Wanted: Girl I Once Met Page 3

  The thought made his stomach roil. He and Philip gaped at each other and shook their heads in unison.

  “I see everything is fine over here,” Agent Johnson stated. “You might get a good-sized bruise from the impact of the bullet but other than that, you seem to be okay. Should I have the paramedics look you over a second time?”

  “No, no, I’m fine and I’ll take a few Advils,” Mark quietly said, not wanting to create a fuss.

  Philip cut in, giving Mark a look that said, ‘Don’t you even try to say no.’ “Yes, can you send one over? Mr. Christmenn does have a lump on his head and he did black out.”

  “Sure, I’ll get one over right away.” Agent Johnson smiled and waved over a paramedic.

  “Philip, you’re not my damn mother! Leave it alone, I’m fine. It’s just a little bump,” Mark scolded, then added, “Did you see if Agent Nelson is all right?”

  “He’s inside. He said as soon as you’re ready to leave, we could head back home, but we’re not leaving until the paramedics look you over!” Philip exclaimed.

  Once given a clean bill of health, minus a few lumps and bruises, Mark took Agent Nelson’s suggestion and headed back to the airport to go home. Mark didn’t feel completely safe until he felt the tires leave the ground and the plane was in the air.

  The fact he’d almost died wouldn’t leave him alone. The idea nagged at him as he waited for the green light to come on, signaling it was safe to move about the plane. Guns, shooting, FBI agents, and then Massaro drifted into Mark’s thoughts.

  Had it only been twenty-four hours ago he’d been in the comfort of his bed? Who’d believe, Mister Executive, Bachelor of the Year, multimillionaire, owner of MAC Enterprises, would put his own life on the line to save his company’s reputation?

  No one would. It was out of character for him. He solved daily worries with numbers and the everyday simple pressures of meetings and phone calls. Not guns.

  Placing a hand on his chest, he winced. Having a gun pointed at him and then seeing it explode had been the most terrifying moment of his life.

  His life had flashed before his eyes in the seconds he fell to the ground. The horrifying thought that he’d been dying was something he didn’t want to ever experience again. He felt empty. Lonely.

  What if he had died?

  The endless list of ‘what if’s went on and on and on. It made him see just how alone he was and he’d never realized it until now. He’d been a confirmed bachelor for so long because he’d chosen to wait all these years for some woman, whose name he couldn’t remember, who he’d meet once, to show up on the twentieth anniversary of the year they’d met at the agreed upon location.

  Stupid! Who would wait two decades for a woman? Pathetic! Love was for dreamers. On the other hand, had the picture he had of her been his excuse for his long line of insignificant relationships?

  The grim reality boiled down to the fact he didn’t have any children to carry on the family name. He didn’t have a wife. He didn’t have anyone.

  What did he have?

  The answer came too easily and quickly.

  Money.

  A successful conglomerate of companies.

  A huge house.

  His own line of coveted coffee beans.

  A short list, and all material. What about the emotional things?

  He had a mother who didn’t care about him, a father who’d died when he was twenty-two, a secretary who treated him like a son, a bodyguard who was his only true friend, and a long line of unfulfilled relationships.

  Nothing to be proud of, he realized.

  The disturbing truth came rushing out unexpectedly that he wanted kids and he wanted someone to share his days and nights with until they grew old.

  Glancing at the annoying red light, he moved impatiently in his seat. The plane jerked again and his head ached more than ever. The throbbing prompted him to take out a bottle of ibuprofen.

  The paramedics had said he was okay but advised him if his headache didn’t go away, he was to see his own doctor. The pain wasn’t as bad as it had been before but it was still there nagging him.

  The light flashed to green bringing him out of his self-pity attitude. Immediately, Mark got out of his seat and headed to the back of the jet. As he passed through the galley, he grabbed a bottled water and strolled into the bedroom, determined to come up with some sort of a plan to find a wife.

  The first step was to let go of the memory of a girl gutsy enough to ask him to marry her and her damn promise to meet him in twenty years.

  Talk about lasting impressions. This one sure had left its mark on him. He’d only been deceiving himself and all his past relationships. He’d never given any of the women a fair chance to win his love. It was time to move forward and time to forget the past and begin his search for Miss Right.

  Mark fell into a light sleep disturbed by visions of a knight protecting a dragon with green eyes.

  Chapter 4

  Rane turned into the MAC Company private parking ramp. Her interview was at eleven o’clock, which meant she’d arrived a half hour early. With some reservation, she pushed the button on the speaker.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m here for an interview.”

  “Thank you. Please continue ahead into Space Fifteen. Have a nice day.”

  Before the guard finished speaking, the parking ramp door opened. The sight made her nervous, but excited all at the same time.

  “This was her time! Damn it,” she muttered.

  David’s Facebook friend request and his comment still made her sick. Why would he come out of the woodwork now? Almost five years had passed since the divorced.

  Val had said to ignore his post and block him from her page. She’d listened and hoped it worked.

