Share
Chapter 8
Related chapters
Struck by Love Chapter 9
Laura slept fitfully that night. Her phone never rang. She had waited so long, hoping it would ring, that it was too late to call Sarah by the time she finally realized that Angelo wasn’t going to call. How did he think it was okay not to call her under the circumstances? With her boss brazenly hitting on him? she wondered. She was tied in knots. He obviously didn’t care. On one hand, she dreaded going into work that morning, and yet on the other, she was anxious to get there to get a sense of where things were at. She walked past Coffee Haven. She hesitated, considering going in, but decided to keep walking out of spite. He probably wasn’t in there anyway, she told herself. Just keep walking and don’t let them make a bigger fool out of you. She reached the office and went around back to see if Raquel’s car was there. It wasn’t. She set her shoulders and tried to quell the upset feelings that were gripping her. She’d definitely be calling Sarah tonight. She’d give her
Struck by Love Chapter 10
Monday morning came and Laura was a bundle of nerves in anticipation of her first actual date with Angelo. She had spent the weekend agonizing over every detail of what had transpired so far and wondering about what was to come. She had played countless scenarios in her head about how things might go, what he was going to be like on a date. She had also been letting her insecurities play on her mind a bit, wondering if he really was on a weekend business trip or if there was something else he was doing. She thought about the rumors that Monday nights were usually reserved for low-priority, secondary dates, and that the important dates for people you were super interested in were always on a Friday or Saturday night. Not letting her worries deter her, Laura had spent a bit more time on her makeup and hair that morning, and dressed up a little for the occasion. Nothing too flashy since she’d be at work all day and they were heading to the park later. She wore a fitte
Struck by Love Chapter 11
Her throat felt tight. “It’s fine.” “I missed you the other night,” he said, his deep voice soft, probing. She blinked. “What do you mean?” “At dinner. You didn’t show. You were working late?” “What?” “Raquel said you weren’t available.” Laura was furious. “She lied.” “Lied? Why?” “She told me I wasn’t invited. That it was a meeting just for the two of you.” He exhaled. “I see. That’s not what she told me.” “Mmmhmm,” she said. She was steamed. “And then when I didn’t call you…” “Yeah,” she said, feeling silly and gullible. She thought of Raquel and how manipulative and selfish and outright mean she was. She didn’t know how she was going to continue to work for someone like that. “Your boss is a piece of work,” he said. “I’ll have to keep my guard up. But she does seem capable of handling our campaign. I’d still like to work with you, if you’d be comfortable with that?” “Yes, yes, of course,” Laura replied, putting a hand to h
Struck by Love Chapter 12
He waited for her to continue. He’d let her share whatever she felt comfortable with. She lost her appetite and pushed her plate away. “He left me for a girl we both had met at college. She was in one of our classes. The whole thing really sucked. Since then, I’ve just dated a bit here and there, nothing serious.” She felt embarrassed telling such a sorry tale to one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors. The absurdity that things with Angelo could ever go anywhere came surging forward in her mind. He read her expression. “I’m afraid he’s not a very smart fellow, then. To let such a beautiful and charming girl go.” She tried to muster a smile. He pushed his plate aside as well and reached out to hold her hand. “Some things stay with you, though, don’t they?” She nodded, averting her gaze. She didn’t want him to see how much that still affected her to this day. She’d been completely devastated when it happened. “I know,” he said. Just then the w
Struck by Love Chapter 13
After she gave him directions, Angelo drove Laura back to Brooklyn to drop her off after their long dinner. Her head and heart were all over the place thanks to her body’s reactions to him. She didn’t want this night to end. She didn’t want to be away from him, but she knew she wasn’t ready to be invited into his bachelor pad. Her worst fear for this situation was that she would be his Monday night companion, while he had other women lined up to keep him company on the other nights of the week. She was lost in thought most of the way home. Angelo could tell by how quiet she was that she was deep in thought. He figured it was because he scared her off by being so forward and inviting her to his place after their first date. It was a work night as well, not even a night where they could have slept in afterwards if she did stay the night. He wasn’t sure what to do, so they mostly just listened to music on the way to her place. Each wondering if the evening had been messed up and
Struck by Love Chapter 14
Laura was all aglow the next day anticipating the plans Angelo had made with her to see a movie later that evening. She was reveling in the intensely exciting and romantic connection they had made last night. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep, she kept thinking of his touch, the way his lips felt on hers, where she touched his body, the feel of him, how much she wanted more of him. She was completely captivated, entranced, and drawn to this man that she had only recently met. He had taken on an overwhelming presence in her life. She was already falling for him. Hard. The morning went by agonizingly slow. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t think of anything else but Angelo as she replayed every moment from their first date last night and how erotic things were at times. Finally, she decided she’d go outside at lunch and walk off some of her pent up energy and try to clear her head. She took her lunch break, walking out into the bright sunny day, feeling like she was wal
Struck by Love Chapter 15
Laura didn’t sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, her mind playing over the brief voicemail message that Angelo had left her canceling their second date, seeing him with the blonde woman at lunch, wondering what was really going on and feeling like she was a small bit player in a bigger, far more interesting play. The alarm finally went off at 6:30 a.m. She was exhausted. This was going to be a long day. She made it in to work. She hesitated about stopping in at Coffee Haven, but she figured that since Angelo had canceled their date, he wouldn’t be showing up there. She was right. Sullenly, she sat down at her desk, staring at her coffee cup. That’s where it had all started, an innocent little cup of coffee. Then, she was knee-deep in something unfamiliar and confusing. She thought about the highs of the initial spark of interest and attraction, then the lows of potential rejection and humiliation for putting one’s heart at risk. She didn’t like the feeling th
Struck by Love Chapter 16
Saturday afternoon finally arrived. Laura felt very nervous. She wasn’t sure about trusting Angelo or her defenses in the face of his undeniable charm and gorgeous looks. She didn’t want to get bamboozled by him and lose perspective or objectivity. She knew how much emotional pain that could lead to. She headed to the park, which was only a ten-minute walk from her apartment. She was dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, and a light green long sleeved sweater, which was slightly sheer with a black tank top underneath it. She wondered how this would go and where her life would be heading after this get-together. Alone? With Angelo? Limbo-land? She just didn’t know. Heck, she wasn’t even sure if he’d actually show. He obviously had a lot going on in his life, though she wasn’t sure what, so what did he need her for? She got to the park a few minutes late. She purposely wanted to be fashionably late, which wasn’t her usual style, but it seemed appropriate today. She held h
Latest chapter
