I was just standing there, minding my own business, reminiscing about my father, when a body came hurtling out of nowhere and knocked me over.
I sat on the grass, dazed and confused as to how I went from standing to sitting without meaning to. I tried to move, but my legs were tangled up with someone else's feet.
“Are you all right?” the person tangled up with me asked. He had a slight European accent to his words, making him sound educated, even if he was clumsy.
“I think so,” I said slowly, pulling my legs out from under his. Nothing seemed to be broken or too badly bruised. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I'm fine,” he assured me, rising to his feet. “I am so very sorry, miss.”
He held out a hand to help me up. I looked up and into the most handsome face I think I've ever seen. His hair was golden with just enough red to glint in the sun and he looked down at me with ocean eyes. His jaw was strong and his shoulders were broad in a t-shirt and gym shorts. I took his hand, feeling my heart speed up. It wasn't every day a handsome man crashed into me.
He tugged me up gently, a smile crossing his face as he did so. His grip had strength and he pulled me up with ease.
“Thanks,” I said. He waited until I had my balance to let me go. I missed the warmth of his hand as soon as it was gone.
“Again, I apologize.” He put his hand to his heart, making his bicep flex. He was in great shape. “You're sure you are okay?”
“I'm sure,” I told him, dusting the grass from my slacks. At least I didn't wear a skirt today. “I just didn't see you coming.”
“To be fair, I did come up from behind. I assume you were looking at the monument,” he said, looking up at the tall obelisk himself. “It's my fault.”
“Are you two okay?” another man asked, jogging up beside us. He had a similar complexion, but darker hair and a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken several times. The man was tall and also in great shape.
“We're fine, Andre,” the first man assured him with a small wave of his hand. “It was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going.”
Andre still looked concerned. Somehow, his shoulders got bigger and his face darker.
“It's totally fine,” I replied, putting on a smile and trying to diffuse the situation. “Oh, and here's your Frisbee.”
I leaned over and tried to pick up the plastic disk. Unfortunately, I only picked up half of it, as it had broken into two pieces. I wasn't sure who exactly had landed on it, but given the ache in my hip, it was probably me.
“I am so sorry,” I said quickly. “I can buy you a new one.”
The first man laughed. “Miss, if anything, I should be buying you something. The Frisbee is my fault. I'm the one who ran into you.”
I looked down at the broken plastic in my hands and realized he was right. I held out the broken piece to him and he took it with a smile.
“This is my friend, Andre. I'm Henry, by the way,” he introduced himself. He put the broken piece of Frisbee in his left hand and held out his right.
Andre nodded politely as I reached out and shook Henry's hand. His grip felt just as nice the second time as it had the first. Strong. Confident.
“I'm Aria,” I told him. “It's nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure, and responsibility is mine,” he replied. His accent made him sound like a chivalrous knight of old. He was probably only in his late twenties or early thirties, but he had a depth and confidence to him I didn't see often in men my own age.
“It's fine,” I assured him. “Other than some grass, no harm.”
Those blue eyes watched me for a moment, as if weighing my words. “Alright, then.”
Andre started walking away, and I assumed that was the end. It was time for me to be going, anyway. I needed to go fill out paperwork and yell at my stepmother.
I picked up my fallen purse and empty coffee cup. At least I had finished my coffee before Henry ran into me.
“Let me buy you lunch,” he said.
I turned in surprise, thinking he had already left. Instead he stood to the side, smiling and holding his broken toy.
“I have to go,” I told him, straightening up with my things. “I'm supposed to be somewhere.”
“Coffee, then?” he asked, pointing to my cup. “I am doubly sorry if I spilled it. I can get you a new one on your way.”
“It was empty,” I reassured him with a smile. His concern was sweet. “And it's fine. I'm good, I promise.”
“I feel badly, and I want to make it right,” he replied. His blue eyes were serious. “Please, let me make it up to you. Tell me where I can find you. I'll bring you lunch tomorrow.”
I chewed on my lip. I didn't want to tell a strange man where to find me, but I did need to get going. I was late as it was. There were limits to what my stepmother would tolerate. I couldn't stay here or stop for coffee.
I had the feeling he wouldn't take no for an answer, so I was going to have to give him something. Even though Henry was cute and seemed nice enough, this was DC. There were some weird people here, not even including the politicians.
However, there was something about Henry that I liked. I liked his easy smile and the way he looked at me with those ocean eyes. He was handsome and charming, so I did something I didn't usually do.
“I'll be working at the Trade Representative Office tomorrow,” I told him. “It's in the Winder building. Just ask for Aria R. at the front.”
He grinned, lighting up his whole face. “Perfect. I'll bring you lunch. What kind of food do you like?”
I chuckled. “Anything. Everything. If it has noodles, I am a fan.”
“I think I can work with that,” Henry said, nodding and already planning.
I had no doubt he was going to forget. Who brings lunch to a random stranger? It was a sweet offer, but I expected absolutely nothing from it.
“I need to get going,” I said, shouldering my bag. “It was nice to meet you, and I'm sorry about your Frisbee.”
“It was my fault,” he repeated. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
I nodded my head and started walking. I glanced back once to see him watching me with a smile and I wondered what I had just gotten myself into.
