Tsar Enterprises is an investment management firm with clients around the world. Angelo has one younger brother, Nikolas, 30 years old, who is also a company Vice President. The Tsarkopolis family has called New York City their home for the last 29 years, since emigrating from Greece."

"Big-time successful," Laura said. "He's probably used to women throwing themselves at him."

Barry brought their second glasses of wine by. "Here we go." He placed them on the table. "Dinner will be right up, ladies."

"Thanks, Barry," Sarah said, giving him an extra bright smile.

"My pleasure," he said, holding eye contact for just a moment longer than usual.

"See?" Laura said, as he left.

"You might be right," Sarah said, clearly intrigued. "I will have to leave that for my next investigation. Right now, we are trying to find out all about Mr Rich and Famous." She read more of the article.

"The multimillionaire Mr. Tsarkopolis has a double masters degree in economics and business and is a well-known philanthropist."

"He has brains, too," Sarah said, grinning. "And he helps the less fortunate. Sounds like an incredibly good catch."

"I would imagine many have tried."

"Oh no, this is sad," Sarah said, spotting a related news item. "This is from an article last year."

"Angelo Tsarkopolis, 35, was appointed CEO of his family's business,Tsar Enterprises, after the death of his father, Vassilis, due to prostate cancer. Angelo has one younger brother, Nikolas, 32 years old, who has also stepped up to Senior Vice President of the company."

"Oh man, that is sad," Laura said. "Boy, they're young to have such high profile positions."

"Yeah," Sarah said, nodding, "but their father probably groomed them from childhood to be leaders in the company."

"Good point."

Sarah kept scanning the search items on her phone. "Let me see if I can find out anything about his love life. He's probably all over the society pages, too." She scanned through some news clips. "Uh oh."

"What, what is it?" Laura asked.

"He was engaged to a wealthy socialite a year and a half ago," she read.

She looked up at her friend. "Guess that bachelor ad worked."

Laura smirked. She knew he'd be too good to be true.

Sarah kept reading. "They were planning on getting married at one of New York City's elite hotels. Hmmm...let me see what happened with that. It's pretty unseemly if he's flirting with you, but has a wife at home." Sarah scrolled

through some news items. "Wait, here's another article. I searched for his fiancée's name. She's married to someone else now."

Laura's eyes widened. "Interesting." She sat forward, feeling a tiny bit of hope in spite of herself.

Sarah kept searching. "Aha! They broke up about a year ago, six months after getting engaged. His ex-fiancée met her older, wealthier husband a couple of months later and they got married not long after that."

"She moved fast."

"No kidding," Sarah said. "I can't find anything else on a wife or fiancée. I think he's single and ready to mingle. Ooh, his family also owns extensive properties back in Greece." She nudged her friend. "I seem to recall someone who has always wanted to travel there."

Laura smiled and shrugged. "There and lots of other places."

"I have to say, wow." Sarah looked up at her. "This guy is something else. You don't come across men like him every day."

"Yeah," she said, her voice catching in her throat. "Imagine that." She cleared her throat. "The decision is made. I'm staying way clear of this one. He's light years out of my league. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. I need to keep fishing."

"What? When a fine catch like this lands in your net? No way, girl, am I going to let you pass this up. He was into you, plus maybe it was destiny, you bumping into him like that. You need to see where that can go. Even if it's only one magical date."

"I don't belong in that world, you know that."

"Nonsense! He'd be lucky to land a girl as great as you. Most of the people in his circles are probably just pompous fakes, anyway. You'd be a breath of fresh air in his world. He needs you," she said, giving her friend a playful push on the shoulder.

"I don't have the best track record with men, if you'll recall. None of my relationships, which have been few and far between, go the distance. They either fizzle out quickly for one reason or another, or like Aaron, he leaves me after two years for someone else." She lowered her eyes, not wanting to show how much that still stung.

