she pushed the memories aside. She didn’t want to think about him, darn it! He was her past. Running a hand over the fabric samples on her desk, she concentrated on her future, on doing a good job!
That’s all she could do, she reminded herself. This would be her world. Stroking the fabric samples and the color palates, she breathed in deeply, then slowly released the breath, letting it relax her.
From experience, she knew that she’d be okay for the rest of the day. She would thrive and work hard, learn new decorating tricks when she talked to the other designers…then she’d go home to her pretty, new apartment that she’d just moved into last weekend, a secret apartment that no one knew about…and she’d put her broken heart back together.
Slapping some papers around on her desk, she muttered under her breath, “He just wants someone to worship him! But he doesn’t care. Not really!”
“Who?”
Savannah swung around, startled to find her coworker, Beth, standing behind her wearing a curious expression.
“Oh, no one. Just an old boyfriend,” Savannah explained.
Beth leaned a hip against Savannah’s desk. “Yeah, I’ve dated that kind of dude before. Totally self-centered, charming and funny, but when I really needed him, he’d disappear.” She shook her head. “Jerks. All of them.” Pushing away from the desk, she said, “Hey, if you want to get a drink tonight after work, let me know. There’s a bar down the street that makes great martinis!”
Savannah grinned, her spirits lightening slightly. “That would be great! Count me in.”
Beth smiled back. “Fantastic! I’ll stop by to get you.”
And then she was gone. Savannah smiled at the thought of spending time with another human being after work. She’d been so consumed by trying to make a good impression here and avoiding Gaelen’s minions, not to mention moving into her new apartment after receiving her first big paycheck and…just trying to pretend that her heart wasn’t shattered and telling herself that she was moving on with her life…she hadn’t really thought about trying to have a social life.
What a concept! For the rest of the day, her heart didn’t hurt quite so much. Was she finally getting over Gaelen, she wondered, as she packed up for the day. Was she moving on and leaving Gaelen in her past?
She walked with Beth and a few of the other junior associates towards a bar down the street, everyone laughing and talking. Savannah observed all of it, smiling and talking as well. Yes, she was getting out and making new friends. Gaelen wouldn’t know anything about these people and…!
Was she actually getting over him if she couldn’t stop thinking of him?
Probably not. Darn it!
Chapter 15
I’ve got to get hold of myself, Savannah thought, smoothing her down the skirt she’d pulled on this morning. Unfortunately, it was too loose and looked…messy.
Pushing through the doors of the firm, she patted her hair to make sure it was in place. But instead of heading towards the elevators, she turned right and walked into the small café. Just a muffin, she thought. She considered getting a cup of coffee too, something to perk her up, but for some reason, the thought of coffee made her stomach ache.
With the muffin in her purse and her portfolio tote on her other arm, she headed out of the café and…froze.
Was that…? A large man with broad shoulders was stepping into the elevator. But she couldn’t see his face since his back was turned to her. But he looked like…! No! Impossible!
She hadn’t seen Gaelen in weeks! He couldn’t be here, she thought. Not today. He was gone to wherever it was that he’d disappeared to.
There was a long line of people waiting for the elevator and she joined them, her heart pounding. It couldn’t have been him, she thought. Why would he be here of all places?
When the elevator finally dropped her off on her floor, she stepped out and looked around, sensing an odd energy in the office.
“What’s going on?’ she asked of Rebecca, who was grinning in a silly manner.
Rebecca wiggled excitedly in her chair. “Some gorgeous royal prince arrived just now,” Rebecca whispered. “He is hot!” she hissed.
“A royal prince, huh?” Savannah echoed, smiling. “That’s pretty exciting. What’s he doing here?’
Rebecca looked around, as if checking to make sure no one overheard her gossiping, even though everyone in the company knew that she was a horrible blabbermouth. If anything happened within the firm, Rebecca not only knew about it, she made sure