  Anger swept over Rane again, causing her stomach to twist into knots. She reached for her briefcase to make sure her resumé and letters of recommendation were all in place. Slowly the waves of resentment subsided and she lifted her chin in defiance, vowing David, the two-timing pig, wasn’t going to get into her head today.

  She slammed the car door shut. Moving her shoulders in a shrug of anger, she pivoted around and, with her head held high, she sauntered toward the elevators with a newfound confidence.

  The doors opened to a huge lobby with shiny marble floors and columns.

  “Hello. I’m Rane Schoen and I’m here to see Mrs. Wallen for an interview at eleven o’clock,” she said to the lobby receptionist.

  Rane signed in and received a visitor’s badge.

  “Mrs. Wallen is on the sixth floor. Please use the set of elevators to your left, not the ones you just exited from.”

  “Thank you,” Rane replied and flashed a smile of thanks.

  The smile had come easily but with every step she took, inadequacy, failures, and other shortfalls emerged from the corners of her mind as she waited for the doors of the elevator to open. She imposed an iron control on herself and pushed the poisonous thoughts back to where they’d come from as her confidence returned.

  Rane rocked backward gracefully on her heels, which was a bad habit and had cost her a pretty penny. She’d thrown away many expensive shoes because of broken heels. Her lips turned up in a half smile. She bowed her head to rummage through her briefcase and yanked out the printout of the job qualifications. Rane focused on the ad, determined not to let David’s verbal abuse haunt her, knowing deep down she had many good qualities.

  The elevator beeped signaling she’d reached her destination and then heard the doors open. Brows drawn together, she stepped out still looking downward at the ad.

  “Oh no!” Rane exclaimed as she suddenly came to a halting stop and stumbled backward.

  She’d run into something and it had felt like a goddamn bric
k wall. Her file slipped unceremoniously to the floor as she saw the It wore polished black shoes, which meant the It was a man. Rane’s gaze traveled slowly upward but only reached his athletic broad shoulders, because she was abruptly and firmly caught by the elbow.

  She swallowed dryly, expelling the breath she’d been holding and said, “I’m so-so sorry! I wasn’t-I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  To recover from looking like a blubbering fool, she stepped backward, forcing the man to release his hold on her, and bent to retrieve her file and papers. One paper had slid a few feet away so she straightened and started toward the wayward file. Then she saw him. She stopped in mid-stride.

  Oh my god! Wow!

  She blinked as her sex-deprived body screamed, Take me now, you hunk, reminding her she hadn’t had sex with a man in over a year. She couldn’t help but look at him provocatively, lazily appraising his assets.

  Her thoughts continued in that direction, and she wondered what he’d be like in bed. The hunk had to be at least six feet tall, in his late thirties to mid-forties and wore a light gray suit, which fit his physique like only a tailor made one could.

  Yummy, yummy, she thought and unintentionally licked her lips. He could have strutted out of a GQ Magazine.

  She couldn’t escape from her unexpected sexual daydream as she stared blatantly at the most delicious-looking male body she’d seen in a long while. Her tongue moistened her dry lips as she continued to stare at him. His long and thick eyelashes almost hid the blueness of his eyes.

  No mascara could make lashes look that long and thick, the lucky son of a bitch. Why was it that men always seemed blessed with them?

  The man’s hair was so black it reminded her of a moonless night. It appeared casually brushed to the left side as if he’d been out in the wind. His nose made everything come together with his high cheekbones giving him the look of a masculine male model. She was sure any actor or actress would pay millions to have this man’s nose.

  “No, I’m sorry,” he said in a deep voice, bringing her from her daytime soap opera dream.

  Rane watched in stunned silence as his arm stretched toward her. She braced herself for the contact, but it never came. His arm went past her to stop the elevator door from closing. The man then stepped around her half-crouching form into the waiting elevator. Rane’s gaze followed the man’s retreating figure and she slowly stood up, her fallen papers forgotten. The man turned as the doors closed and their gazes met. She watched his incredible pair of lips move and could only imagine what they were capable of doing.

  “I do hope you’re all right,” he said and winked salaciously.

  The doors closed and the Adonis disappeared leaving her staring into space.

  “Oh my God, breathe,” she mumbled.

  What had gotten into her? Who was she trying to kid? It wasn’t every day you literally run into a man who could make all your sexual fantasies come true.

  Her pulse was still lurching out of control. Using the Pilates techniques she’d learned recently, she took several deep breaths and let the air rush out slowly. Instead of calming her as she’d hoped, it only caused her body to become more heated than it already was.

  The man had been wearing Drakkar cologne! Her favorite. She loved the masculine fragrance. She fought the urge to start sniffing the air like a dog before the cologne lost its intensity.

  She’d once given a bottle to David as a gift but he’d refused to even try it and told her Drakkar smelled like dead fish.

  What did he know anyways?

  Men! Who needed them? She sure didn’t.

  Then, as an after-thought, she added maybe not a man like David but she’d sure like to get to know the man she’d literally run into.

  “Are you all right?”

  Startled, Rane glanced around for the person behind the concerned voice, as all thoughts of David and the mysterious man momentarily faded away. Then she spotted a smiling face near the reception sign.