"Aaron was young and a jerk. You were both young. College is about finding yourself. He wasn't right for you anyway," she with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Laura and Sarah had met in college, even though they hadn't studied the same things. Laura went into PR and Marketing, while Sarah was a Journalism student. However, they often saw each other in the cafeteria and the local pub and started talking. They'd been fast friends ever since.

Laura nodded. "You're probably right...no, I know you're right. It still hurt, though. We chose that college together," she said, her face showing the hurt of rejection she still felt all these years later. "I just didn't think it would lead to him falling for someone else there. That kind of thing stays with you."

"Just because he did that, doesn't mean every guy will," she said leaning forward to look in her eyes, driving home her point. "The right guy won't do that."

"Maybe, or maybe I'm just not the kind of girl that guys fall for in a big way, you know? Maybe I'm okay to spend time with until something better comes along." She took another sip of wine, then stared into her glass.

"Don't give him that power over you. You're so much better than that."

Laura looked up at her and smiled. "You're a great friend, you know, thanks."

"Just pointing out the facts, ma'am, you're a great catch. Mr. Handsome would be lucky to go on a date with you."

"But I've never dated anyone like him."

"The perfect reason for you to give it a whirl. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" Sarah said. She took a sip, glancing over the rim of her glass at Barry, thinking.

"Well then, to chance encounters with the exciting unknown. May it not eat us alive," Laura replied, holding her glass up. They clinked glasses, both wondering what the days ahead held for them.

A week went by and Laura had still been working late nonstop at her advertising representative job at Kinetic Advertising. She was exhausted.

Adding in her commute time from Brooklyn to Manhattan, it made for very long days. She dreamed of one day living in Manhattan, but her finances made that an impossibility for the foreseeable future. Her boss, Raquel, one of the partners in the firm, was making her work long hours on a new campaign for their latest client.

Sarah had been hounding her to make contact with Angelo, but then work took a turn for the worse. She was starting earlier, working through lunch, and eating dinner at her desk. She was exhausted, stressed out, and wasn't up for making a call to a practical stranger. She had no time to go out right now anyway.

Laura wanted to work her way up in the advertising world, but she knew it would be uphill all the way. Unfortunately, it seemed right from the beginning she had a testy relationship with her boss. Although Raquel didn't seem to like her, she knew she would always get the job done, so she kept her on.

Laura worked really hard. She wanted to prove herself, to advance in this world. She loved the creativity of a really good marketing campaign, the psychology behind it and finding success through something she came up with,making clients more money by finding and packaging the right message at the right time. It was an art form. And she was good at it. She hoped Raquel would see that one day.

Finally on Monday night, Raquel let her go early, after having worked the second weekend in a row. Laura was relieved. She went home, had a frozen dinner while watching TV and cuddling with her cat, and then crashed early. That night, she slept like a baby and had a vivid dream.

'In her dream, she was dressed to the nines for the opening night of a new Broadway play, "Love's Escape." She had gotten out of her limousine in front of the theater. Photographers clamored for her photo. She indulged them by smiling and posing all along the red carpet. At the end of the carpet, she spotted him. Angelo. He was staring at her, admiring her beauty in her sweeping, strapless formal gown. It glittered with gold sequins in rose designs over top a silky cream-colored sheath. Her auburn hair was shiny and smooth in her flattering up do, which showed off expensive diamond drop earrings.

She made her way down the carpet as people cheered. She made eye contact with Angelo. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he said as she neared him.

"I've been busy," she said, pointing up to the play's poster. "This is my firm's campaign."

"You designed that?" he asked, looking up admiringly at the poster.

"I did," she said. "I've always been a patron of the arts. This was a passion project."

He looked at her, his eye penetrating, his lips slightly parted. "Speaking of passion. I haven't been able to get you out of my mind."

"I see," she said, her voice, her posture full of confidence. She gave him a sly smile.

