the marketing campaign would already be in motion. It’s obvious to me that Smokey can’t see a woman as his professional equal. And there’s no fucking way I’m going out to lunch with him to talk about the campaign. It’s 100% business on Monday. Damn! The jerk pisses me off so much—
The ding of the elevator interrupted her thoughts. The doors swished open to reveal an older man leaning against the back wall of the car who tipped his head when Ashley entered. Offering a small smile in return, she stared down at the vinyl floor, hoping the stranger wouldn’t start a conversation.
After several awkward minutes, the doors opened to the main floor, and Ashley strode out of the building, hurrying toward the Buick. She had an appointment with the director of the Mount Vista Shelter for Homeless Teens. The year before, Ashley and some of her colleagues helped out at a Denver shelter for runaway and homeless teens as part of a “giving back to the community” campaign that Zach and the other partners at IMG organized for downtown businesses.
At first, she had dreaded putting in the hours at the center, afraid it would open up a flood of emotions she’d kept locked up tightly for several years. But after taking the plunge, she found that she loved working with the kids, helping them deal with the confusion and chaos of being homeless. The one co-worker who shared her enthusiasm at the shelter was Maryann, while all the others—Tyler and Chandra in particular—bitched about having to be there.
Ashley pulled in front of the Mount Vista Shelter, and switched off the ignition. She glanced and took in the two-story, red brick building. Hanging out on the front steps was a girl, who looked to be around fourteen, sitting next to a boy about the same age with red, moppy hair down to his shoulders. Seeing her, he bent his head down and cupped his hand around a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Grabbing her purse, she got out of the car and walked toward the youths.
“Hi.” She smiled broadly.
Grunting, the boy exhaled a stream of smoke that swirled around in the air above his head. The girl leaned back against the step, clasped her hands around her knees, and fixed her eyes on Ashley. With neither replying, Ashley hefted the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder and climbed the steps to the front door.
Several minutes later, she sat on a metal chair, looking around the cluttered office overflowing with folders and boxes. On one of the shelves of a bookcase, she noticed a few framed pictures of a small boy and girl.
“Sorry for the mess.” A tall, slender man, who looked to be in his late thirties, walked toward the desk. “I’m trying to sort through case files and send them off to storage so I have room for the new folders.” Pushing a bunch of papers across the desk, he took his seat and grinned, displaying his dimples. “I’m Brady Shelling.”
“I’m Ashley Callahan. We spoke on the phone about doing some volunteer work.”
The director’s eyes swept over her before settling on her face. “Right.”
She shifted in the chair. “As I said on the phone, I can put in about eight hours a week during the evenings and weekends.”
“Do you cook?” he inquired, his gaze still fixed on her face, as if studying her.
A small laugh slipped through her lips. “Not really. I’d prefer helping to serve the meals cooked by someone else.”
A large smile broke out across his face, making the fine lines around his eyes crinkle. “Noted.” Leaning back, he clasped his hands behind his head. “So, why do you want to work at the shelter?”
She clenched her jaw as images from her past jabbed at her brain. “The marketing firm I work for did a community project in Denver at a teen shelter, which I found to be a worthwhile experience for me. I have some extra time, and I’d like to help out in any way I can.”
“Why did you leave Denver?”
“I’m in Pinewood Springs to work on a few marketing campaigns. Once I’ve wrapped them up, I’ll be heading back to Denver. I’ll only be in town for three or four months.” And if that damn boss of mine doesn’t get his ass in gear, I may end up being here longer.
“We can always use volunteers at the shelter. The only thing we need to do is run a criminal background check. We need