The rest of the journey to the office was uneventful. No random strangers collided with me and I didn’t fall to the ground. The entire way, I did think of Henry, though. His easy smile seemed to stay with me even after he was gone from sight.I secretly hoped he would run into me again.The Winder Building sat regally on the corner of the street. Painted white, the second level wore wrought iron balconies that gave it an almost Southern charm. As much as I disliked the fact that I was unwillingly returning to my roots, I did like the building. It was from the time of the Civil War and radiated history.I walked up to the heavy wooden door, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. I had been here a million times, yet I felt as nervous as my first time. It felt like stepping back seven years in my life to my very first day. I’d worked as an office assistant here for three years while I got my degree. I thought I would never be back except as a visitor.“They told me you were coming, but
Due to the complexities of government work, it took me hours to fill out all the paperwork despite having worked for this office before. I ate a lunch out of the vending machines, knowing that if I left, I might not come back. The forms were typical government bureaucracy at its best. The sun already crept ominously toward the horizon as I left the office and headed to the rich area of town.It was time to see my stepmother about today.It took a metro train and a bus to get to her house, but I made it there just as the sun crested the horizon. Long dark shadows filled the streets. It would be a long ride home into the city, but I knew my stepmother wasn’t going to have this conversation over the phone.My stepmother lived in a nice neighborhood with good schools and beautiful churches. The homes regularly went for well over six million, due to the proximity to downtown DC. It was a very affluent and politically important area.My father had never lived here. This was the house she bo
I wore my favorite dark gray slacks and cream colored silk top for my first day back at my old job. Just because I was going back in time didn’t mean I had to dress like it. Besides, wearing something that made me feel professional and attractive would at least make the day start out better.Gus greeted me warmly as I walked in the front door.“Good morning, Aria,” he said, smiling at me.“Good morning, Gus.”“If you get hungry later, the missus made banana bread. I’m happy to share.”I’d forgotten how good Mrs. Gus’s banana bread was. It was almost reason enough to come work here on its own. Today was already a better day than yesterday.“That sounds great. Thank you.”He just grinned and waved me on to the stairs so I could go up and start my work.I stopped by Jaqui’s office and said hello. She showed me where I was working and gave me the password to the WiFi in the building.“Here’s your work space,” Jaqui said, bringing me to a small office on the top floor. It was already warme
He grinned and it lit up the room. My stomach fluttered and I could feel a blush heat my cheeks. How in the world was I going to make it through an entire meal feeling this flustered? It felt like a first date.I was suddenly really glad I had worn my favorite work outfit. It was close enough to first date clothing that I didn’t feel under-dressed. I at least knew that I looked good today.He offered me his arm and I felt like a true lady as he escorted me out of the building.“Have her back in two hours, young man!” Gus called out after us, his arms crossed and expression grumpy. I loved him for it.A lovely spring day awaited us outside. I’d been cooped up in my office scanning documents and hadn’t realized how beautiful it was out. The sun was warm, contrasting the cool breeze that threatened rain later.Henry pulled out a ball-cap with a large blue R embroidered on it and pulled it down over his hair. He looked almost like a different person with it on, but he at least had the sun
“Do you want to eat outside?” Henry asked as we waited. “It’s warm today, but we can eat inside if it’s too cold.”“Outside is wonderful. It’s been so warm. It feels like a shame not to enjoy the nice weather.”He nodded and picked up the tray with our sandwiches and deftly carried it out to the patio. We sat under an umbrella, but still in the sunshine. The slight breeze was just cool enough I was glad I wore long sleeves. Summer was on its way, but not here yet.He balanced the tray on one hand and carefully settled the plates on the table.“You must have done this before,” I teased him as he settled into his chair. He frowned slightly and I pointed to the plates. “The plates. Were you a waiter?”He chuckled. “No, just lots of watching others. And natural grace, of course.”I giggled as he winked at me. “Natural grace, huh? Just like how you ran into me was graceful?”“If you were paying attention, you would have noticed that it was a perfect tackle. My coach would have been proud,”
I led the way to the famous monuments, walking along the streets of Washington DC, hand in hand. I tried not to focus on how his very touch heated my entire being. I kept sneaking glances over at him as we walked, unsure if this was really happening.“Where are we going?” he asked as we skirted around a group of tourists. He smiled as he said it, his steps confident and matching mine. I got the feeling he didn’t care where we were actually going, as long as it was with me.I definitely felt the same way.“I thought I’d show you the Reflecting Pool,” I replied. It wasn’t far from the restaurant, and it was always beautiful. We just had to walk south in almost in a straight line and we’d hit a lot of the famous tourist sights along the way.“That sounds wonderful,” he replied, squeezing my hand. I liked that he hadn’t let go of it, even though it was making my heart beat in funny patterns. I never wanted him to let go.We walked along, making comfortable small talk. I played tour guide,
I could feel his smile against my lips when we both pulled back long enough to breathe. Despite barely moving, I was breathless.“Wow,” I whispered, not sure of what else to say. The sun shone brighter. The sky was bluer. Even the tourists walking past seemed to smile more.His hand was still in my hair, holding me close to him. I never wanted him to let me go. I wanted to stay right here with him. Or anywhere with him, really. I just wanted him.He grinned and leaned back over and kissed me again. The second was just as powerful as the first, except I was ready for it this time. My hands went to his chest, feeling the firm muscles under his shirt as I moved my hands under his jacket.I wanted more. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the thrill of kissing under the trees in the sunshine. It was something out of a love story my mother used to read to me.“We have to get you back,” he whispered between kisses.I knew he was right. My two hours had to be up by now, but I didn’t want to go back
Friday couldn’t come fast enough.I’d done a little more digging on Henry Prescott in preparation for our date. He was a good rugby player, but not considered one of the best. There was very little else in the way of information about him. It seemed that Paradisians weren’t big into social media advertising everything about them. What I could find matched everything I did know about him. He was more legit than most men I dated, even if he was known for rugby rather than anything else.I was excited that he wanted to share that with me for our date tonight.I went to work each morning that week with a smile on my face. Luckily, the backlog of documents held out for the entire week. I gleefully scanned each one into the system, even though I knew that every sheet of paper scanned brought me closer to having something my stepmother would want.That was a bridge I would cross when I came to it. Until then, I was going to enjoy being able to message her that I had nothing of interest. It w