He opened the door for her and she entered the softly lit theater. He followed close behind. Suddenly, they were alone. "You know what you do to men," he said, stepping around to face her. He was looking at her lips, painted a deep ruby red. "You enjoy it."

She smiled like a Cheshire cat. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?" he asked, touching her bare shoulder. His hands were soft and warm, but strong.

She looked up at him coyly, batting her lashes.

"You take my breath away," he said as he bent down to kiss her. His lips were searching, soft and his kiss full of passion and desire. His body pressed against her...

Then her alarm went off. 6:30 a.m. "What timing," she groaned as she rolled over and hit the snooze button. She tried to fall back asleep, to rejoin the dream where she left off. She wanted to savor the dream, to remember it. She kept her eyes closed, but it was no use. She couldn't fall back asleep. The snooze alarm went off. It was 6:40 am. Her mind started to get busy, thinking about the workload waiting for her at the office. She groaned again and threw the covers back. She stretched and yawned, thinking that at least she didn't have to go in early today.

Jasper, her three-year old shorthaired grey cat, took that as his cue to wake up. He always slept at the end of her bed. She liked it. At least there was one man in her bed. He got up and arched his back, giving it a good stretch.

"Good morning, handsome," Laura said, smiling at him. He meowed in response and walked up to nuzzle her chin. She loved the feel of his fur on her face. She petted him and he purred loudly. "Breakfast time?" she asked, looking into his big green eyes. He meowed excitedly. She kissed his forehead. "Let's go!" She had conditioned him to know that those words meant he was getting his morning food. She thought it was cute.

Jasper ran over to his bowl and sat at attention, his tail wrapped neatly around his side, until she came to the kitchen. He then followed her to the cupboard where his food was kept. He was meowing away, excited by the prospect of breakfast time. She fed him and watched him for a moment as he hungrily tackled the food.

"I envy you," she said. "Your life is simple and uncomplicated. You're so happy with the small things, food, love, shelter." She smiled. "Maybe those are the big things and the rest are small things." She liked that thought. But then her thoughts turned to the day ahead. She knew a lot of stress awaited her. She sighed heavily. Best get on with it, she thought. She headed to her small bathroom and turned the shower on.

As she dried herself off and started to get ready for the day, she looked at herself in the mirror. "Not exactly the glamorous lady of my dream," she said to herself. Her auburn hair was medium thickness and she applied a smoothing serum to give it a silkier look. Her hazel eyes were average-sized and her skin was pale with a few freckles here and there, that she tried her best to conceal with cover-up and powder. She felt the freckles made her look too young and girl-like. She took a look at her figure in the mirror. A couple of extra pounds here and there that she'd like to lose, but they held on. She had an average, but on the curvy side, feminine figure with a full bosom and hips. Nothing that stood out too much. Just average. That summed her up, she thought.

She sighed. "Well, I'll just do the best I can, with what I've got." She proceeded to do her hair and makeup and get dressed. She wore a white blouse with a large, open collar, a silver flower pendant, and fitted black skirt. She struggled to look the part of a successful Manhattan-ite on her tight budget. She frequented consignment stores to try to find good bargains on quality items.

Only one trip out of ten proved fruitful, but she had put together a modest wardrobe with some nice things in it.

"Okay, handsome fella, I have to go to work," she said as she bent down to pet Jasper.

He meowed in response, pressing his back into her hand as she petted him.

"I know, I should stay home all day and cuddle and play with you. I'll miss you, too." Laura kissed the top of his head and then dragged herself out the door for her long commute into Manhattan.

Once there, she stopped by her favorite coffee place, Coffee Haven. She was looking forward to having time to pick up a good cup of coffee for a change.

The brew at the office was horrible, which is why Kinetic always catered for client meetings.

She entered the coffee shop. There was a long lineup. She checked her watch. 7:45 am. She assessed the line. It was moving. She'd wait another five minutes, if it didn't look like it was moving fast enough, she'd leave. Her office was just over five minutes from here.