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Rane said as she ambled over to the reception desk where a young woman sat with a concerned expression. “I think my pride is hurt more than I am, but thanks for asking.” Rane placed a hand to her heated cheeks. “I’m here to see Mrs. Wallen. I have an interview with her.”

  “Are you Ms. Schoen?”

  “Yes,” Rane said with as much dignity as she could muster. She raised her hand to cheek, hoping her face had returned to its normal color. Being caught staring, no ogling, a good-looking man wasn’t exactly what she had envisioned her first impression would be. What if the man had been the woman’s boyfriend? Or worse, her husband!

  The young woman handed an application to Rane. In a matter of minutes, she’d completed the form and watched an older woman with curly white hair walking toward her.

  “Ms. Schoen?”

  Rane stood and shook the woman’s slender hand. “Hello, yes, I’m Rane Schoen.”

  “Hello, I’m Mrs. Wallen. Please follow me.”

  Rane gathered up her belongings and pushed the lingering thoughts of the sexy man away before following Mrs. Wallen to an open office.

  The interviewing process began normally with questions about her schooling, previous positions, and her career change. Mrs. Wallen went on to explain the position the MAC Company had open.

  Rane thought the interview was going well. The position sounded challenging but she knew she’d be able to make a difference for the company. Just when she presumed the interview was over, Mrs. Wallen excused herself and left the room.

  While she waited, Rane made an effort to absorb all the information she’d heard. This was her specialty, helping companies gain control over departments. Companies just didn’t realize their lack of organization until it was too late, much too late. From what she’d heard, the MAC Company appeared to have many departments that needed reorganizing.

  Coffee.

  The MAC Company’s only product was coffee and she didn’t even like the stuff. They had their own coffee plantations in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Columbia, and Kenya. They harvested the beans, exported them to the U.S., and then processed the coffee beans for their private and own branded special blend labels.

  She hadn’t realized how complex it was to get a simple cup of coffee. It all sounded very interesting and she was tempted to give coffee a chance since she’d never acquired a taste for it. Then the vastness of the job hit her and doubt kicked in.

  The door opened and Mrs. Wallen returned with a man.

  “Ms. Schoen, I’m Mr. Hansen, Director of Human Resources. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?”

  “No, I’ll be glad to answer your questions,” Rane replied, hoping she could do an adequate job.

  As Mr. Hansen sat down, she watched as Mrs. Wallen quietly exited the room. After another round of endless technical job and personality questions, he stood up, excused himself, and left.

  This could be it. The Mac Company was interested in her.

  She’d made it to a second-round interview on the same day as her first. Her search was almost over. The door opened and, to her surprise, it was Mr. Hansen again not Mrs. Wallen.

  “Ms. Schoen, thank you for being so understanding with us. I still need a few more minutes of your time. Would you be able to stay a little while longer?” Mr. Hansen asked.

  “Yes, of course.”

  She listened then stared at Mr. Hansen in disbelief. She had to be dreaming. He was offering her a position with a salary in the mid six-figure range, plus bonuses! To top it off, medical and dental insurance coverage, three weeks paid vacation, and, amazingly, two more weeks after only four years. All this came with a title of Director of Corporate Resources.

  Dear God! What a sweet deal. Wow! This has to be a dream.

  “A position as Director of Corporate Resources?�
�� she repeated, still having difficulty processing her good fortune.

  “Yes. Would you be interested in the position, Ms. Schoen?” Mr. Hansen asked.

  Then reality came crashing down on her hard. A larger-than-life image of her spineless fish of an ex-husband popped up.

  His words still haunted her, “You’ll never amount to much. You needed reassurance for everything, Baby.”

  Well, David could go screw his little nurses, which was probably exactly what he was doing now. She was going to take this job and shove it in his face.

  Straightening in her chair, Rane said, “Yes, I will accept your offer. When would you like me to start?”

  Through her haze, she heard Mr. Hansen say, “Tomorrow at eight-thirty.” She nodded in acknowledgement, unable to find her voice. She pushed away the creeping doubts and excitedly thanked him. They shook hands to seal the offer and he escorted her into the hallway. Before leaving, he welcomed her to the MAC Company family.

  She stared after him, still in a slight state of shock. The enormity of what she’d done, of what had just happened burst through her excitement.

  “Welcome aboard!” Mrs. Wallen’s voice broke through Rane’s bemused and confused mind. “I’m sorry the interview took so long, but when I see someone that MAC Company would benefit from having as an employee, I don’t hesitate to jump. Stop by the reception desk tomorrow morning and then come up to see me.”

  Rane took her hand. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I know I’ll enjoy working here.”

  Still in some sort of time warp, she heard Mrs. Wallen welcome her again and then she, too, sauntered away leaving her at a loss and completely dumbfounded.

  Holy shit, she’d landed a job. David had been wrong. She didn’t need anyone’s approval to make her own decisions.

  Seeing the elevator brought back the image of the hunk she’d run into earlier. Her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, “Excuse me, the man I ran into earlier, does he work here?”