She looked around. It was a busy Tuesday morning. Filled with people glancing through their phones and tablets. Not many people making eye contact. She found that a sad state of modern society. Too much disconnection. She thought about how it could make a person feel really lonely in a crowd. Like you just weren't interesting enough to pay attention to.

Finally, she made it to the front counter.

"Hey Laura, the usual?" the barista asked as he beamed at her.

"You bet. Thanks, George," she replied.

"Sounds good," he said, then looked behind her. He nodded. George was a college student who was working at Coffee Haven part-time. Laura liked him. It was nice to see a familiar, friendly face each morning. It made her journey into work just a little less painful. It was sad, she thought. This was one of the high points of her workday. A brief, friendly exchange at the coffee place. It was all downhill from there. Oh well, she mused, at least she had this. She reached into her purse to take out her wallet.

"Sorry, Laura. I can't take your money today," George said, looking up from the till.

"What? Why not?" she asked, confused.

"It's been paid for."

"But I didn't..."

"I owed you a coffee," the deep voice said from behind her.

She turned around and nearly fainted. It was him.

He smiled. That smile. "Make mine black, tall, please," he said to George.

"You got it," George said, trying to hide his grin.

"I-uh, thanks," she stammered, turning bright red. Her dream came rushing back to her.

"It's my pleasure," he said, smiling even wider.

That voice. Low and deep and masculine. She looked up at him. He had to be 6'3", to her 5'6", without heels. With his height, his solid build, and those broad shoulders of his, not to mention his stunning good looks, he definitely stood out in a crowd.

Think Laura. Say something. "You come here often?" As soon as she said it, she wanted to smack herself. Of all the things you could say, it had to be a cheesy pick-up line. "I didn't mean...I meant...Coffee Haven. Isn't there a Coffee Stars in your building?" Her heart thundered in her ears.

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I felt the need for a change. I decided to venture out a bit. This seemed like a good place." He looked down at her, his big blue eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes, sparkling with humor.

"Laura?" a voice from behind the counter called out.

"That's my..." she said.

"I'll meet you there," Angelo said as he paid for their coffees. He gave George a twenty-dollar bill. "Keep the change. Thanks."

"Wow, thanks man," George said, beaming.

Laura took note of the exchange. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach. She grabbed her coffee. She couldn't get the imagery of her dream out of her mind.

Angelo came and stood beside her. He was wearing an expertly tailored dark blue suit and white shirt that showed off his golden skin. He seemed even taller standing right next to her. She felt her knees go weak. She caught a whiff of his cologne. Tasteful, masculine, intoxicating. Her mind seemed to melt.

"I like it here," he said. "Friendly staff, good service. Good coffee." He gave her a direct look. "Nice scenery."

She felt her face and other parts heat up. Did he just compliment me? she asked herself. She couldn't think straight. "Yes, this place is the best," she said, her voice slightly shaky. "I'll try to keep my coffee in my cup this time."

He laughed. "Sounds good. It would be a shame to let something so tasty go to waste."

"Uh, yes," she stammered. Is he making double entendres, she wondered, or is that my imagination? Say something witty, for heaven's sake! She couldn't think of a thing.

Angelo's coffee was ready. He stepped forward to grab it, coming in just a little bit closer to her.

Laura's heart pounded faster in response to the close proximity to him.

"Do you have time to sit down for a few minutes?" he asked politely.

She noticed how his shirt, open at the collar, fit his chest just perfectly.

There were some good muscles under there, she was sure.

"Laura?"

"What?" she asked, startled. She realized she had been staring at his chest, so her eyes darted to the floor. "Oh, right. Ummm..." she looked at her watch. It was 7:55 am. If she left now, she'd maybe make it on time. She pictured Raquel standing there glaring at her if she came in late. But then she thought of what Sarah said about having regrets and wondering what if? To heck with it, she thought.